Takeaways from Dolphins vs. Bucs

In the battle of reserves that kicked off the Buccaneers’ 2022 preseason slate, several players put up strong performances on turf. During the 60-minute competitive battle, roster hopefuls vied for rotational roles. Tampa Bay rested essentially all of their starters on Saturday night at Raymond James Stadium as is customary in the preseason around the league, which provided reps for those striving to make the final 53 cutdown. Here are the top takeaways from the Bucs’ preseason opener.

Under the Saturday night lights to the delight of a red sea at Raymond James Stadium, outside linebackers Cam Gill and Anthony Nelson spearheaded the defensive effort. Each registered a sack and two tackles for loss (tying for the team lead), adding constant penetration in the backfield during the first half of the ballgame. Both names seemed to be in on nearly every tackle, firing off blocks in pursuit of the ball carrier/quarterback.

In the first quarter, after tackling Sony Michel in the backfield for a loss of three yards from first and goal, Gill sacked Skylar Thompson two plays later for a loss of six yards, which forced Miami to kick a field goal. He stalled the drive for the Dolphins, garnering praise from Head Coach Todd Bowles.

“Cam [Gill] has been the ultimate professional,” Bowles stated. “Every year he’s got something different from it that he learned the year before that he added to his game. When he first got here, he was strictly power and he didn’t know how to play – his technique has gotten better, his awareness has gotten better, his drops have gotten better and he’s still a tenacious rusher – and we don’t mind putting him in there. We don’t feel like we lose anything when he goes into the ball game. He’s become very trustworthy.”

His counterpart, Anthony Nelson, continued the trend in the second quarter in a similar turn of events. From first and ten at the Tampa Bay 28-yard line, Nelson stifled the run and immediately tackled…