Even before the match, there was hype around the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Tennessee Titans. In the joint practice, Titans star Jeffery Simmons lined up across from Bucs guard Cody Mauch in a one-on-one drill—routine stuff. But in a flash, Mauch manhandled the 300-pound Pro Bowler and sent him sprawling like a backyard wrestling stunt.

Then, as the clock ticked forward, round two came swinging. About an hour later, during a team period, Bucs rookie Bucky Irving took a brutal hit that went far beyond the “it’s just practice” vibe. That was it—both sidelines emptied in a heartbeat, turning the field into a playoff-style brawl. And somehow, in the middle of the melee, Tristan Wirfs—on crutches—swung himself into the chaos, shouting, “What are you crying about?!” like he was defending a Lombardi Trophy in the fourth quarter.

However, when the Titans lined up to face the Bucs, it wasn’t the sideline scuffles giving Todd Bowles sleepless nights—it was the field itself. As ESPN NFL Nation reporter Turron Davenport put it, “The grass here at Raymond James Stadium was just laid down yesterday. You can see seams in the field where it hasn’t mended together. Between that and the rain, this is definitely not a great surface to play on.” That’s not exactly the reassurance you want before kickoff.

Moreover, AtoZSports’ Buck Reising doubled down on the criticism. “Field conditions in Tampa are (my words) dog s—. Titans less than thrilled. Fingers crossed everyone comes out clean on both sides,” he posted on X. But that hope didn’t hold up for long. Rachaad White and Tyjae Spears both left the game with injuries. Spears was carted to the locker room for further evaluation.

What happened? He appeared to suffer a lower leg injury during the second quarter after catching a 13-yard pass from backup quarterback Brandon Allen on 3rd-and-15. That play brought out the punting unit, and Spears finished with three carries for -1 yard and that single reception for 13 yards.

If Spears’ injury turns out to be serious, it’s a major blow to the Titans’ early-season plans. He entered 2025 as a breakout candidate, ready to take on a bigger role. Now, the Titans’ problem just got heavier. However, they spiralled equally for Bowles, who already admitted his interior line needs work, and now he’s staring at a two-position puzzle.

Todd Bowles identifies a lack in the interior offensive line

For Bucs head coach Todd Bowles, the joint practice turned into a chance to pinpoint what still needs polishing. And topping his list? Stronger protection from the interior offensive line. With Graham Barton returning at center after a standout rookie year, flanked by Ben Bredeson on the left and Cody Mauch on the right, the group remains unchanged from last season. All three helped power Tampa Bay’s run game in 2024, and with Josh Grizzard’s system still in place, they have every reason to aim even higher in 2025.

When asked about the blocking against Tennessee’s defense, Bowles admitted the middle could use tightening. “Just blind sight, not even watching the film, I think we can protect up the middle a little better in the pass protection part of it,” Bowles said. “I did not watch the defense. I thought our [wide] receivers did a good job trying to insert and block and get open and those type of things, but I thought it was a little too much penetration up the middle.” Still, he knows joint practices come with quirks. There’s no prepped film, no studied formations—just raw, instinctual football. That means fewer tells and more surprise looks, which can make evaluation tricky but invaluable for sharpening fundamentals.

Fortunately, Barton, Mauch, and Bredeson have time to iron out those wrinkles. And despite the critique, Bowles made sure to credit their fight. “I’ll look at the tape overall to see. We’ve executed some things, and some things we need to work on. We saw another defense, and they shifted us to some things that we got to adjust to. And we’ll get better from that. But, you know, overall the effort was there.” They definitely need to figure out the possible solutions to their troubles.

Unfortunately, now the sudden injury scare dimmed that progress-focused mood.