As the Bucs game against the Jets went on, quarterback Kyle Trask looked more comfortable running the show, which helped the team emerge with a low-scoring, 13-6 win.
After starting off with just 13 completions on 17 attempts for 74 yards, Trask was not afraid to let it fly in the second half when he was reinserted into the game when third-string quarterback John Wolford suffered a neck injury. He finished the contest improving his numbers to 20 completions on 28 attempts for 218 yards and a touchdown. Based on his previous preseason games, it was the most action – and most success – he has had in an NFL game yet.
Bucs HC Todd Bowles On QB Kyle Trask: “I Thought He Did A Great Job”
Bucs head coach Todd Bowles was pleased with what he saw out of the third-year quarterback.
“I thought he did a great job,” Bowles said. “I thought he handled the pressure well. I thought he got the plays in on time. I thought he was poised in the pocket. Obviously, [there are] some things that you would like to have back. Communication went well in the headset and I thought he did well.”
Kyle Trask has steadily improved throughout the offseason and into the summer months, arriving to training camp leaner and more confident leading the huddle. This, along with his play in the preseason, has led to the quarterback competition being tighter than expected and a true coin flip up until this point.
While most expect Baker Mayfield to be the starting quarterback on September 10 at U.S. Bank Stadium when the Bucs take on the Vikings, Trask has not played himself out of the job yet. It will be intriguing to see how the quarterback rotation shakes out leading up to the preseason finale and if a Week 1 starter is named beforehand.
For now, Bucs fans will have to wait and see as the suspense builds. After watching Trask against the Jets, it appears as if he is only getting better with more reps and time to build chemistry and rapport with the offense and his weapons.
Kyle Trask Assesses His Performance And Building Off It
Kyle Trask was able to get plenty of reps in the game against the Jets starting the first half. But after the neck injury John Wolford suffered, Trask was thrust back into action after Wolford threw just four passes.
Trask spoke on the advantages of getting more game experience.
“It was good,” Trask said. “Obviously, you want to take advantage of as many reps as you can get, especially in preseason. In my situation, try to get as many reps as I can, unfortunately, it was because of what happened to John and we’re all hoping for the best for him and praying for him.
“I thought the guys did a great job coming together, staying focused, knowing that we still have a game to finish. I thought we did a good job just rallying together, continuing to run the ball, hitting our shots, guys hungry to make plays. I thought it was really good to see. Proud of everybody showing up tonight.”
Some of the guys that were hungry to make these plays included rookie wide receivers Trey Palmer and Rakim Jarrett. Palmer continues to dazzle, both in practice and in preseason games. Earlier this week he beat Jets star cornerback Sauce Gardner on a deep ball in Wednesday’s joint practice, and he now has two touchdowns in as many games. In Jarrett’s first NFL action, he had three catches for 84 yards, each being a reception of longer than 20 yards.
“I thought today we were really locked in and just able to hit our depths on our routes and play fast,” Trask added. “We’re not overthinking about where we’re supposed to be. Everybody knew where exactly they were supposed to do and went out there and played fast and really did a good job of executing. We just got to build off this.”
Kyle Trask Began To Let It Fly
When John Wolford went down after being sacked late in the third quarter, it was Trask time again. After not really expecting to come back into the game, he was entrusted with the keys to the offense again. Instead of sputtering like an old rusty lemon, he was able to get the offense’s engine revving like an American muscle car.
“I think I came into the huddle and all of the guys had a great look in their eyes,” Trask said of coming in. “The entire offensive line, all of the tight ends. They were hungry to make plays so I was like, ‘I gotta do my best for these guys to keep them going, keep their energy up, and continue to try and make plays.’ I thought we did a great job of that tonight.”
In the fourth quarter alone, Trask completed four passes of 15 yards or greater to four different wide receivers. He only did so only twice in the first half. It was evident that he got more comfortable and began to find a rhythm.
“I think the more reps you get as the game goes on you get in a rhythm,” Trask said. “I thought I did a good job of finding that rhythm and just trying to continue to stay calm, stay in that groove, and just try to progress that ball down the field as best as we could.”
Based on his play toward the end of the game, Kyle Trask shook off a slow start and finished strong. With that being the last impression he left, the Bucs may have a tougher decision than they thought when determining who starts under center in the near future.
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