In their final preseason game, the Buccaneers were blanked by the Jacksonville Jaguars 0-19, capping off what was otherwise a solid preseason for Tampa Bay. The Bucs were disappointing, especially on offense, which couldn't get anything going regardless of who was under center, and on special teams, which reverted to old bad habits. The defense largely held up its end thanks to another great night of pass rush and secondary play. A solid defensive effort went for naught thanks to the offensive implosion, which likely saw the end of Jalon Daniels' hopes to be Baker Mayfield's primary backup.
Here are the studs and duds from the Bucs' preseason finale loss to the Jaguars:
DUD: Jalon Daniels
By all appearances, Jalon Daniels was auditioning for the rare third quarterback
spot on the Bucs' 53-man roster. Unfortunately for him, it went almost as badly as it could have against the Jaguars. Daniels was sharp early, but his receivers were anything but. Then came the fumbled snap in the second quarter, a problem that carried over from last week's matchup against the Chiefs.
Daniels then took three sacks, three more than in any previous preseason game. He finished with just eight completions on 15 attempts and just 57 pass yards. While Daniels remains the Bucs' most dynamic quarterback from the preseason, it is unlikely he did enough to prove himself reliable enough to overtake Jake Browning as QB2.
STUD: The edge rushers
One of Tampa Bay's few highlights was the play of its outside linebackers, who frustrated the Jaguars' offense all night. David Walker was unstoppable once again, winning a third of his pass rushes per PFF. Anthony Nelson continued his productive preseason, recording a sack and a quarterback hit. Jack Pyburn played like someone who did not plan on playing for LSU this year, leading the team with two sacks, three tackles for a loss and two quarterback hits. Tampa Bay's edge rush looks much improved from last year heading into this season.
DUD: Special teams
After improving in the first two preseason games, Tampa Bay's special teams looked like its 2025 iteration against Jacksonville. Missed tackles were once again a problem and led to Michael Wortham's 63-yard punt return touchdown. It is never a good sign that punter Riley Dixon was routinely required to be in position to make a stop. It may be a cliche that fringe players have to make an impact on special teams to make the roster, but given how the Bucs' special teams performed against the Jaguars, it is likely most of the coverage players won't.
DUD: The wide receivers
Tampa Bay's wide receivers did Jalon Daniels no favors, dropping four passes in the first half. Granted, most of these players will not be on the roster come Sunday, but it was a worrisome performance from a position group where two of its top three players have not practiced much this month due to injuries.
Kam Johnson, who is likely to make the final roster, had a particularly bad drop on a fantastic and difficult throw by Daniels, letting the ball hit his chest and fall to the ground. While they may not represent the Bucs' main receiving options, their poor performance may indicate an overall lack of cohesion in Tampa Bay's offense.
STUD: Ayden Garnes
While it was clear before the final preseason game, Ayden Garnes is going to make the Bucs' final 53-man roster. His performance against the Jaguars only reinforced his case. Garnes played as complete a game as any Bucs defender, recording four tackles and a pass breakup. He led a solid performance from the Bucs' secondary and should be a valuable contributor during the regular season.
DUD: The offensive tackles
The Bucs will need Tristan Wirfs and Luke Goedeke to stay healthy all season, or they'll be forced to play their backups. Elijah Klein started at right tackle after playing mostly interior positions since the Bucs drafted him in 2024. While Klein is in line to be a key backup at guard and center, he was a disaster at tackle, allowing two sacks. Paul Rubelt was only slightly better, drawing a false start and allowing a quarterback pressure in successive snaps. Even getting Ben Chukwuma or Justin Skule back
This article originally appeared on Bucs Wire: Studs and duds from Bucs final preseason game
