The Tampa Bay Buccaneers defeated the New York Jets 24-16 to kick off the preseason.
Despite the starters not playing, the game provided plenty to watch for as position battles and competition for limited roster spots began to take place.Â
Some Bucs players rose to the occasion and shined under the lights, while others left a lot to be desired and hurt their chances of making the roster.Â
Winners and losers from Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ 24-16 preseason victory over the New York JetsÂ
Winner: Jalon Daniels
Daniels leaves the preseason opener as Tampa Bay’s biggest winner, by a significant margin.Â
The undrafted rookie finished 10-of-15 for 111 yards and a rushing touchdown.
He might’ve already slammed the door shut on what was expected to be an extensive competition for the QB3 spot. Daniels thoroughly outplayed Connor Bazelak and demonstrated his live arm and dual-threat ability that have had the organization gushing over him all offseason.Â
Loser: Connor Bazelak
Bazelak played the entire first half, and left a lot to be desired.
He finished 12-of-20 with 72 passing yards. He was inaccurate at times and some of passes lacked the necessary arm strength or zip.Â
He failed to build on the success he had last preseason that enabled him to stick around on the practice squad. Bazelak’s mediocre performance paled in comparison to Daniels, who has become the shiny new toy in the quarterback room and has seemingly surpassed Bazelak on the depth chart.Â
Winner: Jack Pryburn
Pryburn was one of the biggest winners defensively, notching two sacks, including one on a crucial drive late in the fourth quarter where the Jets had a chance to tie the game.Â
The outside linebacker room is quite crowded after a flurry of offseason additions, and Pryburn still has a long way to go, but the undrafted rookie definitely stood out and gave the coaching staff something to consider. Â
Loser: Chris Braswell
Finding himself on the roster bubble entering his third season, Braswell is running out of time to change the narrative — and he didn’t do himself any favors against the Jets.
Braswell finished with a completely blank stat sheet. Not a single tackle. His most notable play was a missed run fit that allowed Breece Hall to break free for a 31-yard touchdown run.Â
With Braswell practically invisible while undrafted rookie Pryburn notched two sacks in his NFL debut, it’s becoming more likely that there won’t be room for Braswell on the Buccaneers roster this season.Â
Winner: Ayden GarnesÂ
Garnes made the splash play of the day, scoring Tampa Bay’s first touchdown of the season on a pick-six.Â
He also tackled Jets running back Breece Hall for a three-yard loss on New York’s first possession of the game.Â
Garnes has stood out throughout training camp and has been making his case for a roster spot, and his incredible performance to kick off the preseason just boosted his roster hopes even more.Â
Loser: Bucs Special TeamsÂ
The Buccaneers are expecting big things out of their special teams unit after hiring the universally respected Danny Smith, who spent the last 13 seasons overseeing some elite units with the Pittsburgh Steelers.Â
The first look at the new-and-improved unit was a shocking disappointment.
Punter Riley Dixon had a short 43-yard punt that was returned for 18 yards to give the Jets great field position.
The Jets, on the other hand, were able to pin Tampa Bay at their own 2-yard line on a perfectly executed punt.Â
Kadarius Calloway muffed a kickoff and couldn’t locate the ball, ultimately leaving the Bucs backed up at their own 11.
It’s only the first preseason game, so there’s plenty of time to get things cleaned up. But they absolutely must be cleaned up. The Bucs can’t afford to be held back by special teams in yet another season.Â
Winner: Damarion WilliamsÂ
Williams led the Buccaneers with 12 total tackles, including one for loss, a sack and a pass breakup.Â
His downhill playing style and willingness to stick his nose in and make tackles are rare at the cornerback position, and could add a new dimension to the Buccaneers cornerback room.Â
Williams needs a strong preseason to stick on the 53-man roster, and he got off to a great start in the opener.Â
Loser: Kadarius CallowayÂ
Calloway was mentioned earlier for his muffed kickoff return attempt.
He didn’t do much in the running game to offset that mistake. Calloway rushed for 13 yards on eight attempts — that’s less than two yards per carry.
Between his inefficient rushing attempts and his special teams gaffe, Calloway might’ve doomed his roster chances, which were admittedly already slim thanks to a stacked running back room.  Â
Winner: Elijah RobertsÂ
Roberts had a solid rookie season in 2025, and he picked up right where he left off in the preseason opener.
Roberts recorded a sack and two tackles for loss and was Tampa Bay’s most disruptive interior defender throughout the game.Â
He was already a lock for the roster, but his performance could have Todd Bowles scrambling for more ways to get him on the field and increase his snap count.
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