Gameday Men'S Health

SR’s FAB 5 column on the Bucs is presented by Gameday Men’s Health

Men – do you feel tired? Are you gaining weight despite working out… struggling with sleep, focus, or sexual performance? Did you know that 1 in 4 men over the age of 30 have low testosterone? And many men don’t even realize it – and I didn’t either, which is why I am on testosterone replacement therapy at age 54 and feel like I’m 10 years younger.

At Gameday Men’s Health, low testosterone is quickly diagnosed and treated. Gameday offers a FREE testosterone test and consultation – with results in minutes. Gameday specializes in testosterone replacement therapy, along with weight loss, ED treatments, and peptides — all designed to help optimize your health and performance.

With 6 Tampa Bay area locations in Westshore, South Tampa (the clinic I go to), Brandon, Palm Harbor, Largo, and Sarasota … getting started is EASY. Visit GamedayMensHealth.com today to schedule your FREE consultation. Feel better and get back in the game with Gameday Men’s Health!

IMPORTANT INTRO: Okay, “lies” is probably too harsh of a term when it comes to Pewter Report’s training camp coverage of the Buccaneers. Perhaps a phrase like “optimistic omissions” is more accurate because we at Pewter Report certainly didn’t lie to our readers, viewers and listeners or mislead anyone on purpose.

I’ve been racking my brain over the past six weeks as this Tampa Bay team enters its Week 6 game versus the the 3-2 Steelers with a 1-4 record that nobody saw coming. How did this happen? What did I miss leading up to the season?

I’m baffled over the Bucs’ terrible record, the Pewter Report staff is (we all predicted a 10-win season outside of Josh Queipo, who predicted 11 wins), and certainly the team itself is, as the players, coaches and front office personnel I consult with all expected another strong start from Todd Bowles’ squad – and a better finish to the 2026 season due to an increase in talent in the starting lineup and deeper, more talented depth.

I don’t want to necessarily speak for anyone else at Pewter Report – although we all share the same befuddled opinion over this team’s horrible, 0-4 start before its first win of the year in Dallas – so I’m going to speak for myself for the rest of this column, using “I” instead of “we.”

So let me dive into some things I saw and unfortunately glossed over in training camp, and reveal some fool’s gold that Pewter Report accidentally discovered and reported by mistake. It’s not just me or Pewter Report, but other media outlets fell victim to the reporting issues I’m going to reveal this week as well. I don’t think Pewter Report’s coverage strayed too far from other local media outlets’ reporting this summer during Bucs training camp. I think this team fooled us all to some degree about how good – or bad – it would end up being in 2026.

Bucs Qb Baker Mayfield And Hc Todd Bowles

Bucs QB Baker Mayfield and HC Todd Bowles – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

It just goes to show you that even during my 31st year of covering this team, a veteran Bucs beat writer like myself is not immune from making mistakes in my reporting. This 1-4 start will force me to be even more critical – not necessarily negative – in my reporting, examining every facet and situation to look for both the good and the bad, and to perhaps be more realistic than optimistic.

With the Bucs finished 8-9 last year and losing a slew of one-score games due to a multitude of injuries, winning that Thursday Night Football game against the Falcons and either flipping the outcome of the home loss to a three-win Saints team or actually beating a bad Dolphins team in Miami would have gotten Tampa Bay to 10 wins again in 2025 – despite being so banged up.

So it was natural for me to assume that a healthier, more talented Bucs team could bounce back and reach 10 wins in 2026. Despite that seeming to be reasonable and logical, I was wrong. Now I need to find out why.

FAB 1. The Lies I Told About Todd Bowles And The Bucs Defense

Prior to the 2026 season, Todd Bowles had gotten off to a 2-0 start in each of his first four seasons as Tampa Bay’s head coach. This includes a 3-0 record in season openers on the road. With the 2026 season opener taking place at Cincinnati against a 6-11 Bengals team with a supposedly shaky offensive line and a rebuilt defense, followed by a home opener against the lowly Browns who had just gotten shellacked in Jacksonville in Week 1, I assumed that talent alone would propel this Bucs team to a 2-0 or 1-1 start.

You know what they say about the word “assume” – it makes an ass out of “u” and “me.”

So why did the Bucs start off so poorly at 0-2? What did I miss in training camp and the preseason about Bowles?

While I was absolutely correct that A’Shawn Robinson’s attitude, effort and ability would make a big difference in bolstering the team’s run defense, I apparently brushed off the fact that Bowles would have five new starters on defense at the start of the season and the problems that could cause. Robinson, rookie middle linebacker Josiah Trotter, rookie outside linebacker Rueben Bain Jr., rookie nickelback Keionte Scott and new green dot-wearing linebacker Alex Anzalone.

Bucs Ilb Alex Anzalone And Bengals Te Mike Gesicki

Bucs ILB Alex Anzalone and Bengals TE Mike Gesicki – Photo by: IMAGN Images via Reuters Connect

Not to mention two new subs at outside linebacker in Al-Quadin Muhammad and David Walker and Jacob Parrish moving to outside cornerback full time, which was a new assignment.

You and I saw plenty of alignment issues on defense rear their ugly heads, giving up big plays in the passing game during Tampa Bay’s first two games, especially. And we saw plenty of missed tackles early, didn’t we?

I should have sounded the alarm bell that Bowles’ decision to only play his starters for just six plays – two three-and-outs vs. Kansas City – was absolute coaching negligence. In hindsight, with literally half of the defense brand new in Bowles’ complex scheme – and it is complicated, despite what Bowles says – there was bound to be communication issues and problems with getting the defense set and adjusted properly pre-snap. That certainly showed up and plagued the team during the winless start, although it’s gotten better lately.

Even though Anzalone is a veteran, he was no different than Trotter, the rookie, in terms of learning Bowles’ defense for the first time. For the first time since Bowles arrived in 2019, Lavonte David was no longer on the field making sure the alignment was set prior to the snap.

Bowles should have played his starters at least a full half of the Chiefs game for reps at full speed for live game reps because no game or controlled joint practice can fully simulate what transpires during a real game – preseason or regular season. Bowles was too scared to play his starters during the preseason, fearing injuries during meaningless exhibition games.

Bucs Hc Todd Bowles

Bucs HC Todd Bowles – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

I tend to share the belief of former Bucs coach Jon Gruden, who always preaches, “You have to live in your hopes and not your fears.”

The problem with Bowles’ line of feckless thinking is that it totally negates the actual purpose of preseason games, which is to prepare your team mentally and physically for Week 1. There used to be a day when the NFL had four preseason games where the starters would play a series or two in the first game, then a full quarter in the second game, followed by a full half in the third game and then sit out the fourth one.

Now preseason games are almost solely used to find out who will be the fifth cornerback or the special teams gunner. I would love to see Tampa Bay’s next head coach not be afraid to play his starters more in the preseason – especially with new systems coming on offense and defense – to better prepare the team for Week 1 in 2027.

Bain certainly wasn’t prepared to play in Cincinnati after just six preseason snaps. Bowles did him a huge disservice. And it didn’t make sense that just because Bain was a starter, and the team’s first-round pick, that he didn’t need to play more in the preseason.

Trotter played 15 snaps against the Jets and six against the Chiefs. Scott, a fourth-round pick, was projected to be the starting nickelback this year played a whopping 78 snaps on defense alone over all three preseason games. Scott told me all those preseason reps made a world of difference for him and that he couldn’t imagine just playing six snaps in the preseason and actually being ready to play at Cincinnati in Week 1.

The lie was that Bowles’ defense was ready to play after two three-and-outs against a Chiefs offense that played without Patrick Mahomes had some backups in the lineup. It was not.

As well as Tampa Bay’s defense is playing now, it started off the season slow with too many missed tackles, too many misalignments and too many coverage busts, and that certainly played a role in the team’s costly 0-2 start. Weeks 1 and 2 of the regular season looked more like preseason games 4 and 5, didn’t they?

FAB 2. The Lies I Told About Zac Robinson And The Bucs Offense

My line of thinking regarding the Bucs’ hiring of offensive coordinator Zac Robinson was absolutely in line with those who made the decision to hire him to replace rookie play-caller Josh Grizzard.

“Robinson will have a better quarterback in Tampa Bay’s Baker Mayfield than he did in Atlanta where he had to toggle between aging veteran Kirk Cousins and rookie Michael Penix Jr.”

“Robinson will have a better offensive line from tackle to tackle in Tampa Bay than he had in Atlanta.”

“Even though Mike Evans is gone and there may not be a Drake London-caliber receiver on the roster, the Bucs receiving corps as a whole is better than what Robinson had to work with in Atlanta in terms of talented depth.”

“Robinson knows the defenses within division after coaching the Falcons offense in the NFC South for the past two seasons.”

Bucs Oc Zac Robinson And Hc Todd Bowles

Bucs OC Zac Robinson and HC Todd Bowles – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

“Robinson has two years worth of play-calling experience, which should help Todd Bowles, who doesn’t have to break in a rookie play-caller.”

“Robinson coached alongside Liam Coen in Los Angeles and comes from the Sean McVay coaching tree, and could install an offense that is more akin to what Coen had in Tampa Bay in 2024.”

“Robinson had some familiarity with Mayfield, as he was quarterbacks coach with the Rams during the QB’s final five weeks that he was in Los Angeles during the 2022 season.”

All of that sounded good, making Robinson seem like a logical fit in Tampa Bay. If all of those things were true, then the offense should be better than it was last year – and perhaps even getting back to the level of performance achieved under Coen during the 2024 season.

Yet play-calling is an art form. Some, like Coen, McVay, 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan and Chiefs head coach Andy Reid, are gifted play-callers.

They have schemes that set plays up with proper sequencing and put the best players in position to make plays. They attack and confuse defenses. They lean into team strengths and don’t stray away from what’s working.

Through five games, Robinson is not a gifted play-caller. Those Falcons fans who were happy to see him go – and tried to warn Bucs fans – were right. It’s like Robinson calls random plays at times without rhyme or reason. It’s not like the play-calling is necessarily predictable like I know what a certain play is coming, it’s just that some of his play calls just don’t make sense.

Bucs Oc Zac Robinson And Qb Baker Mayfield

Bucs OC Zac Robinson and QB Baker Mayfield – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

I – and the Pewter Report staff – did see an enormous amount of screen passes to wide receivers and tight ends and swing passes to running backs in the flat during training camp. And for the most part, none of them really worked well. If the objective of those screen passes and swing was to get 2-5 yards, then okay. I could see how Robinson wanted to use those plays as an extension of the running game and attack teams horizontally.

The problem is the reliance on the running back, receiver or tight end making a guy miss – in addition to the blocker in front actually making that block. We saw too many screen passes get stuffed for no gain or even negative yardage in training camp. So much so that I assumed Robinson saw this and said, “Okay, well, this isn’t working so I’m going to scrap it.”

Nope.

Instead Robinson chose to believe that with even more reps the Bucs would get better at screens – better at blocking on the perimeter and better at making a defender miss at or behind the line of scrimmage. You and I have seen too many screens and designed swing passes to backs in the flat lose too many yards and just turn into wasted plays.

That’s bad coaching and bad play-calling.

Bucs Qb Baker Mayfield And Wr Ted Hurst Iii

Bucs QB Baker Mayfield and WR Ted Hurst III – Photo by: Kat Beutel/PR

We at Pewter Report did see some vertical downfield shots in camp, but not enough in hindsight. We reported on Ted Hurst III making some acrobatic, highlight catches downfield, as well as the occasion big catch by Tez Johnson or Emeka Egbuka (I also should have reported that Egbuka did not have nearly as good of a training camp this year than he had as a rookie), but they were too few and far between. Those deep shots were not repped enough and perfected enough in practice in camp to be effective in the regular season.

So when Mayfield missed four deep passes against the Browns in Week 2, including what should have been a Hurst touchdown on the opening drive, it came as no surprise. Robinson had Mayfield throwing way too many screen passes and not enough vertical routes in camp.

That’s why it seems like every yard is hard in Robinson’s offense and nothing is easy about this offense. Every yard is a fight and third-and-3 situations feel like third-and-13s.

And that’s why you and I say to ourselves, “Did Todd Bowles actually make a mistake firing Grizzard?” as we watch this offense struggle to score 20, 19, 16, 14 and 24 points through the first five games, averaging a measly 18.6 points per game.

After showing a Midas touch in hiring Dave Canales and Coen, Bowles’ offensive coordinator hirings of gone in the wrong direction with Grizzard and Robinson.

FAB 3. The Lies I Told About The Trench Play In Tampa Bay

Why is the offensive line playing so poorly?

Why can’t the Bucs effectively rush the passer along the defensive line?

Those are two burning questions that have been a topic of conversation during Tampa Bay’s woeful 1-4 start.

Let me reflect on what I saw – and overlooked – during training camp for those possible answers.

We at Pewter Report touched on some of the topics I’m going to address here, but there were mostly just mentions during training camp reports and should have been addressed more thoroughly in my reporting and our reporting.

Right guard Cody Mauch spent too much time on the ground during camp. Whether he was getting bull-rushed and tossed aside, or lunging and flailing due to poor technique, I didn’t report enough that Mauch was struggling in his comeback from last year’s torn meniscus that caused him to miss the last 15 games of the season.

I assumed that it would just take Mauch some time to shake off his rest and adjust to playing 20 pounds heavier this year with his added size in the weight room. In hindsight, Todd Bowles should have played Mauch far more in the preseason than the eight snaps he played in Kansas City to help him get into rhythm and readjust to the full speed of the game. Mauch has admittedly struggled with picking up stunts and twists and using poor technique that has led to three holding calls and a false start this year.

Bucs Rg Cody Mauch

Bucs RG Cody Mauch – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

In fact, the entire offensive line, which was finally back together – minus Tristan Wirfs at the start of camp – should have gotten more than eight snaps together in the preseason, especially learning a new offense under new play-caller Zac Robinson. Right guard Ben Bredeson and center Graham Barton have each made some glaring mistakes early in the season and have not been sharp out of the gate.

Wirfs missed almost all of training camp with a hamstring injury. As expected, he looked rusty for sure in Week 1 as a result of not playing any preseason snaps and only participating in a handful of snaps in joint practices with the Jaguars. Wirfs also didn’t get any reps – that I saw – against David Walker, who was easily the team’s best pass rusher in training camp.

As a result of coaching negligence on Bowles’ part, Walker spent far too much time on the third-string and second-string, as veterans Al-Quadin Muhammad and Anthony Nelson remained ahead of him on the depth chart for some reason. He should have been getting as many reps as either Rueben Bain Jr. or Yaya Diaby, who didn’t have a great training camp at all – even against the likes of Ben Chukwuma or Justin Skule.

Many, including myself, assumed that Diaby would have a really good season with the incentive of playing in a contract year. That certainly hasn’t happened, as he doesn’t like one bit better as a pass rusher this year than he has in previous seasons. It looks like Diaby has hit a ceiling, doesn’t it?

Bucs Olb Yaya Diaby - Photo By: Imagn Images Via Reuters Connect

Bucs OLB Yaya Diaby – Photo by: IMAGN Images via Reuters Connect

Diaby, who has yet to record a sack in five games, had a couple of good rushes against Kansas City in the preseason, as did Bain, but it wasn’t like Bain was destroying Goedeke in camp on a regular basis, either. He had some good reps against the Jets and Jaguars in joint practices, but as I said before, Bain needed to play more in the preseason and was ill-prepared for Week 1 as a result.

As for Muhammad, he got a lot of his 11 sacks last year from hustle and being the beneficiary of playing opposite Pro Bowl defensive. Muhammad rarely flashed in camp and that wasn’t reported enough. Sure he was an upgrade over Chris Braswell, but that isn’t saying much, is it?

Calijah Kancey didn’t have a great camp, either, and that was underreported. He’s either being used differently where he’s being asked to occupy a blocker, which is wasting his talent as a penetrator, or Kancey simply can’t beat blocks anymore for some reason. I tend to think it’s the former.

But where is the guy that had 7.5 sacks and 11 tackles for loss in just 12 games in 2024? Kancey has five tackles, no tackles for loss and zero sacks in the first five games of the 2026 season. Let’s hope that the next defensive coordinator can tap into Kancey’s speed and athleticism to shoot gaps and use him more as a backfield penetrator.

Bucs Dts Vita Vea And Calijah Kancey

Bucs DTs Vita Vea and Calijah Kancey – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

I knew that Vita Vea would not hit the ground running in the first couple of weeks in the season after sitting out almost all of camp and lobbying for a contract extension that the team foolishly gave him, locking him in for the 2027 season with a fully guaranteed contract. The Bucs had all the leverage and should have forced Vea to play out his contract year.

The lie from training camp was that the pass rush was going to get better, but my eyes told me that Walker was really the only one applying consistent pressure – albeit against backup tackles. And the offensive line struggled, and I assumed it was just because the talent along the revamped defensive line was better. It was more than that.

New defensive line coach Marcus West and outside linebackers Larry Foote bring a lot of energy to practice, which I love, but are failing as technical coaches. Meaning the techniques they are coaching are not showing up with tangible results on Sundays. So either the defensive linemen and edge rushers are not being taught the correct techniques or the assistant coaches are not holding the players accountable for not using them and producing meaningful stats.

I was excited to see West bring some energy to practice after two very low-key coaches before him in Charlie Strong and Kacy Rodgers, but I haven’t seen much improvement along the defensive line in terms of defeating blocks, rushing the passer and effectively sacking the quarterback. Robinson has the lone sack among defensive tackles through five games, and six sacks for this defense through five games is flat out embarrassing.

And how neither West nor Foote have their players deploy the club-rip technique, which is physical and effective, in games on a regular basis is beyond me.

FAB 4. The Lies I Told About Baker Mayfield In Training Camp

Believe it or not, I do have some sway with this organization. All of the movers and shakers within this organization read our reporting here at Pewter Report.

With the exception of my training camp reporting, which I am self-annihilating in this SR’s FAB 5 column, I believe I have a pretty good grasp of the pulse of this team. And there are members of the organization that pay attention to my opinions and reporting, based on the feedback I get and the actions that actually take place (I’ll leave it at that without getting into specifics).

In hindsight, I should have implored the powers that be to not pursue a contract extension with Baker Mayfield prior to the start of the season. Mayfield didn’t get a contract extension over the summer and voiced his displeasure about it twice – once during his youth camp back in July and then during the first week of training camp. While Mayfield’s words about the organization were harsh, he said he was going to suit up and play this year and have a great season.

The large chip on Mayfield’s shoulder was going to be there all season. No hold out, as he was determined to play.

Bucs Qb Baker Mayfield And Gm Jason Licht

Bucs QB Baker Mayfield and GM Jason Licht – Photo by: Matt Matera/PR

The Bucs should have let Mayfield play out his contract year, just like they made Antoine Winfield Jr. do, and Chris Godwin Jr and Mike Evans do twice. All three of those players are Super Bowl champs and have been to a Pro Bowl, by the way.

And I should have made my opinion known to the powers that be that the team was doing the right thing by letting “pissed off Baker” play out his contract year. Instead, I assumed that’s what the team was doing, so I didn’t write a column about it or send some supporting texts about it. Then all of a sudden, the team reached out and gave Mayfield his new deal with enough guaranteed money to lock him in as the team’s starter through 2028 at least.

Now, I like Mayfield a lot. I love his energy, the passion he plays with, his leadership and his playmaking ability. I was genuinely happy for him that he got that deal.

I just wish that he had gotten it in the 2027 offseason after an incredible year in 2026.

The Bucs had all the leverage in this situation. Mayfield was going to play regardless of not getting an extension. He ultimately wants to stay in red and pewter. Tampa Bay could use the franchise tag on him as a last resort next March.

The problem is that Mayfield was coming off his worst season in three years in Tampa Bay. He was banged up last year, and despite how everyone assumed he was going to enjoy another 2024-like season under Zac Robinson, that remained to be seen. As it turns out, Robinson’s offense is a far cry from Coen’s prolific scheme.

Bucs Oc Zac Robinson

Bucs OC Zac Robinson – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

And whether Mayfield is simply not a good fit for Robinson’s scheme, or that 2024 season winds up being the outlier in his career, the Bucs should have waited to see how Mayfield performs in 2026 before locking him up. There was no benefit to doing that deal early unless Mayfield blew up and had a Pro Bowl season and wound up demanding close to $60 million per year.

Oh what a great problem to have in 2027, because if that happens that means Tampa Bay rebounded and won the division and returned to the playoffs.

Mayfield was given a contract that will pay him $55 million per year, which is fine if his play rivals that of his 2024 season where he threw for 4,500 yards and 41 touchdowns while completing 71.4% of his passes, which was a franchise record. But the problem is that in Mayfield’s previous eight seasons in the NFL he’s only thrown 30 or more touchdown passes just once, which was in 2024.

Is Coen the only offensive coordinator that can unlock a 30-plus touchdown season from Mayfield? So far that’s been the case.

The lie I told about Mayfield was a lie of omission. He didn’t have a bad training camp, but he didn’t have a great one either. There were one or two practices where he was on fire and lit it up, but those were few and far between.

Now I didn’t expect Mayfield to fumble the ball three times in Cincinnati. No one did. But his play in his first three games this year – three touchdowns (one rushing), two interceptions, three fumbles and completing just 63.5% of his passes – too closely resembles Mayfield’s play from last year during the team’s 2-7 slide at the end of the season.

Bucs Qb Baker Mayfield

Bucs QB Baker Mayfield – Photo by: IMAGN Images via Reuters Connect

I’ve heard that the negative reporting from the national media and the talking heads on ESPN really got to ownership and the front office and affected the decision to extend Mayfield before his contract year began.

“Is this how Tampa Bay treats its franchise quarterback?”

“Why are the Bucs being cheap with their team leaders in Baker Mayfield and Vita Vea?”

“Not a good look in Tampa Bay.”

“No wonder Mike Evans left.”

I didn’t think the Bucs would succumb to that type of peer pressure, so I didn’t send those texts and I didn’t write the opinion column saying that Tampa Bay was doing the right thing in making Mayfield play out his contract.

Now there is no escape route the Bucs can take in 2027 in case Mayfield’s play doesn’t get any better when he returns to the lineup.

Now Jalon Daniels cannot become a true option as a starter – even if he plays well versus the Steelers and gets a win – because the Bucs have their $165 million man. Now Tampa Bay can’t draft a quarterback in the first round even if the team winds up bottoming out and finishes with a top 5 pick in next year’s draft due to $70 million in guaranteed money that Mayfield is owed.

Let’s hope the time off allows Mayfield to play better when he returns to the lineup. I fear that the weight of his contract extension is weighing on Mayfield though, and he will force the ball too much and try to make plays that aren’t there as he tries to make up for lost time and live up to the pressure that the new money brings.

FAB 5. What I Got Right About Bucs Training Camp

Okay, I’m done with my mea culpa and strive to do a better job next year in training camp in highlighting some real concerns rather than glossy over them and being too optimistic that valid concerns wouldn’t lead to real problems, which is what has transpired during Tampa Bay’s 1-4 start.

Before you give up all hope in my coverage at Pewter Report, I and the PR staff, did get quite a few things right in our Bucs reporting this summer leading up to the start of the regular season. Here’s a quick list.

Jalon Daniels Is A Legit NFL QB

I chose wisely when it came to Pewter Report’s Camp Diary series, as Pewter Report was the first to highlight Daniels’ exploits in practice and introduce him to our fan base. After the first preseason game we were out in front in suggesting that Daniels would earn a roster spot – not a practice squad spot. And after the second preseason game we accurately reported that Daniels could dethrone veteran Jake Browning for the No. 2 QB job. Pewter Report believed in Daniels from day one and we are not surprised with his successful rookie season, which includes engineering the team’s first win of the year at Dallas on TNF.

Bucs Qb Jalon Daniels

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

David Walker Is The Bucs’ Best Pass Rusher

Walker was Pewter Report’s other Camp Diary series participant, giving some perspective from the defensive side of the ball. We chronicled how he recorded at least one sack in every training camp practice – albeit against second- and third-string offensive tackles. Still, his natural pass rush ability has shown up in the regular season as he’s got the second most pressures on the team and is currently tops in sacks with two despite not being a starter. Walker needs more snaps. The only thing that is holding him back from greatness right now is Todd Bowles’ decision not to use him more.

Cornerbacks Jacob Parrish And Zyon McCollum Are The Real Deal

We chronicled Parrish’s exploits throughout camp, reporting that he was the best cornerback, echoing what we were hearing from team sources. Although he’s paid like CB1, McCollum wasn’t as good as Parrish in August, but he made some strides and took to the coaching of new cornerbacks coach Rashad Johnson, who might be the best assistant on the staff. McCollum was stickier in coverage during camp and led the Bucs with three interceptions. The stellar play of both Parrish and McCollum, who have combined for 13 pass breakups and an interception, has carried into the season, turning a possible weakness into a surprising strength.

Bucs Cb Jacob Parrish

Bucs CB Jacob Parrish – Photo by: IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Bucky Irving Is Back

Not only did Irving shake off shoulder injury in time to participate in mandatory mini-camp, he was able to stay healthy throughout training camp and seemed primed for a bounce-back season. We told Pewter Report fans that he added about 10 pounds to his frame, getting closer to 200 pounds and that he seemed to be more durable. Irving is averaging 5.3 yards per carry this year and is coming off a career-high 165-yard, two-touchdown performance in the win over Dallas. His 5.3-yard average is close to the 5.4-yard average he had during his breakout rookie season in 2024.

Ted Hurst III Is A Playmaker

Hurst rapidly developed as a rookie receiver and took advantage of injuries to others to get more reps. And when he did, he made the most of them with highlight reel catches down field and in the end zone. At 6-foot-4 with 4.44 speed, Hurst is the most physically gifted receiver on the roster, and he’s tied for the team lead with one touchdown, which came on a 40-yard catch-and-run versus Minnesota. He’s a big play waiting to happen and it’s criminal that Zac Robinson doesn’t feature him and script a few targets for Hurst in the first dozen plays. It’s coaching malpractice.

Bucs Wr Ted Hurst Iii

Bucs WR Ted Hurst III – Photo by: IMAGN Images via Reuters Connect

Ayden Garnes Is Making The Roster

Pewter Report was the first to point out Garnes during the OTAs where he was getting noticed for his sticky coverage and breaking up passes left and right. That continued into training camp and then he had a breakthrough moment with a pick-six against the Jets in the preseason opener. The Bucs cornerback position is talented and top heavy with Jacob Parrish, Zyon McCollum and Benjamin Morrison at the top of the depth chart. But Garnes, an undrafted free agent out of Arizona, was talented enough to make the 53-man roster, as we predicted.

The Pewter Pregame Show Kicks Off At 9:00am On Sunday

The Pewter Pregame podcast kicks off at 9:00 a.m. this Sunday just hours before the Bucs Week 6 game against the Steelers. The Pewter Pregame LIVE stream can be found on the PewterReportTV YouTube channel as well as Pewter Report’s social media channels on X and Facebook at 9:00 a.m. ET on game day.

Pewter Pregame is presented by Duke’s Garage Doors – Affordable repairs. Fast service. Quality installation. Call Duke’s Garage Doors – the official garage door company of Pewter Report – at 833-633-4057 or visit DGDoors.com

Scott Reynolds and Nick Geddes preview the game, reveal their Bucs players to watch, provide the latest injury updates and answer questions from Bucs fans live during this one-hour show. Can’t make the LIVE Pewter Pregame show? You can always watch the archived show any time before kickoff on PewterReportTV.

Watch Pewter GameDay: Bucs vs. Packers LIVE In-Game Analysis

Pewter Report’s popular in-game LIVE Pewter GameDay show kicks off on the PewterReportTV YouTube channel on Sunday at 1:00 p.m. ET as the Bucs face the Steelers in a must-win Week 6 clash in Tampa Bay. Pewter Report’s Matt Matera and Josh Queipo to analyze all of the action in real time during Tampa Bay’s three-hour game.

The Pewter GameDay show will not show the Bucs game, so Tampa Bay fans are encouraged to watch the game live on the broadcast network and also tune in to the Pewter Report staff on Pewter GameDay via PewterReportTV on YouTube for added context and insight to enhance your viewing pleasure.

The PR staff will also answer your questions throughout the game. The Pewter GameDay LIVE stream can also be found on Pewter Report’s X and Facebook channels. Click the link below at 1:00 p.m. ET on Sunday to watch Pewter GameDay on our PewterReportTV YouTube channel.

D5B4Aae25Fb907D0D8Ecc13F8A7C9B3B23Fd535D30499A0C174E6Ac738Cd503E?S=96&Amp;D=Mm&Amp;R=G

Scott Reynolds is in his 30th year of covering the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as the vice president, publisher and senior Bucs beat writer for PewterReport.com. Author of the popular SR's Fab 5 column on Fridays, Reynolds oversees web development and forges marketing partnerships for PewterReport.com in addition to his editorial duties. A graduate of Kansas State University in 1995, Reynolds spent six years giving back to the community as the defensive coordinator/defensive line coach for his sons' Pop Warner team, the South Pasco Predators. Reynolds can be reached at: [email protected]

Bucs Rb Bucky IrvingBucs vs. Steelers: What To Watch For In Week 6
Post
Subscribe
Notify of
2 Comments
Oldest
Newest Most Voted