The Buccaneers left Sunday looking like a team that had a chance to beat the Bengals and simply let it slip away. Tampa Bay’s defense never fully settled in, and one of the biggest reasons was the quiet start from free-agent addition Alex Anzalone.
Anzalone came in with a reputation as a physically imposing defender, and that was the version he showed through camp and the preseason. Against Cincinnati, though, he never really matched that billing. He finished with 7 tackles, but the numbers didn’t tell the full story.
For long stretches, Anzalone was out of place, and the Bengals repeatedly found ways to work around him. He was only credited with two solo tackles, and Cincinnati also managed to get offensive linemen to the second level to take him out of the play. Even as Tampa Bay’s best option at that spot, he was isolated and kept off balance.
His impact against the run was minimal, especially against RB Chase Brown. He also didn’t generate pressure on Joe Burrow, and the Buccaneers had their own issues trying to handle veteran TE Mike Gesicki. The former Dolphins tight end finished with 5 catches for 78 yards and a touchdown.
Anzalone wasn’t the only Buccaneer who started slowly. Rueben Bain Jr. was credited with just one tackle, and it was not a solo stop. Bain and Anzalone were two of the most talked-about names of the offseason, but neither gave the kind of opening performance fans were expecting.
Bain can lean on the fact that he is a rookie. Anzalone doesn’t have that cushion. The Buccaneers need him to be a stabilizing force, because this defense is going to depend heavily on his ability to disrupt opposing offenses.
There was at least one clear bright spot on that side of the ball. Josiah Trotter was the standout, piling up 11 tackles, a sack, a pass defensed, and a pick-six TD that got Tampa Bay back into the game and gave the team hope.
The Buccaneers now head home for Week 2 against the Cleveland Browns. It should be a chance to get back to their brand of football, especially with Cleveland coming off a blowout loss to the Jaguars in Week 1.
In Other News...
Bucs Week 1 Snap Counts Raised A Bigger Question Than The Loss
The Buccaneers season-opening loss to Cincinnati left plenty to sort through, but the snap counts may have been even more revealing than the final score. Tampa Bays offense showed an early look at how it plans to distribute work among its pass catchers and backfield, with Emeka Egbuka, Chris Godwin Jr. and rookie Ted Hurst III all drawing meaningful usage, while Bucky Irving and Kenny Gainwell split the backfield workload in a way that hinted at how this group might evolve as the season settles in.
On defense, the story was just as interesting because the workload centered on a young linebacker making a strong case for a larger role. Josiah Trotter led the Buccaneers in tackles and was involved in several key plays, while Alex Anzalone was the only defender to stay on the field for every snap. For a team trying to find its footing after one week, the bigger question is not just what happened against the Bengals, but what these usage patterns say about how Tampa Bay wants to build going forward. [Read more 🡒]
Buccaneers Loss Exposed Familiar Problems But One Rookie Gave Fans Hope
The Buccaneers came out of Week 1 with a 33-27 loss to the Bengals, and the film offered a little of everything that has frustrated this team before. Baker Mayfields three fumbles were the clearest example, but the problems did not stop there. Tampa Bays defense had its own communication issues and struggled to generate consistent pressure, while the offense had the kind of delays and miscues that can make a new playcallers first outing feel much longer than the calendar says it should.
Bucky Irving was one of the few reasons for optimism. The rookie running back scored on the ground and also caught seven passes, giving the Buccaneers a much-needed jolt in a game that otherwise exposed familiar concerns. For a team trying to establish a cleaner identity early in the season, Irvings debut offered a small but meaningful reason to believe there is at least one fresh piece ready to help steady things. [Read more 🡒]
Bucs Week 1 Loss Put One Early Strength Under The Microscope
The opening week loss offered the Buccaneers a little bit of everything, but one of the more encouraging signs came from a secondary that held up well against a Bengals receiving group with real firepower. In a season where early tape can be misleading, Tampa Bay at least showed enough resistance on the back end to make a positive first impression, and the health of the offensive line gave Baker Mayfield a cleaner platform than he often had a year ago.
Still, the larger concern sits up front on defense, where the pass rush did not consistently affect Cincinnati the way the Bucs would have wanted. It is only one game, of course, and the sample size is far too small to draw any sweeping conclusions, but these are the kinds of early data points that matter in September. If the secondary really is a strength, the next question is whether the front can do enough to take advantage of it. [Read more 🡒]