SirVocea Dennis reflects on first game action since September 2024.
The last time SirVocea Dennis played a full game was when the Bucs beat the Lions in a close game in Detroit last year.
The next game against the Eagles, Dennis played five defensive snaps and injured his shouder. Next was season-ending surgery. He held out hope that he could return in the playoffs, but that wasn’t meant to be.
So Joe doesn’t blame Dennis for gloating a little bit since he was in a game-like situation, albeit a worthless preseason game, when Joe spoke with him after Saturday night’s Bucs win over the mighty Titans.
> “It felt good to be back out there, especially in the game,” Dennis said. “Definitely excited about the outcome. I don’t like that they scored on their second time out.”
Bucs coach Todd Bowles said before the game he was giving the starters the night off. So given how injury-prone Dennis is, “this Joe” was surprised Dennis was actually on the field.
Bowles wanted Dennis to have practice barking out plays radioed in to him from Bowles. Also, Bowles wanted Dennis to get used to not having to lean on Lavonte David for help.
Joe asked Dennis if his coach felt like he needed the work.
> “Oh, probably,” Dennis said. “I know I definitely wanted to throw myself out there as well. So I actually thank him for that.
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> “I’ll take any reps I can to get ready right before the season.”
Dennis has had a sort of quiet training camp. Joe thinks his best practice was Thursday with the Titans. He made several plays.
Then in the first worthless preseason game against Tennessee, Dennis wasn’t shabby there either. He did have a pair of tackles.
Dennis confessed he doesn’t want to go crazy in practices facing his own teammates. There’s no sense in getting his own teammates blown up, he told Joe.
> “I mean, that’s always the objective, and always the goal is to play to your best, obviously, against an opponent,” Dennis said. “That means something. Against your own guys, you know you can only do so much, and you don’t want to do much against them. You don’t want to hurt them.”
Dennis showed he can pick up his game against a different uniform. He can flip the switch.
Will that switch be available when the Bucs travel to Atlanta in 27 days against the Dixie Chicks?
_#BeatAtlanta_
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