The Bucs finished up their 2025 preseason by falling to the Buffalo Bills at home by a score of 23-19. There was some sloppy play by several players on the roster, but it was mostly backups with a couple of guys fighting for a last roster spot. Here are the most disappointing players and moments from the game.

S Shilo Sanders

It had already been a rough go of it for Sanders early, as he was penalized for a pass interference penalty in the first quarter, missed some tackles and was beaten in coverage. But then his night got worse.

Bucs S Shilo Sanders and Bills WR KJ Hamler – Photo by: USA Today

With 6:49 to go in the second quarter, Sanders was ejected from the game for throwing a punch at Bills tight end Zach Davidson that also brought along an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty and put Buffalo down to the 11-yard line. Not only was Sanders out for the rest of the game, but the it gave the Bucs one fewer player in the safety room at a position they were already thin at.

Sanders was in competition with Kaevon Merriweather and Rashad Wisdom for the final safety position on the 53-man roster. His ejection left those two and newly signed Will Brooks in for the rest of the game. Getting disqualified hurt his chances of even being on the practice squad at this point.

Bucs Missed Tackles

A very rainy day led to a slick field at Raymond James Stadium throughout out the game even after the rain had stopped. Players on the Bucs were slipping and sliding early on, which led to some lengthy gains. Inside linebacker Nick Jackson and outside linebacker Markees Watts each missed running back Frank Gore Jr. on a screen during Buffalo’s first offensive possession, which led to a 21-yard catch and run.

Bucs OLB Markees Watts – Photo by: USA Today

Then, a missed tackle by Kindle Vildor and Shilo Sanders gave Jackson Hawes a 12-yard gain and Buffalo was inside the 5, scoring soon after. There were several occasions when the Bucs could have saved a couple of yards on tackles, but the Bills were able to gain some extra ground.

Missed tackles on a scrambling Shane Buechele got Buffalo into field goal range right before the end of the half, too, which gave the Bills three more points. It would’ve been prevented had a tackle been made. This continued into the second half as a screen pass to Zach Davidson that went 20 yards was assisted by Tampa Bay’s inability to tackle.

Kameron Johnson At WR

It’s been a tough training camp for Kameron Johnson, as he missed a majority of the summer and ended up behind the eight ball with other receivers’ performances. There was still a lot of open competition heading into this final preseason game, which would be Johnson’s 2025 debut. While other receivers like Ryan Miller and Tez Johnson made plays throughout, Kameron Johnson could not hold onto the ball in some pivotal moments.

Bucs WR Kameron Johnson – Photo by: Cliff Welch P/R

He had a bad drop on a slant in the second quarter that would’ve given the Bucs a first down. He second drop was even worse later on in the same drive. Tampa Bay had a third and 11 at the 17 when Kyle Trask hit an open Johnson at the 2-yard line right in front of the end zone.

Johnson had the ball for a second, but couldn’t keep it much longer as he dropped it when a defender came in to make a hit. There was enough time for him to secure the catch before the defender was there, but the Bucs had to settle for a field goal because of it. Late in the game, Johnson couldn’t hold onto another ball in the corner of the end zone, though he stretched out as much as he could.

To his credit, Johnson did excel in the return game as a punt and kick returner. His punt return went for 22 yards and his kick return of 57 yards in the third quarter helped give the Bucs a field goal. We’ll see if his spark on special teams is enough to outweigh an underwhelming receiving performance.

Bucs Pass Coverage And Coverage Penalties 

Twice on the opening drive, the Bucs thought they were able to get off the field on third down, only to see a flag on the field to prolong Buffalo’s drive. Kindle Vildor was called for a hold on K.J. Hamler when he ran a go route down the field on a third and 11.

Then, Shilo Sanders was then flagged not long after on a pass interference penalty during a second and 8 while covering Zach Davidson. Getting even worse was a situation in the second quarter when the Bucs potentially forced a fumble on Bills quarterback Shane Buechele that was recovered by Markees Watts. It didn’t matter, though, as Bryce Hall was penalized for a hold, giving the Bills a first down. Yet another example of those miscues coming back to hurt them.

Bucs Punt Coverage Inside The 20

Punter Riley Dixon didn’t have too many opportunities to punt the ball on Saturday, finishing with just two attempts. That’s typically a good thing when you don’t see the punter much. But when Dixon and the punt team were tasked to help the Bucs with field position, they didn’t get the job done.

Dixon’s first punt on the first drive of the game was one yard over midfield at Buffalo’s 49. The ball landed in the end zone for a touchback, not even giving Tampa Bay’s gunners a chance to down the ball inside the five yard line. The second punt was not Dixon’s fault when he punted it even closer from the Bills’ 39.

Dixon did a good job of keeping the ball about two yards away from the goal line, but Jacob Harris could not catch the ball cleanly. It then still landed a yard away from the end zone, but when Garrett Greene pounced on the ball, his momentum took him just enough into the end zone for a touchback on the play.

It should be a good season for Dixon and this isn’t much to worry about. During this game, though, the whole unit could have done a better job of executing their goals.

WR Trey Palmer

Much like Kameron Johnson, this was the preseason debut of Trey Palmer, who also isn’t a guarantee to be on this roster despite him being on the team longer than many of the receivers he’s competing against.

Bucs WR Trey Palmer – Photo by: USA Today

While Palmer had a nice third down catch, he later dropped a pass in the third quarter that would’ve been a first down. Those mistakes can’t happen when he’s trying to earn a spot while his competition, Tez Johnson and Ryan Miller, simultaneously were producing often.

TE Devin Culp

Culp was trying to break out of a quiet game, but it did not go in his favor.  Trying to head up field, he fumbled the ball with five seconds to go in the third quarter. The Bucs were having their best drive in the second half with Conner Bazelak at quarterback as the team was over midfield, getting to Buffalo’s 40-yard line down 10 in the game. It ended the momentum abruptly. Culp had three catches for 33 yards on the evening.