Browns vs. Buccaneers: Postgame Grades, Notes and Quotes for Tampa Bay

As impressive as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers looked in last week's home win, they proved they still have plenty of work to do as the Cleveland Browns blasted them 31-7 at Raymond James Stadium on Saturday night.

The Bucs struggled in all three phases of the game, failing to protect the quarterback and move the ball efficiently on offense, making Josh McCown look better than he ever did in a Tampa Bay uniform and even giving up a punt return for a touchdown for the game's opening score.

Tampa Bay managed just 177 yards of total offense, 58 of which came in the second half. Neither Jameis Winston nor Mike Glennon could move the ball for the Bucs, as the team managed just 10 first downs and averaged a mere 3.3 yards per play on offense.

Winston looked every bit the top overall draft pick in last week's win over the Cincinnati Bengals, but the rookie looked far more mortal on Saturday night, completing six of his 15 passes for 90 yards, no touchdowns and an ill-advised interception. He was pressured constantly all night and left the game with a limp similar to the one he had following Monday night's game.

The Browns got out to a 17-0 lead thanks to Travis Benjamin's 53-yard punt return, a three-yard touchdown pass from McCown to Brian Hartline and a 36-yard field goal. Doug Martin's impressive 19-yard touchdown run would give Bucs fans some hope, but that would be as close as the game would get for the home team.

McCown found tight end Gary Barnidge from seven yards out to stretch the Browns' lead to 24-7 in the third quarter, and backup quarterback Thad Lewis ran through multiple Tampa Bay defenders for a seven-yard score on the ground to close the scoring in the final quarter.

Position Grades for Bucs

Scott Audette/Associated Press

Position	Grade
QB	D+
RB	B
WR	C
TE	D
OL	D-
DL	D
LB	B
DB	D
Special Teams	D
Coaching	C

There wasn't much to write home about for the Bucs in this game, and it all started up front.

Tampa Bay's offensive line got manhandled all night long, especially in pass protection. Jameis Winston had a few decent completions, but he didn't have much time to think and was constantly taking hits. He still needs to get more comfortable against pressure up the middle and learn to take advantage of holes in the defense when blitzes come. He also has to avoid throws such as the ill-advised interception he tossed.

The running backs were the lone bright spot on offense, with both Doug Martin and Charles Sims flashing some playmaking ability, despite the team's struggles up front.

The undrafted free-agent rookies at receiver looked solid, with Rannell Hall, Adam Humphries and Donteea Dye all making the most of their action. The tight ends didn't help the offensive line much in terms of blocking, but Austin Seferian-Jenkins had a 14-yard reception to move the chains.

On defense, the secondary gave up too many easy yards, partly because the pass rush was nearly non-existent for most of the night. Mike Jenkins used a hard hit to jar the ball loose from rookie running back Duke Johnson, forcing an incompletion, but there were few noteworthy plays from either the first or last line of defense.

Much like the running backs on the offensive side of the ball, Tampa Bay's linebackers were the only redeeming unit on defense. Led by another highlight-reel performance by rookie Kwon Alexander in the middle, the entire unit closed on the ball well and made multiple plays behind the line of scrimmage.

The only reason the special teams units don't get a failing grade is because reserve punter Jake Schum was effective for most of the night. Patrick Murray and Connor Barth each missed makeable field-goal attempts, and giving up a punt return for a touchdown before the opposing offense even hits the field will always put a damper on the grade.

The coaching staff gets a passing grade this week thanks to a huge improvement in the penalty department. After racking up 153 penalty yards on 14 infractions last week, the Bucs were flagged just twice for 10 yards this week.

Winston Battered as Offensive Line Struggles

Chris O'Meara/Associated Press

The Bucs proved Saturday night they still have plenty of work to do up front, as the offensive line struggled, especially when it came to protecting the quarterback.

Starter Jameis Winston was sacked four times in just over two quarters and was hurried plenty more times, taking far more hits than head coach Lovie Smith wants to see from his No. 1 overall draft pick. Winston had multiple throws impacted by Cleveland pressure, and the Bucs continue to have trouble with rushers coming up the middle.

Every hit takes a toll, and the Bucs are trying to do everything they can to build Winston's confidence as he heads into Week 1. Taking a constant beating won't do anything to make him feel better as he looks forward to the regular season. The Bucs had better figure things out in a hurry if they want their new franchise quarterback to stay healthy.

Doug Martin's Resurgence Continues

Scott Audette/Associated Press

After bursting on to the scene with nearly 2,000 total yards and a trip to the Pro Bowl as a rookie, Doug Martin has been plagued by multiple injuries over the past two seasons.

Determined to regain his rookie-season form, Martin dropped 20 pounds this offseason and showed increased quickness, explosion and confidence throughout training camp. Those improvements continue to translate into preseason game action, as Martin followed up an impressive performance against the Bengals last week with another strong showing against the Browns.

Martin carried the ball nine times for 40 yards Saturday night, punctuated by a sweet 19-yard touchdown run for Tampa Bay's only score of the night. The Bucs challenged Martin by not picking up his fifth-year option this offseason, and he's responded in the best way possible. He's clearly the team's best back at this point, and the distribution of touches in the regular season should reflect that.

Alexander Shines and Cements Starting Role on Defense

Scott Iskowitz/Getty Images

Some were surprised when rookie Kwon Alexander usurped veteran free-agent acquisition Bruce Carter as Tampa Bay's starting middle linebacker during training camp, but his performance Saturday night proved he's in the starting lineup to stay.

The fourth-round pick out of LSU tallied five total tackles and notched a devastating hit on former Bucs quarterback Josh McCown for Tampa Bay's only sack of the night.

Undersized but explosive, Alexander (6'1", 227 lbs) is the perfect fit as a Tampa 2 linebacker and already looks like a young version of one of his running mates at linebacker, All-Pro Lavonte David. It's only his first preseason, but he already looks like an absolute steal and a potential playmaker for a Bucs defense that is desperate for more splash plays.

Head Coach Lovie Smith on Sluggish Start

Chris O'Meara/Associated Press

Tampa Bay looked impressive out of the gate last week, starting the game off with an 80-yard touchdown drive to set the tone for the home win over the Cincinnati Bengals.

It was a much different story this week, as the Bucs got off to an uninspiring start in every phase of the game.

Head coach Lovie Smith stresses the importance of starting fast but knows he can't assume it's going to happen every week, per Roy Cummings of the Tampa Tribune:

"

You’d like to maintain a certain level each week, but normally it doesn’t happen like that. You have to know you’re going to have some days like that. And for us tonight, we talk about starting fast, but we didn’t do that. Defensively, we’ve got to take the ball away, and offensively, when we get the ball back, we have to put some points on the board.

"

The Bucs were down 7-0 before Cleveland's offense even took the the field, and that momentum stayed on the Browns' side of things for the entire game. Last week was just a taste of what the Bucs are capable of, but they'll have to be more consistent when it comes to starting fast if they want to hang in the NFC South.

QB Jameis Winston on Learning to Recognize, Beat Blitzes

Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

In his third NFL preseason game, Jameis Winston continued to struggle when dealing with pressure coming up the middle, as he failed to take advantage of the open areas left behind by blitzers.

Per Scott Reynolds of PewterReport.com, Winston says he still has plenty to learn:

"

I have another thing to learn from a blitz protection standpoint. I have to see things and get us in the right protection calls. It’s a learning experience. … They came with a different game plan than what we expected. We had to go to different formation and go into 11 personnel in the game.

"

It's still early for Winston, so there's no need for fans to panic when it comes to his ability to adjust to complex blitz packages. This game should give him another valuable opportunity to review what didn't work on film and allow him to correct it next time.

RB Doug Martin on His Increased Confidence

SCOTT AUDETTE/Associated Press

After two injury-riddled seasons, Doug Martin has looked like a completely different player so far this preseason, showing off improved explosion, patience, vision and quickness.

Per JoeBucsFan.com, Martin says he feels like a new man in 2015:

"

You could say I’m a little more confident in my game. Yeah. What’s different? It’s a new year. Last year I was hurt. Like I said, it’s a new year, a fresh start. We have a lot of guys around here who want to win. There’s a passion and a fire to win. And I just feed off that.

"

Martin's impressive 19-yard touchdown run in the second quarter gave the Bucs their only scoring play of the game, as he picked up where he left off against the Bengals on Monday night. He has the top spot on the depth chart locked down and is primed for a bounce-back season in 2015.

All stats courtesy of NFL.com.