The Tampa Bay Buccaneers lost their second preseason game of 2024 on Saturday night in Jacksonville after opening the slate with a win in Cincinnati, but nevertheless showed some progress week over week. The rushing attack, while not utilized as often as it was in Week One due to a huge disadvantage in playing time, still averaged 4.8 yards per carry despite having a 45-yard touchdown run by rookie D.J. Williams called back on a penalty. The run defense only allowed 3.7 yards per tote and gave up no long runs. The offense didn't turn the ball over a single time.
But if there was one area that showed the most improvement from Week One to Week Two, it was the pass rush. With first-year player Jose Ramirez leading the way with a hat trick, the Buccaneers recorded five sacks on Jaguar quarterbacks and nine QB hits overall. In Cincinnati, the final tally was one QB hit and no sacks.
The Bucs did this despite playing without injured starters Yaya Diaby and Joe Tryon-Shoyinka. In addition to the big night from Ramirez, second-year outside linebacker Markees Watts recorded a sack, as did rookie defensive lineman Lwal Uguak. Diaby and Tryon-Shoyinka are expected back for the start of the regular season, and the performance of the reserves in their absence has the Bucs confident they have the necessary depth to form an impactful edge rush.
"The outside linebacker position on defense probably has the most depth of any position over there," said Head Coach Todd Bowles. "So we're very comfortable with the guys we have that are playing and that's backing them up right now, and guys that could possibly make the team."
The Bucs made two moves during the offseason to address that depth, first signing veteran Randy Gregory on April 3, then later that month using a second-round draft pick on Alabama standout Chris Braswell. However, Gregory never reported to the team and a report during Saturday night's game broadcast suggested that a parting of ways is imminent. The Buccaneers have not yet confirmed this but Bowles responded to that possibility on Sunday.
"I'll never find out [why Gregory didn't report] but I wish him the best, and we'll move on from there," he said. "You can't miss what you never had."
View the top photos of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' Preseason Week 2 game vs the Jacksonville Jaguars.
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The addition of Braswell, on the other hand, has proved much more promising. The rookie has started both games with Diaby and Tryon-Shoyinka out, and while he didn't record a sack on Saturday night he was a clear standout during the two joint practices with the Jaguars this week while going against Jacksonville's starters.
"He had a good week last week," said Bowles. "He's got some technical things we've got to work on – hand placement and getting off the ball with his feet right and those types of things – but he's going to help us a lot this year. I'm very pleased with his performance."
Meanwhile, Ramirez's prolific outing in Jacksonville came a week after he was a noticeable bright spot in Cincinnati. The former sixth-round pick had the team's lone QB hit in that contest and also drew two holding calls by beating his man around the edge. Ramirez spent his rookie season on the Bucs' practice squad but is clearly angling for a spot on the 53-man roster this year. Ramirez may have earned some playing time with the first-team defense in the preseason finale on Friday, when starters are expected to participate for the first time.
"He had the hat trick," said Bowles. "There's some little things he's got to clean up, just like all of them have to clean up. I plan on playing the starters in this [next] game, so he'll see some work definitely and we'll kind of go from there."
Tampa Bay's defense tied for seventh in the NFL in sacks last season with 48 but would still like to see more pressure off the edges on non-blitz downs. Diaby had an impressive rookie campaign, leading the team with 7.5 sacks, and is expected to be even more dangerous to opposing backfields in 2024, but the Bucs are hoping other edge rushers will take a step forward, too. Fortunately, they believe they have the depth needed at that position to get that ultimate outcome
