00:00:01
Speaker 1: Hey guys, welcome to the very first edition of After the Whistle. I'm your host, Jay Rutscher. We're going to do these after every single game this year. So lock in, get ready, and let's go over what happened on Sunday for our Bucs. It was hot and it was humid in Ohio on Sunday afternoon for the season opener between the Cincinnati Bengals and your Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Ironic too, because when we landed on Saturday in Cincinnati, it was raining and it was dreary and overcast, but it was a hot one on Sunday at Pacor Stadium. Let's take a look back and hear how it all went down. The building was rocking, a ton of orange in the stands, but I gotta give a shout out to all of the members of the crew that flew from Tampa and from all around the country. to support our Buccaneers there in Cincinnati. The Bucs win the coin toss and decide to receive the opening kick of the season, putting Baker Mayfield and the offense on the field first. The first series of the season started with a nine-yard scamper from Bucky Irving. He looked really good in this game on Sunday, and the Tampa Bay offense was off and running. Two plays later, Baker Mayfield and Emeka Abuka connect for a 17-yard gain. and the Bucs' offense looked like it had found some rhythm. Four plays later, second and 14, Abuka and Mayfield hook up for another 10-yard reception before Chris Godwin chips in with a third-down conversion of his own to put Tampa Bay on the Cincinnati 21. Unfortunately, the Bucs could not muster up another first down, and they had to settle for this Chase McLaughlin 34-yard attempt.
00:01:44
Speaker 2: Chase McLaughlin. On for the 34-yard field goal from the right hash mark to try to give Tampa Bay the lead on the opening drive. Placement down, kick on the way, end over end. It is true. Chase McLaughlin from 34 yards out.
00:01:59
Speaker 1: Three zip Buccaneers with 9.09 left in the first quarter, and the defense takes over for the first time. I know a lot of Buccaneers fans out there excited to see the youngsters, Reuben Bain and Josiah Trotter, Joe Burrow and the Bengals offense take over from their own 26 following a three-yard run by Chase Brown on the first snap. A couple of really nice plays from Tampa Bay cornerback Zion McCollum. First, an open field tackle on a short pass to Brown, which only went for one yard. He is phenomenal in space when it comes to tackling, Zion McCollum is. And then a great contest of a throw from Burrow to star wideout Jamar Chase. that fell incomplete and brought on the Cincinnati punting unit. You know, going into this game, Jamar Chase, Tee Higgins, that was going to be a big focus point for Todd Bowles and this defense. After a 51-yard punt that was returned 13 yards to the 32 by Cameron Johnson, unfortunately, this is where the wheels came off a little bit for our Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Right here, 39 from the Buccaneers' 33.
00:03:07
Speaker 2: Mayfield back to pass, steps up in the pocket, rolling out to the right, being chased, he's grabbed, hit in the back, fumbles the football, it's loose on the ground, picked up by the Bengals. Up the left sideline, 15-10-5, touchdown Cincinnati. I believe it's Demetrius Knight, 44, who scoops and scores. Yes, sir, and the Bengals come up with a defensive touchdown.
00:03:29
Speaker 1: 7-3 Cincinnati after the point after, but it didn't stop there. On the very next drive, third and 14 from the 25, Bucky Irving, the culprit this time.
00:03:43
Speaker 2: Two-by-one set, snap to Mayfield, drops back to the 15-yard line, plants his foot, now he checks down. Caught by Irving beyond the numbers, now brings it up to 30. And fumbled the football after getting hit again at the 33-yard line. A pile of bodies, Cincinnati says they have it. The officials trying to get down underneath the pile and see who's got it. Cody Malk is down there. Now he comes from the top of the pile. Cincinnati pointing in their direction, still waiting for an official signal. Bucky Irving comes up from under the pile, and I believe Tampa Bay. Nope. Cincinnati's got it. Back-to-back turnovers for the Buccaneers. Boye Amafe comes out of the pile.
00:04:22
Speaker 1: You never want to give Joe Burrow and that offense a short field, and on the seventh play of the ensuing drive, they find Paydirt.
00:04:30
Speaker 2: Burrow goes out of the shotgun. Takes a snap. Tampa Bay rushes four. Slant pattern caught by Jasicki, and he rolls into the end zone touchdown. He was down to the one-yard line, but nobody around him. He just rolled on into pay dirt, and Cincinnati takes a 13-3 lead with 148 to go in the first quarter.
00:04:50
Speaker 1: 14-3 Bengals now after the point after, and the Tampa Bay offense looked to be finding their stride and answering back a little bit before the end of the quarter. A four-yard pass first to Chris Godwin, followed by a first-down run by Kenny Gainwell, making his Buccaneers debut, and then a 13-yard grab by tight end Kate Otten before the end of the first 15 minutes. Ibuka had an incredible catch and a big-boy run. For 12 yards and a first down, a few plays into the second, he is one tough guy. He was not going to be denied on that play. It looked like the Bucs... were primed to get on the board once again. But unfortunately, and I say the word unfortunately a lot during this edition of After the Whistle, another turnover for Baker and the Buccaneers.
00:05:38
Speaker 2: Ibuka motions left to right, trailing 14-3. Mayfield takes a snap, drops back 21-yard line, gets hit, spins away from the pressure now, tiptoes his way through the line, inside the 10, the 5, bubbles the football into the end zone, it's loose in the end zone, and I believe Cincinnati has it. Yep, third turnover today by Tampa Bay's offense. Unbelievable.
00:06:00
Speaker 1: No short field this time after the touchback, but it did not matter as the Bengals marched down the field 80 yards on 12 plays, culminating in this Chase Brown touchdown run.
00:06:12
Speaker 2: 12 play of the drive for Cincinnati. They've gone 75 yards so far. Chase Brown, the back in the ballgame, split tight end, split wideouts. Hand off Brown, knifes his way in, untouched. 20-3, Cincinnati takes a lead on a five-yard touchdown run by Chase Brown, the 14th of his career.
00:06:32
Speaker 1: Now I want to point something out in the middle of that drive. Bucs cornerback Jacob Parrish was injured on the play where he was defending Cincinnati receiver Tee Higgins. Following a Higgins catch, Parrish tried to lay a big hit on the Bengals' wideout, but He took the brunt of the collision. That happened right in front of me, and he was laying face down for a couple minutes there, and it was a while before they were able to turn him over on his back, before he was able to sit up, and he walked off the field on his own accord, but it wasn't by himself. He was walking very slow, and with the assistance of a member of the Buccaneers medical team, we first learned that he was questionable to return, and then And later on in the second half, we heard that he was out with a back injury. So something to certainly keep an eye on this week as the Buccaneers get ready for their second game coming up this Sunday against the Cleveland Browns. 21-3 at this point, and Tampa Bay was desperately in need of a score before the half. And that is exactly what they got. Baker not deterred by the turnovers. A couple of big strikes to Emeka Ibuka for 11. Another one for 10 yards to Cade Otten and then a 30-yard gain to Chris Godwin. That put Tampa Bay with first and goal from the 10 with 99 seconds left. Bucky Irving did the rest.
00:08:01
Speaker 2: There's a snap. Hand off. Irving has space on the left side. 10-5. Touchdown, Bucky Irving. As he gets into the end zone right in front of the left pylon, Bucky Irving races in for his 10th rushing touchdown of his career in Tampa Bay with a massive answer here with 149 to go in the second quarter.
00:08:20
Speaker 1: Too much time on the clock, however, as Burrow did what he does best, and he brings the Bengals down to the Tampa Bay 4 with 35 seconds left. in the half, but the Tampa Bay defense stood tall. It was a bend-but-don't-break performance right there. They force a field goal after a fantastic pressure from another Buccaneer player that made his debut on Sunday, Al-Quadeen Mohamed. That happened on second down, and then on third down, a huge open field tackle from Benjamin Morrison. With Parrish going down with the injury, it was BMO that really, really stepped up, and he's... He's lobbying for more playing time. And it's crazy because this guy can play. He goes out there and he shows up on tape. But the availability, that's the big thing. He's just got to stay healthy. And if he can do that, I think he could be a big part of this Tampa Bay Buccaneers defense. So 24-10 at the half. I get a chance here to speak to head coach Todd Bowles as we walk into the Tampa Bay locker room here. is what Coach had to say. Coach, a great job by your defense, bending but not breaking there. What do you guys have to do in the second half to slow down Joe Burrow in the offense?
00:09:31
Speaker 3: We've got to play tight at coverage. There's miscommunication underneath. We've got to clean that up and tackle the checkdowns.
00:09:37
Speaker 1: Offensively, some self-induced wounds, but a nice finish to the half. What can you take over to the second half?
00:09:43
Speaker 3: Can't turn the ball over. Turn the ball over three times. We're giving them freebies. We can't help them. If we can keep the.
00:09:48
Speaker 1: Ball, we're moving.
00:09:49
Speaker 2: Thanks, Coach.
00:09:50
Speaker 1: You could tell the Buccaneers were fired up. coming out of that locker room. They were steaming mad after that first half. And you could just tell by the physicality.
00:09:59
Speaker 4: It was rough.
00:10:00
Speaker 1: Ratcheted up a notch. And case in point, the second play from scrimmage, the aforementioned Benjamin Morrison with an absolute smack on Bengals star wideout Jamar Chase.
00:10:11
Speaker 2: Jamar Chase behind the quarterback and set up a screen for him. What a hit by Zion. Scratch that. Benjamin Morrison just flattens Jamar Chase in the backfield for a loss on the play. BMO came up from his position and knocks him down for a big-time loss, filling in for the injured Jacob Parrish.
00:10:30
Speaker 1: Unfortunately for Tampa Bay, there's that word again. On the very next play, one of the biggest offensive plays of the game, a 29-yard catch by Higgins. Man, he comes up with some huge grabs for this Bengals offense. That brings the ball to the Buccaneers 44. Chase Brown followed with a 13-yard run, and Cincinnati had the end zone in their sights. But this play by the rookie, Josiah Trotter, on third and seven, stopped them dead in their tracks.
00:10:59
Speaker 2: Two-by-one formation, brought out of the shotgun, 28-yard line. The Bengals had to settle for a 55-yard field goal from Evan McPherson, but they extend their lead to 27-10. Two of the better kickers.
00:11:30
Speaker 1: On display in this one with McPherson and the Buccaneers' Chase McLaughlin. The Bucs, to their credit, they answer right back with a 10-play, 38-yard drive that ends with a 51-yard field goal by McLaughlin to make it 27-13. And then, on the very next possession, on third and five from the Cincinnati 34, Josiah Trotter once again.
00:11:56
Speaker 2: Third down and five. Burrow takes a helmet high snap. It's a blitz. He'll throw. It's picked off Josiah Trotter. Nobody in front of him. The rookie's gonna score in his NFL debut. Touchdown Tampa Bay. And just like that, the script flips. And Tampa Bay is an extra point away from pulling within a touchdown. A 38-yard pick six for Josiah Trotter.
00:12:18
Speaker 1: That kid is special. I got a chance to talk to Josiah during the week last week and We discussed not being the starter on the initial depth chart, and he said, I'm cool with that. I like that. I want to earn it. He doesn't want anything given to him. And you can tell, this kid, the ceiling is so high for him. It's exciting to know that you have a young talent like that in the middle of your defense. And it's pretty wild, too, when you think about it. After all those turnovers, after that pick six by Trotter, the Bucs are within one score at 27-20. Once again, the Bucs need to keep the Bengals from responding, but they're unable to do so. Tampa Bay close, so close to getting off the field with a third and 10 from the Cincinnati 22, but Burrow was able to connect with Gesicki again. This one for 24 yards and a first down. Five plays later and now in the fourth quarter, the lead now 30-20 following a 58-yard field goal From McPherson.
00:13:24
Speaker 2: Evan McPherson. This is a 57, maybe a 58-yard field goal from the Bengals logo. He hit from 63 a year ago. Placement down. Kick on the way. He's got enough leg. It's on its way, and it is through. A huge field goal for Cincinnati with 14.04 to go in the fourth quarter because it makes it a two-score game. Bengals 30, Tampa Bay 20 on a 58-yard field goal by former Florida Gator Evan McPherson.
00:13:52
Speaker 1: On the next drive, the Buccaneers answer with a couple of Bucky Irving first downs, one on the ground and one in the air, but a first and 15 from the Tampa Bay 46 put the ball right back in the hands of the Bengals.
00:14:05
Speaker 2: Baker Mayfield with a play-action fake. Plants his right foot, looking downfield. Oh, smacked from behind by Moffay. Ball is on the ground. It's loose, and I believe it's picked up by Cincinnati.
00:14:14
Speaker 1: Yes, it is.
00:14:16
Speaker 2: T.J. Slayton fell on the football. Boye Moffay. hit Baker Mayfield from behind, jumped on his back and knocked the ball loose. Four turnovers today for Tampa Bay, three of them from the quarterback.
00:14:33
Speaker 1: Mayfield's third fumble of the game and the fourth for the team overall. That truly was the story of the game and just stick around to the end of our show today. I asked Baker Mayfield about the turnovers and we'll hear directly from his mouth, what was going on today. The clock, not the friend of the Buccaneers at this point in time, and their opponents knew that. Joe Burrow and the offense, they're able to take a valuable 5 minutes and 12 seconds off the clock in an 8-play, 31-yard drive that end with a McPherson, 32-yard field goal. The Bucs now down 33-20. The Bucs need to score, they need to score fast, and they come out and they start firing. The first three receptions of rookie Ted Hurst's career put Tampa Bay in Cincinnati territory, and eventually Baker Mayfield was able to do this on second and goal from nine yards out.
00:15:31
Speaker 2: Second down and goal from the nine-yard line. Kenny Gainwell on the left hip. Baker Mayfield who raises his right leg takes a helmet high snap drops back to throw now he'll step up in the pocket he's going to run inside the five Baker dives to the end zone he's in touchdown Tampa Bay Baker Mayfield slithers his way through the Cincinnati defense and gets into the left end zone to pull the Buccaneers within seven with 319 to.
00:15:56
Speaker 1: Go let me not forget to mention why the Buccaneers were in such good field position there Josh Williams Took that kick 47 yards to put the Buccaneers in great field position. Josh Williams elevated before the game from the practice squad. He and Ife Milifonwu. We heard before the game today that Sean Tucker and Jalen McMillan were going to be out and inactive. I did see them running on the field before the game. So it looks like they're getting closer and closer and closer to return. But game Josh Williams. Gets the call there late and does the job. Again, 47-yard return. Pretty darn good for the second-year man at LSU. You never know. That might warrant some more opportunities for him in the future. Unfortunately, that would be the last time the Buccaneers would touch the ball in this one. The Bengals were able to pick up first downs on three of their first four plays, including an incredible 18-yard catch from Tee Higgins with Zion McCollum draped all over him in coverage. What a grab and an incredible show of athleticism. Tampa Bay had to burn all three of their timeouts to try and stop the clock. They even had the benefit of the two-minute warning, but to no avail. This one ends with Joe Burrow kneeling at the Buccaneers 16, and the Bucs fall to the Bengals 33-27 in this week one matchup.
00:17:25
Speaker 2: One minute left. That clock continues to tick. Cincinnati will survive a furious Tampa Bay comeback after the Bengals led 21-3 early in the second quarter off three straight Tampa Bay turnovers. The Buccaneers fought, Scratch and Claude fought their way back, but look like they're going to come up six points short here in Cincinnati, and the NFL's longest week one winning streak is going to come to an end. And they're going to get in that. victory formation and just.
00:17:57
Speaker 1: Run it out. The one thing we know about this team is that they're resilient and they're accountable. I got a chance to chat with Baker Mayfield and he makes no bones about it, about his mistakes and how they contributed to the loss on Sunday.
00:18:12
Speaker 4: Just little fundamentals and critical moments. Two hands on the ball in the pocket and then trying to extend plays. Down in the red zone, the one that fumbled right by the goal line, just Was trying to get two hands on it, but the ball was too low. So it's the intention to secure the ball was there. It just wasn't in the right place. And yeah, just can't do that. This loss is on me. And just got to hold on to the football. You know, we moved it so well today. You know, pass game, run game. I think special teams played really well. I mean, I know they had at least 17 points off turnovers, if not more. You know, so we can't put our defense in that position. And that's on me. It's on the offense.
00:18:51
Speaker 1: Let's take a look at some of the statistics from this one. Baker Mayfield, 23 of 28 for 216 yards, no touchdowns and no interceptions. He did get sacked four times for 23 yards, a QBR of 27.1, a passer rating of 98.8. Unfortunately, he did fumble three times. He did have one rushing touchdown. He ran for 30 yards on five carries on the day. Bucky Irving, Eight carries for 45 yards and a touchdown. Kenny Gainwell, five carries for 15 yards. Emeka Abuka, the leading receiver for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in this one. Five catches for 63 yards on six targets. Bucky, a force out of the backfield catching the football as well. Seven catches for 48 yards. Chris Godwin, four for 40. And as I mentioned, Ted Hurst, three for 36. On the defense, who led the way with the tackles?
00:19:49
Speaker 3: UB.
00:19:50
Speaker 1: Josiah Trotter, 11 total tackles. Four of them solo. Zion McCollum had nine. Antoine Winfield Jr.
00:19:57
Speaker 2: Had nine.
00:19:58
Speaker 1: Josiah Trotter also had the only sack, the only interception. This kid, what a performance from him on the day. He's just going to get better and better and better. One other thing I wanted to point out about Josiah Trotter that maybe got lost in the shuffle, he also had a huge hit on special teams too. So even though he made a huge contribution to the game with the big sack on Burrow and, of course, the pick six, he was out there busting it on special teams. So you know special teams coach Danny Smith was loving that one On the other side for the Cincinnati Bengals, Joe Burrow, 25 of 35 for 254 yards. A touchdown in that interception to Josiah Trotter. He was sacked one time, also by Trotter, as I just mentioned. 76.4, QBR 89.5 passer rating. Chase Brown led the way on the ground. 16 carries for 56 yards and one touchdown. Samanji P. Grant, 5 for 20. Mike Gesicki. the leading receiver for the Bengals during this one. Five catches, 78 yards, and a touchdown. I tell you what, T. Higgins, only three grabs on six targets for 59 yards. Jamar Chase, relatively quiet, four targets on the day, two receptions, 12 yards.
00:21:21
Speaker 5: It was the.
00:21:21
Speaker 1: Turnovers that killed the Buccaneers in this one. If we went into this game and I told you that Tee Higgins would have three catches for 59, no touchdowns. Jamar Chase, two catches for 12. You probably would have thought that the Buccaneers would come out on top, but you got to win the turnover battle. And you just heard Baker Mayfield right there talk about the turnovers he understands. He can't be that reckless with the football if this team is going to go where they want to go. There is lofty aspirations and high hopes for this Tampa Bay Buccaneers team, and You have to take care of the football, and it starts with number six. Not the cleanest game for our Buccaneers, but I think that is to be expected. When you don't play that much in preseason, and you have to knock off all that rust, and listen, I'm not making excuses, but there's a lot of guys slipping on the turf. I wish that they would just get rid of the turf, and every single field would have natural grass, but Hey, it's the same for both teams. Again, I'm not making excuses. That's just something that really stood out to me today for both teams, not just the Buccaneers. But some of the guys that struggled in this game, I look at them and I think they are too good to have two games like that in a row. And one of those guys includes Baker Mayfield. I think he turns it around in a big way. Some home cooking against a familiar foe, the Cleveland Browns, on Sunday. Some other stats from today's game. Bucky Irving's rushing touchdown. 10th of his career his 10 rushing touchdowns lead all the members of the 2024 draft class and I mentioned Josiah Trotter oh my goodness first player in franchise history to record an INT return touchdown in his NFL debut first player across the NFL since the Lions Brian Branch in 2023 over the past 10 seasons only two NFL players have recorded a sack an interception and five plus tackles in their NFL debut Trotter And then T.J. Watt at Cleveland back in 2017. And Trotter is the first player in NFL history, according to Greg Allman of Fox Sports, to have a pick six and a sack in his debut game. And I showed some love to Chase McLaughlin before. After that 51-yard field goal, he improved his field goal percentage from 50-plus to 87.1% since joining the Bucs in 2023. 27 of 31. That is the highest such field goal percentage. across the NFL during that span. So again, like I said before, some good came out of this loss, and hopefully there'll be more statistics to talk about next week after the matchup against the Browns. I again wanted to show some love to Benjamin Morrison, second-year corner out of Notre Dame, and we know that he has struggled to stay on the field. It isn't for a lack of effort, that's for sure. I was so impressed and just happy to hear a couple of weeks ago Him discussing his relationship with Vita Vea and some of the other veterans on the team and how it's, you know, you just, you got to stay with it. You got to keep pushing and life is hard and you can't give in. You can't give up. So when he comes in off the bench today, relieving a guy like Jacob Parrish after he deals with such a tough injury, and you're going to hear him here in a second. he really rose to the occasion. You hope for the kid that he can stay healthy because if he can stay healthy, again, I think he's a little bigger. He's not afraid to stick his nose in there. And that's one thing you love about these corners. He and Zion McCollum and even Jacob Parrish, they're not afraid to hit. They are not going to shy away from contact. And I really appreciate Benjamin Morrison for his honesty, his transparency, his resilience. and for some time after Sunday's game. BMO, obviously not the way we want to start the season, but what are some of the positives you guys can take out of today's game?
00:25:18
Speaker 5: I mean, we got to look at the film first and see and answer that. I mean, it was heat of the moment, so I can't really answer that right now, but we got to go, and I think the biggest thing we just got to focus on is playing as a complete team. Defense has to play conference ball to offense. Offense, same thing. Special teams, same thing. So just play complete ball. So that's what it comes down to.
00:25:35
Speaker 1: Always tough to see a guy go down, but when Jacob Parrish came out, it seemed like when you came in, you were really trying to, make an impact, whatever happened out there, however you were going to make a contribution to the game. What was going through your mind when you got more opportunities there when he went out?
00:25:49
Speaker 5: First, a prayer for my brother, first and foremost. I mean, he's one of our best players on this team. I mean, he plays inside, outside. He's a spectacular player, spectacular friend. So it's a prayer for him. And at the end of the day, it just goes back to, I used to say this half-hearted, but I got to give it all to God. I really am nothing without him. I'm realizing that the more and more I get older, the more and more I went through things last year it's like at the end of the day, it's just because of him, so that was my biggest thing, I mean, my why is just to give my best for him, and that's about it.
00:26:18
Speaker 1: So there you have it, Buccaneers lose 33-27, but before I go, just a couple more observations about the game, first off, I know I said it to start the show, but it was unusually hot out there for this one, I feel like sometimes we think that there's Florida hot, and then everything else isn't that bad, but It was steaming out there. I packed for rain because it looked like there was some in the forecast before we left, and boy, was I wrong. My first time at Paycourse Stadium in Cincinnati, and I gotta give Hootay Nation a lot of credit. They were on their feet the whole game, and that building was loud and rocking all day long. A tremendous game day experience. The National Anthem was... fantastic the flyover was one of a kind really really great stuff I know Baker Mayfield spoke in his post game about the communication issues with the helmet I noticed the same thing and there were multiple times he literally had to run over to offensive coordinator Zach Robinson and hear slash read his lips to kind of understand what the play call was that's not easy at all and you just wonder if that upset the offensive rhythm a little bit Chris Godwin Emeka Ibuka really stood out to me in this one. They are both just consummate professionals, and aside from being standout receivers, they are such willing blockers. So selfless out there. Part of the reason why I'm so confident that this team will bounce back is because of leaders like this. Speaking of receivers, Ted Hurst didn't contribute much until the fourth quarter, but I think he showed this Buccaneers team that He'll be ready to contribute in the future when his number is called. He's got to continue to work on his route running and his separation because he's got those other guys who I just mentioned that just excel in those areas. Who goes deep for this team too? Who takes the top off the defense?
00:28:19
Speaker 2: Could it be him?
00:28:20
Speaker 1: Could it be Tez Johnson? I think that's kind of the part of the offense that we still have to learn about here with this Tampa Bay squad. I mentioned Josh Williams, but Cam Johnson had some nice returns too, so Don't forget about him. David Walker, Sarasie Dennis, with a couple nice plays on special teams as well. And new buck Kevin Knowles had a couple of tackles. Those units look a lot more fiery and cohesive, and you know Coach Danny Smith is going to like that. I wanted to also show some love to... A couple of guys during the broadcast, I mean, Tony Castricone in his first regular season game with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, I thought did a wonderful job. Dave Moore is all class. He's one of one. I absolutely love that guy. If you missed our pregame segment with our keys to the game, I implore you to check that out. During the pregame show, it is so much fun. Kevin Worcester, my guy on the field, my right-hand man, he is a pro. I love working with that guy. Shout out to Chris Tortino, Jason Turner, of course Jason Floyd and Jeff Ryan in the booth. It was a lot of fun, game one. The process of getting it all done was a lot of fun. Unfortunately, the outcome wasn't what we all wanted, but hopefully things will be different on Sunday. Again, Buccaneers back in action this Sunday. 1 p.m. against the Cleveland Browns Raymond James Stadium the crew is going to be rocking I know that Baker and the boys they want to get back out in the practice field and rectify some of these issues and really you know kind of get back to their winning ways because this is a damn good football team and They just got to work out some of the kinks. I'm really, I'm not just saying this, I am not concerned. I think Baker's going to bounce back. I think there's guys on this team that really didn't show what they have in game one. And listen, sometimes you got to knock the rust off. Sometimes it doesn't come back as quickly as you want it. But I think getting some home cooking on Sunday against a favorable opponent, I think it can really help this group kind of find what makes them special, and I think it's onward and upward for me. All right, keep it locked to Buccaneers.com, and just keep it locked to everything Tampa Bay Buccaneers throughout the week. There's going to be a ton of great content. Make sure you follow me on all social media platforms, at jretcher. Can't wait to do this for every single game this season. I appreciate you all. As always, go Bucs, and we'll see you next time right here on After the Whistle.
Speaker 1: Hey guys, welcome to the very first edition of After the Whistle. I'm your host, Jay Rutscher. We're going to do these after every single game this year. So lock in, get ready, and let's go over what happened on Sunday for our Bucs. It was hot and it was humid in Ohio on Sunday afternoon for the season opener between the Cincinnati Bengals and your Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Ironic too, because when we landed on Saturday in Cincinnati, it was raining and it was dreary and overcast, but it was a hot one on Sunday at Pacor Stadium. Let's take a look back and hear how it all went down. The building was rocking, a ton of orange in the stands, but I gotta give a shout out to all of the members of the crew that flew from Tampa and from all around the country. to support our Buccaneers there in Cincinnati. The Bucs win the coin toss and decide to receive the opening kick of the season, putting Baker Mayfield and the offense on the field first. The first series of the season started with a nine-yard scamper from Bucky Irving. He looked really good in this game on Sunday, and the Tampa Bay offense was off and running. Two plays later, Baker Mayfield and Emeka Abuka connect for a 17-yard gain. and the Bucs' offense looked like it had found some rhythm. Four plays later, second and 14, Abuka and Mayfield hook up for another 10-yard reception before Chris Godwin chips in with a third-down conversion of his own to put Tampa Bay on the Cincinnati 21. Unfortunately, the Bucs could not muster up another first down, and they had to settle for this Chase McLaughlin 34-yard attempt.
00:01:44
Speaker 2: Chase McLaughlin. On for the 34-yard field goal from the right hash mark to try to give Tampa Bay the lead on the opening drive. Placement down, kick on the way, end over end. It is true. Chase McLaughlin from 34 yards out.
00:01:59
Speaker 1: Three zip Buccaneers with 9.09 left in the first quarter, and the defense takes over for the first time. I know a lot of Buccaneers fans out there excited to see the youngsters, Reuben Bain and Josiah Trotter, Joe Burrow and the Bengals offense take over from their own 26 following a three-yard run by Chase Brown on the first snap. A couple of really nice plays from Tampa Bay cornerback Zion McCollum. First, an open field tackle on a short pass to Brown, which only went for one yard. He is phenomenal in space when it comes to tackling, Zion McCollum is. And then a great contest of a throw from Burrow to star wideout Jamar Chase. that fell incomplete and brought on the Cincinnati punting unit. You know, going into this game, Jamar Chase, Tee Higgins, that was going to be a big focus point for Todd Bowles and this defense. After a 51-yard punt that was returned 13 yards to the 32 by Cameron Johnson, unfortunately, this is where the wheels came off a little bit for our Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Right here, 39 from the Buccaneers' 33.
00:03:07
Speaker 2: Mayfield back to pass, steps up in the pocket, rolling out to the right, being chased, he's grabbed, hit in the back, fumbles the football, it's loose on the ground, picked up by the Bengals. Up the left sideline, 15-10-5, touchdown Cincinnati. I believe it's Demetrius Knight, 44, who scoops and scores. Yes, sir, and the Bengals come up with a defensive touchdown.
00:03:29
Speaker 1: 7-3 Cincinnati after the point after, but it didn't stop there. On the very next drive, third and 14 from the 25, Bucky Irving, the culprit this time.
00:03:43
Speaker 2: Two-by-one set, snap to Mayfield, drops back to the 15-yard line, plants his foot, now he checks down. Caught by Irving beyond the numbers, now brings it up to 30. And fumbled the football after getting hit again at the 33-yard line. A pile of bodies, Cincinnati says they have it. The officials trying to get down underneath the pile and see who's got it. Cody Malk is down there. Now he comes from the top of the pile. Cincinnati pointing in their direction, still waiting for an official signal. Bucky Irving comes up from under the pile, and I believe Tampa Bay. Nope. Cincinnati's got it. Back-to-back turnovers for the Buccaneers. Boye Amafe comes out of the pile.
00:04:22
Speaker 1: You never want to give Joe Burrow and that offense a short field, and on the seventh play of the ensuing drive, they find Paydirt.
00:04:30
Speaker 2: Burrow goes out of the shotgun. Takes a snap. Tampa Bay rushes four. Slant pattern caught by Jasicki, and he rolls into the end zone touchdown. He was down to the one-yard line, but nobody around him. He just rolled on into pay dirt, and Cincinnati takes a 13-3 lead with 148 to go in the first quarter.
00:04:50
Speaker 1: 14-3 Bengals now after the point after, and the Tampa Bay offense looked to be finding their stride and answering back a little bit before the end of the quarter. A four-yard pass first to Chris Godwin, followed by a first-down run by Kenny Gainwell, making his Buccaneers debut, and then a 13-yard grab by tight end Kate Otten before the end of the first 15 minutes. Ibuka had an incredible catch and a big-boy run. For 12 yards and a first down, a few plays into the second, he is one tough guy. He was not going to be denied on that play. It looked like the Bucs... were primed to get on the board once again. But unfortunately, and I say the word unfortunately a lot during this edition of After the Whistle, another turnover for Baker and the Buccaneers.
00:05:38
Speaker 2: Ibuka motions left to right, trailing 14-3. Mayfield takes a snap, drops back 21-yard line, gets hit, spins away from the pressure now, tiptoes his way through the line, inside the 10, the 5, bubbles the football into the end zone, it's loose in the end zone, and I believe Cincinnati has it. Yep, third turnover today by Tampa Bay's offense. Unbelievable.
00:06:00
Speaker 1: No short field this time after the touchback, but it did not matter as the Bengals marched down the field 80 yards on 12 plays, culminating in this Chase Brown touchdown run.
00:06:12
Speaker 2: 12 play of the drive for Cincinnati. They've gone 75 yards so far. Chase Brown, the back in the ballgame, split tight end, split wideouts. Hand off Brown, knifes his way in, untouched. 20-3, Cincinnati takes a lead on a five-yard touchdown run by Chase Brown, the 14th of his career.
00:06:32
Speaker 1: Now I want to point something out in the middle of that drive. Bucs cornerback Jacob Parrish was injured on the play where he was defending Cincinnati receiver Tee Higgins. Following a Higgins catch, Parrish tried to lay a big hit on the Bengals' wideout, but He took the brunt of the collision. That happened right in front of me, and he was laying face down for a couple minutes there, and it was a while before they were able to turn him over on his back, before he was able to sit up, and he walked off the field on his own accord, but it wasn't by himself. He was walking very slow, and with the assistance of a member of the Buccaneers medical team, we first learned that he was questionable to return, and then And later on in the second half, we heard that he was out with a back injury. So something to certainly keep an eye on this week as the Buccaneers get ready for their second game coming up this Sunday against the Cleveland Browns. 21-3 at this point, and Tampa Bay was desperately in need of a score before the half. And that is exactly what they got. Baker not deterred by the turnovers. A couple of big strikes to Emeka Ibuka for 11. Another one for 10 yards to Cade Otten and then a 30-yard gain to Chris Godwin. That put Tampa Bay with first and goal from the 10 with 99 seconds left. Bucky Irving did the rest.
00:08:01
Speaker 2: There's a snap. Hand off. Irving has space on the left side. 10-5. Touchdown, Bucky Irving. As he gets into the end zone right in front of the left pylon, Bucky Irving races in for his 10th rushing touchdown of his career in Tampa Bay with a massive answer here with 149 to go in the second quarter.
00:08:20
Speaker 1: Too much time on the clock, however, as Burrow did what he does best, and he brings the Bengals down to the Tampa Bay 4 with 35 seconds left. in the half, but the Tampa Bay defense stood tall. It was a bend-but-don't-break performance right there. They force a field goal after a fantastic pressure from another Buccaneer player that made his debut on Sunday, Al-Quadeen Mohamed. That happened on second down, and then on third down, a huge open field tackle from Benjamin Morrison. With Parrish going down with the injury, it was BMO that really, really stepped up, and he's... He's lobbying for more playing time. And it's crazy because this guy can play. He goes out there and he shows up on tape. But the availability, that's the big thing. He's just got to stay healthy. And if he can do that, I think he could be a big part of this Tampa Bay Buccaneers defense. So 24-10 at the half. I get a chance here to speak to head coach Todd Bowles as we walk into the Tampa Bay locker room here. is what Coach had to say. Coach, a great job by your defense, bending but not breaking there. What do you guys have to do in the second half to slow down Joe Burrow in the offense?
00:09:31
Speaker 3: We've got to play tight at coverage. There's miscommunication underneath. We've got to clean that up and tackle the checkdowns.
00:09:37
Speaker 1: Offensively, some self-induced wounds, but a nice finish to the half. What can you take over to the second half?
00:09:43
Speaker 3: Can't turn the ball over. Turn the ball over three times. We're giving them freebies. We can't help them. If we can keep the.
00:09:48
Speaker 1: Ball, we're moving.
00:09:49
Speaker 2: Thanks, Coach.
00:09:50
Speaker 1: You could tell the Buccaneers were fired up. coming out of that locker room. They were steaming mad after that first half. And you could just tell by the physicality.
00:09:59
Speaker 4: It was rough.
00:10:00
Speaker 1: Ratcheted up a notch. And case in point, the second play from scrimmage, the aforementioned Benjamin Morrison with an absolute smack on Bengals star wideout Jamar Chase.
00:10:11
Speaker 2: Jamar Chase behind the quarterback and set up a screen for him. What a hit by Zion. Scratch that. Benjamin Morrison just flattens Jamar Chase in the backfield for a loss on the play. BMO came up from his position and knocks him down for a big-time loss, filling in for the injured Jacob Parrish.
00:10:30
Speaker 1: Unfortunately for Tampa Bay, there's that word again. On the very next play, one of the biggest offensive plays of the game, a 29-yard catch by Higgins. Man, he comes up with some huge grabs for this Bengals offense. That brings the ball to the Buccaneers 44. Chase Brown followed with a 13-yard run, and Cincinnati had the end zone in their sights. But this play by the rookie, Josiah Trotter, on third and seven, stopped them dead in their tracks.
00:10:59
Speaker 2: Two-by-one formation, brought out of the shotgun, 28-yard line. The Bengals had to settle for a 55-yard field goal from Evan McPherson, but they extend their lead to 27-10. Two of the better kickers.
00:11:30
Speaker 1: On display in this one with McPherson and the Buccaneers' Chase McLaughlin. The Bucs, to their credit, they answer right back with a 10-play, 38-yard drive that ends with a 51-yard field goal by McLaughlin to make it 27-13. And then, on the very next possession, on third and five from the Cincinnati 34, Josiah Trotter once again.
00:11:56
Speaker 2: Third down and five. Burrow takes a helmet high snap. It's a blitz. He'll throw. It's picked off Josiah Trotter. Nobody in front of him. The rookie's gonna score in his NFL debut. Touchdown Tampa Bay. And just like that, the script flips. And Tampa Bay is an extra point away from pulling within a touchdown. A 38-yard pick six for Josiah Trotter.
00:12:18
Speaker 1: That kid is special. I got a chance to talk to Josiah during the week last week and We discussed not being the starter on the initial depth chart, and he said, I'm cool with that. I like that. I want to earn it. He doesn't want anything given to him. And you can tell, this kid, the ceiling is so high for him. It's exciting to know that you have a young talent like that in the middle of your defense. And it's pretty wild, too, when you think about it. After all those turnovers, after that pick six by Trotter, the Bucs are within one score at 27-20. Once again, the Bucs need to keep the Bengals from responding, but they're unable to do so. Tampa Bay close, so close to getting off the field with a third and 10 from the Cincinnati 22, but Burrow was able to connect with Gesicki again. This one for 24 yards and a first down. Five plays later and now in the fourth quarter, the lead now 30-20 following a 58-yard field goal From McPherson.
00:13:24
Speaker 2: Evan McPherson. This is a 57, maybe a 58-yard field goal from the Bengals logo. He hit from 63 a year ago. Placement down. Kick on the way. He's got enough leg. It's on its way, and it is through. A huge field goal for Cincinnati with 14.04 to go in the fourth quarter because it makes it a two-score game. Bengals 30, Tampa Bay 20 on a 58-yard field goal by former Florida Gator Evan McPherson.
00:13:52
Speaker 1: On the next drive, the Buccaneers answer with a couple of Bucky Irving first downs, one on the ground and one in the air, but a first and 15 from the Tampa Bay 46 put the ball right back in the hands of the Bengals.
00:14:05
Speaker 2: Baker Mayfield with a play-action fake. Plants his right foot, looking downfield. Oh, smacked from behind by Moffay. Ball is on the ground. It's loose, and I believe it's picked up by Cincinnati.
00:14:14
Speaker 1: Yes, it is.
00:14:16
Speaker 2: T.J. Slayton fell on the football. Boye Moffay. hit Baker Mayfield from behind, jumped on his back and knocked the ball loose. Four turnovers today for Tampa Bay, three of them from the quarterback.
00:14:33
Speaker 1: Mayfield's third fumble of the game and the fourth for the team overall. That truly was the story of the game and just stick around to the end of our show today. I asked Baker Mayfield about the turnovers and we'll hear directly from his mouth, what was going on today. The clock, not the friend of the Buccaneers at this point in time, and their opponents knew that. Joe Burrow and the offense, they're able to take a valuable 5 minutes and 12 seconds off the clock in an 8-play, 31-yard drive that end with a McPherson, 32-yard field goal. The Bucs now down 33-20. The Bucs need to score, they need to score fast, and they come out and they start firing. The first three receptions of rookie Ted Hurst's career put Tampa Bay in Cincinnati territory, and eventually Baker Mayfield was able to do this on second and goal from nine yards out.
00:15:31
Speaker 2: Second down and goal from the nine-yard line. Kenny Gainwell on the left hip. Baker Mayfield who raises his right leg takes a helmet high snap drops back to throw now he'll step up in the pocket he's going to run inside the five Baker dives to the end zone he's in touchdown Tampa Bay Baker Mayfield slithers his way through the Cincinnati defense and gets into the left end zone to pull the Buccaneers within seven with 319 to.
00:15:56
Speaker 1: Go let me not forget to mention why the Buccaneers were in such good field position there Josh Williams Took that kick 47 yards to put the Buccaneers in great field position. Josh Williams elevated before the game from the practice squad. He and Ife Milifonwu. We heard before the game today that Sean Tucker and Jalen McMillan were going to be out and inactive. I did see them running on the field before the game. So it looks like they're getting closer and closer and closer to return. But game Josh Williams. Gets the call there late and does the job. Again, 47-yard return. Pretty darn good for the second-year man at LSU. You never know. That might warrant some more opportunities for him in the future. Unfortunately, that would be the last time the Buccaneers would touch the ball in this one. The Bengals were able to pick up first downs on three of their first four plays, including an incredible 18-yard catch from Tee Higgins with Zion McCollum draped all over him in coverage. What a grab and an incredible show of athleticism. Tampa Bay had to burn all three of their timeouts to try and stop the clock. They even had the benefit of the two-minute warning, but to no avail. This one ends with Joe Burrow kneeling at the Buccaneers 16, and the Bucs fall to the Bengals 33-27 in this week one matchup.
00:17:25
Speaker 2: One minute left. That clock continues to tick. Cincinnati will survive a furious Tampa Bay comeback after the Bengals led 21-3 early in the second quarter off three straight Tampa Bay turnovers. The Buccaneers fought, Scratch and Claude fought their way back, but look like they're going to come up six points short here in Cincinnati, and the NFL's longest week one winning streak is going to come to an end. And they're going to get in that. victory formation and just.
00:17:57
Speaker 1: Run it out. The one thing we know about this team is that they're resilient and they're accountable. I got a chance to chat with Baker Mayfield and he makes no bones about it, about his mistakes and how they contributed to the loss on Sunday.
00:18:12
Speaker 4: Just little fundamentals and critical moments. Two hands on the ball in the pocket and then trying to extend plays. Down in the red zone, the one that fumbled right by the goal line, just Was trying to get two hands on it, but the ball was too low. So it's the intention to secure the ball was there. It just wasn't in the right place. And yeah, just can't do that. This loss is on me. And just got to hold on to the football. You know, we moved it so well today. You know, pass game, run game. I think special teams played really well. I mean, I know they had at least 17 points off turnovers, if not more. You know, so we can't put our defense in that position. And that's on me. It's on the offense.
00:18:51
Speaker 1: Let's take a look at some of the statistics from this one. Baker Mayfield, 23 of 28 for 216 yards, no touchdowns and no interceptions. He did get sacked four times for 23 yards, a QBR of 27.1, a passer rating of 98.8. Unfortunately, he did fumble three times. He did have one rushing touchdown. He ran for 30 yards on five carries on the day. Bucky Irving, Eight carries for 45 yards and a touchdown. Kenny Gainwell, five carries for 15 yards. Emeka Abuka, the leading receiver for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in this one. Five catches for 63 yards on six targets. Bucky, a force out of the backfield catching the football as well. Seven catches for 48 yards. Chris Godwin, four for 40. And as I mentioned, Ted Hurst, three for 36. On the defense, who led the way with the tackles?
00:19:49
Speaker 3: UB.
00:19:50
Speaker 1: Josiah Trotter, 11 total tackles. Four of them solo. Zion McCollum had nine. Antoine Winfield Jr.
00:19:57
Speaker 2: Had nine.
00:19:58
Speaker 1: Josiah Trotter also had the only sack, the only interception. This kid, what a performance from him on the day. He's just going to get better and better and better. One other thing I wanted to point out about Josiah Trotter that maybe got lost in the shuffle, he also had a huge hit on special teams too. So even though he made a huge contribution to the game with the big sack on Burrow and, of course, the pick six, he was out there busting it on special teams. So you know special teams coach Danny Smith was loving that one On the other side for the Cincinnati Bengals, Joe Burrow, 25 of 35 for 254 yards. A touchdown in that interception to Josiah Trotter. He was sacked one time, also by Trotter, as I just mentioned. 76.4, QBR 89.5 passer rating. Chase Brown led the way on the ground. 16 carries for 56 yards and one touchdown. Samanji P. Grant, 5 for 20. Mike Gesicki. the leading receiver for the Bengals during this one. Five catches, 78 yards, and a touchdown. I tell you what, T. Higgins, only three grabs on six targets for 59 yards. Jamar Chase, relatively quiet, four targets on the day, two receptions, 12 yards.
00:21:21
Speaker 5: It was the.
00:21:21
Speaker 1: Turnovers that killed the Buccaneers in this one. If we went into this game and I told you that Tee Higgins would have three catches for 59, no touchdowns. Jamar Chase, two catches for 12. You probably would have thought that the Buccaneers would come out on top, but you got to win the turnover battle. And you just heard Baker Mayfield right there talk about the turnovers he understands. He can't be that reckless with the football if this team is going to go where they want to go. There is lofty aspirations and high hopes for this Tampa Bay Buccaneers team, and You have to take care of the football, and it starts with number six. Not the cleanest game for our Buccaneers, but I think that is to be expected. When you don't play that much in preseason, and you have to knock off all that rust, and listen, I'm not making excuses, but there's a lot of guys slipping on the turf. I wish that they would just get rid of the turf, and every single field would have natural grass, but Hey, it's the same for both teams. Again, I'm not making excuses. That's just something that really stood out to me today for both teams, not just the Buccaneers. But some of the guys that struggled in this game, I look at them and I think they are too good to have two games like that in a row. And one of those guys includes Baker Mayfield. I think he turns it around in a big way. Some home cooking against a familiar foe, the Cleveland Browns, on Sunday. Some other stats from today's game. Bucky Irving's rushing touchdown. 10th of his career his 10 rushing touchdowns lead all the members of the 2024 draft class and I mentioned Josiah Trotter oh my goodness first player in franchise history to record an INT return touchdown in his NFL debut first player across the NFL since the Lions Brian Branch in 2023 over the past 10 seasons only two NFL players have recorded a sack an interception and five plus tackles in their NFL debut Trotter And then T.J. Watt at Cleveland back in 2017. And Trotter is the first player in NFL history, according to Greg Allman of Fox Sports, to have a pick six and a sack in his debut game. And I showed some love to Chase McLaughlin before. After that 51-yard field goal, he improved his field goal percentage from 50-plus to 87.1% since joining the Bucs in 2023. 27 of 31. That is the highest such field goal percentage. across the NFL during that span. So again, like I said before, some good came out of this loss, and hopefully there'll be more statistics to talk about next week after the matchup against the Browns. I again wanted to show some love to Benjamin Morrison, second-year corner out of Notre Dame, and we know that he has struggled to stay on the field. It isn't for a lack of effort, that's for sure. I was so impressed and just happy to hear a couple of weeks ago Him discussing his relationship with Vita Vea and some of the other veterans on the team and how it's, you know, you just, you got to stay with it. You got to keep pushing and life is hard and you can't give in. You can't give up. So when he comes in off the bench today, relieving a guy like Jacob Parrish after he deals with such a tough injury, and you're going to hear him here in a second. he really rose to the occasion. You hope for the kid that he can stay healthy because if he can stay healthy, again, I think he's a little bigger. He's not afraid to stick his nose in there. And that's one thing you love about these corners. He and Zion McCollum and even Jacob Parrish, they're not afraid to hit. They are not going to shy away from contact. And I really appreciate Benjamin Morrison for his honesty, his transparency, his resilience. and for some time after Sunday's game. BMO, obviously not the way we want to start the season, but what are some of the positives you guys can take out of today's game?
00:25:18
Speaker 5: I mean, we got to look at the film first and see and answer that. I mean, it was heat of the moment, so I can't really answer that right now, but we got to go, and I think the biggest thing we just got to focus on is playing as a complete team. Defense has to play conference ball to offense. Offense, same thing. Special teams, same thing. So just play complete ball. So that's what it comes down to.
00:25:35
Speaker 1: Always tough to see a guy go down, but when Jacob Parrish came out, it seemed like when you came in, you were really trying to, make an impact, whatever happened out there, however you were going to make a contribution to the game. What was going through your mind when you got more opportunities there when he went out?
00:25:49
Speaker 5: First, a prayer for my brother, first and foremost. I mean, he's one of our best players on this team. I mean, he plays inside, outside. He's a spectacular player, spectacular friend. So it's a prayer for him. And at the end of the day, it just goes back to, I used to say this half-hearted, but I got to give it all to God. I really am nothing without him. I'm realizing that the more and more I get older, the more and more I went through things last year it's like at the end of the day, it's just because of him, so that was my biggest thing, I mean, my why is just to give my best for him, and that's about it.
00:26:18
Speaker 1: So there you have it, Buccaneers lose 33-27, but before I go, just a couple more observations about the game, first off, I know I said it to start the show, but it was unusually hot out there for this one, I feel like sometimes we think that there's Florida hot, and then everything else isn't that bad, but It was steaming out there. I packed for rain because it looked like there was some in the forecast before we left, and boy, was I wrong. My first time at Paycourse Stadium in Cincinnati, and I gotta give Hootay Nation a lot of credit. They were on their feet the whole game, and that building was loud and rocking all day long. A tremendous game day experience. The National Anthem was... fantastic the flyover was one of a kind really really great stuff I know Baker Mayfield spoke in his post game about the communication issues with the helmet I noticed the same thing and there were multiple times he literally had to run over to offensive coordinator Zach Robinson and hear slash read his lips to kind of understand what the play call was that's not easy at all and you just wonder if that upset the offensive rhythm a little bit Chris Godwin Emeka Ibuka really stood out to me in this one. They are both just consummate professionals, and aside from being standout receivers, they are such willing blockers. So selfless out there. Part of the reason why I'm so confident that this team will bounce back is because of leaders like this. Speaking of receivers, Ted Hurst didn't contribute much until the fourth quarter, but I think he showed this Buccaneers team that He'll be ready to contribute in the future when his number is called. He's got to continue to work on his route running and his separation because he's got those other guys who I just mentioned that just excel in those areas. Who goes deep for this team too? Who takes the top off the defense?
00:28:19
Speaker 2: Could it be him?
00:28:20
Speaker 1: Could it be Tez Johnson? I think that's kind of the part of the offense that we still have to learn about here with this Tampa Bay squad. I mentioned Josh Williams, but Cam Johnson had some nice returns too, so Don't forget about him. David Walker, Sarasie Dennis, with a couple nice plays on special teams as well. And new buck Kevin Knowles had a couple of tackles. Those units look a lot more fiery and cohesive, and you know Coach Danny Smith is going to like that. I wanted to also show some love to... A couple of guys during the broadcast, I mean, Tony Castricone in his first regular season game with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, I thought did a wonderful job. Dave Moore is all class. He's one of one. I absolutely love that guy. If you missed our pregame segment with our keys to the game, I implore you to check that out. During the pregame show, it is so much fun. Kevin Worcester, my guy on the field, my right-hand man, he is a pro. I love working with that guy. Shout out to Chris Tortino, Jason Turner, of course Jason Floyd and Jeff Ryan in the booth. It was a lot of fun, game one. The process of getting it all done was a lot of fun. Unfortunately, the outcome wasn't what we all wanted, but hopefully things will be different on Sunday. Again, Buccaneers back in action this Sunday. 1 p.m. against the Cleveland Browns Raymond James Stadium the crew is going to be rocking I know that Baker and the boys they want to get back out in the practice field and rectify some of these issues and really you know kind of get back to their winning ways because this is a damn good football team and They just got to work out some of the kinks. I'm really, I'm not just saying this, I am not concerned. I think Baker's going to bounce back. I think there's guys on this team that really didn't show what they have in game one. And listen, sometimes you got to knock the rust off. Sometimes it doesn't come back as quickly as you want it. But I think getting some home cooking on Sunday against a favorable opponent, I think it can really help this group kind of find what makes them special, and I think it's onward and upward for me. All right, keep it locked to Buccaneers.com, and just keep it locked to everything Tampa Bay Buccaneers throughout the week. There's going to be a ton of great content. Make sure you follow me on all social media platforms, at jretcher. Can't wait to do this for every single game this season. I appreciate you all. As always, go Bucs, and we'll see you next time right here on After the Whistle.
