Buccaneers’ QBs Look Solid in 26-20 Win

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Baker Mayfield looked comfortable in his final tuneup as the Buccaneers new starting quarterback, throwing a touchdown pass while playing less than a quarter in the Bucs’ 26-20 preseason-closing victory over the Baltimore Ravens on Saturday night.

Mayfield was selected as the starter over third-year pro Kyle Trask earlier in the week and played two series Saturday night, his first game action since Tampa Bay’s preseason opener against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

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The No. 1 overall pick from the 2018 draft completed all six of his passes for 43 yards, including an 11-yard TD throw to Chris Godwin for the Buccaneers (2-1).

As expected, Lamar Jackson did not play for the Ravens, who used the night much as they did the entire preseason — to get an extended look at backups and evaluate lots of young prospects competing for spots on the final roster.

Josh Johnson started at quarterback for Baltimore (1-2) and played into the second quarter. He was 6 of 9 passing for 95 yards and one TD before being replaced by Anthony Brown, who played most of the final three quarters and completed 12 of 21 passes for 171 yards and no TDs.

Much of Tampa Bay’s No. 1 defense, meanwhile, saw its first action of the preseason. Coach Todd Bowles sat 10 of 11 regulars the previous two weeks against the Steelers and New York Jets, with second-year defensive lineman Logan Hall the only projected starter suiting up for those games.

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Trask, a 2021 second-round draft pick who played behind Tom Brady and Blaine Gabbert the past two seasons, played nearly the entire game for the second straight week. He completed 19 of 31 passes without an interception, finishing with 192 yards passing and a 6-yard TD to tight end David Wells.

Trask, who’s only thrown nine career regular-season passes, also led four drives that ended with Chase McLaughlin field goals.

Injuries

Bucs center Ryan Jensen’s career could be in jeopardy with the announcement that he’s headed for injured reserve and will miss the 2023 season. The 10th-year pro tore ligaments in his left knee on the second day of training camp last year and sat out the entire 2022 regular season. Despite opting not to have surgery, the 32-year-old progressed enough that he returned to play in Tampa Bay’s wild-card playoff loss to Dallas in January. With Jensen remaining sidelined, third-year pro Robert Hainsey will start again this season.

Up Next

Both teams open the regular season on Sept. 10, with the Ravens hosting the Houston Texans and the Buccaneers traveling to Minnesota to face the Vikings.

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More AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl  by Taboola 

This article first appeared on Sports Talk Florida and is used with permission.