The Bucs returned to Raymond James Stadium Saturday night for their preseason finale, with some starters set to get their first game reps of the season. Those starters shined, and in the final tune-up before its Sept. 10 season opener, Tampa Bay beat the Baltimore Ravens by a score of 26-20.

With much of their starting offense opening the game, the Bucs quickly went three-and-out before punting the ball away. It didn’t take long for the Ravens to find the scoreboard, with former Tampa Bay quarterback Josh Johnson leading Baltimore on a four-play, 80-yard scoring drive that ended with a 24-yard touchdown pass to Laquon Treadwell. Just like that, it was 7-0 in favor of the Ravens.

Bucs QB Baker Mayfield – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

The Bucs didn’t take long to respond from there, with Deven Thompkins returning the ensuing kickoff to the 41-yard line. That sparked a quick scoring drive that featured three catches by Chris Godwin, a first-down catch from Kaylon Geiger, a nine-yard run by Rachaad White and a 12-yard run by Cade Otton. Godwin capped off the drive with an 11-yard touchdown catch on a pass from Baker Mayfield, tying the game at 7-7.

That was enough for Mayfield on the night, as he was replaced for Tampa Bay’s third drive after going 6-of-6 for 42 yards and a touchdown on the first two possessions. Kyle Trask picked up right where he left off, putting together an impressive first drive of the night. He connected with David Moore, Rakim Jarrett and Trey Palmer — with Rachaad White runs of nine, five, three and seven yards mixed in — before finding David Wells for a six-yard touchdown with one second left in the first quarter. That finished a 12-play, 94-yard drive that took 5:41 off the clock.

The touchdowns came to a halt in the second quarter, with both teams trading punts before Christian Izien forced an Anthony Brown fumble that was recovered by Kaevon Merriweather. The Bucs didn’t do anything with the turnover, though, and the Ravens then cut into their lead on the next possession. After getting into Tampa Bay territory, Baltimore settled for a 39-yard Justin Tucker field goal to make it a 14-10 lead for the home team.

Bucs RB Ke’Shawn Vaughn – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

Just before halftime, the Bucs got that field goal back. Helped by a 29-yard punt return from Trey Palmer, the offense needed just one first down to set up a 47-yard kick by Chase McLaughlin. He nailed it, bringing Tampa Bay’s lead to 17-10 at the break.

With the reserves on the field, the teams traded field goals throughout the second half. A 44-yard field goal by Justin Tucker cut the Bucs’ lead to 20-13 before a 38-yarder from McLaughlin gave the home team its 10-point lead back.

After Owen Wright punched in a two-yard touchdown run with 9:17 to go in the fourth quarter, McLaughlin added another long field goal — connecting from 48 yards out — to extend Tampa Bay’s lead back to six at 26-20.

The Bucs then survived one final scare in the final two minutes, with the defense holding strong in the red zone to ice the victory. On 4th & 12 with under 30 seconds to go, Charles Snowden and a host of defenders got to Anthony Brown for a big sack to give the ball back to Trask and the offense.

Bucs QB Baker Mayfield – Photo by: USA Today

Baker Mayfield’s 6-of-6 night against the Ravens made him 14-of-15 for 105 yards and two touchdowns in the preseason. Kyle Trask ultimately finished 19-of-31 for 192 yards and a touchdown, putting the finishing touches on what was a solid preseason for the third-year quarterback.

In his first taste of the preseason action, Chris Godwin was impressive, catching all four of his targets for 30 yards and a touchdown. Trey Palmer shined again with an impressive catch, while Rakim Jarrett continued to make a good case for a roster spot by catching four passes for 48 yards. Rachaad White looked good in his 2023 debut, running for 39 yards on seven carries, averaging 5.6 yards per carry.

Defensively, it was J.J. Russell who had another standout night. He led the team with 11 tackles (nine solo). Joe Tryon-Shoyinka had a tackle for loss in his limited playing time, while Anthony Nelson had a sack, Will Gholston had 1.5 and Greg Gaines chipped in with a half-sack. Hamlicar Rashed and Charles Snowden got in on the fun late in the game, making it five sacks for the Tampa Bay defense.

Chase McLaughlin paid off Tampa Bay’s decision to stick with him over Rodrigo Blankenship, nailing field goals from 47, 27, 38 and 48 yards out

With the win, the Bucs finish the preseason 2-1. They will now have to cut down their roster to 53 players by Tuesday afternoon before they set their sights on their Sept. 10 opener, a 1:00 p.m. kickoff in Minnesota against the Vikings.