Rueben Bain Jr. didn’t get the kind of welcome most people had circled for him in Week 1.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ rookie edge rusher came into the season with plenty of buzz after turning heads all offseason, but his first NFL game ended up looking nothing like the hype. In Tampa’s 33-27 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals, Bain was a non-factor. He finished with one tackle and nothing else - no QB hits, no pressures.
That quiet debut immediately revived the same questions that had followed him before the draft, especially the concern about whether his arms are too short for an edge rusher. Bain had been overwhelming Tampa’s offensive line in practice for months, so the letdown against Cincinnati only gave skeptics more fuel.
Now he gets a chance to answer back at Raymond James Stadium against the Cleveland Browns, a team Tampa needs to handle if it wants to avoid an ugly 0-2 start. The Buccaneers are 8.5-point favorites, and a home loss to Cleveland would land hard.
The matchup looks a lot friendlier for Bain on paper. Cleveland’s offensive line was ranked 30th in the NFL by PFF after Week 1, and it gave up five sacks in its opener against the Jacksonville Jaguars. The Browns are also starting two rookies up front: first-round pick Spencer Fano at left tackle and third-round pick Austin Barber at right guard.
Barber actually stood out against Jacksonville and was Cleveland’s highest-graded player on the line. Fano, meanwhile, is the name Bain will likely see most often. Taken ninth overall, he was one of the players Cleveland passed on when Bain was available, and that alone makes this a juicy test for the former Miami pass rusher.
There’s real intrigue in that rookie-on-rookie battle, and Bain should have his chances against Fano, right tackle Tytus Howard, and whoever else lines up across from him. After what Cleveland showed last week, Bain has a clear path to make more noise than he did in his debut.
One thing he’ll need to do if he wins his matchup: finish. Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson led the team with 38 rushing yards against Jacksonville, and while he’s not the same runner he once was, he still has enough mobility to slip free if Bain doesn’t bring him down.
In Other News...
Warren Sapp Lands In An Awkward Off-Field Tampa Scene
Warren Sapp found himself in an uncomfortable off-field scene in Tampa this week, drawing attention at a City Council meeting tied to a flood-prevention project. Council chairman Alan Clendenin and Tampa Police intervened after Sapp was allegedly causing a disturbance, and the council asked that he be trespassed for the day.
Sapp said he was at City Hall only to pick up paperwork and disputed the authority to remove him from the public building. It was the sort of public dustup that has little to do with football, but for a former Buccaneers star still known around Tampa, it was enough to put his name back in the local spotlight for all the wrong reasons. [Read more 🡒]
Bucs Head Into Home Opener With One Lineup Concern Still Lingering
The Buccaneers are heading into their home opener with a little more clarity on the roster, thanks in part to another look at safety Ifeatu Melifonwu. Tampa Bay elevated Melifonwu from the practice squad for its Week 2 matchup, giving the secondary another option as the team sorts through a handful of injury questions on the eve of its first game at Raymond James Stadium.
Miles Killebrew, Jacob Parrish and Jalen McMillan all landed on the questionable list, leaving at least one lineup spot worth watching as kickoff approaches. Sean Tucker is expected back after sitting out Week 1, but Melifonwu remains part of the subtext here too: he was active last week without getting into the game, and this elevation also leaves Tampa Bay with one more practice squad call-up available later in the season. [Read more 🡒]
Bucs Rookie WR Suddenly Has A Week 2 Opportunity Fans Will Notice
Ted Hurst III made a quiet but useful first impression in his debut, catching all three of his targets for 36 yards and showing the kind of steadiness Tampa Bays staff has already noticed in practice. General manager Jason Licht has also pointed to Hursts consistency behind the scenes, a sign that the rookie wideout is not just hanging around for developmental reps but is already carving out a place in the Buccaneers plans this season.
Now comes a chance to turn that early trust into something more visible. With Week 2 bringing Cleveland to town, Hurst is positioned for another opportunity to contribute, and it will be worth watching how the Bucs continue to work him into the offense as the year gets rolling. [Read more 🡒]