Tampa, FL – Big week for every NFL Franchise as teams are trying to get healthy, polish off schemes and figure out roster spots. For the Bucs, The Redskins come to town and both teams will look to end the preseason on a high note with a win Thursday night at 7:30pm.
As training camp comes to and end, the Buccaneers still have depth chart issues that need solutions and many of those solutions can be answered versus the Redskins. The team at hand enters the stadium thursady night. But the season opener versus Miami is clearly a priority.
Head coach Dirk Koetter spoke on the challenges the team faces trying to balance starters getting reps in practice, game-planning for the game on Thursday and preparing for Miami “Yeah, this week is the strangest week of the year because your players fall into three categories: Guys that are injured and can’t play or practice – or maybe they can only practice a little bit, they might be restricted a little bit in practice. Then you have guys that are going to practice for a couple days and then they’re going to have Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday off and come back to practice on Monday. Then you have another portion of your team that is fighting for spots. I mean, they really have to prove themselves fighting for these last few roster spots, 10 practice-squad spots, plus showing it to other teams. It’s difficult because for your starters that are building towards Miami, you have two good days of work you’d like to get in, but at the same time you’re going to play a real preseason game on Thursday night. It’s the weirdest week of the year and, obviously, the closer you get to the regular season – I mean, you never want to see anyone get hurt – but when those guys are out there playing full speed injuries are going to occur.”
Fighting injuries can be the fastest way off a team even though a player shows great promise. Availability is the best ability. The Bucs need help on the defensive line. The most glaring issue is the lack of ability to get to the passer. Through three preseason games the defense has produced 6 sacks. 4 of which by line backers. The team has signed defensive ends Mehdi Abdesmad and Hendrick Ekpe in an effort to address the issue.
Abdesmad (6-6, 284) originally entered the league as a college free agent out of Boston College with the Tennessee Titans and spent the first 14 weeks of the 2016 season on the team’s practice squad, before being promoted to the active roster and playing in two of the final three games of the regular season. Ekpe (6-5, 251) spent this offseason and preseason with the Chicago Bears. Entered the league as a college free agent with the Bears this past offseason. Defensive end Justin Trattou has been placed on injured reserve
The running back position is still unsettled. The Bucs have not given a decisive answer on RB Doug Martin’s position on the team as he has been inconsistent since enter the league much due to injury and will miss the first few games to finish his four game suspension handed down by the NFL office. Jacquizz Rodgers and Charles Sims III competing for the #2 job assuming Martin is the starter. Another body will be needed. Peyton Barber and Jeremy McNichols are next in line. Special teams contributors and/or practice team guys. Both are competing for a spot. Running back Blake Sims has been waived.
Jameis Winston has improved each time out this preseason: 47/69 for 495, 0 passing TDS and 1 interception. “I think Jameis has done fine, minus a couple plays, but you could say that for the best of the best. You can say that for every player out there. I think Jameis has worked hard on the things that we wanted him to improve on. I think his accuracy has been better…It’s time for him to play a real game.” – Dirk Koetter on his quarterback.
Winston will only be as good as his offensive line and receivers. Rookie Chris Godwin is expect to be the #4 receiver. Josh Huff, Freddie Martino, Donteea Dye Jr., Bernard Reedy, Bobo Wilson and Derel Walker are all fighting for maybe 2-3 receiver spots. Reedy has looked good as a returner which gives him plenty of value.
The top four rookies in the Bucs 2017 draft class are all expect to make an impact. After the Cleveland game Coach Koetter spoke on his first year players. “[Chris] Godwin did a nice job last night. If you’re figuring it that way, he’s our four and he needed to play like a one last night, and he did. He did a nice job…O.J. [Howard], solid again, a couple blocking errors, but did what he was asked to do. [Kendell] Beckwith continues to improve – missed a couple tackles last night, didn’t bring his feet with him, but he’s going to help us. He’s going to give us depth at linebacker and be good long-term. Justin Evans, it’s unfortunate that he got the two penalties there in the last drive. He’s trying to play hard and play fast and it’s just unfortunate. He wasn’t trying to do it. Aggressive penalties – that’s no excuse but…”
THE SERIES
This will be the 16th time The Buccaneers and Redskins have met in the preseason and all but three of those encounters were in Tampa. Washington leads the series, 10-5, and the Redskins have won the previous six preseason matches.
INTERESTING NOTES
WR Mike Evans: In two career games against Washington, has 15 catches for 373 yards and three touchdowns.
QB Ryan Fitzpatrick: Went 21-of-27 for 262 yards with two touchdowns and one interception, for a 116.4 passer rating (10/30/11)… Completed 19-of-26 passes for 253 yards, with two touchdowns and one interception for a 113.1 passer rating (10/18/15).
WR DeSean Jackson: Played in 11 games against Washington as a member of the Philadelphia Eagles, catching 32 passes for 572 yards (17.9 avg.) and five touchdowns.