NEW YORK — The Tampa Bay Buccaneers kick off their preseason schedule tonight against the New York Jets at MetLife Stadium, and players and coaches say a week of joint practices in New York has the team feeling good heading into the game.
The Bucs are running a new offense under new offensive coordinator Zac Robinson this season, but center Graham Barton said the entire unit has been on the same page.
"You kind of get to test your mettle. You get to test, one, obviously your physicality, but your communication ability, mentality-wise, how you come together, chemistry, how you hit combinations," Barton explained. "I think we made a lot of progress this week. This was kind of the first time we've gone live like this against another team, and there weren't a whole lot of issues."
Head coach Todd Bowles echoed that sentiment after the joint practices.
"[The] effort is outstanding on both sides. I think we got a lot of work done," he said after the second workout. "The young guys got a chance to play against different guys, a different scheme, so to speak, and they got thrown in there early. There's a lot of tape to correct [and] there's a lot of things to learn from, but the effort was great."
Barton said the road trip has also been good for team building.
"It's a good time. Hopefully, ten years from now you're looking back, and you remember the fun stuff about these trips," he smiled. "There's a lot bonding that goes on. A lot of that team chemistry is formed this time of year."
Rookie quarterback Jalon Daniels is expected to see his first NFL snaps tonight. The former Kansas quarterback said the moment carries significant meaning for him.
"I mean, it's a dream come true to be able to play at this level, playing professional football," he said enthusiastically. "I mean, I've been dreaming of this moment since I was a kid. Being able to go out [there] and be able to play some NFL football [on] Friday, it means the world."
Daniels' collegiate highlight reel looks a lot like that of a Baker Mayfield-style player, and Jalon said watching Mayfield has been valuable.
"He has a fire underneath him," he added. "He's someone who goes out there, and when he has that fire, you're able to see him go out there and operate. Be able to make every single play, and we were able to see that."
Mayfield and most other first-team starters won't to play tonight. When asked how much rookie edge rusher Rueben Bain would play, Bowles said, "Not much, if at all."
Kickoff is tonight at 7 p.m. at MetLife Stadium.
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