Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 3 impressive moments from preseason Week 2

Aug 24, 2015; Tampa, FL, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers strong safety Bradley McDougald (30) intercepts a pass over Cincinnati Bengals tight end Tyler Eifert (85) during the second quarter of a preseason NFL football game at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Reinhold Matay-USA TODAY Sports

The Tampa 2 looked like, well, the Tampa 2

In my opinion, Lovie got a pass for what happened on the defensive side of the ball last year. The Buccaneers head coach needed time to teach the Tampa 2 scheme, figure out which guys master the concept and weed out the people who can not meet expectations.

This past offseason, the Bucs picked up two safeties. One in Chris Conte who understands Smith’s scheme, and the other being D.J. Swearinger who will need more seasoning before even entertaining the possibility of making him a starter. However, Smith also has one player on the roster who continues to impress and his name is Bradley McDougald.

Following a strong 2014 campaign, McDougald is looking to secure the starting free safety position in the preseason. He presented a strong case last night.

Aside from McDougald playing his position and capitalizing on Dalton’s errant throw, another important takeaway is the play of the defensive line. From George Johnson putting pressure in his limited work to an impressive stunt play by Larry English and Gerald McCoy resulting in a sack by the former, the line did its job, forcing Dalton into quick, and sometimes, throws.

Still, Lovie still sees room for improvement, even in the impressive moments.

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