The Buccaneers squeaked by the Atlanta Falcons in their season opener, winning 23-20 on a last-minute touchdown by wide receiver Emeka Egbuka and a missed field goal by Falcons kicker Younghoe Koo. It took a solid quarter for the Bucs to find their footing, but by the second half, their strengths came into full relief.
Even with a reconfigured offensive line missing its best player, the offense moved the ball consistently and found a budding star in rookie WR Emeka Egbuka. After allowing an early 50-yard touchdown to Bijan Robinson, Tampa Bay’s defense settled down, locking up Atlanta’s run game and largely containing quarterback Michael Penix.
Some late dramatics put the game in doubt, but Tampa Bay prevailed with a go-ahead touchdown from Egbuka. It was far from perfect, but the Bucs extended their season opener win streak under Todd Bowles and reaffirmed their ownership of the NFC South.
Here are the studs and duds from Tampa Bay’s Week 1 win over the Atlanta Falcons:
STUD: Emeka Egbuka
What a way to start your NFL career, Emeka Egbuka. The Bucs’ 2025 first-round pick proved Tampa Bay’s front office right, leading the team with 61 receiving yards and two touchdowns. Egbuka sealed the game for the Bucs late in the fourth quarter with a 30-yard go-ahead touchdown catch:
The rookie sensation was also a valuable blocker in the run game. There is not much more the Bucs could ask for their top pick of this year’s draft, and his future only looks brighter.
DUD: SirVocea Dennis
The third-year linebacker had a rough return to action after missing most of last season with a shoulder injury. Dennis was nothing short of a liability for most of the game, missing three tackles, including on Bijan Robinson’s early 50-yard touchdown reception. Dennis also looked lost in coverage for most of the game, allowing six receptions per PFF, most on the team. It was clear the Falcons were targeting whoever Dennis was covering.
The Bucs came into this season with high hopes that Dennis would take ownership of the linebacker spot next to Lavonte David, but it appears their long-standing problems at the position will persist this season if Dennis cannot improve his tackling and pass coverage.
STUD: Kam Johnson
The Buccaneers franchise, historically or recently, is not exactly known for its high-octane return game. Second-year WR Kam Johnson made moves to change that with a massive 54-yard punt return in the third quarter. Johnson’s return set up Tampa Bay’s second touchdown of the game, which gave them their first lead of the day. With a weapon like Johnson fielding kicks, the Bucs may finally have a complementary special teams unit this season.
DUD: Chase McLaughlin
The Bucs’ usually automatic kicker was anything but in Tampa Bay’s season opener. After making a 48-yard field goal in the second quarter, McLaughlin missed from 44 yards on the Bucs’ opening drive of the second half and then missed an extra point after their late go-ahead touchdown late in the fourth quarter. These misses left the Bucs vulnerable to a Falcons rally to tie the game with a field goal in the final minute of the game.
The only saving grace was Atlanta’s own kicking woes as Younghoe Koo missed the tying field goal in the game’s final seconds. Tampa Bay can only hope McLaughlin’s struggles were isolated to this week and that he can return to his reliable ways moving forward.
STUD: Graham Barton
With Tristan Wirfs still rehabbing from knee surgery this summer, the Bucs’ stated plan coming into the season opener was for Charlie Heck to fill in until Wirfs’ return. That plan changed at some point coming into Sunday when Tampa Bay announced that center Graham Barton would move to left tackle with Ben Bredeson moving to center and Michael Jordan, elevated from the practice squad, would fill in at left guard.
Harkening back to his days as Duke’s left tackle, Barton acquitted himself admirably. Even if his pass protection was not flawless, Tampa Bay’s 2024 first-round pick allowed no sacks per PFF. Baker Mayfield enjoyed clean pockets for much of the game, and the run game looked not all that different from last season. Barton gave the Bucs good reason to continue playing him at left tackle until Wirfs is back.
This article originally appeared on Bucs Wire: Studs and duds from the Buccaneers’ Week 1 win over the Atlanta Falcons
Reporting by Jason Kanno, Buccaneers Wire / Bucs Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
