Tampa Bay Buccaneers Drop Preseason Opener 16-10 to Jacksonville Jaguars
Aug 8, 2014; Jacksonville, FL, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Austin Seferian-Jenkins (87) carries the ball druing the second half of the game against the Jacksonville Jaguars at EverBank Field. Mandatory Credit: Melina Vastola-USA TODAY Sports
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ preseason got off to a disappointing start as they were beaten by their in-state rival Jacksonville Jaguars 16-10.
The Bucs lone touchdown came in the fourth quarter as Tommy Streeter caught a 6-yard pass from Mike Glennon.
However, that was one of very few highlights on offense for the Bucs as they struggled.
The offensive line was disastrous as they allowed pressure repeatedly while giving up three sacks.
Josh McCown was 2-of-4 for 20 yards but threw a pick six in the first quarter which was returned 68 yards by Winston Guy to put Jacksonville up 7-0.
The Bucs got on the board thanks to a 44-yard field goal by Connor Barth in the second quarter but the Jags restored their seven point edge with their own field goal in the third quarter.
After Streeter’s touchdown, the Jags took the lead with 6:27 left thanks to a 23-yard run by Denard Robinson, which followed after Brandon Magee was flagged for a personal foul for a late hit.
Glennon got the most reps at quarterback for the Bucs going 11-of-19 for 140 yards and a touchdown.
While he looked good at times, he still had trouble hitting receivers down the sidelines, something he had problems with in his rookie season.
Bobby Rainey had nine carries for 25 yards while Doug Martin ran the ball just three times for six yards.
Louis Murphy led the Bucs with 43 receiving yards on three catches while rookie tight end Austin Seferian-Jenkins had two catches for 29 yards. Mike Evans didn’t have a reception, while Vincent Jackson caught one pass for 18 yards.
While the Bucs offense wasn’t up to par, the Bucs defense looked outstanding. They set the tone on the first play of the game when Gerald McCoy busted through the offensive line and hit Jaguars running back Jordan Todman for a five-yard loss.
Steven Means had the Bucs’ lone sack but they were dominant up front. Taking out Robinson’s 23-yard score, the Bucs held the Jags to 68 rushing yards on 32 carries.
One area of concern, offensive line aside, was penalties as the Bucs had 11 of them for 103 yards. They were also 4-15 on third down.
The Buccaneers’ next preseason game is on August 16 against the Miami Dolphins at Raymond James Stadium.