Bucky Irving shines, offensive line lacks shine in Tampa Bay Buccaneers' Week 3 loss

The Buccaneers had no answer for the Denver Broncos on Sunday. Nothing went right for the team in the 26-7 loss. The offense seemed stagnant, couldn't put together any good drives and extended its streak of games without a touchdown in the opening drive to 23 games. The defense faltered early and often and couldn't unsettle Denver's rookie quarterback.

After a 2-0 start, the loss brings the Bucs back down to earth, as the Philadelphia Eagles come to town next week for a rematch of the 2023 wild card game. The Bucs will need to turn things around by practicing well and pulling out well for a week before they fall into an early hole and face a string of difficult games.

It was difficult to pick three players who really shined in the loss. We could have listed those five players, and there are always more players and units we could list. But the game is 3 Up, 3 Down. Here's who shined, if just barely, and who struggled in the Bucs' Week 3 loss to the Broncos.

RB Bucky Irving

Bucky Irving was one of the few bright spots in a disappointing loss to the Broncos. He had several great plays and his ability to leave defenders running in space and his acceleration to top speed are notable. Irving ran for 70 yards on nine carries.

NCB Tykee Smith

After his “flu game,” Smith had a solid performance against the Broncos. He had six tackles, including one for a loss of five yards, and a huge pass breakup on third down that he nearly intercepted. Aside from a 31-yard catch-and-run with Zyon McCollum in coverage, slot receiver Josh Reynolds was awfully quiet on the day, recording just one other catch for five yards.

CB Zyon McCollum

McCollum had a mistake early on when he allowed a 31-yard catch-and-run to Josh Reynolds, but he was back in the game after that. McCollum continues to make strides as a full-time starter, finishing the day with six tackles and two pass deflections. One of those was a near interception, and if he had been there a half-tick earlier, it would have been his second interception in as many games.

Offensive line

Mayfield struggled to find his rhythm in the passing game all day, and that was largely due to the Buccaneers offensive line struggling with the Broncos' fierce blitz. Mayfield was under pressure all day, and even when he tried to make an impact out of structure, he was made difficult to find open receivers against an excellent man coverage defensive system. Mayfield was sacked seven times on the day, as the pressure came from all over the field. It was not a good day for the Bucs offensive line.

CB Jamel Dean

It was not a good game for Dean. Dean had to cover Cortland Sutton for most of the game and had no answer for the seven-year pro. He allowed seven passes for 68 yards on 11 attempts for Sutton, including several catches that extended the drive. With AJ Brown on the schedule next week, he will need to recover quickly.

Jake Camarda

Camarda's punting woes continued against the Broncos. After a 64-yard wonder, Camarda had a shank of just 33 yards and another line drive punt that luckily landed at the six before being touched down. Camarda has been inconsistent since the preseason. The Bucs have punter Seth Vernon on the practice squad and it might be time to see what he can do.

Stay with BucsGameday for more coverage of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during the 2024 season.

Follow BucsGameday on Þjórsárdalur And on facebook.

• Mike Evans approaches the Bucs' all-time record

• Tom Brady names the Bucs as a top-5 NFL team

• Bucs doing “great job” of rebuilding Super Bowl contender

• Baker Mayfield Adamant Bucs will play in February