The Titans came out with their first team (mostly) offense...and they played into the 2nd-quarter, but that’s not as much on-field/play time as you’d think because the Bucs were hogging the ball/time of possession -- the Titans first series was over in a blink and their second series began in the 2nd-quarter.
Eventually, as it moved to the backups, the Bucs depth/personnel is so superior to the Titans that the game just kinda melted away and Tampa scored 16 points in the 4th-quarter to put it away.
Player Notes...
-- The Cam Ward (5-8 for 67 yards, 0 TD/0 INT) debut...
I thought Ward looked very good. Totally calm and in control. Not jumpy or skittish in the least, and that is huge for any rookie QB debut. This went about as well as you could hope a brief rookie debut would look. A quick 3-and-out, then a long TD drive with several good throws by Ward.
I mean, these rookie QBs have no fear of this league/the pros. Any QB who looks scared in their rookie debut, from here on in -- I slash their grades/projections immediately.
Ward will have the normal rookie QB bumps and bruises when he faces better defenses and doesn’t have all day to throw (TB didn’t really rush him), but this first look was a solid ‘thumb’s up’.
I take back any speculation that Tyler Shough may be the more mature, ready to go QB...Ward is ready as anyone could be. Whether he gets the blocking needed is another issue.
-- Using this game as the measuring stick, it really does look like there is a heavy Cam Ward connection with Calvin Ridley (3-50-0/3). I have to apologize to Pat McAfee for getting hysterical about his segment about them, he may have been correct to do so.
In this game/brief appearance, Ward only had eyes for Calvin Ridley…and Ward has the arm and sensibility to work the ball downfield instead of checking everything down, so Ridley works for him. Plus, where else is Ward legitimately gonna throw to? Tyler Lockett looks 100 years old and Van Jefferson is a joke… That was your starting trio.
You’re about to see a rise in our projections on Calvin Ridley.
...one other quick TEN WR note: Chimere Dike (1-6-0/2) played 2-3 snaps with Ward before playing with the ‘B team’, so it was hard to tell much about him from this lowly targeted game, but I think he looked OK. No cause for concern or excitement.
-- Let’s talk about the Tampa Bay RBs in this game
Bucky Irving was held out of the game because he is the hands-down bell cow for the Buccaneers.
We know this because of all the ‘Chalk Talk’ information, but also as evidenced by Rachaad White (6-28-0) starting this game with the ‘B team’ and taking a number of carries. A total lack of respect for RW. Kyren Williams gets tens of millions of dollars and will not be so much as tackled to the ground in the preseason and he will never even dress for a preseason game, but Rachaad White is out there for several carries in preseason Week 1. Why? What does Rachaad have to prove to TB? They need him as a reserve RB. Why risk him for this? And, of course, he pulls up and leaves the game with a not-good-looking groin injury.
Rachaad looked really good. He’s slimmed down and a lot quicker than he was the prior two seasons. But he also came up with a groin injury that they say is day-to-day, but he’s probably gonna need a week or two for that injury, if not more?
Sean Tucker (13-50-1, 1-0-0/1) came in to relieve Rachaad, and also has nothing to prove, but Tucker was in for most of the night like into the fourth quarter. Tucker deserves better treatment but in Tampa Bay it’s all about Bucky Irving. Tucker is the best running back the Jaguars have, except they don’t have Tucker...he’s instead working 3rd-string in Tampa into the 4th-quarter of a preseason game. James Gladstone...make your move! Liam Coen knows these guys...the Bucs don’t, apparently...or don’t care. Get one of them...cheap!
-- A quick review of the Buccaneers WR’s in this game…
We got the debut of Emeka Egbuka (1-21-0/2), and he looked fine. I still have a question about his separation ability, but you should read all the ‘Chalk Talk’ quotes about him. Just like Bucky Irving last year, they are going to talk Egbuka into existence.
Jalen McMillan (1-25-0/1) played a little and looked really good in this game. The Bucs have their receivers for the future with McMillan and Egbuka.
But to me, and I’m gonna sound like a lunatic for saying this, but the best looking WR that played in this game for Tampa Bay (just judging this game) was second year UDFA Ryan Miller (6-66-0/7). I know they will never feature him or anything like that, but that dude can play. He made the team as a UDFA last year and he’s only gotten better with another year in the league.
-- TE talk…
I’ve spent some time watching/isolating on Devin Culp (2-13-0/4) work in this game, since there’s been a growing buzz about him with Cade Otton out temporarily with injury. I see the movement skills with Culp. He’s definitely their best pass game TE. I just don’t know that he’s ready to fully bump because he’s a work in progress blocker. And I know all NFL head coaches care about with TEs is what their blocking ability is. Culp is solid but not some future star...just solid.
We also had the debut of Titans rookie Gunnar Helm (1-16-0/2). My scouting thought on this remains the same -- no, thank you. That guy is just way too slow for me to take seriously for FF.
-- We’ll finish out with a couple IDP notes…
I was watching the Titans newly listed starting inside linebacker James Williams (7 tackles, 1 TFL) for a couple of series, to see how his conversion from safety to linebacker is going… which I thought it must’ve been going pretty well since they listed him as a first team linebacker leading into this game. So, I watched him for a couple of series here -- and I cannot believe he’s the second best inside linebacker the Titans have to put into the starting inside duo. I thought Williams looked terrible. He looks like a free safety flailing around, gingerly trying to play linebacker. Completely unimpressed.
I was more impressed with Buccaneers rookie safety J.J. Russell (5 tackles, 2 PDs), who I thought was one of the five best safety prospects in the NFL draft…but he went undrafted. There might be something off the field with him to have caused that because otherwise he looked like a possible top 100 or so talent from this 2025 NFL Draft. He was moving around really well in this game…had a nice debut. I think he’ll make the team over UDFA SAF Shiloh Sanders (1 tackle), but who knows.
