Progress for the Buccaneers in Game Two: A Pewter Plank Roundtable
What are the biggest issues from game one that the Buccaneers must improve on in Saturday night’s game against the Jaguars.
Saturday night, the Buccaneers play their second preseason game. Blake Bortles, Chris Ivory and the rest of the Jacksonville Jaguars will play host to Jameis Winston and the Bucs. Both teams are coming off of losses last week, one to the Jets and one to the Eagles, and will be looking to make progress as they head towards week one of the regular season.
So as they prepare for the game, we come back with another roundtable discussion.
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Here is the question posed to the Pewter Plank staff:
- What is the biggest issue you need to see progress on in game two?
Let’s see what everyone had to say:
Michael Horan
The area that I need to see significant improvement in this week is the special teams unit. Coach Koetter didn’t mince words following the loss to Philadelphia last week, calling the special teams performance one of the worst he’s ever seen. It’s hard to blame coach for his frustration. Kenny Bell fumbled the opening kickoff, Roberto Aguayo missed an extra point attempt, and overall it was an uninspired effort from a unit that was very poor last year.
Dontee Dye and rookie defensive back Ryan Smith will both get shots to impress at kick returner this week versus Jacksonville. An extra layer of intrigue with the special teams is the surprising battle for the punting job. Many – myself included – thought that the job would be handed to newcomer Bryan Anger but incumbent Jacob Schum has done a good enough job this summer to give the Bucs pause.
Bailey Adams
The Bucs’ most improved area in week two of the preseason needs to be their discipline. Tampa Bay committed 143 penalties in 2015, which was tied for most in the NFL. Fixing that stat is a top priority this year and it has been talked about repeatedly by coaches and players this offseason. But, just talking about cutting down on penalties clearly won’t do the trick.
The Bucs were flagged 10 times for 92 yards in last Thursday’s preseason opener, showing the same lack of discipline that cost them time and time again last year. Four penalties came in the first quarter, and of the 10, many were avoidable. Pass interference, kick-catch interference and illegal formation were among the Bucs’ issues on Thursday. If Tampa Bay really wants to compete this year and in the near future, the penalty trend needs to change. The Bucs have said that they’re taking the penalty situation seriously, but it’s time for them to show it on the field this Saturday in Jacksonville.
Alan Schechter
Last week after a slow start, the passing game got going quite nicely. The same couldn’t be said for the running attack. The Bucs didn’t post a rush that went for more than six yards all game long, and averaged 1.5 yards per rush. It doesn’t matter if it’s a regular season game, preseason game, pee wee game, or Madden game. That’s not good enough. Coach Koetter has stated that despite the weapons in the passing game, the Bucs will remain a run-first offense. Well, getting there starts with improvement on Saturday night.
Zach Sauers
The biggest issue that I would like to see progress in on this week versus Jacksonville is the quarterback play from Mike Glennon and Ryan Griffin. It is no secret that the backups had bad games versus Philly. Whether that be due to the issue of receiver depth or the lack of a quality run game, the play needs to improve.
Glennon on one hand has been seen as a trade tool, but if his sloppy play continues you can bet that his stock will plummet. Griffin was kept on the roster last season due to the possibility of a Glennon trade, but if consistent poor play plagues him as well the Bucs may not see trading Glennon as a good idea. The backups have a great chance to showcase their talents this week versus a revamped Jacksonville defense. Let us just hope the team around them helps.
David Harrison
Heading into the second pre-season game of the year I want to see more from the receivers.
There’s no secret Mike Evans will get his targets and Vincent Jackson will always be a big part of the offense if he can stay healthy, but beyond that there’s questions as to who can step up and be effective.
Even with Adam Humphries being named the third receiver – a move I love by the way – I want to see more from the entire group getting open and securing passes.
Throughout last season drops were a problem throughout the roster even though Evans took the majority of punishment as the teams featured receiver.
With the depth battles being so tight it’s going to be crucial for some of these younger guys to separate themselves by holding on to the ball. Camp heroes like Johnathan Krause need to bring it to the playing field.
If Cameron Brate has shown this team anything, it’s that good hands and consistency will get you on the field for the Bucs.
Brian DeFeo
In pre-season week two I’d like to see the most progress out of the offensive line.
The line just got news that their starting left guard J.R. Sweezy will be on the PUP list and out for the first six weeks due to injury. Kevin Pamphile will need to step up and prove to people that he can play and fill in. He was supposed to be the starter once Mankins retired but the signing of Sweezy brought him back to a reserve role. He has versatility and definitely a role to play on this team but if he wants to make the big bucks he has got to prove himself.
Speaking of big bucks, right tackle Demar Dotson finally got a contract extension that he’s wanted for a while now. Dotson signed a 3 year, $16,500,000 contract with the Tampa Bay Bucs, including an average annual salary of $5,500,000. Now that he’s making the money he’s got to prove he deserves it. It’s a prove it league and the Bucs need to show they can do it.
The run blocking last week was not great gaining only 31 yards on 21 attempts and surrendered three sacks which could improve as well. The line is really young but that allows them to develop together and they need playing time to do that.
James Yarcho
As the Bucs take on the Jaguars, we need to see improvement in a few different areas. One thing I’m looking at in particular is the receivers. We saw too many drops against the Eagles last week.
Kenny Bell is fighting for a roster spot and was far from impressive between his play on special teams as well as receiver. Despite standing out in practice, Johnathan Krause and Evan Spencer were non factors in the passing game.
There’s little to no concern when it comes to Mike Evans and Vincent Jackson. I’d like to see Adam Humphries be a little more aware of where he is on the field. Last week, Humphries made a catch on third down but was a half yard short of the marker. Those kinds of things can’t happen on game days.
Overall, seeing better play out the receivers as a whole is something I will have my eye on. The depth at the position is not strong and we need to see someone step up and take charge behind Evans, VJax, Humphries, and Shepard.
What do you guys want to see progress on? Comment below…