The Tampa Bay Buccaneers lost 19-0 to the Jacksonville Jaguars to close out the preseason.
Despite the disappointing result on the scoreboard, some players showed up and made a strong final case for a roster spot.
Which Buccaneers impressed during the preseason finale, and who were the most disappointing?
Winners and Losers from Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ 19-0 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars
Winner: OLB Jack Pyburn
Pyburn has made headlines due to his intentions to return to college football if he doesn’t make an active roster.
Well, Pyburn did all he could to make that a non-issue. He finished with two sacks against the Jaguars, and he also had two sacks against the Jets in the preseason opener.
Four sacks in three games is quite the showing for an undrafted rookie. The Bucs’ outside linebacker room is crowded, but Pyburn might have done enough to get on another team’s radar if Tampa Bay cuts him loose.
Loser: QB Jalon Daniels
Making his first NFL start, Daniels had a golden opportunity to run away with the backup quarterback job.
But Daniels finished just 8-of-15 for 57 yards, and took three sacks. He also fumbled a snap that was recovered by the Jaguars. He was definitely let down on multiple occasions by his wide receivers and offensive line, but his individual performance took a dip against Jacksonville.
Daniels’ upside is still very high, and he looks like the QB2 of the future, but his performance against the Jaguars made it worth asking if he’s truly ready for the backup job this season.
Winner: OLB Anthony Nelson
Nelson continues to look like a man amongst boys when facing backups in the preseason. He recorded a sack for the second consecutive week, and put his stamp on the OLB5 job.
The Bucs have a solid pass rush rotation, and Nelson is going to be an important contributor to the rotation.
Loser: Bucs Offensive Line
The offensive line was dreadful throughout the entire game, allowing Bucs quarterbacks to be sacked five times.
It’s a worrisome weakness on the roster, especially after the starting offensive line dealt with so many injuries last season. If Tampa Bay has to rely on any backup linemen for extended time this season, the offense is in serious trouble.
Winner: DT Elijah Roberts
Elijah Roberts was quietly a big winner from the preseason. He had two more tackles tonight along with a QB hit and generated some pressure as well.
He had a solid rookie year, and the team is hoping he’ll take the next step. It sure looks like he’s doing just that, and he’s yet another disruptive defensive lineman in Tampa Bay’s deep rotation.
With players as good as Roberts coming off the bench, the Bucs defense is going to cause headaches for opposing offenses this season.
Loser: Bucs Punt Coverage
The punt coverage was a nightmare, allowing six returns for over 10 yards, including a 63-yard return for a touchdown.
Riley Dixon actually had a relatively solid night, averaging 48.8 yards per punt on a whopping 10 punts, but poor coverage tanked his net average down to 32 yards.
The Bucs simply can’t afford for kick and punt coverage to be a major problem again this year, but their special teams played poorly in two of three preseason games. Danny Smith needs to get his unit cleaned up before the regular season.
Winner: CB Ayden Garnes
Ayden Garnes had an incredible preseason and is cruising to a spot on the 53-man roster.
He sniffed out a screen early, getting past the blocker and making a tackle for no gain. He followed that up with a pass breakup in coverage.
Garnes was an absolute gem of a find by the front office, and he’ll play a key depth role for this team as an undrafted rookie.
Loser: OC Zac Robinson
It’s hard to judge an offense when it’s being handicapped by terrible offensive line play and none of the starters are on the field.
It’s also preseason, and some play callers hold their cards close to the vest to avoid giving opposing teams any film of the scheme.
But it’s Robinson’s tendencies that are concerning. He ran the ball on several second-and-long situations, setting up obvious passing situations on third down. On third-and-long, he continuously ran predictable perimeter screens.
The Bucs hired Robinson to replace Josh Grizzard after his play calling proved to be predictable and ineffective, but Robinson’s offense didn’t look much better throughout the preseason. It’s unfair to judge until the regular season, it’s starting to become a tad worrisome.
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