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Key Takeaways from Jaguars vs. Buccaneers

It was a big night for the Wilsons (WR Bobo and RB Shaun) as Ryan Griffin had another solid outing, making his first start this preseason. 

View photos of the Buccaneers' preseason Week 4 game against the Jacksonville Jaguars.

-Quarterback Ryan Griffin again looked great as he made his first start of the 2018 preseason. The Bucs backup signal caller was 17 of 27 for 151 yards and a touchdown in 30 minutes of work. It was rookie receiver Justin Watson that Griffin would connect with for his sole touchdown of the night. It was Watson's second touchdown this preseason. Griffin again just looked comfortable as he commanded the Bucs' offense, spreading the ball out to 10 different pass catchers in the first half. The Bucs bested the Jags 17-6 on first downs with Griffin on the field, running 41 offensive plays for 184 yards compared to Jacksonville's 113 yards on 26 plays.

-It was up to running back Shaun Wilson to help his case tonight – both through ground and special teams work. He was able to manage both, leading the Bucs in rushing yards. He had 44 yards on seven carries to give a 6.3 average. He also added 51 yards through the air on five receptions, giving him nearly 100 total yards for the night. On kickoff returns, Wilson kind of relinquished his role for the night to receiver Bobo Wilson who got all of the work. Despite that, Shaun Wilson certainly seemed to separate himself from fellow running back Dare Ogunbowale across all fronts. Ogunbowale finished the night with 29 yards on five carries for a 5.8 average and just one three-yard reception.

-Wide receiver Bobo Wilson had been having a quiet preseason up until Thursday night. Not only did he get a long of work in the receiving game, but he got all of the Bucs return work on kickoffs. Wilson finished the night with 120 yards on five kickoff returns, showing his worth on special teams. He had five catches on the night for 51 yards for a 10.2 yards-per-catch average. He also had a spectacular end around play in the second quarter, giving him 21 yards on the ground and his longest play of the night. He was bested by receiver Bernard Reedy, who had five catches for 56 yards. What was more impressive about Reedy's stats was that according to the official stats, Reedy was only targeted five times – meaning he caught the ball each time it was thrown his way. Reedy didn't get any work on special teams but it was certainly a battle between him and Wilson through the air.

-Rookie linebacker Jack Cichy had three solo tackles, one of which was for a loss, in a good outing for the young player. Cichy is battling with the more experienced Cam Lynch for a spot on the 53-man roster as a part of the linebacking corps. Lynch had one more tackle than Cichy tonight but it's hard to deny that as Cichy gets more and more comfortable, especially considering his injury last year, has tremendous upside. His tackle for loss came when the snap was fumbled by Jacksonville center Tony Adams. Quarterback Tanner Lee was able to scoop the ball still but Cichy was already coming down on a blitz and backed Lee up six yards on his way to the ground. It showed some great awareness on the part of the middle level defender. Cichy also helped his case by making an impact on special teams. He was part of the team's punt coverage team after the first series and ended up making the tackle to stop returner Shane Wynn after just nine yards.

-Rookie running back Ronald Jones didn't have the game or preseason he would have wanted but the Bucs' lack of depth at offensive line made running lanes hard to come by. There was more than one occasion where Jones got taken down in the backfield. The good news is that none of the starters on the O-Line are thought to be sidelined long term so the team should be okay come the regular season. Once the game slows down for Jones behind a solidified line, there should be a lot of improvement in store for the young back.

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