Practice notes!

It was the first day of padded practice but by watching many on the defense, you would not have known. More on that in a moment.

The offense looked better. Scotty Miller got a lot of work with “the ones” (first team offense). Ke’Shawn Vaughn got a lot of touches with the first team as well.

At least for the time being, no underwear football!

* Even though pads were on, Bucs coach Todd Bowles said he wanted his team to be smart and not beat up their teammates. Not only did the defense not pound the offense, they played Charmin soft. Dudes on the second and third levels would pull up on ballcarriers as if they were still playing underwear football. Often the linebackers and defensive backs didn’t even try to wrap up, made no effort to do so. How are you supposed to improve or better yourself in tackling if you don’t even attempt to tackle much less wrap up? Joe understands what Bowles wanted to do but this was just sad. That needs to change, like tomorrow.

* Well whattya know? First play in 11-on-11s is a Playoff Lenny run up the middle. Through five practices, the first play in three practices beginning 11-on-11s is a Playoff Lenny run. The other two? Tom Brady bombs.

* Short pass on a short crossing pattern from Tom Brady to Russell Gage just off Gage’s hands. Led a little too far. This Gage always seems to get open.

* Miller, lined up at receiver on the right side, goes in motion to the left and takes a pitch from Brady and after he bobbles it, Miller runs around left end for maybe two yards.

* Run defense is stingy early. Vaughn tries to run left and maybe he got a yard.

* Tip drill! Blaine Gabbert aims for Deven Thompkins down the right seam and it appears it got tipped by a defensive back covering Thompkins as there was a collision. Ball pops up in the air and Ross Cockrell grabs it and houses the ball running left.

* Giovani Bernard with a big gain running around the right corner.

* The Packers Special: Tom Brady calls the exact same play to Scotty Miller in the NFC title game for the 2020 season, where Miller caught Brady’s bomb at the end of the first half. Miller explained why the plays looked exactly alike.

* Brady hits Mike Evans over the middle but it might have been a coverage sack if Brady was allowed to get hit.

* Aw, this was just sick. Brady went to Gage down the left side and the ball was already in the air when Gage pulled a spin move to the outside on a defensive back (Joe didn’t catch who) to spring free down the left sideline and haul in the catch. This Gage finds a way to get open time after time.

* Kyle Trask throws down the middle through traffic and connects with Kaylon Geiger.

* Playoff Lenny breaks through up the middle. We should all be so athletic and nimble at 260. #Sarcasm

* Brady hits Cam Brate over the middle for a short pass.

* You don’t see this often: Either Brady is confused by the defense (unlikely) or doesn’t like the play or something. He calls a timeout at the line.

* Brady and Evans hook up on a short pass to the right.

* Bernard runs up the middle and at the end of the play he hits the turf so hard you could hear the “thud.”

* Bucs defense, specifically the second and third levels, are pulling up on ballcarriers and not even trying to wrap up. Joe doesn’t like it.

* Gabbert tries to hit Jerreth Sterns but Jamel Dean has tight coverage on Sterns.

* Brady shovel pass to Playoff Lenny and he gets hit. About time the defense remembered they weren’t playing underwear football.

* If Robert Hainsey was getting owned by Vita Vea or Akiem Hicks, Joe sure never noticed it.

Bucs' centers Robert Hainsey and Nick Leverett getting reps in full pads against Vita Vea and company. #GoBucs pic.twitter.com/I9r9bMBfgs

— Kyle Burger (@kyle_burger) August 1, 2022

* Trask tries to connect with Brate on the right side in the end zone but the pass was too long.

* Trask hits Cade Otton in the hands in the back of the end zone but Otton can’t hang on.

* Trask goes down the right seam intended for Kameron Brown but Nolan Turner bats the pass down.

* Nice concentration: The pocket collapsed on Trask and he got bounced around but he looked downfield the whole time, stepped up and threw over the middle for Thompkins. It likely would have been a sack if it was a game but Trask did a nice job of not bailing on the play.

* Way cool special teams moment that all teams should do more of: As the Bucs were finishing a water break, someone hollered and the field goal-kicking team raced onto the field and quickly got off a kick, practicing being called to kick with the clock running and no timeouts. Smart move by Bucs coaches.

7-on-7

* Gabbert ropes a long pass to Geiger down the left seam.

* Evans battles Don Gardner one-on-one as Evans goes down the right sideline and he outfights Gardner for the ball and a touchdown from Brady.

* Old man Brady still has a cannon for an arm. He rares back and Howitzers a ball down the right sideline for Evans.

* Brate pulls in a pass from Brady down the right seam.

11-on-11s

* Gabbert connects with Miller on a crossing pattern from the right.

* Gabbert throws about 20 yards down the right sideline for Tyler Johnson and… it is close. Joe isn’t sure Johnson caught it or if he stayed inbounds. Joe was on the opposite side of the field. Good effort though.

* Brady in shotgun takes the snap. He pumps… he pumps… and he dumps off to rookie running back Rachaad White short over the middle with a pass right in the gut — and White drops it.

* Trask rolls right and doesn’t see what he wants to see and throws the ball in the dirt.

* Trask connects with Otton on the right side short and Otton breaks through a crowd of defenders for a 20-yard gain.

* Brady tries for Gage short right and Shaq Barrett says, “No, no, no.” and breaks up the pass.

Two-minute drill

* Miller from Brady left sideline.

* Exact same target of the field, only this time Playoff Lenny gets the pass from Brady.

* Brady rolls out and hits Playoff Lenny for a touchdown on the right side.

* Gabbert gets hit and the play is blown dead after Luke Goedeke got bowled over.

* Next play Gabbert has nowhere to go due to the pass rush and Gabbert wings the ball on top of the roof of the bleachers on the west side of the field.

* Gabbert ends practice with a nice pass to the right side for White.

O-line coach/run game coordinator Harold Goodwin out here doing push-ups in between practice periods. Must have done 30. This video just captured a handful. pic.twitter.com/NIzLwwjEOR

— JoeBucsFan (@JoeBucsFan) August 1, 2022