Bucs vs. Titans Preseason Week 1: Most Impressive

The Bucs had their first preseason game of the 2025 season as they hosted the Tennessee Titans at Raymond James Stadium on Saturday night. It was a very rainy  evening that didn’t give the best field conditions, but that’s par for the course during a preseason Bucs football game in the summer.

It was a game that was dominated by the Bucs for the entirety of it’s contest. Each side had big moments and the game was put away in the fourth quarter.

Here were the most impressive Bucs players from their 29-7 win.

QB Kyle Trask

Trask very much got the directive from offensive coordinator Josh Grizzard to go vertical and did it quite well. He orchestrated a field goal drive when the Bucs first got the ball, connecting on passes of 25 and 21 yards to Jalen McMIllan and Emeka Egbuka, respectively.

During the second drive, Trask ran for a first down and later was able to overcome a first down sack, connect on an 11-yard pass on 3rd and 12 and then rush again to convert it on 4th down.

Following a holding penalty to make it 2nd and 20, Trask got the yardage back on the next two plays and the Bucs eventually scored a touchdown on the drive. Throughout his time in the game, he continued to push the ball down the field and after an early sack, he had the right timing knowing when to get rid of the ball.

It was Trask and Ryan Miller for a majority of the game. Trask even helped out the Bucs on a fourth and 1 with a hard count that was able to draw the Titans offsides for another first down.

Overall, he was very efficient in leading the Bucs to three scoring drives and could have had another if not for a botch shotgun snap. With the signing of Teddy Bridgewater, there’s pressure on Trask to maintain his second string job. He passed the first test tonight. Trask played two quarters and finished the game completing 12 of his 16 passes for 129 yards while also rushing for eight yards on three attempts.

WR Ryan Miller

Miller was the best wide receiver on the field as far as non-starters go. He did a great job of getting the Bucs out of a hole single handedly in the first quarter. During a second and 20, Miller caught a screen and took it 11 yards to set up a manageable third and 9, then he made another 11-yard reception for the first down.

The following drive, Miller was back at it, making a 21-yard and pushing the ball down the field for Tampa Bay. He built great chemistry with Trask and made plays in all of the important moments. Unfortunately, his night was disrupted as he entered concussion protocol after taking a hard hit and luckily, he was able to pass protocol and return to the game. He finished the game with six catches on six targets and 66 yards receiving.

ILB Nick Jackson

We didn’t see Jackson until the second half, but it was well worth the wait. Jackson has had a great training camp so far and he greatly brought that into his NFL preseason debut. Jackson recorded the Bucs’ first sack of the game when he rushed in on quarterback Brandon Allen and took him down for a nice play.

Jackson couldn’t think about it for too long, though as two plays later, he recorded an interception that was the Bucs’ first turnover. He was the beneficiary of Allen’s pass getting tipped at the line of scrimmage by fellow inside linebacker John Bullock, and while Jackson was engaged with a blocker, he caught the ball one-handed and created the turnover. It was a thrilling series and a good showing for him as he looks for a roster spot.

CB Jacob Parrish

The rookie third-round pick of the Bucs got the start at nickel and immediately made his presence felt with a pass breakup covering Van Jefferson on the second play of the game. He had some tough matchups with Titans starting wide receivers Calvin Ridley and Tyler Lockett, but Parrish came back later on to record a second pass breakup in the game.

This was was special too because he had moved to outside corner. Parrish was able to show his versatility playing different positions for Tampa Bay’s defense and make plays while doing so.

WRs Jalen McMillan And Emeka Egbuka On Opening Drive

The second-year wide receiver started the game with a sensational catch on the first play of  the game. Kyle Trask threw the ball down the field and McMillan went aerial to jump, twist and make the catch for a 25-yard gain. It set the Bucs up with some adrenaline for the opening drive and showed that McMillan just picked up where he left off late last year.

Everyone preparing to watch this game was most excited about the first-round pick Egbuka. Right after McMillan’s big play, it was Ebguka’s time to shine with a jumping 21-yard reception to move the Bucs again. He later came close to hauling in a one-handed catch in the end zone, but couldn’t come down with it. We saw him out there for one punt return, but the ball was kicked so close to the sideline that he could only catch it and step out of bounds. Egbuka looked very comfortable during the game in his NFL debut.

Both young receivers looked ready for big roles in the offense this season.

RB Owen Wright 

Because of injuries to the position and Bucky Irving not playing, Wright was going to get a lot of rushing attempts and playing time in the first preseason game. He was involved throughout, but really hit his stride in the second half as he and the Bucs’ offensive line just completely wore down the Titans defense in the third and fourth quarter. Wright was so good that he actually scored three times in the game, but the first two were negated by a penalty.

He showed a good burst of speed and put on some good tape that the coaches will see with his efforts. The Bucs have their three running backs set, but Wright is fighting for either a fourth running back spot or an opportunity to be on their practice squad. With a stat line of 18 attempts, 87 yards and a touchdown, he’s giving the coaches something to think about.

CB Josh Hayes

There wasn’t much hype around Josh Hayes compared to other defensive backs. He came ready to play and nearly picked off Cam Ward on the second drive. Hayes read the throw the whole way and jumped to make the pick, but couldn’t come down with it as his arms were stretched out.

To make up for the missed interception, Hayes made a big hit on a later drive on the running back for a good tackle for loss that eventually led to a punt. He’ll need more of those plays to find a spot on the active roster.

RB Sean Tucker

After Rachaad White left the game early with a groin injury, Sean Tucker took over and immediately hit the ground running. He had a highlight 23-yard run that got the Bucs down to the 2-yard line and he eventually punched it in for the first Bucs’ first touchdown of the game.

Tucker’s speed was apparent and he looked ready to go against the starters of the other team. He finished the game with 13 rushes for 50 yards and a touchdown.

Bucs’ O-Line Blocking

Left tackle Charlie Heck was the only starting offensive lineman who played in this game for Tampa Bay, and that was just for the first series. The unit consisted of Ben Chukwuma, Raiqwon O’Neal, Elijah Klein, Luke Haggard, Michael Jordan, Tyler McLellan and Jake Majors in various situations.

The offensive line did a good job in the running game as the Bucs went for over well over 100 yards with Tucker and Owen Wright rushing. They kept their quarterbacks relatively clean too while pass blocking. Kyle Trask was sacked early on, but he held onto the ball for too long. That was the only sack allowed, and there was only one holding penalty by the unit. We saw versatility as well with Klein playing center and guard while Jordan went from right to left tackle. There were questions about the second unit, but they delivered on Saturday.

Bucs’ Second-Half Defense

It was an admirable group effort by Tampa Bay’s defense, but particularly in the second half. They pitched a shutout in the second half to preserve the win that was still a one-possession game in the fourth quarter. A big moment was getting a stop on a fourth and one when the Titans were in scoring range.

There were many involved including Elijah Roberts, Nick Jackson and Shilo Sanders to help get the stop. Sanders also had a nice blitz on quarterback Brandon Allen to force an incompletion. Jackson had the big interception, but that doesn’t happen without the tipped ball from John Bullock. Safety JJ Roberts also came very close to an interception toward the end of the third quarter.

He made up for it late in the fourth quarter as he jumped in front of a pass, popped the ball up in the air and Tyrek Funderburk was the recipient of the interception. Then, on the last drive, Roman Parodie intercepted Tim Boyle with under two minutes to go for a pick-six in garbage time.

The pass rush kept Allen and Tim Boyle off balance, forcing errant throws that led to three interceptions and two sacks in the second half to help get the Bucs the win.