In what was one of the more ugly games in recent years for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, they were somehow able to secure a win against a division rival in the Atlanta Falcons. Doing it on the road makes it extra special, and it gives the team a lot to work on ahead of Week 2 when they play the Houston Texans on Monday Night in primetime.
The offense came out of the gates looking as rough and stagnant as they could, with no facet of it resembling much of what we saw in 2024. Could it have to do with so many veterans skipping out on preseason reps? Perhaps, because by the second quarter, they seemed to have their legs under them.
On defense, that was about as big of a rollercoaster ride as you can take without getting sick. And while they never asked if anyone was tall enough to ride it, they took us along for the journey, and it was quite interesting, to say the least.
With all that in mind, here is our report card grades for the position groups coming out of Week 1.
Quarterback
Grade: C+
Baker Mayfield arguably had one of his worst games as a Buc, outside of one with more turnovers. He had one ugly pass that should have been intercepted that was dropped to his benefit, but he was missing receivers all day that were open in a variety of ways. He would miss them high, low, throw it behind, it was all over the place today, and you have to think missing the preseason had to have played a factor. Despite that, he played better in the fourth quarter when it counted and was able to hit Emeka Egbuka for an eventual game-winning touchdown with less than a minute left.
Running Back
Grade: C+
It wasn’t a great day on the ground for the Bucs, though they had some moments. They had several good runs negated due to penalties, but Bucky Irving highlighted the ground attack for the team. The second-year running back had 37 yards on 14 carries, but he found the endzone through the air on a pass from Mayfield. Rachaad White struggled, and Sean Tucker flashed some speed getting around the corner, but never made any impactful plays. Next week, against the Texans, will be an interesting test for the team as the run defense doesn’t get much easier.
Wide Receivers
Grade: A
The wide receiver group really shone today, even if Baker Mayfield wasn’t doing his best to get them the ball. Mike Evans proved to be ole reliable for Mayfield with five catches for 51 yards for the offense, and his college teammate Sterlind Shepard contributed as well. However, the star of the day was rookie Emeka Egbuka who made his presence known early and often. He had two touchdowns, one being the game-winner, and caught four balls for 67 yards in the air.
Tight Ends
Grade: A-
Cade Otton got open several times, once where he would have had a long touchdown if Mayfield had been able to find him. Unfortunately, the pass went high and Otton was left wondering, “what-if.” However, another tight end who shone was Ko Kieft, who did a great job of picking up the pressures the Falcons tried to apply. The men up front did a great job of keeping Mayfield’s jersey clean, and Kieft played a role in that.
Offensive Line
Grade: A+
The offensive line had some last-minute curveballs thrown their way, but they not only adapted, but they thrived. Graham Barton moved from center to left tackle, Ben Bredeson moved from guard to center, and Michael Jordan, fittingly, moved into the open guard spot. All in all, for missing Tristan Wirfs, this group played well above expectations.
Defensive Line
Grade: A+
The defensive line had the benefit of having Vita Vea in the lineup after he entered Sunday, being listed as questionable. The unit was able to create good pressure on Falcons quarterback Michael Penix Jr. all day, and they held the Falcons and their star running back Bijan Robinson to just 69 yards as a team. For all the issues the defense did show us, the defensive line was not one of them.
Linebackers
Grade: B
While the edge rushers were flashing pressures all day, the middle struggled a bit in the pass coverage department. First, the positive, which is the aforementioned pressure they created. New Bucs defender Haason Reddick got his first sack of the year, and Tampa Bay linebacker Yaya Diaby was constantly pressuring Penix Jr. However, the play of SirVocea Dennis left a lot to be desired as he was constantly playing hero ball, where he was chasing big plays, and in turn, it allowed the Falcons to take advantage of his aggressiveness. To his credit, he was pulled for a drive at one point and played better after returning, but he has so much more growing to do if he wants to be the heir apparent to Lavonte David in this unit.
Secondary
Grade: D
The secondary from the first drive of the Falcons was already going to be in for a long day. The unit gave up a fifty-yard touchdown to Bijan Robinson through the air, and from there, it was a long day for them. They gave up a whopping 298 passing yards to Michael Penix Jr., and while they held Drake London in check for the most part, they were burned several times on critical downs and situations by others. This unit was the focus of everything being fixed this offseason, and out of the gate, they stumbled.
Special Teams
Grade: D+
The return game had some life in part due to Kameron Johnson giving them a 59-yard punt return. The idea of him getting the nod in that role over Tez Johnson was received with some skepticism, but he proved why he earned it in Week 1. Unfortunately, outshining his positive return was the collapse of Chase McLaughlin as he missed a pivotal extra point and a 44-yard field goal that had been automatic for him in years past. Hopefully, this is a one, but this could very easily become a runaway train of disaster because when NFL kickers fall off, it is not gradual.
This article originally appeared on Bucs Wire: Report Card grades from the Buccaneers win over the Falcons in Week 1
Reporting by Andrew Harbaugh, Buccaneers Wire / Bucs Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
