The Bucs and the Jaguars battled (if you can call it that) for depth supremacy to end the 2026 preseason Friday night. And the Jaguars came out victorious in a 19-0 trouncing. There were very few bright spots for the Bucs, with many players failing to deliver anything close to their best performances with roster spots on the line.

*In my best Law and Order opening sequence voice*

Those players are known as preseason Week 3’s most disappointing.

First Half Receivers

On the Bucs’ first drive of the game, quarterback Jalon Daniels targeted receiver Dean Patterson on 3rd & 5 at midfield. It was a quick slant, and the ball was in a good spot for Patterson to make the catch for just enough yards to keep the drive alive, but Patterson was unable to corral the pass and the drive stalled.

Bucs QB Jalon Daniels – Photo by: IMAGN Images via Reuters Connect

On their next drive, the Bucs had things moving 43 yards after being backed up deep in their own zone. On 3rd & 7, Daniels dropped back and found Kam Johnson on the right sideline for another would-be first down. The timing of the pass was perfect as the ball arrived just after Johnson’s turn on a curl route. But once again, Daniels’ target was unable to hang on to an accurately thrown ball. And once again, the Bucs offense stopped progressing around midfield.

The Kansas product was putting his receivers in position to make plays and they just were not answering the call.

LBs Nick Jackson and John Bullock

Jackson was caught out of position in pass coverage on several plays throughout the first half. The Jaguars’ use of play action triggered Jackson downhill, and his ability to stop, redirect and get back to his spot was too slow to adjust in time. The result were some easy completions for the Jaguars including a 34-yard pickup to tight end Hunter Long that left Jackson chasing him for over 30 yards.

Likewise, Bullock struggled to stay in coverage against play action. He also overran a would-be tackle for loss in the second quarter, letting DeeJay Dallas run right by him, turning a two-yard loss into a two-yard gain. In space, Bullock would get covered up on screens, failing to shed blocks, leading to additional yards for the Jaguars offense.

Both Bullock and Jackson are vying for practice squad spots and neither set themselves apart Friday night.

RB Sean Tucker

Tucker had a strong 8-yard run to start the game, but his running has never been in question. His pass protection, on the other hand, has been a big reason why he has been left on the sidelines for three seasons now. And that issue reared it’s ugly head again. Tucker allowed a pressure and a sack, giving another data point on whether he can be trusted to protect his quarterback or not.

Bucs QB Jalon Daniels and RB Sean Tucker – IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

With a non-guaranteed salary of over $3 million this year, he may be the odd man out when cuts are finalized in less than 48 hours.

Bucs Offensive Line

Paul Rubelt, getting his second start of the preseason, had a tougher time in this game. He gave up a couple of pressures and was flagged for a false start, struggling to handle Wesley Williams and Bryan Thomas Jr.

Fellow tackle Elijah Klein, who normally plays inside at guard or center started the game strong. He was getting out of his stance into his pass sets quickly and playing with an edge in the run game. But late in the second quarter, Klein allowed Thomas to dip around him after a quick get-off to find quarterback Jalon Daniels for a sack that pushed the Bucs out of field goal range to end the half.

Then, in the third quarter, deja vu struck as Klein once again failed to keep up with Thomas’ speed off the line and lost around the arc for another sack that put the Bucs deep in their own territory facing a 3rd & 18.

Additionally, throughout the night, both tackles’ pass sets failed to get enough depth in relation to Daniels’ drop in the pocket. Either Daniels was dropping too far or Klein and Rubelt had trouble getting to their landmarks.

The interior held up scant better. Luke Haggard gave up some pressure on the interior. Center Ben Scott was a part of the botched snap turnover that Jalon Daniels was unable to handle. They failed to open any holes after Sean Tucker’s first carry of the game. Running backs generated just 39 yards on 14 carries from that point on. The Jaguars front seven had their way with the offensive line for much of the game.

Bucs Punt Coverage

Multiple special teams coordinators have rotated into Tampa Bay under Todd Bowles. And it looks like the third time may not be the charm. Danny Smith’s unit allowed the following returns and net on the night:

• 15 yards (net 35)
• 11 yards (net 40)
• 3 yards (net 50)
• 6 yards (net 35 – illegal blindside block by Pepe Williams)
• 12 yards (net 31)
• 29 yards (net 20)
• 15 yards (net 36)

All of those were separate from allowing a 63-yard return for a touchdown to Wortham on a play where the entire unit got out-leveraged to their right and Wortham went untouched on the long play.

Punter Riley Dixon had a couple of early punts downed inside the 20-yard line, but on nearly every punt the Jaguars were able to commit to a return, they picked up double-digit yards. Missed tackles, poor angles and even poorer effort plagued a squad that has underperformed for years on end at this point. It was an embarrassing effort all around.

Dixon averaged 48.8 yards per punt on 10(!) boots. His net average was 32.0.

What’s most concerning is that the punt unit has tanked the Bucs for losses in recent years, and so far, that trend does not appear to be letting up based on these preseason performance.