Photo by Kendall Bulkiewicz | The Crow’s Nest
By Dominic Feo
For players at the bottom of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers depth chart, the third and final game of the preseason against the Buffalo Bills on Aug. 23 was their last chance to fight for a spot on the 53-man roster. While the game ended in a 23-19 loss for the Buccaneers, several players proved their value to the team.
The two teams’ first preseason matchup in 11 years began with fifth-year Buccaneers quarterback Kyle Trask under center. Trask, a former second-round draft selection, has been Tampa Bay’s backup since 2023.
However, veteran Teddy Bridgewater ‘s addition to the team on Aug. 5 created one of the team’s most intriguing position battles.
Photo by Kendall Bulkiewicz | The Crow’s Nest
Bridgewater missed this game due to an undisclosed illness, giving Trask the entire first half to preserve his position on the depth chart. Both of Trask’s first-quarter drives ended with punts, but he fared much better in the second quarter, leading Tampa Bay to a 35-yard field goal by kicker Chase McLaughlin and a goal-line touchdown pass to wide receiver Tez Johnson.
Trask finished his half, completing 13 of 17 passes for 93 yards and a touchdown. Eight of those passes were to Johnson, who finished the game as the team’s leading receiver with 58 yards.
Although Johnson was a star at Oregon University, he fell to Tampa Bay’s last draft pick in the seventh round due to his 5-foot-10, 165-pound stature. Johnson uses his size to his advantage, being one of the shiftiest players on the field.
Photo by Kendall Bulkiewicz | The Crow’s Nest
Johnson’s agility was on full display as he nearly floated while landing a backflip during his touchdown celebration. The catch made the score 14-10 Bills with almost a minute left in the first half.
Another recognizable name in pewter and red was defensive back Shilo Sanders, son of NFL Hall of Famer Deion Sanders, and older brother of Cleavland Browns’ quarterback Shedeur. Going into the game, Shilo was on the outside looking in, but a solid performance may have been enough to earn a roster spot.
His night was cut short after he was ejected from the game for throwing a punch at the Bills’ tight end and emergency punter Zach Davidson. When asked about the incident during the post-game press conference, head coach Todd Bowles did not mince words.
“You can’t throw punches in this league, that’s inexcusable, they [the referees] are going to get you every time,” Bowles said.
Sanders was subsequently waived by the team the following day.
The Bills’ last drive of the first half and opening drive of the second half both ended with 37-yard field goals by kicker Tyler Bass to make the score 20-10, with 7:43 left in the third quarter.
Enter, Buccaneers undrafted rookie quarterback Connor Bazelak, who led the Mid-American Conference with 3044 passing yards as the starter for Bowling Green State University in 2024.
Bazelak led the team to around midfield to set up a 50-yard McLaughlin field goal to shorten the lead to one touchdown. Buffalo matched with another Tyler Bass field goal on the ensuing drive.
The last points of the night came when Bazelak found former West Virginia University quarterback turned receiver Garrett Greene on the right boundary of the endzone, where the rookie barely got both feet in bounds for a toe-tapping touchdown.
Photo by Kendall Bulkiewicz | The Crow’s Nest
After a failed two-point conversion attempt, the Bills chewed away the rest of the clock, leaving the final score at a 23-19, ending the Buccaneers’ preseason with a record of 2-1.
Coach Bowles opened the post-game press conference with a shout out to the kick returners. Running back Josh Williams and wide receiver Kam Johnson proved their returning skills, taking back kicks for 108 and 57 yards respectively.
In the days leading to the roster cut deadline on Aug. 26, several notable players have already been waived or released. Notably, both Trask and Bazelak were released on Aug. 25 despite their solid outings against Buffalo. This leaves recently signed Bridgewater as the sole backup quarterback on the roster.
The Buccaneers will have a chance to even the score with the Bills during the regular season on Nov. 16, but until then, Tampa Bay is preparing for its first game of the regular season against the Atlanta Falcons on Sept. 7.
