On Saturday night, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers defeated the Kansas City Chiefs 16-15 in their second preseason game. And while the score doesn’t matter, it’s still nice to see quality play at any level. This game had no shortage of that.
This was the first game where we got to see the Bucs starters. It was also a time for the depth on the roster to continue to attempt to earn their spot on the roster. Everyone wanted to show out well.
There were many players who shined in this game. Among them, these were the ones who stood out to me the most. Here are my most impressive Buccaneers from preseason victory over the Chiefs.
The Starting Defensive Line
This was the first look we got at the starting defensive line and they looked as good as we could have imagined. Keep in mind, the Chiefs played three of their five starting offensive linemen, including All Pro center Creed Humphrey. Regardless, the Bucs dominated up front.
Calijah Kancey carved up the interior offensive line. Yaya Diaby pressured the quarterback on both third down attempts. Reuben Bain threw the right tackle and converged on the quarterback to force a fourth down.
It isn’t hyperbole to say that the Bucs defensive line dominated the trenches in this game.
Jalon Daniels
For the entire first half, the Bucs offense felt stagnant. Sure the starting offensive line got some push in the run game, but things just weren’t clicking with consistency through the air. I wouldn’t call it an awful performance from backup quarterback Jake Browning, but it wasn’t inspiring either.
Then the second half came along and Daniels took the field. His mobility and playmaking lit a fire under the offense. He led the team to score all of their 16 points and is in the thick of the competition to win the Bucs backup quarterback job.
Kameron Johnson
On a night where most of the big name receivers weren’t playing, the offense was looking for someone to step up. Many hoped it would be rookie Ted Hurst who has impressed during training camp. Instead, it was a guy known for his special teams ability more than his pass catching.
Johnson led the Bucs with 56 receiving yards. He also had a 23 yard punt return in the game. If any of the depth receivers were making a push to take Johnson’s job, he reminded everyone how valuable he can be.
Cody Mauch
This was the first time we’ve seen Mauch since injuring his knee in week two of last season. Coming off a major injury, there are always questions as to how a player will bounce back. Those questions were answered tonight.
Mauch has the opportunity to go head to head with future Hall of Fame defensive tackle Chris Jones. And WHile Jones isn’t in his prime anymore, he did have 7.0 sacks and a Pro Bowl season last year. That didn’t stop Mauch from pushing him around.
A very impressive showing from one of the better guards in the NFL.
Rashad Wisdom
The depth at safety is a question mark right now. We know Miles Killebrew is a special teams player more than anything, but beyond that we really don’t know who will suit up behind Tykee Smith And Antione Winfield Jr. As of this morning, I think we’ve learned that answer.
Wisdom, who had an interception last week, looked rock solid on defense. He stepped up and played the run well and looked comfortable in his coverage assignments. On top of that, he might have been the Bucs special teams player last night.
This time yesterday I didn’t feel confident that Wisdom would make the final 53 man roster. Now I have a hard time seeing him not make the roster.
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