5 Things to Look For in Tonight's Game

Finally football is back and the Bucs kick it off against the Eagles tonight in their first preseason game. The team starts fresh under a new staff led by new head coach Dirk Koetter who has done a great job this off-season and has brought an aggressive approach to this team. There are a few things to watch for tonight as we finally get to see what kind of team the Bucs are going to be this year. So with that being said, here are my 5 things to look for tonight.

Play smart football- Last year, the Bucs usually beat themselves with costly penalties or turnovers and it cost them at least a few wins. Can the Bucs limit the dead ball flags like false starts, offsides, legal procedures, and dumb personal fouls? Hopefully they can show improvement there and can keep it limited tonight.

Put pressure on the QB- The Bucs have upgraded the front four with the additions of Robert Ayers and Noah Spence. With a healthy Gerald McCoy and Jack Smith, I want to see the Bucs d-line be disruptive tonight and as a whole put some pressure on the Qb tonight. It doesn't have to be just from the front four, it can be with blitzes but just put some hits on the Qb. The Bucs didn't get enough pressure on the Qb last year, that has to change.

Make explosive plays- The Bucs did a good job of making big plays on offense but it could have been better. The deep passing game is something that needs to be solid this season if the Bucs want to win more games. Hopefully the Bucs call up some downfield passes tonight and can hit a few. The defense needs more explosive plays as well, whether its sacks, turnovers they need to make more big plays.

Who will step up at WR?- The Bucs have their top 3 at receiver set with Evans, Jackson, and Humphries but who will get the last two or three spots behind them. Pressure is on Kenny Bell tonight as he needs to standout in some way tonight and make some plays. Russell Shepard has shown the ability but needs to be more consistent. The guy I will be watching is newcomer Jonathan Krause who has been strong in camp so far.

Competition at CB- Many good battles to watch here as the competition is fierce. Will Hargreaves show his playmaking ability and move into that nickel position or will Jude Adjei-Barimah be the better player tonight? Is this the end for Johnthan Banks or will he step up and move back into contention for a top spot? These questions probably wont be answered tonight but it will be interesting to see how the corner position battle plays out.

So there is my 5 things to look for tonight, it should be a fun game to watch and hopefully no injuries on both sides. Football is back!