Buccaneers Edge Chiefs 16-15 in Preseason Contest

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have plenty to feel encouraged about after Saturday night’s preseason victory.

Tampa Bay defeated the Kansas City Chiefs 16-15 after overcoming a nine-point halftime deficit. The Buccaneers also received strong contributions from several players fighting for opportunities.

Baker Mayfield opened the game at quarterback and ran two drives. He completed two of four passes for 10 yards before giving way to Jake Browning. The offensive play calling was very vanilla with the Buccaneers starting the game with Tristan Wirfs.

Browning completed nine of 12 attempts for 84 yards. He also added 14 rushing yards during his first preseason action. Browning looked solid, but the offense struggled to produce points before halftime.

That changed when Undrafted Free Agent Quarterback Jalon Daniels entered the game. Daniels went on to lead the team to three scoring drives. He finished with 71 passing yards, 19 rushing yards and a passing touchdown. His performance continued an impressive preseason stretch for the undrafted rookie.

Tight end Ko Kieft and running back Sean Tucker both scored touchdowns. Dean Patterson IV and Kam Johnson led Tampa Bay with 56 receiving yards each.

Buccaneers Defense Sets the Tone

The Buccaneers defense immediately established itself after Kansas City opened the game on offense. The Bucs immediately forced two three-and-outs during the Chiefs’ opening possessions.

Anthony Nelson provided one of the game’s biggest defensive highlights. He recorded 1.5 sacks, including a strip sack against Chiefs quarterback Justin Fields.

Mo Kamara also stood out while helping Tampa Bay generate consistent pressure. Kamara and Nelson later combined for a massive 20-yard sack. That sack came after Kansas City reached the red zone during the second quarter. The play forced the Chiefs into a 45-yard field goal.

Kansas City added two more long field goals before halftime. The Chiefs entered the break with a 9-0 advantage over Tampa Bay.

Daniels Sparks Tampa Bay’s Offense

Tampa Bay finally found the end zone during its second drive of the third quarter. Daniels completed all five of his passes during the possession.

He produced 39 passing yards and added 10 rushing yards. Daniels finished the drive with a touchdown pass to Kieft.

Patterson also delivered a highlight during the possession. He made a beautiful 24-yard toe-tap reception while displaying impressive body control.

Kansas City answered quickly with a touchdown of its own. A pass interference penalty helped move the Chiefs into the red zone.

Tampa Bay opened the fourth quarter with another scoring drive. Daniels guided the offense to Kansas City’s 28-yard line before the Buccaneers settled for a field goal.

All Daniels does is move the football. Obviously this has been in the preseason against backups, but it’s not nothing.

Buccaneers Complete the Comeback

The Buccaneers then received their biggest defensive play of the night. Cornerback Roman Parodie intercepted a bobbled pass and gave Tampa Bay excellent field position.

Tampa Bay capitalized on the turnover and finally grabbed its first lead. Tucker scored on a one-yard rushing touchdown to put the Buccaneers ahead 16-15.

The defense then needed to protect the narrow advantage. Tampa Bay held strong during Kansas City’s following possession.

The Chiefs eventually missed a 43-yard field goal late in the fourth quarter. That gave Tampa Bay an opportunity to control the remaining three minutes.

The Buccaneers successfully drained the clock and secured the 16-15 preseason victory. Tampa Bay’s comeback provided plenty of positive takeaways from Saturday night’s contest.