Winners From Tampa Bay's First Preseason Game Against the Miami Dolphins
Any time a team takes the field for their first preseason game, there are going to be ups, and there's going to be downs. Last night's matchup between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Miami Dolphins at Raymond James Stadium was certainly no exception. There was plenty of intrigue in this game, which saw the Buccaneers lose to the Miami Dolphins at Raymond James Stadium, by a score of 26-24.
Let's start by analyzing some of the players whose stock may be on the rise after their performances last night.
TYLER JOHNSON
From the very first drive, it was obvious that Tyler Johnson came out with something to prove. He ran sharp routes from various alignments and found a way to create enough separation from defenders to consistently make plays for his quarterbacks. In doing so, he also displayed good footwork and great hands catching the ball on a number of plays. One of those plays was an impressive over-the-shoulder 21-yard reception from Blaine Gabbert early in the game. He finished his night's work with 6 catches for 73 yards. Tyler Johnson will need to maintain this high level of play throughout the preseason if he hopes to make the final roster and have any role in the offense this season. So far, he's done just that.
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ANTHONY NELSON
Anthony Nelson made his presence felt in this game. He had back-to-back splash plays in the first half, including a tackle for loss. A play or two later, he produced an impressive sack on Dolphins quarterback, Skyler Thompson, where he was relentless in his pursuit while also using his length to get to the quarterback, and ultimately, secure the sack. Nelson was also active on special teams and nearly recovered a fumble on kickoff coverage, where he was one of the first players down the field. The Bucs will need contributions from their reserve players off the edge this season, and if Nelson can establish himself as a valuable contributor in this area – in addition to special teams – he will be a useful player for the Buccaneers this year.
KYLE TRASK
Of all the players currently on the Bucs' roster, Kyle Trask probably had the most to gain (or lose) from this particular game. Knowing he would see the majority of snaps under center, this was a great opportunity for the second-year signal caller to show what he was capable of. Although he had a rough stretch to finish the first half, where he had a role in two turnovers in a span of three plays – both of which led to touchdowns for the Dolphins – Trask was very solid overall.
He finished the game 25/33, with 258 yards passing, 1 touchdown, and 1 interception. Moving forward, Trask will need to show that he can remain poised in the pocket, even when it starts to collapse. He was panicky in those moments vs. the Dolphins, which hurt his team. But he wasn't panicky on the team's final drive, helping to lead the offense into field goal range as time was running out. Unfortunately, Jose Borregales wasn't able to capitalize, as he missed a 49-yard FG as time expired, resulting in a narrow loss for the Buccaneers.
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Time to discuss the players who didn't necessarily impress in their 2022 preseason debut. I don't want to say their stock is declining – based on one preseason game – but here are three players who will hopefully find more success in their next opportunity.
ZYON McCOLLUM
In what was McCollum's first taste of NFL action, he didn't exactly stand out for the right reasons. Unfortunately, his most notable play in the game was one that he didn't make. McCollum got absolutely dusted by Dolphins' receiver, Lynn Bowden Jr., on a touchdown reception from Skyler Thompson with less than two minutes to play in the first half. In McCollum's defense, Bowden made a lot of plays in this game, and McCollum wasn't his only victim. Unfortunately for Zyon, he wasn't able to make a splash play later in the game to make up for the blunder. Which wouldn't have been easy considering five other defensive backs saw more action than he did. Not to worry, McCollum will have plenty more opportunities to display the talent and athleticism that made him a prospect worth trading up for in the draft.
KE'SHAWN VAUGHN
Despite being responsible for one of the Buccaneers' three touchdowns in this game, and catching two passes for 22 yards, KeShawn Vaughn didn't do anything to separate himself from the other running backs on this team that are vying for touches behind Leonard Fournette. In fact, Vaughn was the least impressive of the running backs who suited up for the Bucs in this game. Despite rushing the ball 10 times, Vaughn was only able to account for 19 yards on the ground in this contest, for an average of 1.9 yards per carry. For comparison sake, rookie, Rachaad White – who looked fantastic –averaged 4.6 YPC and looked much more polished and patient as a runner. If Vaughn is to have any hope of securing a role as the second or third running back on the depth chart this season, he's going to need to improve on this performance in a big way.
CYRIL GRAYSON
Cyril Grayson is a player who burst onto the scene last year when the Bucs' wide receiver room was ravaged by injury. You would expect his regular season experience to translate to plenty of success in a preseason game, especially one that saw him play 32% of the snaps, but Grayson was nowhere to be found as a receiver in this game. And while a number of younger, unproven players – such as Jerreth Sterns and Kaylon Geiger – were highly productive in the opportunities they were given, Grayson was not. He was held catch-less. But as a player who has proven he has enough juice to contribute in regular season NFL games, I wouldn't read too much into this preseason performance by Cyril Grayson. He'll have plenty of chances to make an impact before final roster decisions are made.
A lot will change between now and the start of the regular season. For each of the players mentioned above, and many others, the remaining preseason games will provide a huge opportunity for the Buccaneers' coaching staff, and front office, to evaluate these players, and ultimately determine who is worthy of a final roster spot.
Next up, Tennessee.
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