The Bucs were in Indianapolis Saturday night to close out their 2022 preseason slate, and they did so with a 27-10 loss to the Colts. With the defeat, the team finished 0-3 in exhibition play.

For the first time this preseason, a big group of Tampa Bay’s starters got some work in during game action. That included Tom Brady, who opened the game under center. Leonard Fournette picked up where he left off last week and took his first carry for 13 yards to get the Bucs off and running. Mike Evans drew a defensive pass interference call a few plays later before Tyler Johnson then made up for an earlier drop by catching a 10-yard pass from Brady to convert a 4th & 3 near midfield.

Brady followed that conversion with a 20-yard pass to Julio Jones, which led to an eventual 30-yard field goal by Ryan Succop. Brady finished his one and only possession 6-of-8 for 44 yards, leading a field goal drive that lasted 11 plays, 66 yards and nearly four and a half minutes.

Tampa Bay’s starting defense did well to keep the momentum going, with Lavonte David coming up with a sack of Matt Ryan on the Colts’ first drive. The teams traded punts from there until Indianapolis took advantage of the field position game, pinning the Bucs deep in their own territory and forcing them to later punt from their own end zone. Taking over in plus territory, Indianapolis needed just three plays to get down to the goal line. Deon Jackson found the end zone two plays later to give the home team a 7-3 lead late in the first quarter.

Bucs RB Ke’Shawn Vaughn – Photo by: USA Today

The Bucs responded to the Colts’ quick touchdown drive with a scoring drive of their own. The big play came on a 30-yard pass over the middle from Blaine Gabbert to rookie tight end Cade Otton. Some solid running by Rachaad White and Ke’Shawn Vaughn — with some impressive lead blocks by Ko Kieft — moved Tampa Bay down the field.

On a Vaughn run that got the Bucs inside the 5-yard line, center Robert Hainsey went down with an apparent ankle injury. The team might have avoided something serious, though, as he seemed fine for the rest of the night on the sideline. A couple of plays after the injury, Vaughn reached the end zone to put the Bucs back in front, 10-7.

After that Vaughn touchdown run, it was all Colts. They regained the lead before halftime with a two-yard touchdown run by Phillip Lindsay, then dominated the second half.

Coming out of halftime, Dallis Flowers returned the kickoff to midfield, then third-string quarterback Sam Ehlinger scampered for a 45-yard touchdown run on the second play of the drive to extend the Indianapolis lead to 21-10. Rodrigo Blankenship later connected on two field goals to extend the home team’s run to 20-0.

Bucs WR Scotty Miller – Photo by: USA Today

Gabbert left the game after going 5-of-7 for 46 yards, giving way to Kyle Trask just before halftime. Trask’s second half wasn’t anything special, but he managed to play a clean game for the first time this preseason. He made some strong throws to Johnson — a 21-yarder on 3rd & 14 — and JJ Howland — a 46-yarder on the run — to highlight his performance. However, the Bucs couldn’t sustain anything offensively in the second half despite Trask finishing 7-of-10 for 94 yards.

Vaughn was once again a bright spot, running for 36 yards and a touchdown on nine carries. Johnson continued his impressive preseason by catching three of his four targets for 36 yards, while Otton (two catches, 37 yards) and Howland (one catch, 46 yards) chipped in as well. David, Chris Cooper and Andre Anthony tallied a sack each to lead the defensive effort.

The Bucs now return home to begin preparations for their regular season opener. They’re set to face the Dallas Cowboys on Sept. 11, headlining the first NFL Sunday with a matchup on Sunday Night Football.