After a not-so-good efficiency towards the Jaguars within the staff’s joint follow session on Wednesday, the Bucs took the sphere for a rematch in Jacksonville on Thursday. After sporting full pads for the primary follow, each groups wore helmets, shells and shorts for the second joint follow. Tampa Bay fared higher on Thursday and appeared extra centered and fewer torpid than the staff was upon arriving in Jacksonville.
Thursday’s joint follow occurred between 10:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. with temperatures within the mid-80s below principally cloudy skies and breezy situations. Pewter Report’s Scott Reynolds, Matt Matera, Adam Slivon and photographer Jeff Jones had been in attendance this morning. Right here had been their observations.
Bucs Who Have been Not Practising
Just a few extra injured Bucs had been added to the damage record after Wednesday’s joint follow with the Jaguars. Tight finish Payne Durham suffered a slight knee damage on Wednesday and is listed as day-to-day. Undrafted free agent cornerback Tyrek Funderburk injured his foot within the first follow and was seen in a strolling boot. Extensive receiver Raleigh Webb was additionally out, along with reserve left sort out Justin Skule, defensive tackles Calijah Kancey and Mike Greene and vast receivers Sterling Shepard and Rakim Jarrett. Additionally nonetheless out had been security Jordan Whitehead, working again Chase Edmonds and outdoors linebacker Yaya Diaby.
Exterior linebacker Joe Tryon-Shoyinka continued his follow of doing all the things besides 11-on-11 drills, and the identical was true for inside linebacker SirVocea Dennis. It looks as if neither will play in Saturday evening’s preseason recreation.
Jaguars Secondary Picks Off Bucs Quarterbacks
After Wednesday’s joint follow session between Jacksonville and Tampa Bay didn’t produce any interceptions, the Jaguars protection turned fairly opportunistic on Thursday.
Beginning quarterback Baker Mayfield was picked off when his move to working again Sean Tucker was pilfered by Jaguars security Andre Cisco, who jumped the route and took it again for a pick-six. It was the second interception Mayfield has thrown this week, as Bucs cornerback Keenan Isaac picked him off on Monday.
Tampa Bay backup quarterback Kyle Trask threw a pair of interceptions on Thursday. Trask’s first decide got here when he overthrew tight finish Ko Kieft. Jaguars cornerback Erick Hallett II got here up with the errant throw. Trask’s second decide got here when his move was batted on the line of scrimmage and deflected into the air. Hallett was opportunistic as soon as once more and got here down together with his second interception on the day, taking it again for a landing.
Bucs Secondary Continued To Wrestle Protecting The Deep Ball
Bucs HC Todd Bowles and co-DC Kacy Rodgers – Picture by: USA Right this moment
As a complete, Tampa Bay’s secondary performed higher throughout 11-on-11 and 7-on-7 classes towards Jacksonville throughout Thursday’s follow than it did on Wednesday. The Bucs again seven defenders pressured extra checkdowns and even had a few would-be protection sacks. However two Jaguars’ weapons continued to offer the secondary suits.
Rookie vast receiver Brian Thomas Jr. continued to torment the Bucs defensive backs, getting free for one more deep landing on Thursday after catching 4 touchdowns on Wednesday, together with two deep ball scores and two within the purple zone. On Thursday he ran a sluggo seam route for a landing, burning slot cornerback Tykee Smith with the pretend slant after which turning upfield and racing previous free security Kaevon Merriweather, who obtained beat deep on Wednesday.
“He’s an incredible receiver, that’s why he’s a first-round decide,” Bucs head coach Todd Bowles mentioned. “We all know he’s obtained plenty of pace, he’s obtained plenty of expertise – we’re going to face [that] each week, these forms of guys. We’ve simply obtained to play the deep ball.”
Thomas’ landing was a little bit of revenge towards Smith, who had nice protection within the purple zone on a earlier play and compelled an incompletion ultimately zone.
The opposite Jaguars receiving risk who obtained open deep towards the Bucs was tight finish Evan Engram. He first beat free security Antoine Winfield Jr. downfield on a play-action move of longer than 30 yards. Then Engram obtained open towards Lavonte David, outracing the Bucs linebacker down the sphere towards a Tampa 2 protection for a deep landing in between the safeties.
Lawrence and Engram additionally linked for a landing in purple zone 7-on-7 drills towards the Bucs secondary.
Whereas Jacksonville’s secondary was opportunistic on Thursday, recording three interceptions, Tampa Bay’s protection didn’t file a single decide after recording 22 interceptions by way of the primary 13 coaching camp practices.
Bucs Run Protection Was Glorious But Once more
Jaguars HC Doug Pederson and Bucs NT Vita Vea – Picture by: USA Right this moment
Whereas the Bucs’ move protection was suspect in Jacksonville, Tampa Bay’s run protection remained stout. The Bucs protection held the Bengals to only 36 yards dashing on 13 carries final Saturday evening, and Tampa Bay’s run protection continued to dominate towards the Jaguars.
“Yesterday, once they had been aligned proper, they did a very good job,” Bucs head coach Todd Bowles mentioned. “There have been some performs the place they had been aligned mistaken and gave up the sting too simply, simply due to alignment. For essentially the most half, they’re the place they’re alleged to be.”
Typically talking, Bowles has been impressed together with his unit’s run protection general throughout coaching camp.
“Up to now. It’s been extra passing than working,” Bowles added. “We haven’t seen the runs that we all know we’re going to see and the completely different personnel groupings in these runs. Up to now, they’ve been good at what we’ve been seeing.”
#Bucs run protection is stifling immediately thus far. Todd Bowles’ unit is far more locked in for this joint follow with the #Jaguars.
— PewterReport 🏴☠️ (@PewterReport) August 15, 2024
Baker Mayfield Addresses Dropped Balls In Jacksonville
The Bucs have seen their receivers drop extra passes than they’ve needed to see in Jacksonville. Second-year wideout Trey Palmer has been the largest offender, adopted by rookie Jalen McMillan. Palmer dropped at the very least three passes on Wednesday whereas McMillan had a pair of drops.
On Thursday, McMillan cleaned up his drops and didn’t have any, however had fewer targets thrown his approach. Palmer’s drops continued on Thursday, although, with a pair of passes that hit the bottom. Undrafted rookie Kameron Johnson additionally had a dropped move in 11-on-11s.
#Bucs WR Trey Palmer with one other drop throughout the person warm-up interval. Too many drops in camp. Palmer is an effective receiver when he hauls it in – simply must be extra constant catching the ball.
— PewterReport 🏴☠️ (@PewterReport) August 15, 2024
Bucs QB Baker Mayfield and RT Luke Goedeke – Picture by: USA Right this moment
After follow, Bucs beginning quarterback Baker Mayfield was requested about how he, as a staff captain, offers with discussing drops together with his receivers and serving to to carry them accountable.
“This is among the issues I realized early on,” Mayfield mentioned. ‘The worst factor you possibly can inform a man is to catch the rattling ball. It’s not like he’s attempting to drop it. When it comes right down to it, you have a look at, ‘Okay, did he take his eyes off of it? Did he have his fingers in the precise place?’ You have a look at the basics of again to the fundamentals of catching the soccer and the place they went mistaken on that. All people is aware of they’re attempting to catch the ball.
“More often than not, it’s a scarcity of full focus by way of the catch. You’ve obtained to pluck it and tuck it. These are simply the little stuff you’ve obtained to do, particularly while you’re enjoying towards these guys which might be going to come back in. There are going to be collisions, they’re going to be swiping for the balls. For me, it’s, ‘Hey, ensure you look it in all by way of the catch till you tuck it.’ That’s it.”
Observations And Highlights From Day 15 Of Bucs Camp
• Bucs vast receiver Kameron Johnson overcame an early drop to haul in a number of passes on Thursday, together with a spectacular landing within the nook of the tip zone.
Bucs WR Kameron Johnson – Picture by: Jeffrey Jones/PR
After follow, Bucs quarterback Baker Mayfield praised his rookie receiver.
“Kam Johnson is a stud,” Mayfield mentioned. “I didn’t even know the place Barton School was till like a number of weeks in the past. No matter they fed him, it labored. He’s a elegant receiver. He doesn’t say a lot, he locks in, and simply does all the things the precise approach. For us, it’s a child that listens. [When] you deliver within the bodily side of it, he’s extraordinarily clean in his routes, he’s explosive – I believe he can do plenty of issues for us. He’s one other good man in our room that’s going to push everyone else to proceed to lift that customary within the receiver room.”
• Whereas the Tampa Bay offense had its ups and downs in Jacksonville, the Bucs offensive line actually excelled in move safety towards the Jaguars defensive entrance.
“Actually strong,” Bucs head coach Todd Bowles mentioned in regards to the O-line. “I’d say, clearly, they’ve obtained a few e-book ends on the sting there, however I assumed it was actually strong for us. Clearly, it’s robust while you [don’t have] pads on, however yesterday, I assumed it was actually good. I assumed they handed off some stunts and video games very well on the within. They’re simply persevering with to enhance [with] the extra reps they get.”
• The Bucs new kickoff protection unit options all defensive gamers – as anticipated – apart from Ko Kieft. The Bucs tight finish was a staple of kick and punt protection models final 12 months and is among the higher particular groups tacklers in Tampa Bay. The Bucs’ second-string kick protection unit additionally incorporates a pair of offensive gamers in massive vast receivers Cody Thompson and Ryan Miller.
