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Tampa Bay Buccaneers at New York Jets

By Bush StaffUpdated 7d ago·2 min read
Tampa Bay BuccaneersTB(1-0)
New York JetsNYJ(0-1)
24—16
FINAL
Show fees
FINAL
Spread
ML
Total
Buccaneers(1-0)
WLLLL
24
Jets(0-1)
LLLLL
16
Best BetBuccaneers +220
Postgame

Tampa Bay cashed the moneyline outright, winning 24-16 despite resting Mayfield and Browning — proof the plus-money price on the backups was too generous. The Jets-played-their-starters bear point showed up in Klubnik's poise, but it wasn't enough to offset a Jets defense already banged up in the secondary.

Pregame

Tampa Bay's still the better-built roster even sitting its starting quarterback, and that gap is wide enough to price in at a hefty number regardless of who's throwing it for either side Friday. Geno Smith and the Jets' starters getting run doesn't offset a roster that finished 5 straight losses to close last season. Backing the Bucs here is a bet on institutional talent over exhibition intensity.

New York handed the keys to rookie Cade Klubnik once Geno Smith was scratched with a sore ankle, and the first-year passer looked composed in his pro debut, climbing the pocket to hit Garrett Wilson for a 21-yard gain on an early third down. Tampa Bay stayed simple on the other side of the ball, with Baker Mayfield and Jake Browning both held out and the QB reps left to the rest of the Bucs' camp bodies.

Wilson still got his obligatory look before giving way, hauling in 2 of 3 targets for 32 yards, while the Jets' secondary dealt with its own attrition — Qwan'tez Stiggers in concussion protocol and D'Angelo Ponds still working back from a calf issue. None of it stopped New York from playing most of its starters, a call that made this feel less like paint-by-numbers filler and more like an actual dress rehearsal.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
(1-0)
Jan 3Wvs Panthers16-14
Dec 28L@ Dolphins17-20
Dec 21L@ Panthers20-23
Dec 12Lvs Falcons28-29
Dec 7Lvs Saints20-24
New York Jets
New York Jets
(0-1)
Jan 4L@ Bills8-35
Dec 28Lvs Patriots10-42
Dec 21L@ Saints6-29
Dec 14L@ Jaguars20-48
Dec 7Lvs Dolphins10-34

Tampa Bay had the better night on the scoreboard regardless, closing it out at 24-16 behind a defense that's dealt with its own camp bumps — Vita Vea nursing a back issue that's reportedly drawn interest from other teams, Tristan Wirfs working through a hamstring strain. None of it slowed the Bucs down against a Jets team still shaking off the rust of a 2025 season that ended on a 5-game skid.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
(3)
  • QuestionableVita Vea (DT) — Multiple teams have checked on Vea's (back) availability, Mike Garafolo of NFL Network reports.08/14
  • QuestionableTristan Wirfs (OT) — Wirfs suffered a hamstring injury Tuesday, Scott Smith of the team's official site reports.07/30
  • OutChase Lucas (CB) — The Buccaneers placed Lucas (undisclosed) on injured reserve Sunday, per the NFL's transaction log.08/11
New York Jets
New York Jets
(5)
  • QuestionableQwan'tez Stiggers (CB) — Stiggers is in league concussion protocol, per Zack Rosenblatt of The Athletic.08/12
  • QuestionableD'Angelo Ponds (CB) — Ponds (calf) is not yet healthy enough to return to the practice field, Zack Rosenblatt of The Athletic reports.08/04
  • OutJoseph Ossai (DE) — Ossai (undisclosed) passed his physical and was removed from the Jets' active/PUP list Tuesday.08/11
  • OutT'Vondre Sweat (DT) — Sweat (hamstring) is unlikely to return to the practice field this week, Zack Rosenblatt of The Athletic reports.08/04
  • OutTyler Baron (DE) — The Jets placed Baron (knee) on the active/PUP list Saturday, Ethan Greenberg of the team's official site reports. reports.07/25

David Bailey was the name Jets fans wanted to see translate from padless practices to live snaps, and his camp speed showed up again on Friday — exactly the kind of flash that can tip a roster-bubble battle. It matters more for final 53-man cuts than for anything on the scoreboard, which is really the whole point of a game like this.

For Tampa Bay, the finished product barely resembled a normal NFL night — no Mayfield, no Browning, no fuss — and the Bucs won anyway, a decent early sign for a depth chart that's dealt with injury questions up front all summer. For the Jets, the story was Klubnik's first read on an NFL field, not the final score, with Aaron Glenn's group still auditioning for roles before anything counts in September.

Sources

NFLTampa Bay BuccaneersNew York JetsPolymarketKalshi