Buccaneers Hold Off Chiefs 16-15 in Second Preseason Test at Raymond James Stadium

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers closed a busy August evening at Raymond James Stadium with a 16-15 preseason victory over the Kansas City Chiefs on Saturday night, improving to 2-0 in exhibition play and giving head coach Todd Bowles a defensive performance to build on with one preseason game left before the regular season opens.

How the Buccaneers pulled it out

The Buccaneers led for most of the night thanks to steady work from the second- and third-team defenses, which repeatedly forced Kansas City's backup units into short possessions. Tampa Bay's front seven pressured Chiefs quarterbacks throughout the second half and stopped a two-point conversion attempt in the fourth quarter that would have flipped the score.

Tampa Bay's offense could not find the end zone, cashing in field goals instead of touchdowns on several trips into the red zone. Even so, the Buccaneers stayed in front by managing field position and keeping the ball out of the Chiefs' offensive rhythm.

Kansas City closed within a point on a late scoring drive, but a failed conversion attempt sealed the outcome. The 16-15 final gave Bowles a series of concrete answers on positional battles that will carry into roster cut weekend.

Defense sets the tone

The Buccaneers put together back-to-back three-and-outs at a critical stretch and pressured Kansas City quarterbacks into throwaways, sacks, and short-yardage decisions. That defensive rhythm has been a consistent theme through Tampa Bay's first two preseason outings and is a bright spot after an offseason of continuity for coordinator Kacy Rodgers's unit.

Depth defensive linemen and rotational edge rushers were among the more visible contributors. Coaches have used the preseason to look at how younger players hold up against NFL-caliber blockers, and the Chiefs' backup line gave several Buccaneers a chance to flash. The staff will spend the next several days evaluating whether the pass rush production translates to sustainable results against starters when the regular season opens.

The secondary was tested most in the fourth quarter, when Kansas City's reserves put together their most sustained drive of the night. Tampa Bay held up in the red zone and rejected the two-point try that would have handed the Chiefs the lead.

Offense searches for red zone answers

Field goals over touchdowns is not the formula Bowles wants to see when the regular season begins, and the Buccaneers' offensive play-callers spent much of the second half trying different personnel packages in scoring position. Baker Mayfield, who has been managed carefully in the preseason, took a limited series and handed the rest of the night to backups competing for spots on the depth chart.

Running-back rotation and receiver targeting were part of the picture, with several roster hopefuls getting extended looks. The Buccaneers have a deep receiver room to sort through in the final week, and coaches used the game to see how young players held up against zone coverage and press-man looks.

Kicker Chase McLaughlin was reliable, converting three field goals to account for most of Tampa Bay's scoring. A short touchdown drive earlier in the night rounded out the point total.

Roster implications with cut day approaching

Every NFL team must reduce its roster to 53 players by the league's cut-down deadline, and the Buccaneers are no exception. The 16-15 game gave the coaching staff another live sample size on positions where the depth chart is not settled, especially at outside linebacker, cornerback, and interior offensive line.

A handful of players in the fringe positional battles distinguished themselves. Others did not, and the film review over the coming days will determine which reserves make the initial 53, which land on the practice squad, and which will look for opportunities elsewhere in the league. The final preseason game against the Jacksonville Jaguars on Aug. 28 offers one more chance to make a case.

Tampa Bay has been busy on the periphery of the roster all week. Reserves at the linebacker level and along the offensive line have moved on and off the depth chart as coaches search for the right complementary pieces around the starters. Saturday night's snaps will inform many of those calls.

What comes next

The Buccaneers close out the exhibition schedule on Thursday, Aug. 28 against the Jaguars at home. Bowles is expected to hold most of the starters out of that game to protect against injury heading into the regular season, giving backups an extended audition.

Once the preseason wraps up, Tampa Bay opens the 2026 regular season with a full slate of NFC South competition. Continuity is the Buccaneers' calling card, with Bowles back for another season and a defense that finished last year among the league's better units. The preseason results indicate the coaching staff has options at multiple positions and can afford to be patient in choosing final rotations.

Preseason perspective

Preseason results in the NFL do not count toward regular season standings, and coaches generally warn fans against reading too much into blowout wins or losses. That said, the Buccaneers' 2-0 start suggests the depth pieces are performing at a level Bowles can work with, and the defensive front's ability to affect the opposing quarterback in two consecutive games is a real data point.

The Chiefs, coached by Andy Reid, have historically used the preseason to give reserves work while resting quarterback Patrick Mahomes. That was the case Saturday, and Kansas City's core starters were not part of the equation. The Chiefs' loss will have no bearing on their outlook as one of the AFC's Super Bowl contenders.

Ticket and attendance notes

Raymond James Stadium was well populated for a preseason contest, with Tampa fans getting an early look at a team that has been one of the NFC's more consistent franchises over the past several seasons. The Buccaneers open at home to begin the regular season, and the club has been preparing marketing and gameday operations for the opener.

Ticket demand for Buccaneers home games has held steady, and the club continues to promote its schedule of division and interconference matchups. The preseason finale on Aug. 28 will be the final live look at the roster before the coaching staff finalizes its cuts.