Buccaneers at Jaguars: Preseason Finale Screams Under as Starters Take a Bow

Week 3 of the preseason is where dreams go to die and third-stringers get their moment in the sun. Baker Mayfield and Trevor Lawrence will take their ceremonial snaps—maybe a quarter if they're feeling frisky—then watch from the sidelines while clipboard warriors try not to embarrass themselves on national television. This is roster-bubble football, and it's ugly by design.

Jacksonville's been averaging 20.5 points per game this preseason, capped by a 34-17 faceplant against Carolina. Tampa's backups have been even more anemic, scraping together 16-24 points in their last two outings. These aren't the polished offenses you'll see in September. These are guys fighting for practice squad spots, stalling drives in the red zone, and turning would-be touchdowns into field goal attempts—or worse, turnovers.

The total sits at 35.5, which feels generous given the context. Preseason execution is sloppy, play-calling is vanilla, and nobody's game-planning to exploit weaknesses. Coaches want reps and injury-free exits, not style points. DarkHorse AI likes the under at 4/5 confidence, and it's hard to argue. When the stars sit and the backups stumble, points dry up fast. Fade the fireworks and bank on mediocrity.