The Tampa Bay Buccaneers didn't get the result they wanted in Week 1, falling 33-27 to the Cincinnati Bengals after four lost fumbles put them in a hole they couldn't completely climb out of.
There were still some bright spots in the loss, and the grades from Pro Football Focus reflected that. Bucky Irving and Emeka Egbuka finished at the top of Tampa Bay's offense, while Calijah Kancey and Al-Quadin Muhammad led the defense.
Here's how PFF graded the Bucs in Week 1.
Offensive PFF grades
- Bucky Irving — 74.1
- Emeka Egbuka — 73.3
- Payne Durham — 72.2
- Luke Goedeke — 66.8
- Chris Godwin — 63.0
- Ted Hurst — 61.4
- Ben Bredeson — 61.4
- Kenneth Gainwell — 60.0
- Ko Kieft — 60.0
- Bauer Sharp — 59.3
- Kameron Johnson — 57.2
- Cody Mauch — 57.1
- Cade Otton — 53.0
- Graham Barton — 52.4
- Baker Mayfield — 50.2
- Tristan Wirfs — 46.6
- Tez Johnson — 41.1
Irving earned Tampa Bay's highest offensive grade after finishing with 93 yards from scrimmage. He rushed eight times for 45 yards and a touchdown while adding seven receptions for 48 yards. His 86.2 rushing grade was also the best individual offensive category grade among Tampa Bay's skill-position
players.
Egbuka wasn't far behind with a 73.3 overall grade. He led the Bucs with 63 receiving yards on five catches and earned a 73.3 receiving grade. The second-year receiver picked up right where he left off after a strong rookie season.
The offensive line had a much rougher afternoon. Goedeke led the group with a 66.8 overall grade, while Tristan Wirfs finished at 46.6 after receiving a 33.4 pass-blocking grade. Graham Barton received an overall grade of 52.4 but was much better as a pass blocker, with PFF giving him an 85.4.
Mayfield finished 15th among Tampa Bay's offensive players with a 50.2 grade. He completed 23 of 28 passes for 216 yards and didn't throw an interception, but the four lost fumbles were the story of the game. Three belonged to Mayfield, with Cincinnati turning those mistakes into 17 points. Mayfield did help make it interesting late, rushing for a touchdown to cut the Bengals' lead to six.
Defensive PFF grades
- Calijah Kancey — 83.3
- Al-Quadin Muhammad — 82.5
- Benjamin Morrison — 78.5
- A'Shawn Robinson — 78.3
- Josiah Trotter — 72.8
- Keionte Scott — 70.4
- Antoine Winfield Jr. — 66.8
- SirVocea Dennis — 63.5
- Tykee Smith — 62.8
- Zyon McCollum — 60.1
- Miles Killebrew — 60.0
- Vita Vea — 59.8
- Rakeem Nunez-Roches — 59.5
- Jacob Parrish — 58.5
- Yaya Diaby — 56.1
- Elijah Roberts — 52.1
- Anthony Nelson — 48.0
- Rueben Bain Jr. — 40.1
- Alex Anzalone — 32.3
Kancey led the entire defense with an 83.3 overall grade and was particularly effective as a pass rusher. PFF credited him with two pressures on 26 pass-rush snaps, helping him earn an 80.4 pass-rush grade.
Muhammad was right behind him at 82.5 and also generated two pressures. His 81.5 pass-rush grade was the best on Tampa Bay's defense.
Trotter's 72.8 overall grade doesn't quite capture how big his NFL debut was. The rookie linebacker recorded Tampa Bay's only sack of Joe Burrow and later intercepted him, taking the ball 38 yards for a touchdown that pulled the Bucs within seven points. PFF gave Trotter an 85.6 coverage grade, the highest on Tampa Bay's defense.
The bottom of the defensive grades featured two notable names. First-round rookie Rueben Bain Jr. received a 40.1 overall grade in his regular-season debut, including a 28.1 tackling grade. Alex Anzalone finished last on the defense with a 32.3 overall grade and received a 36.0 run-defense grade and 39.0 coverage grade.
Tampa Bay's defense had some encouraging individual performances, particularly from Kancey, Muhammad, and Trotter, but the unit still allowed Cincinnati to finish with 351 total yards. The Bucs now have a full week to clean things up before returning home for Week 2.
This article originally appeared on Bucs Wire: PFF grades reveal Bucs’ best and worst from Week 1
