The Tampa Bay Buccaneers let their starters rest in the team’s preseason opener against the Cincinnati Bengals on Saturday. That meant the absence of the Bucs’ star receiving duo of Mike Evans and Chris Godwin.
But that proved no hindrance for Tampa Bay and instead showcased the depth of its current receiving core. The Bucs did not light up the scoreboard in the 17-14 win though the game provided plenty of evidence of this offense’s ability under Liam Coen.
Kyle Trask and John Wolford combined to find 14 different targets. That might not be a surprise given the circum stances of a preseason game, but the way the ball was distributed proved effective.
Eight players had a reception totaling 15 yards or more. Trey Palmer and standout rookie Jalen McMillan were among that category.
“That’s the whole philosophy of this offense is we want to run the right plays versus the right defense,” Bucs quarterback Kyle Trask said after the win . “I’m just really proud of the guys for how we played and how we executed all night.”