After a very impressive start to the preseason last week in Miami, the Bucs travel to Tennessee now to face the Titans in their second preparation game. The Titans played a great season last year, making it to the playoffs and even managing to win a wild card matchup against the Kansas City Chiefs.
One of the things to watch out for is whether the Bucs defensive line is able to create pressure on young quarterback Marcus Mariota. Getting pressure on the quarterback will be crucial for the Bucs‘ success this upcoming season. Unfortunately, we are forced to wait even longer to see our 1st round pick in pewter and red, as Vita Vea will most likely sit out a second consecutive game. He should be ready to go when the regular season starts, however.
Additionally, all three of our quarterbacks were mainly flawless in the last game, making no major mistakes and being very sharp with the football and in their decision-making. They have to continue where they left off and have another strong outing. It will be interesting to see how much time Koetter decides to give to each of our signal-callers. Ryan Griffin, playing exceptionally well against Miami, might even receive more playing time than last week, where he played the full second half.
Another thing to keep an eye on is Rookie running back Ronald Jones. He struggled in his first game as a pro, even though he did score a Touchdown. He averaged only 1.1. yards on the ground on eight carries. On the other hand, it was only one game, a more or less unimportant preseason game. It would feel good to see him hit holes quickly and create a few big runs this time. Certainly, he will be given plenty of chances to do so against the Titans.
Conclusively, the end result of the game is not of much importance. This time of the year, it is all about our starters, finding a rhythm on the field together. On a side note, it would be nice if our kickers do not miss a field goal (or an extra point) this time.
