Kameron Johnson
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Kameron Johnson was the highlight of an up-and-down special teams day for the Bucs
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers narrowly pulled out a 23-20 victory over the Atlanta Falcons in Week 1. With a roller-coaster-like day on special teams, there were many different ways the game could’ve played out.
Punt returner Kameron Johnson earned NFC Special Teams Player of the Week for his big performance. On the flipside, kicker Chase McLaughlin really struggled. Punter Riley Dixon served as the middle ground, putting together a solid day.
Johnson’s big impact came from his lone punt return. With just under 10 minutes to play in the third quarter, the 23-year-old exploded for a 54-yard gain. The return not only gave the Buccaneers great field position, but also energized the offense, leading to a Bucky Irving touchdown.
Along with his big return, Johnson played 11 other special teams snaps on Sunday. He showed up on the other side as well, downing a punt inside the 20-yard line as a gunner. After dealing with injuries during training camp, the former undrafted free agent proved why he deserved a spot on the 53-man roster.
“As soon as I got to this level, I’ve been dealing with a lot of stuff,” Johnson said. “But it’s always amazing when they keep you around, believe in you, and then you show them what you can do. It was pretty cool.”
Kicking Struggles
Johnson did a good job bringing light to an otherwise somewhat gloomy special teams day for Tampa Bay. McLaughlin had a rough day kicking, making one of two field goals, and two of three extra points.
With just over 10 minutes to go in the second quarter, McLaughlin nailed a 48-yarder, right down the middle. The Buccaneers’ first drive of the second half ended with a 44-yard field goal attempt. McLaughlin hooked it left, keeping the game tied 10-10 at the time.
Maybe the biggest miss of the day came after Emeka Egbuka’s late-game touchdown. McLaughlin ran out for the extra-point attempt to make it a four-point lead, but plunked it off the left upright.
The miscue gave the Falcons a chance to tie and force overtime with a field goal of their own. Luckily for Tampa Bay, Younghoe Koo missed a 44-yard kick of his own with just six seconds left.
There was some speculation that McLaughlin may have been shaken up by a hit after a kick earlier in the contest. Head coach Todd Bowles seemed confident that the hit didn’t play a factor in his kicker’s misses.
“[McLaughlin’s] gotten hit before, and he’s made those plays,” Bowles said. “We’ve just got to make them.”
Finally, Some Punting Consistency
After a rough 2024 in terms of punting, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers seem to have found the answer. Dixon signed a two-year, $6 million contract this offseason, and played up to it on Sunday.
The 32-year-old punted four times against the Falcons, downing two of them inside the 20. Dixon’s net average punt yards was 44, while his longest of the day went for 62 yards.
Bowles spoke highly of Dixon throughout the offseason, and got to see it come to fruition in Week 1. The Buccaneers will be looking for Dixon to continue being a consistent difference-maker as the year progresses.