Bucs vs. Dolphins Preseason Week 3: Most Impressive

The Buccaneers closed out the 2024 preseason with an impressive overall performance in a 24-14 victory over the Miami Dolphins. Considering it was a complete team win where multiple aspects of the team looked clean for the majority of the game, there were a number of players who impressed the most this week.

WR Jalen McMillan

McMillan was named the starting receiver opposite Chris Godwin and made an immediate impact. On the first drive of the game, McMillan made a highlight catch of 28 yards along the right sideline to the Dolphins’ 4-yard line. McMillan displayed excellent ball tracking, body control and handling, making the catch and staying inbounds despite evading tight coverage and a closed safety. The catch set up the Bucs to score on the next play.

RB Ratchad White

White made the most of his preseason opener. He was the star of the Buccaneers’ first drive of the game, touching the ball on five of the team’s seven plays. On that drive, White had four carries for 16 yards and a touchdown, plus a catch on a screen play for 17 yards. White was patient as a runner, finding holes and steadily progressing down the field.

QB Baker Mayfield

Buccaneers QB Baker Mayfield – Photo courtesy of USA Today

Mayfield played a limited number of minutes, but he made the most of his limited snaps. Officially, he was 3-3 for 54 yards, two of which were easy screen passes. But on his third pass, he threw a perfect 28-yard pass to McMillan, placing it behind McMillan’s shoulder in a position where only he could reach it. The result was an explosive, big-time pass that led to a touchdown that gave the Buccaneers an early lead.

Beyond that, Mayfield looked good and confident in the offense, he has a firm grasp on the offense and looks ready to go come Week 1.

Buccaneers OL

Against the Dolphins, the Buccaneers offensive line opened up holes in the running game and got out in front of White’s screens to get off to a fast start. Rookie center Graham Burton continued to prove why the Buccaneers were excited to select him in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft. He was one of the lead blockers on White’s longest play, showcasing his athleticism with a blend of strength, speed and agility. Tristan Wirfs also had a great block on that play, sealing off the edge.

With the reserves out, rookie Elijah Klein looked just as strong as he did in the first two preseason games. Klein showed lightning in his hands, rose to the second level, covered linebackers better than he had in the past and consistently held his own as a strong anchor in pass protection. With him and Burton, along with Cody Mouch, Tristan Wirfs and Luke Goedeke, the future of the Buccaneers’ offensive line looks very bright.

Overall, the Buccaneers offensive line held the quarterback intact on the night and didn’t allow a sack while the run game worked. 3.6 yards per carry.

LB Antonio Greer Jr.

Grier was the playmaker on the night. In the first half, he evaded a strip sack of Ernest Brown IV and scored, showing great skill as he dodged tackles, changed direction and eventually made it to the end zone. In the second half, he stepped in front of a Skylar Thompson pass and made an interception, leaving no doubt that a turnover would go on the books. Grier was all-around effective on the night, recording six tackles on defense and one on special teams.

Buccaneers defensive line

The Dolphins’ first offensive drive of the game ended in a third-down outing despite a seven-yard gain on a quick first-down pass, but on second and third down, the Buccaneers defense held firm, with defensive end Logan Hall and nose tackle Vita Vea taking turns smashing through the Dolphins offensive line and holding Miami running back Jeff Wilson to just one yard on two carries.

The Buccaneers finally released Bear, and this is how he responded:

On the next drive, outside linebacker Chris Braswell got a quick sack on third down, driving the defense down the field again, and Ernest Brown IV also had a near strip-sack play that resulted in a touchdown, but the pass was ruled incomplete.

Buccaneers OLB Chris Braswell – Photo courtesy of USA Today

The defensive line pressured the Dolphins quarterback all night, disrupting his run gaps and causing chaos. By the second half, the Dolphins offensive line was resorting to false starts in an attempt to overcome the speed and explosiveness of the Buccaneers pass rush. Outside linebacker Marquise Watts also added some flexing, high-end edge rushing. He made an impressive run stop near the goal line in the third quarter, catching Anthony McFarland from behind and preventing McFarland from taking a step forward.

DT CJ Brewer

C.J. Brewer was the most dominant defensive lineman in a stellar performance from the entire unit. As my former colleague John Ledyard said during the game, he looked like Chris Jones in the way he constantly penetrated and created negative plays for the offense. He added two tackles, one for a loss, a pass defensed, and a quarterback hit while cutting down the run. Brewer made a compelling case for Scott Reynolds to be included on the Buccaneers’ final 53-man roster. detail.

WR Cody Thompson

The former Seattle Seahawk had an outstanding preseason. Thompson worked hard to make the team and showed his ability as a blocker, special teams player and reliable handling in the receiving game. Thompson consistently got open and showed his reliable handling, finishing with 7 catches for 45 yards.

Thompson isn’t an explosive downfield threat, but he has shown he can be a short-to-intermediate option, playing a role similar to a second tight end in an 11-man lineup, with reliable handles and very good blocking ability.

WR Kameron Johnson

Johnson made his long-awaited preseason debut and did not disappoint. He showed off his agility, route running and explosiveness as the Buccaneers tried to get the ball in his hands both passing and running. Johnson was the center of several intentional touches. His stats didn’t wow anyone just looking at them (three catches for 12 yards, two carries for another 13 yards). His two most memorable plays were an 11-yard run on an end-around and an incredible catch on a deflected pass on fourth down and one yard out that kept the drive alive.

QB Kyle Trask

Buccaneers QB Kyle Trask – Photo: Cliff Welch P/R

After Mayfield left the game after the Buccaneers’ first drive, Kyle Trask took his place and kept the offense moving efficiently. Trask was decisive and developed well. His pocket awareness was impressive for the third straight game, keeping the ball out of danger. He threw some difficult passes under pressure. His most impressive play may have been when he evaded intense pressure on a fourth-down play, setting up Johnson for a drive-saving catch.

Trask has quietly had a solid preseason and proven himself to be a quality backup quarterback in the NFL, so teams shouldn’t be too worried if he has to sit out a game or two this season.

Trask made another pass to Ryan Miller on third down early in the fourth quarter that Miller should have gotten for a touchdown, but Trask had no worries. He came back on the next play and threw a beautiful pass to Tanner Nhu, who showed off his great ball-tracking skills and made an incredible catch for Trask.

Trask completed 17 of 24 passes for 141 yards, an average of 5.9 yards per attempt, with two touchdowns and zero interceptions on the night.

Buccaneers start of 2024 season Pewter Report TV Pewter Pregame & Pewter Gameday

Pewter Report’s Scott Reynolds and Matt Matera will be on Pewter Pregame Live for 30 minutes starting at 9:00 AM ET. Pewter Report TV. Pewter Pregame will always air at 9am ET on every gameday this season, regardless of kickoff time. If you can’t watch the show live, it will be archived on PewterReportTV and can be viewed any time before kickoff.

Then tune in to Pewter Gameday, where Matera and the Pewter Report staff will provide you with three hours of special live game analysis of the Buccaneers vs. Commanders matchup starting at 4:25 PM ET. Pewter Report TV.