Last night, the Buccaneers won an ugly game over the Jacksonville Jaguars, 12-8. The game was naturally televised and all things considered, the first team offense and defense looked pretty good. Despite an ugly red zone interception, the chemistry between Jameis and the entire offense cannot be overlooked. Winston was 21-29 for 196 yards on the night, with no touchdowns, and technically no interceptions, although he was bailed out by the referees. Jameis has to be, and is smarter then that, and the chewing that he received from Dirk Koetter on the sideline was completely warranted. He has 2 more weeks to get these mistakes out and learn from them before the games really begin to count.
In my mind, the defense was perfection. The goal line stands pulled off by the second and third teams towards the end of the game only reinforce the depth on our roster. I firmly believe the defensive MVP for our team this season will Ryan Smith, who once again had an outstanding performance on the night.
Finally to the most pressing issue still haunting the team, our kicking game! We all know about the shortcomings of Roberto Aguayo and how he was let go after last weeks horrendous outing. We all thought Nick Folk was going to be the man, but last night should make even the loyalist of fans to have doubts. Although the full blame for the blocked extra point can’t all rest with Folk, the missed field goal does. I still believe Nick Folk will make the kicks when the games count, but only time will tell.
Our first preseason game at home is a week from Saturday and the Buccaneers still have a lot of work to do. Hopefully the mistakes are corrected, and we finally begin to see a clearer view of our 53 man roster.
Edited by Harmeet Kapur
