The happy days that followed Tampa Bay's dominant performance in a preseason-opening win at Miami ended abruptly Monday, when coach Greg Schiano was anything but pleased with the way the Buccaneers’ practice unfolded.
Schiano re-started one period of practice on multiple occasions due to sloppy play, turnovers and penalties, according to Roy Cummings of the Tampa Tribune.
“There’s one way here,” Schiano told the team. “We’re not going to compromise.”
Cummings also noted that three players who sat out the game at Miami were back in action: tight end Dallas Clark (unspecified injury), cornerback Aqib Talib (hamstring) and rookie safety Mark Barron (toe). Schiano also said left tackle Donald Penn is close to a return from the calf injury that has held him out of camp thus far.
- WR Jackson raising eyebrows with his play and his words: One of the team’s top offseason acquisitions, receiver Vincent Jackson, could be the sort of deep threat the Bucs have lacked in recent years, according to Martin Fennelly of the Tampa Tribune. Jackson wasn’t even targeted in the preseason opener, but he already has built a healthy rapport with QB Josh Freeman, telling reporters Freeman “should be mentioned in the top five [quarterbacks] in the league, I think.” Backup QB Dan Orlosky, who has played with top NFL receivers such as Andre Johnson, Reggie Wayne and Calvin Johnson, said Jackson has all the makings of a leader on and off the field, according to this blog from the Tampa Bay Times staff.
- DL McCoy finally healthy, ready to contribute: One of the Bucs’ poster boys, defensive lineman Gerald McCoy, was one of the under-the-radar stars of the preseason opener, writes Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times. The third overall pick in the 2010 NFL draft, McCoy has battled injuries throughout the early portion of his career, but he played well against the Dolphins in his first significant action since Week 5 of last season. Stroud notes McCoy has more than 30,000 Twitter followers but has only tweeted once since late June, perhaps a sign of his focus heading into the season.
- Rookie RB Smith hopes return prowess helps him make roster: Seventh-round draft pick Michael Smith raised a few eyebrows in the Miami game with a 74-yard punt return. The Utah State alumnus is fighting to make the Bucs’ roster, and his ability to contribute on special teams could be the difference between making the 53-man roster and getting cut, the Tampa Bay Times’ Joe Smith writes.
- Attempting to avoid blackouts, Bucs offer new ticket plan: In the hopes of overcoming sluggish ticket sales, Tampa Bay has announced two “half-season” ticket plans. Thirteen of the team’s past 15 regular season home games have been blacked out for television due to poor ticket sales, according to the Tampa Bay Times, which pinned some of the sales struggles to a poor economy and subpar Bucs teams. The organization hopes to reverse that trend with the new ticket plans and softer regulations on television blackouts.
For more from Tampa Bay Bucs blogger Patrick Southern, follow @CBSSportsNFLTB.
