The winless Tampa Bay Buccaneers were on the wrong side of the scoreboard -- again -- but Mike Glennon's NFL debut was far from a disaster flick.
The rookie quarterback showed promise in a 13-10 loss to the Arizona Cardinals, who scored 13 unanswered fourth-quarter points to seal the deal.
There were errors and a few ugly reads, but Glennon's best quality was evident: He isn't afraid to get rid of the ball. Glennon rolled away from the rush, checked down to second and third options and capably built a 10-0 halftime lead before throwing it away with two interceptions in the final four minutes.Â
Down the stretch, Glennon looked more like a rookie -- frankly, more like Josh Freeman -- than Tom Brady, but he showed promise Sunday.
Here's what else we learned:
- Glennon's best friend -- for three quarters -- was Tampa Bay's stingy defense. Lavonte David and Mason Foster are two of the NFL's better coverage linebackers, and the Bucs' loaded secondary was stellar before losing safety Mark Barron to injury.
- For three quarters, Darrelle Revis won his battle with Larry Fitzgerald, who went into halftime without a catch. Revis didn't key on Fitzgerald exclusively -- sometimes pushing him into zone coverage -- but their matchup should be a Game Rewind sensation this week. Revis had a pick on a pass intended for Fitzgerald, but the All-Pro wideout roared back with six catches and the game's key touchdown.
- Nice win by the Cardinals, but their offensive line is a problem. The Bucs were held to one sack but controlled the line of scrimmage. Carson Palmer is a dead man walking until offensive tackle Levi Brown and friends get this fixed.
- From the trainer's room: Barron left in the second half with a hamstring pull and did not return. Cardinals starting left guard Daryn Colledge departed with a right leg injury.
- More trouble for Bucs safety Dashon Goldson:
