Bucs sail past Dolphins 24-14

The Buccaneers end the 2024 preseason on a high note, routing the Miami Dolphins 24-14. Tampa Bay’s starters played just one drive, but from the top to the bottom of the depth chart, the Bucs kept total control of the game and gave themselves some momentum heading into the regular season.

The Bucs opened the game with their starting offense on the field, marching down the field and facing just one third down. The biggest play of the drive came off a 28-yard bomb from Baker Mayfield to rookie wide receiver Jalen McMillan:

McMillan’s catch set up a four-yard Rachaad White touchdown, giving the Bucs a 7-0 lead that they would not give up for the rest of the game.

Tampa Bay’s defensive starters similarly saw limited action, holding Miami’s offense to a three-and-out on its first drive. On third and one, Vita Vea demolished Dolphins center Jack Driscoll, setting up a tackle for a loss by Vi Jones and K.J. Britt:

Though the Bucs gave their starters a taste of real action, most of Miami’s Week 1 roster was not dressed to play. By the middle of the first quarter, there was not a first-string player on the field for either team.

The Bucs and Dolphins traded punts for most of what remained of the first quarter until Miami failed to convert a fourth down at the Tampa Bay 43-yard line just before the start of the second quarter. The Bucs picked up a few yards for a 50-yard field goal attempt that Chase McLoughlin successfully converted. It was just his second successful field goal of the preseason.

On the following Dolphins drive, the Bucs appeared to score a defensive touchdown off an Earnest Brown sack-fumble recovered by linebacker Antoine Grier Jr. However, on replay the call was overturned as an incomplete pass.

Evidently unsatisfied with points taken off the board, Tampa Bay’s offense put together a 47-yard touchdown drive that included a fourth-down conversion pass from Kyle Trask to undrafted rookie WR Kameron Johnson. The Bucs scored a few plays later when Trask found WR Ryan Miller in the corner of the endzone on a 10-yard pass.

The Dolphins responded in kind on the following drive. Driving 70 yards down the field, QB Skylar Thompson and the Miami offense found its first points off a 20-yard touchdown reception by TE Hayden Rucci. The first half ended with the Bucs up 17-7.

In the second half, the Dolphins continued their efforts to get back into the game, putting together a 76-yard touchdown drive that got them within three points of Tampa Bay. The Bucs quickly stamped out any hopes of a Miami comeback by scoring on the next drive, with Trask finding TE Tanner Knue in the endzone on fourth and goal:

Neither team would score for the rest of the game. Tampa Bay all but ended the game when Antonio Grier Jr. intercepted a Skylar Thompson pass with just under three minutes left in the game:

With the win over Miami, the Bucs end the 2024 preseason with a 2-1 record. After Baker Mayfield lone drive, Kyle Trask led the Bucs offense, completing 17 of 24 passes for 141 yards and two touchdowns. Bucky Irving led the Bucs with 26 yards rushing for a 4.3 yard per attempt average.

The Dolphins actually outgained the Bucs offensively 320 yards to 290. However, Miami committed eight penalties to Tampa Bay’s five and allowed a sack and an interception while collecting none of their own.

The Bucs are now on the straightaway to their season opener against the Washington Commanders. While the preseason only provided a glimmer of what the Bucs will look like in the regular season, what they did show in this preseason finale appeared not far removed from where they left off in last year’s playoffs.