Bucs Win First 2024 Preseason Game vs. Bengals

The Bucs took a victory 17-14 to start the year.

River Wells | Aug 10, 2024

Cincinnati Bengals defensive end Myles Murphy (99) hits Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Kyle Trask (2) causing an incomplete pass in the second quarter of the NFL preseason game at Paycor Stadium in Cincinnati on Saturday, August 10, 2024. / Albert Cesare/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK

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Tampa Bay Buccaneers

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are starting off the 2024 season with a win.

Things didn't start well for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but that's to be expected. Bengals starters in Joe Burrow and Tee Higgins were in the game against second-team players, and it showed. Burrow led one drive, but it was a drive where he went 5 for 7 for 51 yards and a touchdown pass to Higgins. The drive was extended when Tykee Smith committed pass interference on 3rd and 17.

The Bucs struck back, though. While his first drive sputtered out, Kyle Trask led the Bucs well on his second drive, making big gain passes to Trey Palmer and Jalen McMillan before arriving at the five-yard line. He handed it off to Bucky Irving, who with the help of Graham Barton at center and Cody Mauch at guard punched the football in for a Bucs score.

The rest of the second half saw no points from either side. The Bucs and the Bengals both threw a pick, with CB Keenan Isaac getting Tampa Bay's off Cincinnati quarterback Jake Browning, and both teams missed long field goals, with Chase McLaughlin's coming from 51 yards out.

John Wolford came in relief on Trask, and the scoring started after that. The Bucs scored a field goal after driving down to the red zone to take the lead at 10-7 with around six minutes left in the third quarter.

The Bengals struck back with a touchdown on a 37-yard deep ball in the fourth quarter with 3:33 left to go, giving Wolford and the Buccaneers a shot to win the game with a touchdown. And that's exactly what they did, with Kentucky rookie Ramon Jefferson scoring a touchdown from three yards out. The Bengals tried to respond, but failed with 28 seconds left and Tampa Bay kneeled down for the victory.

The Bucs' next preseason game will be against the Jacksonville Jaguars next Saturday, which will come after a string of joint practices.

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Published Aug 10, 2024|Modified Aug 10, 2024

RIVER WELLS

River Wells is a sports journalist from St. Petersburg, Florida, who has covered the Tampa Bay Buccaneers since 2023. He graduated with a journalism degree from the University of Florida in 2021. You can follow him on Twitter @riverhwells.