The Buccaneers’ preseason ended with a thud Friday night in Jacksonville, where Tampa Bay was blanked 19-0 at EverBank Stadium. For Adam Slivon, the final tune-up didn’t offer much on offense, but it did provide a clearer look at a few defenders fighting their way onto the roster.
The most visible challenge came at quarterback, where undrafted rookie Jalon Daniels was working to secure the QB2 job. Daniels had a rough night in a game shaped by conservative playcalling, drops from his receivers and shaky protection up front.
He also continued to have trouble handling snaps under center, including a fumble on one exchange from Ben Scott. Slivon still sees Daniels as a promising passer, but said the Buccaneers will likely keep three quarterbacks so they can hold onto him, while Jake Browning appears to be the clear top backup.
Beyond that, the offense had little to point to. Tampa Bay’s running game never got going, with Sean Tucker and Josh Williams both finishing at barely more than 3 yards per carry.
The bigger concern, according to Slivon, is the depth behind the starters. The backup offensive line has not had a strong summer, and the Bucs will be hoping the first unit stays healthy.
If the offense was stuck in neutral, the defense at least kept the game from getting uglier. Tampa Bay finished with four sacks and made life difficult for Jacksonville’s offense throughout the night. The secondary drew the strongest reviews, with Ayden Garnes continuing to stand out, Benjamin Morrison back in the mix and Miles Killebrew making his presence felt on that side of the ball.
There are still real decisions to make on the edge, too. The outside linebacker group has some sorting out ahead, and Jack Pyburn is right in the middle of it after another two-sack performance. Slivon said it’s getting hard to imagine the Buccaneers moving on from him, especially with the news about a possible college return also hanging over the discussion.
With the roster set to drop from 90 to 53 players over the next 48 hours, Tampa Bay’s final preseason game may not have been pretty, but it did sharpen the picture in a few key spots.
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Jalon Daniels Just Put Tampa Bay's Backup QB Battle In Focus
The Buccaneers final preseason game turned into a long night for the offense, with rookie quarterback Jalon Daniels getting the start and little help around him in a 19-0 loss to the Jaguars. Tampa Bay mustered only 87 total yards, and Daniels finished 8 of 15 for 57 yards while taking three sacks, a rough outing in a game that featured scoring from all three phases for Jacksonville.
For a team still sorting out its backup quarterback picture, the performance put the spotlight right where it needed to be. The Jaguars scored on a field goal, a touchdown pass with a two-point conversion, and a punt return touchdown with another two-point conversion, leaving the Buccaneers with plenty to sort through after a preseason finale that offered few answers and raised a few more questions. [Read more 🡒]
Buccaneers Roster Battles Took A Back Seat To One Alarming Twist
The Buccaneers final preseason game against the Jaguars was supposed to be one last chance for fringe players to make their case, and there were still a few individual auditions worth noting. Pyburn flashed, Riley Dixon had a strong showing, and the staff got a last look at a roster group that also included players like Jalon Daniels, who had a tougher night as Tampa Bays offense sputtered in a 19-0 loss.
But the bigger story quickly moved beyond the usual roster math. Tampa Bays offensive line and receivers had trouble generating much of anything, and the game took a much more serious turn when Mo Kamara went down with a knee injury that appeared severe. For a team trying to sort out the back end of its roster, the injury introduced a far more immediate concern than who made the cut. [Read more 🡒]
Buccaneers Suddenly Face A Jack Pyburn Decision They Didn't Expect
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Pyburns on-field case is only part of the story now. He is also tied up in a legal battle against the NCAA as he seeks to regain another year of college eligibility, even though he has already signed a professional contract with the Buccaneers, a situation that is both unusual and controversial. The NCAA has opposed players returning to college after signing NFL deals, which leaves Tampa Bay watching a precedent-setting case while still having to decide whether Pyburn is worth a roster spot. [Read more 🡒]