Buccaneers wrap preseason with 23-19 loss, roster cuts looming
TAMPA, Fla. — The Tampa Bay Buccaneers fell 23-19 to the Buffalo Bills in their final preseason game Saturday night at Raymond James Stadium.
No projected starters suited up for Tampa Bay. Quarterback Kyle Trask played the entire first half, completing 13-of-17 passes for 93 yards and a touchdown. Trask has been competing with veteran Teddy Bridgewater for the backup role behind Baker Mayfield. Bridgewater missed the game due to illness, and head coach Todd Bowles has not announced who will serve as the No. 2 quarterback when the season opens Sept. 7.
Rookie wide receiver Tez Johnson was the standout for the Buccaneers. The seventh-round pick caught eight passes for 58 yards, including a 1-yard touchdown from Trask with 58 seconds left in the first half. Johnson’s acrobatic celebration — sprinting away from teammates before pulling off a front handspring into a backflip — stole the spotlight.
The Buccaneers’ rushing attack continued to struggle, managing just 45 yards on 17 carries (2.6 yards per attempt). A week earlier against Pittsburgh, Tampa Bay totaled 41 rushing yards and averaged 1.7 yards per carry.
Defensively, the Buccaneers failed to force a turnover after producing six takeaways across their first two preseason games. Bills quarterback Shane Buechele shredded Tampa Bay’s secondary, completing 25-of-30 passes for 278 yards and a touchdown while leading Buffalo to scores on three of its four first-half possessions. Running back Frank Gore Jr., son of longtime NFL running back Frank Gore, added 32 yards and a touchdown.
There were highlights for Tampa Bay’s defense. Rookie defensive end Elijah Roberts recorded his first career sack, along with two tackles, a tackle for loss and a quarterback hit.
On the more negative side, rookie safety Shilo Sanders, son of Pro Football Hall of Famer Deion Sanders, had a much tougher night. Sanders was ejected in the second quarter after throwing a punch at Bills tight end Zach Davidson. The Buccaneers announced the next day that Sanders had been waived.
Tampa Bay must trim its roster by roughly 37 players before Tuesday to reach the NFL’s 53-man limit.
Attendance was announced at 61,480. The Buccaneers’ next home game is not until Sept. 21 against the New York Jets.
Tampa Bay opens the regular season Sept. 7 on the road against the Atlanta Falcons at 1 p.m. The Buccaneers will also see Buffalo again in Week 11 on Nov. 16, in what will be their final visit to Highmark Stadium before the Bills move into a new venue.