It’s time for PewterReport.com’s Two-Point Conversion Postgame column, where we feature two statements, two questions and two predictions based on the most recent Bucs game. An impressive ground game led Tampa Bay to a tough-fought, 17-14 come-from-behind victory over the Bengals in Cincinnati to open the preseason. With Liam Cohen at the helm for the first time as offensive coordinator, the Bucs racked up 390 yards of total offense, including 136 yards on the ground and two touchdowns by Tampa Bay’s running backs.
Two big statements
Statement 1. Bucs have a great game against the Bengals
Buccaneers RB Lamon Jefferson – Photo courtesy of USA Today
If you saw Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles smiling on Saturday night in Cincinnati, it was because he had finally seen the strong running game he’d been waiting for for the last two years. Yes, it was just one game, and it was just the preseason, but Tampa Bay’s running game looked real, and it led to a 17-14 win that put the team at 1-0 in their exhibition season opener.
The Buccaneers rushed 32 times for 136 yards. He averaged a healthy 4.3 yards per carry. Sophomore back Sean Tucker led the team with 68 yards on 10 carries (6.8 average) and 26 rushing yards throughout the game. Tucker was fast, explosive and decisive.
“The biggest problem is they’re declining,” Bowles said. “Nobody’s dancing around behind the scenes like they used to. They’ve had a year to understand the holes a little better and mature, at least Sean has. Bucky. [Irving] They’re natural runners. They know their holes, they know where to target in practice, and they’re explosive.”
But it was a pair of rookie rushers who got Tampa Bay the points. Fourth-round pick Bucky Irving, who started in place of Rachad White, scored the team’s first touchdown, rushing six times for 28 yards (4.7 average). Irving, small at 5-foot-9 and 192 pounds, looked like the slick, tackle-busting back he was at Oregon.
Buccaneers RB Lamon Jefferson – Photo courtesy of USA Today
Ramon Jefferson, an undrafted free agent who played under offensive coordinator Liam Cohen at Kentucky last year, kept swinging his leg for a score after initially being stopped at the line of scrimmage, running 3 yards for the game-winning touchdown for Tampa Bay.
Jefferson had two receptions for 25 yards, including an 18-yard catch-and-run on Tampa Bay’s final scoring drive. It was good to see the No. 45 Buccaneers man put in a maximum effort every once in a while.
Next week, the team travels to Jacksonville for two joint practices and a preseason game against the Jaguars, and it will be interesting to see if the Buccaneers can maintain their success on the ground.
The great philosopher Aristotle once said, “We are formed by what we repeatedly do; therefore excellence is not an act but a habit.”
The Buccaneers are hoping to make rushing well over 100 yards per game a habit this year, and Saturday night was a great start.
Statement 2. Tampa Bay’s new coaching staff opens preseason with a strong showing
Buccaneers GM Jason Licht, head coach Todd Bowles and offense manager Liam Cohen – Photo: Cliff Welch/PR
Buccaneers general manager Jason Licht has been praised for his offseason work, and rightfully so. Tampa Bay had another very good draft this year, and Licht and assistant general manager Mike Greenberg re-signed key free agents, including quarterback Baker Mayfield, wide receiver Mike Evans, free safety Antoine Winfield Jr., linebacker Lavonte David, kicker Chase McLaughlin and left tackle Tristan Wirfs.
But the Bucks’ biggest move of the offseason was The offensive coaching staff has been revamped, New offensive coordinator Liam Cohen took notice.
Tampa Bay’s offense racked up 390 yards and 22 first downs in its preseason debut. It wasn’t perfect by any means, but the team played hard and was pretty sharp for the most part. Guards Ben Bredeson and Cody Mauch and centers Robert Hainsey and Graham Burton were the only starters on Cincinnati’s offensive line, and they took turns playing in the first half.
New offensive line coach Kevin Carberry is one of the more underrated additions to the team. Tampa Bay’s offensive line held up pretty well in pass protection, helping the running backs gain 136 yards on the ground. New wide receivers coach Brian McClendon did a great job developing the team’s young receivers, who were loose all night in Cincinnati.
Ryan Miller, who was a practice squad player last year, led the Buccaneers with three catches for 42 yards, followed by rookie Cody Thompson with three catches for 26 yards. Second-year receiver Rakim Jarrett had two catches for 35 yards, undrafted free agent Tanner Knud had two catches for 29 yards and the team’s third-round pick, Jalen McMillan, caught both targeted passes for 23 yards.
New tight ends coach Justin Peel oversaw second-year tight end Payne Durham getting open and catching two passes for 27 yards, while Coe Kieft converted a key fourth down late with an 8-yard catch.
A coach is only as good as his players, and against the Bengals, in addition to the running backs, the Buccaneers’ offensive line, tight ends and wide receivers (perhaps the team’s deepest position) all shone.
2. Probing Questions
Question 1: How did the Buccaneers’ young OLBs fare against the Bengals?
Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles – Photo courtesy of USA Today
The Buccaneers didn’t get the pass rush they hoped for from a trio of young edge rushers in rookie Chris Braswell and second-year duo Marquise Watts and Jose Ramirez. That group didn’t show up on the stat sheet except for one quarterback hit in the fourth quarter by Ramirez, who was the most productive of the three.
“I think when you watch Jose play, the other guys are going to get better,” Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles said. “Our pass rush from the inside was good, but our pass rush from the outside is going to get better. They were covering, too, so we’re working on different things than they did. They’ve got things they need to work on more.”
The Buccaneers were happy to see Braswell and Watts set the edge in the running game, and that was important. Braswell had dominated the Bengals’ tight ends in the first half, but the team needed to see Watts, who is undersized at 6 feet tall and 250 pounds, set the edge as well as rush the pass. The same was true for Ramirez, who also played well in the running game. So from a coaching standpoint, Braswell, Watts and Ramirez were passable.
But Bowles wants to see more four-man rushing pressure this year, and the head coach and play-caller didn’t do much with that in the preseason opener. Instead, he wanted his edge rushers to show they could win one-on-one against Cincinnati’s backup offensive tackles, but they didn’t often pull off clean wins.
This is a bit of a disappointment considering Braswell, Watts and Ramirez appeared to take advantage of the opportunity to train extra hard last week with starters Yaya Diaby and Joe Tryon Soyinka sidelined with injuries.
“I thought Braswell did a good job physically,” Bowles said. “He didn’t have a lot of opportunities to rush the pass up front. He dropped off once or twice. Jose took on a couple of holding penalties so I thought he did a good job getting the ball off. Watts had some opportunities. He tried to move or get over the top and got pushed down, but he did a better job in the run game. All three had strengths but have some areas to improve on.”
Question 2: How would Kyle Trask have fared in Cincinnati?
Buccaneers QB Kyle Trask – Photo courtesy of USA Today
Buccaneers backup quarterback Kyle Trask started in place of Baker Mayfield and played well. Trask threw an interception to defensive solid Ryan Miller in the second quarter and threw a pass to defensive solid Devin Culp in the first quarter that also should have been intercepted.
But Trask deserves credit for pushing the ball deep down the field on Saturday. In practice, he can be too conservative, settling for checkdowns instead of taking chances on big plays with mid-range or deep passes.
Against the Bengals, some of those chances backfired, but Trask completed a nice 24-yard pass to Ryan Miller and a perfectly thrown 28-yard pass to Rakim Jarrett was Trask’s best pass of the night. Then, on that play, Sean Tucker misplayed in pass protection and Trask was hit while throwing the ball.
Overall, Trask shook off three straight early fumbles to lead the Buccaneers to a touchdown drive on the team’s next attempt, which was crucial. He looked in command of the offense and comfortable in the pocket. Trask was sacked when he probably shouldn’t have been and completed just 12 of 20 passes (60%) for 144 yards in the first half.
Third-string quarterback John Wolford completed 12 of 18 passes (66.7%) for 131 yards but didn’t perform well enough to keep up with Trask in preseason games.
Two bold predictions
Prediction 1: J.J. Russell, Ko Kieft on 53-man roster
Buccaneers ILB JJ Russell and Bengals QB Joe Burrow – Photo courtesy of USA Today
In SR’s Fab 5 53-man roster projections on Friday, I projected that inside linebacker JJ Russell and tight end Ko Kieft would not make the team. I projected the Bucs would keep their four inside linebackers, with SirVocea Dennis and undrafted free agent Kalen DeLoach joining starters KJ Britt and Lavonte David.
But Russell once again proved to be a tackling machine in the preseason, leading the team with 7 tackles. He just finds the ball, gets there quick and takes his man to the ground. Russell is also a good special teams player, as is Ko Kieft. I think Russell will stay on the team over DeLoach or Tampa Bay will keep the 5 inside linebackers.
Kieft had two special teams tackles and a solid block against Cincinnati, including a clutch 8-yard catch in the fourth quarter for a fourth down. I said the Buccaneers would have seven receivers, which in hindsight is too many. They only have three tight ends. Instead, I think they’ll use Kieft as a TE4. Rookie Devin Culp was very impressive in his debut on Saturday. Tampa Bay will have six receivers.
Prediction 2: Kayvon Meriweather will take the field in some capacity.
Buccaneers S Kayvon Meriweather – Photo courtesy of USA Today
Buccaneers head coach and defensive genius Todd Bowles is known for his creative coverage and pressure packages and specific personnel placements to maximize his defensive talent. Somehow, Bowles will find a way to get second-year safety Kayvon Meriweather on the field this year.
Bowles already boasts one of the best safeties in the league in All-Pro Antoine Winfield Jr. and Jordan Whitehead, but Merriweather has had a great camp, making big hits and blocking passes, and even recording an interception, showing progress in the passing game.
Meriweather, who started alongside Christian Izien, was a one-man gang on the game’s first drive. He blocked a daring end zone pass to Tee Higgins for a touchdown, then forced an incomplete pass with a timely blitz and made a tackle for loss. Meriweather and linebacker J.J. Russell were the Buccaneers’ best defenders in Cincinnati.
