A lot went right for the Bucs Sunday afternoon as they controlled the game and held the Saints from generating points and big plays in a 26-9 win. In fact, this was their most impressive win so far this season with plenty of impressive performances. Despite that, however, there are always things to refine, and here are the players and aspects of the game that disappointed.

Bucs’ Special Teams

Bucs ST coordinator Keith Armstrong – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

The special teams unit had its fair share of struggles throughout the afternoon. Early on, it was punter Jake Camarda not getting the most out of his punts. He first had a 27-yard punt that put the Saints at their own 16, but he could have pinned them deeper. He had a 41-yard boot later in the first quarter, but only to the Saints’ 19-yard line. It was not his best work, but the reigning NFC special teams player of the month was far from being the root of the problem.

On a Deven Thompkins fair catch, inside linebacker J.J. Russell was called for offensive holding, costing the Bucs 10 yards. Later on, the coverage unit let up a 29-yard return by Rashid Shaheed after the previous punt saw Rakim Jarrett called for an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty for running out of bounds and not immediately returning to the field of play. Shaheed was able to gain 45 yards off punt returns alone, and special teams units (outside of the field goal team) left much to be desired.

Bucs’ Pass Rush

In facing a New Orleans’ offensive line lacking true maulers, the pass rush from the front seven was held quiet for the most part. It was an inconsistent effort overall, though a couple of players got home. Nose tackle Vita Vea had two sacks and safety Antoine Winfield Jr. had one, but otherwise, Saints quarterback Derek Carr hardly faced any true pressure. On several occasions, the banged-up quarterback was able to step up in the pocket and avoid defenders who continued to miss him.

The Bucs had an opportunity to capitalize as right guard Cesar Ruiz was held out of the game and left tackle Trevor Penning had struggled mightily prior to today. It was a chance for guys like Shaq Barrett, Joe Tryon-Shoyinka and others to eat, but instead, they were left famished without sacks.

Mike Greene

Singling out one player on the defensive line, Mike Greene was only mentioned for a roughing the pass penalty on the game’s opening drive that put the Saints in field goal range. Throughout much of the season, Greene has been rarely mentioned despite receiving nearly 40% of the defensive snaps in the first three games. With more games like this, he may soon find himself on the outside looking in on the team’s depth chart.

Lack Of Discipline

Bucs head coach Todd Bowles – Photo by: USA Today

Todd Bowles prides himself on being a disciplined head coach, and he surely will not be happy with all of the yellow flags flying against his team. On the day, the Bucs were called for 11 penalties, costing them a total of 91 yards. This will be one of the biggest points of emphasis to fix over the bye week.

Bucs’ Interior Offensive Line

Tristan Wirfs and Luke Goedeke were solid as the respective tackles, but the same cannot be said for the interior offensive line. Saints rookie defensive lineman Bryan Bresee had plenty of success, shedding the blocks of Robert Hainsey and Cody Mauch to record a sack while also totaling two tackles for a loss.

Rachaad White was able to make something out of nothing more often than not, but the physicality along the interior could have been a lot stronger in dictating the time of possession and tempo of the ballgame.

Ke’Shawn Vaughn

Given the opportunity to be the backup to Rachaad White, running back Ke’Shawn Vaughn failed to have much of an impact. He did have an 8-yard run, but on the day was held to just 1.8 yards per carry on nine carries and one catch for three yards. Sean Tucker has not had any more success spelling White, but for Vaughn, it’s fair to question how many more touches he will get. In his fourth season, he is nothing more than a guy who does not wow with speed or tackle-breaking ability.