3 Up, 3 Down From Bucs' Crushing Loss to Broncos

See who shined and who struggled in the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' Week 3 loss to the Denver Broncos.

Sep 22, 2024; Tampa, Florida, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Bucky Irving (7) runs with the ball against the Denver Broncos during the first half at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images / Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images

The Buccaneers couldn't find an answer for the Denver Broncos on Sunday. In the 26-7 loss, nothing went right for the team. The offense looked stagnant, unable to put together quality drives and extending their streak of games without an opening drive touchdown to 23 games. The defense faltered early and often and couldn't rattle Denver's rookie quarterback.

After a 2-0 start, the loss sends the Bucs crashing back down to earth with a rematch of the 2023 wild card game when the Philadelphia Eagles come to town next week. The Bucs need to turn it around with a good week of practice and execution before they fall into an early hole with a tough stretch of games coming down the pipeline.

It was tough finding three players who truly shined in the losing effort and we could've named this five down and there would still be more players and units to list. However, the name of the game is 3 Up, 3 Down, and here is who shined, even barely, and who struggled in the Bucs' Week 3 loss to the Broncos.

3 Up

RB Bucky Irving

Bucky Irving was one of the lone bright spots in a disappointing loss to the Broncos. He had several big plays and his ability to make defenders miss and his acceleration to top speed stands out. Irving ran for 70 yards on nine carries.

NCB Tykee Smith

Coming off his "Flu Game", Smith turned in a solid effort against the Broncos. He had six tackles, including one for a five-yard loss, and a huge pass breakup on third down that he nearly picked off. Outside of a 31-yard catch and run that featured Zyon McCollum in coverage, slot receiver Josh Reynolds was awfully quiet on the day, recording just one more catch for five yards.

CB Zyon McCollum

McCollum had an early snafu where he let up a 31-yard catch and run to Josh Reynolds but after that, he dialed in. McCollum continues to make strides as a full-time starter and finished the day with six tackles and two pass deflections. One of them nearly was picked off and if he was there a half a tick earlier it would've been his second interception in as many games.

3 Down

Offensive Line

Mayfield struggled to find rhythm in the passing game all day, and much of the reason behind it was the Buccaneers' offensive line struggle with the Broncos' heavy blitzing attack. Mayfield was under duress all day long and even when he tried to make things happen out of structure against an excellent man-coverage defensive scheme they made it hard for him to find open receivers. Mayfield was sacked seven times on the day with pressures coming from all over the field. It was not a good day for the Bucs offensive line.

CB Jamel Dean

It was not a good game for Dean. Tasked with covering Cortland Sutton for a majority of the game, Dean had no answers for the seven-year pro. He let up seven receptions for 68 yards on 11 targets to Sutton including multiple drive-extending catches. With A.J. Brown on the docket next week, he'll need to bounce back quickly.

P Jake Camarda

Camarda's punting woes continued against the Broncos. After a 64-yard beauty, Camarda had a shank of just 33 yards and another line drive punt that got a lucky bounce and roll landing at the six before it was touched down. Camarda has been inconsistent dating back to the preseason. The Bucs have punter Seth Vernon on the practice squad and it might be time to see what he can do.

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