3 biggest takeaways from the Buccaneers' 23- 19 loss to the Bills

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers couldn't make a clean sweep in the preseason, falling to the Buffalo Bills in their final preseason game, 23-19. However, that didn't stop them from getting some good work in. Several players stepped up in the final preseason game of the season.

As cuts loom large and could come as soon as Sunday morning, the Buccaneers' front office has some difficult decisions to make in the next 72 hours. Here are three takeaways from the game as the team moves on to the regular season:

Ryan Miller and Tez Johnson are making the team

Aug 23, 2025; Tampa, Florida, USA;Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Tez Johnson (83) celebrates after scoring a touchdown against the Buffalo Bills during the second quarter at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images | Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images

Over the last week, the Bucs' wide receiver room has gone through a whirlwind of activity. First came the unfortunate news of Jalen McMillan's neck sprain that will sideline him for most of the season. Then came the report of Chris Godwin avoiding the PUP list with a real chance of coming back within the first four games. Since then, all attention has shifted to the Bucs' battle for the final receiver spots. Mike Evans and Emeka Egbuka are the obvious locks, and with half a million in guaranteed money, Sterling Shepard was likely making the team as the temporary "WR." But who would set up and round out the room was still a question that remained to be answered.

Enter Ryan Miller and Tez Johnson. Miller had already proven his value to the Bucs last season, but in a loaded room, he had to prove he was able to remain consistent in his performance to grab one of the spots on the 53-man roster.

Miller did just that through three preseason games and training camp, capping off a stellar summer with another solid performance. The trust his quarterbacks have in him has shown up no matter who is in the game, and his prowess as a blocker provides additional value. Miller earned his spot on the team on Saturday.

Johnson, meanwhile, has been electric with the ball in his hands all summer, and in his first extended game reps of the preseason he showed how elusive he can be. The rookie wide receiver caught all eight of his targets on the night for 81 yards. He recorded his first career touchdown and celebrated with a sky-high backflip in the endzone. Johnson always had a strong chance to make the roster due to how talented he is despite his size, but his performance on Saturday night sealed the deal.

Depth OL is sketchy

It was not a good showing for the reserve offensive lineman. The unit spent a lot of time getting bulldozed into the backfield. Right tackle Tyler McLellan really struggled to the outside, getting beaten a handful of times, collapsing the pocket around Kyle Trask.

It wasn't much better along the interior as Elijah Klein, Luke Haggard, and Michael Jordan all were bullied and pushed back into Trask's lap. On one play in particular, Bills rookie defensive tackle Deone Walker bull rushed Klein, getting by him for an easy sack.

While the Bucs' reserve linemen only allowed one sack on the night, Trask and Connor Bazelak were under constant duress. To make matters worse, it was a struggle to get anything going in the run game as well.

Josh Williams had some good runs before halftime that led to a Tez Johnson touchdown, but that was more or less him creating things than the offensive line getting good push in the run game. I expect the Bucs to scour the waiver wire for help on the offensive line next week, especially at tackle.

Shilo Sanders might have played his way off the team

Aug 16, 2025; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers safety Shilo Sanders (28) lines up against the Pittsburgh Steelers during the second half at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Barry Reeger-Imagn Images | Barry Reeger-Imagn Images

It wasn't a great night for Buccaneers safety Shilo Sanders, and that's before he was ejected from the game for taking a swing at Bills tight end Zach Davidson. Sanders took offense to Davidson shoving him as the play was winding down and pushed him back before throwing a right hand and getting called for unnecessary roughness.

Davidson was definitely a guilty party in the skirmish, but Sanders was the last one to swing and ultimately the one who got caught.

Before he was ejected, Sanders was called for a defensive pass interference call that gave the Bills an automatic first down on their way to an early scoring drive. He did have a touchdown-saving tackle, but the Bills scored on the next play from the one-yard line.

On another play, it looked like he was supposed to pick up K.J. Hamler as Hall took the underneath route, and the miscommunication led to a 30-yard catch and run. A few players later came the ejection.

Sanders came in with a lot of attention as the son of Deion Sanders and social media notoriety. However, there were always concerns about the limitations to his game.

While Sanders has been a model teammate since signing with the Bucs, his rough play on Saturday and his temper got the best of him, and with it he might have sealed his fate as a, camp casualty.

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