Jameis Winston and Ryan Fitzpatrick turn in solid quarterback play, but the Buccaneers fall 23-12 to the Bengals in their preseason opener.
Winston and Fitzpatrick look OK at QB in loss
CINCINNATI — Jameis Winston always plays with enough fire to light the Bucs. And he never flickered out of control during Friday's 23-12 preseason-opening loss against the Bengals.
He was patient, surgical. He knew how much was too much.
Winston and the offense began the game backed up to the north bank of the Ohio River, the result of a bad decision by Ryan Smith to bring the opening kickoff out of the end zone and a penalty.
But showing he can play with a resting pulse rate, Winston calmly completed his first four passes and drove the offense 92 yards. The drive stalled after two fade passes in the end zone to Mike Evans fell incomplete. Winston finished 9-of-13 for 99 yards.
Roberto Aguayo made a 20-yard field goal for a 3-0 lead.
The Bengals responded with a long drive, but former UF cornerback Vernon Hargreaves stepped in front of an Andy Dalton pass intended for Brandon LaFell at the 1-yard line.
Winston was effective moving
the Bucs out of trouble again, but his pass on third-and-2 at the Tampa Bay 30 was a little behind Evans and fell incomplete.
Ryan Fitzpatrick took over early in the second quarter and scored on a 6-yard run. FSU alum Aguayo clanked the extrapoint attempt off the right upright.
Overall, Harvard alum Fitzpatrick made a good initial impression in his bid to be Winston’s backup after signing a one-year deal. Fitzpatrick had mixed results after his TD, going 6 of 13 overall with an interception. He also scrambled twice for 15 yards. Fitzpatrick lost the ball while trying to throw but recovered his fumble.
Ryan Griffin — Tampa Bay's third-string quarterback the past two seasons — left in the fourth quarter with a shoulder injury and didn't return, forcing Fitzpatrick back into the game.
Tampa Bay opened the game with a 14-play, 92-yard drive, but had to settle for a field goal after Adam “Pacman” Jones broke up a pair of Winston's passes in the end zone. Jones is suspended by the NFL for the season opener because of his offseason arrest.
Dalton had his full complement of receivers — A.J. Green and tight end Tyler Eifert have returned from significant injuries last season — and moved the offense smoothly on Cincinnati's opening drive before making a bad decision when Hargreaves anticipated Dalton's sideline throw and intercepted.
Dalton had plenty of time to throw behind Cincinnati's reconfigured line.
“I just wish I could have that last play back,” said Dalton, who was 4 of 5 for 38 yards on his only drive.
Green, who missed the last half of last season with a hamstring injury, had a pair of catches for 21 yards.
Both teams have kicker competitions that were in the spotlight in their preseason opener.
Aguayo made his 20-yard field goal on Tampa Bay's opening possession, but he was wide right on a 47-yard try and hit the right upright on the extra-point attempt.
Nick Folk was good from 45 yards on his only chance.
The Bengals' kickers were perfect. Randy Bullock made field goals of 54 and 49 yards and his extra-point try. Jake Elliott, who was drafted in the fifth round, connected from 45 yards and also made an extra point.
Former Hagerty and Gators quarterback Jeff Driskel completed 8 of 9 attempts for 97 yards and a TD for the Bengals. He also scored a TD on an 18-yard run, part of his five rushes for 34 yards.