Light Candles For The Safety And Well-Being Of Tristan Wirfs, Ben Bredeson, Graham Barton, Cody Mauch And Luke Goedeke
August 22nd, 2026
Some things are starting to clear up for Joe after watching the Bucs’ second worthless preseason game on Saturday night.
The biggest thing is that the backup offensive linemen cannot pass block to save their lives. Or, more importantly, they cannot pass block to save the life of their quarterback.
Even Chucky, the Bucs’ Super Bowl-winning coach who worked the WFLA-TV Channel 8 broadcast, who is loath to be critical of players, was both frustrated and exasperated by the Bucs’ inability to pass block for backup quarterback Jake Browning.
At one point, Chucky wanted Browning to “get in the grill” of his offensive linemen and unload on them for getting him beat to a pulp.
“If I’m Jake Browning, I’m not happy,” Chucky said. In fact, late in the second quarter, Chucky wondered if the Bucs weren’t better off with Jalon Daniels in the game only because at least Daniels could run out of trouble.
For those who read Joe’s daily practice notes from training camp, Joe regularly saw both Chris Braswell and David Walker in the backfield. At one point, Joe wondered if maybe the Bucs’ backup offensive line was any good and that is why Braswell (!) and Walker were having their way in practice each day.
Well, Joe thinks we all learned tonight why Braswell was doing so well. He was going up against the Bucs backups. And the backups, as demonstrated tonight, flat out cannot pass block.
Pray that the starting-five up front stay healthy. Because if one or two of them go down, so too will Baker Mayfield and 2026 might just be a repeat of 2025.
August 22nd, 2026 at 11:12 pm
Cue the malcontents!
August 22nd, 2026 at 11:13 pm
I have some faith in Billy Schrauth, but would love not to see him having to play his rookie year. Also I think Chewbacca might develop into something down the road, but he was extremely green and will need a while to develop. Everyone else, yikes.
With that said, it seemed like they went straight from starters to 3rd and 4th stringers. I didn’t see Sucke out there, I didn’t see Chewy either. I think on that play where Browning got flattened that Klein was at tackle – and he’s not even on the depth chart at tackle (maybe he was at guard and got beat, but it looked like he was playing tackle – although the poor production value at WFLA made it difficult to tell).
August 22nd, 2026 at 11:15 pm
Don’t worry Joe. If that happens, Todd will make sure Baker play hurt no matter what!
August 22nd, 2026 at 11:15 pm
I don’t want anybody to get hurt but I do want a franchise qb and a gm who know how to get one. Next years draft is full of QBs and that would be the year to get him. Licht needs to do what he tried to do 12 years ago and still hasn’t succeeded. But I don’t want anybody to get hurt. Tired of being stuck in mediocrity.
August 22nd, 2026 at 11:17 pm
Didn’t Daniels play behind the same guys or worse?
August 22nd, 2026 at 11:17 pm
Bucs depth on interior OL was an issue and Licht did little to address it.
August 22nd, 2026 at 11:20 pm
Don’t be surprised if Licht doesn’t look at other teams practice squads or if someone gets released and picks up an offensive lineman. Almost anyone is better than the backups we have at that position
August 22nd, 2026 at 11:26 pm
Doesn’t help that browning has cement cleats no team has two sets of starters you are looking at third and fourth string plumbers settle down.
August 22nd, 2026 at 11:30 pm
Three of the likely four backup OL who will make the team (Chukwuma, Skuke and Schrauth) didn’t play due to injury so I’m not as concerned as you are. The third string are brutal but that’s the same for most NFL teams…
August 22nd, 2026 at 11:55 pm
I agree with Joe. I think Braswell(!) is a fraud. The O-line backups are simply bad. These folks were not second round picks like Braswell(!). I look forward to seeing him cut. Braswell(!) is a major disappointment and a waste of a roster spot.
August 22nd, 2026 at 11:57 pm
The truth? Is that Daniels played with these guys and was electric. Not perfect, but DAMN GOOD.
August 23rd, 2026 at 12:15 am
Plexity Says:
August 22nd, 2026 at 11:17 pm
Didn’t Daniels play behind the same guys or worse?
——–
Yeah, but that was against guys further down the roster on the Chiefs. Also the blocking wasn’t exactly great for Daniels, which is why we noticed how well he could throw on the run, since he was often running due to poor blocking.
August 23rd, 2026 at 12:19 am
Yes. Light candles. Kneel with devotion. Flaggelate ourselves so the Bucs can have the magic OL continuity of 2024 which was a nice build off of 2023 and a boon to Bucky but that went all kinds of sideways. All moving parts of the Bucs offense were injured in 2025 and the unmoving part (Grizzard) was not ready.
I’m eager to see what happens week two most of all (will Baker over-psyche?) and then weeks three and four, whether it is a rebound or a run off a statement win, I expect to have this roster’s temperature and capacity earlier than I usually do. I usually wait until game five but given the NFC South and the aged frailty of the Rams- if this team stays 66% healthy they can gift Josh Allen his first Super Bowl loss.
August 23rd, 2026 at 12:32 am
Early comparison worth noting after this season plays out- did the Bucs or the Rams and Seahawks take the proper approach to the CB position?
I’m sorta loving the Bucs pot-shot.