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Rookie receiver Ted Hurst makes his debut.
Joe was stoked to see what rookie receiver Ted Hurst could do under the lights for a change tonight.
He gave Bucs fans some exciting plays in the preseason opener against the Jets. But there could have been several more if he was playing with backup QB Jake Browning. Or even Baker Mayfield.
A bad back kept Browning out tonight. In his place, Connor Bazelak started for the Bucs. Joe will be polite and just say Bazelak isn’t exactly a sharpshooter.
As a result, Bazelak made Bucs receivers work. Few passes were on target. Joe was glad Jalen McMillan wasn’t on the field.
Hurst would have had a touchdown had Bazelak not thrown behind Hurst on a short pass into the end zone. The ball was ripped out of Hurst’s hands — that is the first time Joe has seen that. But Hurst did show Bucs fans that if the ball is near his hands, more likely than not it will be a catch. Hurst has impressed Joe so much with the way Hurst makes tough, contested catches look routine.
If Hurst looks solid with a less than accurate QB, imagine what Hurst can do with a more accurate quarterback?
Hurst finished the Bucs victory with 2 catches on 6 targets for 19 yards. He did not play in the second half.