With the preseason starting up, football fans are rejoicing as they can now see their favorite teams hit the field once again and head into action. This past week has been a busy one for the Tampa Bay association, having gone through a preseason game against the Cincinnati Bengals, as well as waiving three players right after the game. Without further ado let’s jump right in and see what happened during this past week of Tampa Bay Football.
19-14 Loss to Bengals
The Super Bowl champ Bucs were back in action for the first time since they procured the Lombardi trophy last season, and my oh my was there a lot to dissect from this game. First off, I was shocked to see starters such as Tom Brady, Gronk, and Lavonte David all playing during the game. Lord knows they didn’t have to, but their playing shows just how committed they are to bringing another Super Bowl back to Tampa this season.
Next up, I thought the defense was absolutely incredible in this game. They were sharp, got to the quarterback quickly, and forced a lot of passes out of the Bengals quarterbacks. This is the defense that we should be expecting out of the Bucs this upcoming regular season. Although they lost, they still had a solid defensive outing highlighted by great edge rushes and solid pressure on the QB.
Kyle Trask, the Texas native who is the apparent heir to the Tom Brady throne in Tampa Bay really surprised me in this game. He played extremely well for a 23-year-old who’s new to the league, and I really do believe the Buccaneers have a solid quarterback for their future, or when Tom Brady retires (which may be in another seven years). Jokes aside, Trask’s numbers weren’t the best, as he only completed 4 of 15 pass attempts, but he did show poise while playing out of the pocket, as well as readiness when scrambling and heading for a run.
Trask is seen as a “project” by the Bucs, who have Brady, as well as Blaine Gabbert, already in their QB rotation. If Trask could pick up any tips from the G.O.A.T himself, then I wouldn’t be too worried about him not reaching a high potential in the NFL.
Lastly, what was going on with the referees in this game? I mean it seemed that every other hit was flagged for “unnecessary roughness”. It was a disgrace quite honestly. I know it’s pre-season, but if this is a precursor of what’s to come in the regular season, I am afraid. Football is a contact sport, it’s going to get messy sometimes. If you want to outlaw hitting don’t keep calling penalties, just change the rules to turn it into “bearhug” rules instead.
Ex-Navy DB Waived
Cameron Kinley, the ex-Navy product who was exempted from his Navy service to follow his dreams of playing in the NFL, was subsequently cut by the Buccaneers after their Saturday night loss to the Bengals.
Kinley played solid in the outing, finishing third on the team with six tackles, five of which were solo efforts. Bucs coach Bruce Arians was quoted calling Kinley “a great young man”, so it’s a shame we have to see him go so early on. Hopefully, Kinley can find his way onto the roster of another NFL team and live out of his dream of playing in the NFL.
Next Up
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are back in action on Saturday against the Tennessee Titans, in what should be another thrilling match. Look once again for rookie quarterback Kyle Trask to come out and hopefully have a better outing. Whatever happens, I’m sure it’s going to be an entertaining game.