Kyle Trask turns in a productive Preseason finale at Houston

Patience is perfect

I know, I know, he’s got a couple of seasons to grow into the position. That doesn’t mean that Bucs fans didn’t want to see a nice outing from the second-round pick right now. There was no shortage of fans that were already calling him another in-state-college-quarterback-bust on social media. (The fact does remain that the Gators have never had an NFL quarterback of any note, go on to have much success.) To say that a few fans turned on the Gator prospect after his two-interception outing vs the Titans would be putting it mildly. There was no shortage of fans already having him walk the plank even before the first regular season game was under his belt — Patience is something many fans just don’t have the time for in today’s modern NFL. Can I get an Amen from Ronald Jones II from somewhere in the back?

One pretty good preseason game; a Tom Brady does not make thee.

Whenever he’s handed the reins, he’s going to have some rough water to wade through. In working so closely with Brady and learning the ropes from him, it should hopefully lessen the growing pains come showtime in a season or two. Fans need to consider that Jason Licht has proven he has an eye for talent. Let’s hope that holds true with Trask.

Bengals

Trask’s play during the preseason has been about what you would expect. After his debut against the Bengals, in which he finished 4-15 for only 35 yards and had several of his passes dropped by receivers, he was asked about the step up to professional speed defenses and had this to say about it:

“It wasn’t anything that caught me off guard once I got out there. We like to practice at a good pace, so we’re very prepared for these situations. I don’t feel like I was ever caught off guard in the moment.” 

After the game, Coach Bruce Arians had this to say coming to his rookie’s defense:

“I thought Kyle played well,” Arians told media. “I thought Kyle went in there and made some throws that guys needed to make plays for him. I like his poise and where he’s at.”  

Titans

Against the Titans, Trask seemed to regress a bit — which could be expected to some degree, being that he was playing against a better defense. Playing with all reserves pretty much the entire game, he seemed to take another step back, finishing 13-26, 131 YDS, 2 INTs. During one play, he found a streaking Tanner Hudson down the middle and hit the tight-end in the chest for what appeared to be a nice gain. As Hudson went down, he appeared to have fumbled the ball when he was hit by Titan’s defender Bradley McDougald. Defender Boddy-Calhoun scooped the ball up and took it the distance, making it 20-3 Titans. Officials admitted their mistake in calling the ball a fumble, but the damage was already done. Fans have to be more patient. The quarterback position in the NFL is an extremely hard position to play especially for a rookie. There are a rare few that step into this league NFL ready and commit few mistakes.

Texans

In the preseason finale against the Texans, Trask was able to play much better and threw for his first NFL touchdown. He finished the game with a very respectable stat line, going 12 of 14, for 146 yards and the one touchdown. I believe we are all going to see him have more games like this one as time progresses. He’s a very cerebral kid (very smart). He’s extremely coachable and has a stronger arm than many give him credit. I still believe he will break the mold for UF quarterbacks. He will find success at the NFL level — how special would it be to have him do it in-state with our Buccaneers. Fans should follow the coach’s narrative when it comes to new players. They have been down this road before, uncountable times. Have faith Bucs fans. Maybe we have finally drafted the quarterback that will turn the page from the history that we have had with our drafted quarterbacks. Trask has a real chance to be that guy. Let’s support him, fellow Bucs fans, and suppress the urge to judge too soon. Don’t forget how fans judged Ronald Jones II too soon. He has become one of the top backs in the NFL. The regular season begins soon, so let’s focus on champagne showers and throwing Lombardi Trophies from boat to boat. Go Bucs!!