Tampa Bay Buccaneers Already Expecting, Not Hoping

The first-team appearance was brief, the scores don’t count, mistakes were plentiful, and the win wasn’t there, but the Buccaneers showed way more than hope in their first preseason outing. This young team seems to expect results.

The Miami Dolphins probably weren’t expecting that. 

In keeping with standard NFL preseason philosophy, Tampa Bay’s first-team was used sparingly in the first quarter. Against a team that is picked by analysts to be playoff- bound, the young Buccaneers executed offense and defense beyond expectations.

Preseason game one:

Josh Freeman took 12 snaps, passed 4-for-4, and added a touchdown to snatch a high QB rating of 158.3.

Freeman has the same arm and stout 6'6" frame that struggled through a rough rookie year, but he seems to have picked up an ability to read the action. That can play huge.

Wide receiver Mike Williams continues to impress and perform. His talents are helping to make the Bucs 2010 draft decisions look sharp.

Corner back E.J. Biggers had a standout game with four solo tackles, a forced incompletion, and a fumble recovery. A 2009 preseason shoulder injury placed him on injured reserve last season.

Safety Corey Lynch is trying to make the team and made five tackles in his bid for a starter spot.

Running back Kareem Huggins hopes to be a practice squad graduate by securing the third RB spot behind Carnell Williams and Derrick Ward. His speed and aggressive launch resulted in eight carries for 55 yards.

Defensive tackle Gerald McCoy wasn’t benched for injury avoidance and played beyond the first quarter. His progress will be reviewed on tape this week. 

Playing into the second quarter, the Dolphins kept their starting defense in the game and Tampa Bay’s defense responded by allowing only 39 yards with no points.

Coach Raheem Morris on www.buccaneers.com commented on McCoy’s first experience at the NFL level along with Michael Bennett’s progress.

"Unfortunately, he got the double-team every time,” Morris said. “We will get a chance to evaluate him. Michael Bennett was able to get out there and get a sack and capitalize because of it. That is part of it also."

McCoy didn’t know what to expect from his first contact moments, but he seemed to learn fast.

"It was a lot of fun," said McCoy. "It was a little bit of a rough debut because it was rainy and slippery. My feet got stuck in the ground and couldn't really get a good stance, but it was a lot of fun. It actually went by faster than I thought. It wasn't as scary as I thought it was going to be. I always thought at first it would be scary, but it wasn't as bad as I thought."

It’s good for the Bucs to fly under the radar and be underestimated by their opponents. 

The Miami Dolphins got the 10-7 win. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers got feedback that overshadows any preseason point count.

It’s way too early to get comfortable with any projections, but for the team and fans—expecting is always better than hoping.

Photo credit: Dwight Drum @ Racetake.com