REINFORCEMENTS ARRIVE: The Buccaneers signed three players on Sunday to put the roster back at the 91-man max for this final week of preseason preparations. Wide receiver Donteea Dye, running back Devine Redding and long-snapper Garrison Sanborn were all suited up and ready to participate by the 1:00 p.m. start to practice.

More encouragingly, the Buccaneers also got several players back who had missed varying amounts of time due to minor injuries. Among those who had missed recent work as well as last Friday's game who were in the mix on Sunday afternoon were defensive tackle Beau Allen, safety Justin Evans, guard Ali Marpet and tackle Leonard Wester.

Wester had been out the longest, having suffered a knee injury on the third day of training camp nearly a month ago. While Allen, Evans and Marpet likely have roster spots secured, Wester could be in a more serious battle. He has been on the roster for two years already after proving his talent as an undrafted free agent in 2016, and he probably entered camp as the leading candidate to be the swing tackle behind starters Donovan Smith and Demar Dotson.

Missing a significant amount of time makes it hard for a player to maintain that lead, and first-year man Mike Liedtke has clearly used his opportunity at left tackle to make up ground. It is definitely a good thing for Wester that he will be able to get in another week of practice and presumably some game action before the Bucs have to piece together their regular-season offensive line group.

"Any of those guys that are not assured of a roster spot, especially those young tackles, it's an important week," said Head Coach Dirk Koetter. "Cole Boozer was also back doing some today and it's an important week. [Y]ou've got issues at multiple positions and that's where we have to rely on our medical team and some projection on when guys are going to be back that we know are going to be here and that's something that Jason [Licht] is working on around the clock."

SCORING IN BUNCHES: After struggling to score in the preseason a year ago, Tampa Bay's has gone in the other direction in 2018, putting up points at a nearly unprecedented (preseason) pace for the franchise.

After their 33-30 loss to the Lions on Friday night, the Buccaneers are up to 86 points through three games. Only Green Bay, with 29.3 points per game, has scored at a faster clip than the Buccaneers and their average of 28.7 per outing. In fact, 86 points is the second-most Tampa Bay has ever posted through the first three games of the preseason, and the most since the 1999 team rang up 92 through its first three contests. That team went on to the NFC Championship Game (albeit largely on the strength of its defense).

The Bucs have tallying 56 of their 86 points in the first half, so this has definitely not been a case of the scoring coming from deep reserves against opponents' deep reserves. There are many, many caveats that can be applied to these numbers – for instance, the Titans didn't play their starting defense as long as the Bucs played their starting offense in Week Two – but they remain at least mildly encouraging. One of the main reasons the Buccaneers have been able to score early all three weeks, including opening-drive touchdowns against both Miami and Detroit, and then continue to put up points throughout the game is that all three of their top quarterbacks have played very well.

Ryan Fitzpatrick, Jameis Winston and Ryan Griffin have combined for a 110.3 passer rating while completing 69.2% of their throws and tossing six touchdowns against no interceptions.

"It would be hard not to be [pleased with] the way all three of those guys are really doing a good job," said Koetter. "I think a lot of that has to do with the fact that Fitz now has been through a whole cycle with us, Griff's been here for three and of course, Jameis [Winston. And then [Quarterbacks Coach] Mike Bajakian does a really good job with them in the meeting room so that's where your OTAs pay off, your classroom stuff pays off and those three guys have done a really nice job of carrying it to the field."

Fitzpatrick and Winston are unlikely to play in the final preseason game and Griffin might find his time on the field limited as well. Rookie Austin Allen, who tossed the Bucs' first interception of the summer on a final, desperate pass on Friday night, could see the majority of the action. Whoever is leading the offense will have a shot at giving the Buccaneers their most prolific four-game preseason ever. The most points Tampa Bay has ever scored in a four-game preseason was 108, also in 1999. The Bucs need 23 points on Thursday to top that.