The Pewter, The Problematic, and The Painful: Grading the Bucs' Preseason Week 2 vs. the Chiefs

ehinote · 2026-08-24T16:58:02Z

The Buccaneers are 2-0 in the preseason. The scoreboard says 16-15 and that's a great thing. But as always, Bucs fans deserve the honest breakdown, not just the celebration. Here's the full picture from Saturday night at Raymond James Stadium. THE PEWTER (The Good)Jalon Daniels, QBWe have officially moved past the point of calling this a pleasant surprise. Jalon Daniels is looking like a legitimate NFL quarterback. In two preseason games, the undrafted kid from Kansas has engineered five scoring drives, both coming entirely in the second half of games the Bucs were losing at halftime. He went 9 for 14 for 71 passing yards including a two-yard touchdown pass across his body to Ko Kieft, rushed for 23 yards, and his play on the move really stood out during a night when Jake Browning was pressured on 58% of his dropbacks and sacked three times. The contrast between what Daniels provides and what the backup line gave Browning all night was staggering. More on that in a moment.The Outside Linebacker GroupLet's give this position group its proper flowers because what the Bucs' outside linebackers showed Saturday night against the Kansas City Chiefs was genuinely special. Anthony Nelson was an absolute force, totaling 1.5 sacks including a strip sack on Justin Fields in the first quarter that completely changed the complexion of the opening quarter. He then combined with Mohamed Kamara for a massive 20-yard sack on a third-down attempt that pushed the Chiefs back and forced a field goal attempt. Kamara himself was consistently disruptive throughout the night, collapsing pockets and giving Chiefs quarterbacks no comfort zone from the edge. Rueben Bain, Jr. and Yaya Diaby continued their strong camps with consistent pressure of their own. All of the outside linebackers showed up, all contributed, and all made a compelling case that this position group has genuine NFL-caliber depth. The Cornerback Group: Steady, Physical, and Locked InThrough two preseason games, the Buccaneers' cornerbacks have been one of the most encouraging position groups on the entire roster. Zyon McCollum was physical and assignment-sound all night, doing his job quietly and consistently while the playmakers around him got the headlines. Roman Parodie delivered the game's defining play, reading the bobbled ball in the air perfectly for the fourth-quarter interception that set up the go-ahead touchdown and ultimately won the game. McCollum spoke to the media after the game and his confidence in this group's ability to execute scheme under pressure came through clearly. The corners are playing with purpose and discipline. That's exactly what Todd Bowles needs from this group heading into the regular season.Caden Fordham, LBUndrafted free agent linebacker, Caden Fordham, out of NC State has looked good no matter when he’s been inserted into game action. He doesn’t look out of place even playing late in the first quarter. He assignment-sound, physical, instinctive, and comfortable in space. Through two preseason games, Fordham has quietly made a compelling case that he is this team's fifth linebacker. While others around him at that depth have looked out of place at times, Fordham has looked like he belongs. Keep your eye on this one. The Buccaneers may have found a legitimate contributor hiding in plain sight.Dean Patterson and Kam Johnson, WRThe depth receiver competition is one of the best stories of this entire preseason. Patterson led all receivers with 6 catches for 56 yards including a gorgeous 24-yard toe-tap reception that reminded everyone watching why this kid has been turning heads all camp. Johnson matched that yardage total with his own standout performance. The final few roster spots at wide receiver are now a genuine competition, and both men made it significantly harder on the coaching staff to make those decisions. That's exactly what you want to see from your depth players in preseason football.THE PROBLEMATIC (The Bad)Jake Browning's NightLet's be clear about something important before we get into this: a significant portion of what happened to Jake Browning Saturday night was not on him. He completed 9 of 12 attempts for 84 yards and showed good decision-making throughout. But the circumstances around him were genuinely brutal. Browning was pressured on 58% of his dropbacks and was sacked three times. That is an indefensible rate for any quarterback to operate under, and the responsibility for that lands squarely on the offensive line, primarily the horrible tackle play. Browning did what he could. His line let him down repeatedly and badly.Zac Robinson's Play Calling With the StartersThis one needs to be said. When Baker Mayfield wasn't handing off to a running back, he was throwing screens. Two drives. Zero points. No downfield shots. Now, the coaching staff may have simply been protecting their starting quarterback in a preseason game, and that's a defensible choice. But if that's the plan, Zac Robinson needs to find a bett...

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Alldaway 2.0

(@alldaway)

Posts: 2718

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The plan was most likely to have Morrison come in at boundary with McCollum with Parrish kick inside on long passing downs but I guess that plan is up in smoke now.

Posted : Aug. 25, 2026 9:42 am

Donkey_Hunter

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Posts: 6886

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Good to see Morrison getting in some work on 11 on 11’s this morning.

Posted : Aug. 25, 2026 10:18 am

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The Pewter, The Problematic, and The Painful: Grading the Bucs' Preseason Week 2 vs. the Chiefs

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