3 Up, 3 Down From Buccaneers' Preseason Loss To The Jaguars

We break down who had a good game and who didn't in the Buccaneers preseason 20-7 loss to the Jaguars.

Buccaneer OLB Jose Ramirez / BucsGameday

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers once again rested most of their starters in their second preseason tilt against the Jacksonville Jaguars in a 20-7 loss. With starters sidelined, it provided an opportunity for the players vying for spots on the roster to show what they could do in a real game setting outside of practice. While some players rose to the occasion, others didn't put their best foot forward. Here are who stood out and who faltered.

3 Up

OLB Jose Ramirez

After flashing during the Bengals last week, Ramirez was the first edge rusher off the bench taking over for Anthony Nelson. On his first rep, he got to Mac Jones for a sack. He would get him later again in the game on what was somewhat of a gimmie but he displayed great bend and active hands getting to the quarterback. In the third quarter, Ramirez recorded that hat trick, this time chasing down C.J. Beathard for the sack on third down to force a punt. By my count, he had seven pressures on the night.

WR Cody Thompson

After a three-catch, 26-yard performance against the Bengals, Thompson had himself a game in the team's loss to the Jaguars. Finishing as the Bucs' leading receiver, he reeled in five receptions for 66 yards and the team's only touchdown, a six-yard grab. Thompson made several big plays with a catch of 21 yards, a 22-yard pass interference draw, and an 18-yard catch that set the Bucs inside the five-yard line in the game's final minutes. He even got involved in the run game with two rushes for 12 yards. The six-year veteran and special team maven has inched closer to securing the final receiver spot with Sterling Shepherd sidelined with an injury and undrafted rookie Kameron Johnson trying to work his way back on the field.

C Graham Barton

If Barton didn't lock up the starting job prior to tonight's game, he certainly has a stranglehold on it now. Starting the game as the first center out on the field, Barton's strength and athleticism continue to stand out. The Bucs ran the ball three times on Barton's only drive on the field and picked up gains of five, six, and five yards all running up the middle. In pass protection, Barton gave Trask a clean pocket to work with but Trask couldn't connect on his throws to Jalen McMillan, leading him too much to the sideline on a catch that was made out of bounds and another that went behind him.

READ MORE: Buccaneers Drop Second Preseason Game to Jaguars

3 Down

OL Brandon Walton

Walton started the game at left tackle and was pretty sound there, but after he moved to right tackle things started to go downhill. He was bullied in pass protection on multiple reps, including two third downs that led to Buccaneer punts when the pressure got to Kyle Trask and John Wolford. Walton was also called for a holding call that backed the Bucs up in the final minutes of the game.

K Chase McLaughlin

McLaughlin missed his second field goal of the preseason agsinst the Jags. After knocking a 51-yard attempt off the right uprights against the Bengals, McLaughlin missed a 42-yard attempt wide left against Jacksonville. Not a good look for the kicker the Bucs just paid $12.3 million over the next three years.

DB Tavierre Thomas

Thomas was on the receiving end of three of the Jaguars big plays of the night. The first was a communication breakdown on a 25-yard touchdown to Parker Washington, where Thomas got turned around on the play. On the Jags' next possession, it was a 20-yard catch to Austin Trammell to set up a field goal. Then late in the game with just over five minutes left, Thomas was on the receiving end of the Jags' second touchdown of the night out of coverage on a 31-yard touchdown catch by Brevin Easton. Not a good look for Thomas, who has had a great camp, but was picked on multiple times against the Jags.

READ MORE: Promising Bucs Defensive Back Suffers Knee Injury Against Jaguars

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