Baker Mayfield had another wonderful drive, Kyle Trask continued to look a bit more like a solid QB2, and the running game finally showed signs of life after a stagnant start to the preseason.
The Bucs also gave the Ravens only their second preseason loss in what seems like a decade, so do with that as you please.
Unfortunately, during the broadcast GM Jason Licht gave a very disappointing development in the Ryan Jensen injury situation. The veteran center is done for the 2023 season, and some speculate that his leg injuries might be career-ending.
Itโs an unfortunate situation, as Jensen suffered a seemingly season-ending leg injury last year in training camp, but came back to play in the Wild Card game against the Dallas Cowboys. Now, it seems like that might have been the last we see of the former Pro Bowl center on the football field.
However, the Bucs are moving forward. Robert Hainsey and Nick Leverett have been battling it out for the starting spot, and the Bucs have been seemingly operating under the assumption that theyโd be without Jensen at least to start the year.
In other news, the Bucsโ depth pieces are making their presence known, with undrafted rookies like receiver Rakim Jarrett and running back Sean Tucker making some really intriguing cases to be on the final roster, especially with the injury to wide receiver Russell Gage and KeโShawn Vaughnโs struggles in the preseason (although he had a significant improvement in production this week).
All eyes will be on how the rest of the roster shakes out, which is a relief considering coming into the preseason there were some concerns over the QB competition. Now, the Bucs can be like any other team, trying to decide who their backup safeties should be or who will be taking punts and kicks to start the year.
Tampa Bay heads to Minnesota to begin the season against those pesky Vikings, whose late-game heroics led to a playoff appearance last season. Itโll be a good first game to start the season; a team just good enough to be considered a โtest,โ but not so good that the Bucs will be totally outmatched.
Hopefully.
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This article appears in Aug 24-30, 2023.

