Titans 13, Bucs 3: Instant analysis of Tampa Bay’s preseason loss
When the Tampa Bay Buccaneers lost to the Miami Dolphins in last week’s preseason opener, at least Bucs fans had plenty to be encouraged about.
There wasn’t much of that warm, fuzzy feeling to go around this Saturday night when Tampa Bay sputtered to a 13-3 loss on the road against the Tennessee Titans.
They didn’t have a strong performance from second-year quarterback Kyle Trask to lift their spirits, as the 2021 second-round pick went just 11-for-24 for 105 yards, an interception, and a pair of fumbles.
They didn’t rack up a ton of yardage on offense, managing just 174 yards against the Titans, converting just two of their 13 third-down attempts, failing on both of their fourth-down tries, and moving the chains only nine times all night.
They couldn’t even rest on the fact that major injuries were avoided, as potential starting guard Aaron Stinnie was carted off the field late in the third quarter with a knee injury. The look on Stinnie’s face as he left the stadium sure made it seem like this was more the Ryan Jensen variety than one that would have him back in the lineup for Week 1.
There were a few bright spots, such as linebacker Olakunle Fatukasi leading a solid defensive performance with a team-high 10 tackles and 1.5 sacks, while rookie cornerback Don Gardner made a diving interception on the first play of the fourth quarter. Rookie fourth-round pick Jake Camarda was booming punts all night long, though poor coverage sent his average plummeting from 50.4 yards to a net of just 33.4 yards per kick. Running back Ke’Shawn Vaughn turned his 10 carries in 54 yards on the ground, while Deven Thompkins had a sweet 34-yard catch from Trask. Veteran kicker Ryan Succop even nailed a 52-yard field goal.
Unfortunately, that kick was the only time the Bucs touched the scoreboard, as they struggled to move the ball consistently all night long. They only ran three plays inside the Titans’ 30-yard line, and that drive ended with a punt, thanks to one of Trask’s fumbles.
Maybe next week, the Bucs can give the fans a few more reasons to be excited as they get tuned up for the regular season against the Indianapolis Colts.
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Titans 13, Bucs 3: Everything you need to know
