Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 4 Standouts from Preseason Week 1 vs. Steelers
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers may have opened their 2019 preseason with a loss but there were several standout performers in the matchup with Pittsburgh.
Beginning a campaign that will be critically important to the future of the franchise, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers kicked off their 2019 preseason slate on Friday night against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Though it was a losing effort for the Bucs, 30-28, the visitors put forth a strong effort where they fought back late in the action to try and pick up the win.
As stated, this is a critical year for the Buccaneers. Quarterback Jameis Winston is in the final year of his rookie contract, meaning he’s trying to earn a new deal. Contrarily, the organization is trying to determine if he’s worth a second contract in Tampa. To help determine that, they’ve brought in new head coach Bruce Arians and, to prevent playing from behind as often, new defensive coordinator Todd Bowles.
Starting off the preseason with a loss isn’t the worst thing in the world as, if we’re honest, the exhibition contests really aren’t about the end results. They’re about the player performances and who stepped up once the lights turned on. We’re going to look at guys who did just that.
These were the standouts from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers preseason opener against the Steelers — but first, some players that just feel short of making the list of four.
Notable Omissions
Noah Spence has widely been labeled a bust to this point in his career with the Bucs. However, he’s been one of the training camp standouts to this point and continued that progress in this game. He was Tampa Bay’s most consistent force off the edge in terms of generating pressure.
Tight end Tanner Hudson and wide receiver Spencer Schnell both had big games, catching seven balls for 84 and 119 yards, respectively, on the night. Both made their share of highlight catches in the game, as well, strengthening each player’s case to potentially make the 53-man roster.
It’s also worth noting that Dare Ogunbowale notched two touchdowns on the night. The running back has turned heads in camp and, though he’s behind Ronald Jones and Peyton Barber, he could still earn some playing time for this Buccaneers offense.