Bucs Dominate in Opening Week of the 2025 NFL Preseason
Tampa Bay Buccaneers defeat Tennessee Titans - 2025 Preseason Week 1
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers continue to dominate the football field in the first week of the 2025 pre-season, beating the Tennessee Titans 29-7 at Raymond James Stadium on Saturday, August 9th. The Bucs got a chance to show off second-string quarterback Kyle Trask as well as the consistency of rookie wide receiver Emeka Egbuka.
Without starting quarterback Baker Mayfield and primary running back Bucky Irving, the Buccaneers decided to have Trask open his fifth season with the Buccaneers on Saturday night, completing 12 passes for 129 yards with Rachaad White and Sean Tucker covering the running back position.
Third-string running back Sean Tucker proves his value as a heavily targeted player, rushing 50 yards in Saturday’s game and securing the first touchdown three seconds into the second quarter.
“Sean brings us another explosive runner. He’s a game-breaker for us. He’s got a very good contact balance, he can break a lot of tackles, and he can naturally find holes,” Said head coach Todd Bowles. “He’s very fast, but he looks so smooth doing it that you can’t really tell until he gets out in the open field, and then he’s tough to bring down. He has great vision, and every opportunity he’s gotten, he’s shown. Like I keep telling the guys on offense, we’ve got to give him the ball more.”
Tucker continued to shine alongside newly acquired Owen Wright into the second half, even after Rachaad White was escorted off the field for a groin injury.
The backup RB has suffered a cramp near his groin and has been ruled out for Tampa Bay’s first pre-season game after a 12-yard run near the end of the first quarter. The severity of the injury has been revealed as of Monday, August 11th, describing it as a “day-to-day” type of injury. This makes the injury seem minor. We can expect Bowles to keep White sidelined through the pre-season, and we may be able to see him as a starter once again for the week 1 matchup against the Atlanta Falcons in September.
Also missing from the field was wide receiver Chris Godwin. Godwin was out for the last ten games of the 2024 season due to an ankle injury. As expected, this made way for rookie Emeka Egbuka to take control on the opening drive. Trask targeted Egbuka once for a 21-yard reception during the game's opening drive. If Godwin’s absence continues, he may be targeted more frequently.
Opening night for the Buccaneers’ 2025 NFL season proves their impressive offense, but also shows some weaknesses within their defense. After drafting secondaries for takeaway positions, a tactic well shown in Saturday’s game, which saw three interceptions, the challenge for Bowles will be forming tighter pressure. The coverage and pressure were weak enough to allow for Tennessee wide receiver Calvin Ridley to receive 3 of 3 targets for 50 yards, but strong enough to prevent a second touchdown.
Saturday’s performance offers encouraging signs for the Buccaneers’ depth charts entering the 2025 season. Even with key starters resting over the coming weeks, the lineup of second and third-string players for Tampa Bay is stepping up and demonstrating the kind of offensive versatility and strategic dominance that could be essential to earn a division title in the 2025 season.