From the exhibition in Nashville, several players emerged on turf for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Bucs rested the majority of their starters in the 60-minute competitive clash at Nissan Stadium, as is customary around the NFL in the trio of preliminary games. From injury updates to top performances, here are the top takeaways from the Bucs' second preseason contest.
Aaron Stinnie Suffers Season-Ending Injury
Head Coach Todd Bowles confirmed the worst possible scenario for an already-thinned offensive line: potential starter Aaron Stinnie suffered an ACL and MCL tear in his knee, bringing his 2022 season to an abrupt end. On Saturday night, the fifth-year guard was carted off the field with a left knee injury in the third quarter. He was the frontrunner in the battle for the starting left guard role, following the retirement of Ali Marpet. Stinnie was the most experienced player in the group and the current internal challengers are second-year player Nick Leverett and rookie Luke Goedeke. The Bucs' offensive line depth has been pushed to the limit. Bowles disclosed, "We can't afford to get any more hurt down there." Conversely, the organization caught a break regarding All-Pro right tackle Tristan Wirfs. Wirfs left Thursday's joint practice early with what appeared to be an abdomen injury and he did not play in Saturday's preseason game. Bowles stated Wirfs will be monitored "day-to-day" but there is no long-term concern.
Offense Struggled to Move the Ball
The Bucs fell to 0-2 in the preseason following a 13-3 loss to the Titans on Saturday night. Tampa Bay finished with 174 total net yards and struggled to sustain drives. Quarterback Blaine Gabbert started the ballgame before passing the duties to Kyle Trask. Riddled with two turnovers and four penalties, the embattled unit could not get into a rhythm throughout the night. Trask faced constant pressure, concluding the game with 105 yards, completing 11 of 24 passing attempts and absorbing four sacks on the night; two of the four led to fumbles and a couple of holding penalties negated big gains by rookie running back Rachaad White. Despite compiling drives of 40 and 46 yards respectively in the second half, the Bucs only managed to enter the Tennessee red zone once. Bowles candidly shared his impression of the output, "We didn't have a whole lot of offense. I can't say one person stood out. I think everybody had their share of mistakes."
Olakunle Fatukasi's Big Night
Titans' rookie quarterback Malik Willis played throughout the first three quarters. Despite the Bucs' ability to pressure the young quarterback in the pocket, Willis often escaped and eluded tackles. He rushed five times for 42 yards, showcasing his agility to extend plays using his legs. Undrafted rookie Olakunle Fatukasi accumulated 1.5 sacks and posted nine tackles, spearheading the defensive performance. He displayed excellent vision and awareness, working his way around traffic while maintaining focus on the ballcarrier. With effective pursuit angles, Fatukasi made his mark in Nashville.
