3 Up, 3 Down From Buccaneers' Preseason Win Over Dolphins

See who shined and who struggled in the Buccaneer's final preseason game against the Miami Dolphins.

Aug 23, 2024; Tampa, Florida, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Rachaad White (1) runs the ball in for a Tampa Bay Buccaneers against the Miami Dolphins during the first quarter at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement Neitzel-USA TODAY Sports / Kim Klement Neitzel-USA TODAY Sports

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers held on to win their third and final pre-season game against the Miami Dolphins 24-14. It was the Bucs' only home game this postseason and they put on a show for their home fans. 

The Bucs elected to receive the ball first after winning the coin toss and the Baker Mayfield-led unit went right down the field and scored on their opening possession, something they weren’t able to do last season. 

From there out it, was the backups' time to shine. Several players on both sides of the ball made impact plays such as Sean Tucker, C.J. Brewer, Marcus Banks, and Earnest Brown, while others failed to take advantage of their opportunity. Here’s who showed up and showed out and who struggled to make their mark. 

READ MORE: Kyle Trask Delivers 4th Quarter Dime for Bucs' 3rd TD vs. Dolphins

3 Up

RB Rachaad White

White looked excellent in his preseason debut. The third-year back looked smooth rushing behind the Bucs revamped offensive line and on four carries averaged 4.0 yards per rush. He also contributed in the passing game on a screen pass he took upfield for 17 yards behind impressive blocking by Tristan Wirfs. White capped off his only series of the game with the first points of the game on a four-yard touchdown run. There’s a lot to like from his first showing of the year. 

WR Cody Thompson 

Thompson may have solidified his spot on the roster with his performance on Friday night. The veteran receiver hauled in six receptions for 43 yards and had a huge block in the run game that sprang an 11-yard run by receiver Kam Johnson. Thompson does the little things at the position, brings size at 6’2, 205 and also is a core special teamer.

OLB Chris Braswell

Braswell had something to prove this game, as he's racked up multiple pressures this preseason but failed to record a sack. He changed that in the first quarter when he got to back up quarterback Mike White for a drive-ending sack to get the offense off the field. The Bucs are counting on Braswell to be a big part of their rotation and he finally showed the ability to finish against the Dolphins.

3 Down

QB Kyle Trask

While Trask saved his performance from being completely ugly with a touchdown pass to Ryan Miller in the second quarter and Tanner Knue in the fourth quarter, it was a mostly inconsistent game from the fourth-year quarterback. He missed several throws and was late on a lot of his reads. Not what you want to see from your backup quarterback going against second and third-stringers and guys who will be out of the league before the weekend is over.

OC Robert Hainsey

Watching Hainsey perform with the second team made it clear why the Bucs named rookie Graham Barton the starting center. Hainsey has the smarts and plays with sound technique but lacks the anchor to hold up consistently in pass protection and struggles to get any real push in the run game. 

CB Andrew Hayes

It hasn’t been a great preseason for Hayes, who has been picked on repeatedly in games. It was the same story tonight, allowing another long completion and recording another penalty. Hayes allowed a 25-yard completion by receiver Mike Harley Jr. and picked up a holding call on a punt return.

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