Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Bucs' Offense Finishes Strong in Friday Practice

Both Baker Mayfield and Kyle Trask led the Bucs' offense to touchdowns on two-minute drives in the final minutes of the third practice of training camp

Jul 28, 2023 at 01:41 PM

Scott Smith

Senior Writer/Editor

On Thursday morning, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers finished their second practice of training camp with a series of two-minute drills. On each drive, the offense was able to get in position to score before running out of time but, according to Head Coach Todd Bowles, was not able to get the ball into the end zone. "We've got to start punching the ball in," said Bowles after practice.

On Friday, once again finishing a two-hour field session with a pair of two-minute drives, the offense was able to do just that. Or, more accurately, the offense was able to fling the ball into the end zone, ending both marches with touchdown passes from approximately 20 yards out.

Baker Mayfield, who ran with the first-team offense on Friday as he and Kyle Trask continue to rotate in that role, completed his drive against the first-team defense with a strike over the middle that tight end David Wells was able to high-point in front of two defenders as he crossed the goal line. Trask was next with the second team and, on the last play of practice, found rookie wideout Ryan Miller behind the defense in the back of the end zone for another score.

Center Ryan Jensen, who is not yet participating in full-team drills during practice, had a front-row seat on the sideline for both drives and was impressed, particularly considering that the drill came at the very end of a very long and steamy workout.

"It was awesome to watch," said Jensen. "After a hot practice, everybody's pretty tired but still executed at a high level. To finish practice that way as an offense was awesome to see."

Bowles was a little less enthused, mostly because the Buccaneers have not started practicing in pads yet, diminishing the physical aspect of the offense-defense battle somewhat. He was more pleased with how those two drives highlighted some of the players being solid on the details of the playbook and their assignments.

"I don't think anybody wins two-minute in t-shirts and shorts," Bowles assessed. "I don't think the defense won yesterday, I don't think the offense won today. I think the mechanics of going to the right place and understanding assignments and routes at this point of the year is the most important thing.

"[We're] working on mechanics – it's going to be the same every day. I'm not going to sit here and assess every practice in t-shirts and shorts. When we get in pads, we're working on certain things, offensively schematically, defensively schematically. I thought with the heat, the effort was good and the concentration was there."

1 / 50

TAMPA, FL - July 27, 2023 - Guard Luke Goedeke #67, Tackle Tristan Wirfs #78, and Offensive Lineman Robert Hainsey #70 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during 2023 Training Camp practice at AdventHealth Training Center. Photo By Kyle Zedaker/Tampa Bay Buccaneers