Bucs Lose To Texans 13-16

And so it goes. The Bucs' 2nd/3rd team defense, the one that got destroyed by the Jags last Saturday, played much better this week, but still missed some assignments and tackles. Overall, though, they managed to make some stands, which shows some of the guys are worth keeping. I thought Bradley, Cash, and Bryant did quite well, though the announcers, for some reason, were hard on Bryant (he's not going to make every play, guys!). The offense showed some more life this week, but had a hard time converting some downs, including going 1 of 3 on 4th downs. Simms barely sniffed the field, and Buenning, unfortunately, got banged up. Haven't heard how long he'll be out.

One guy that got plenty of action was David Boston. He had around 10 passes intended for him, 6 of which he snagged for 77 yards. He's definitely going to be a big threat as he continues to get back into game shape. The offensive line did OK. I heard the announcers mention that the line wasn't getting any push, but this was usually after a Watson run for few yards. Graham, on the other hand, seemed to be able to chew up many more yards behind the same line, so I think it was more Watson than anything. Unlike last year, I just haven't been very impressed with him at all this season. I think Graham is going to be the third tailback and the "emergency" fullback, should the Bucs only keep 2.

Overall, the offensive line managed to do much better than last week, but still had some assignment breakdowns that caused pressure. It seemed that when they got their hands on the proper defender, they did quite well. It's when they missed the guy that really hurt. Gradkowski was pretty solid this game, but really screwed up on the Bucs' 4 and 17 play when he threw short. Should have sent that ball down field, even in coverage, as the game was over once he blew the play. Gruden was clearly unhappy with it. Special teams looked solid, but the returns are still hit or miss. It will be interesting to see how Pittman does as the kick return guy this year.

All things considered, I think this team is ready for the Ravens. The defense will certainly kick some. We just need to hope that the offense, with all of its weapons available, will be ready as well. Which reminds me, the Bucs also picked up Doug Jolley for a conditional draft pick. Should be interesting to see how quickly he gets incorporated into the offense. He'll likely be the third string tight end.