MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. – Miami Dolphins fans who made the trek to Sun Life Stadium for Thursday night's final preseason game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers were likely disappointed, not by the on-field performance so much as by who wasn't on the field.
All but two projected starters on both sides of the ball were held out of Tampa Bay's 22-17 victory. That meant Miami fans coming to the refurbished stadium hoping to catch a brief glimpse of defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh, the Dolphins' splash free-agent acquisition, were limited to watching him roam the sideline.
Seminoles living in South Florida may have been equally frustrated by the game-time decision to sit former Florida State quarterback Jameis Winston. Although he was dressed in full pads, Tampa Bay elected not to play the 2013 Heisman Trophy winner and No. 1 pick in this year's NFL Draft.
Instead, the Buccaneers (2-2) turned to third-year quarterback Mike Glennon, who has started 18 games for Tampa Bay over the past two seasons but was relegated to No. 2 on the depth chart after head coach Lovie Smith took over in 2014.
Glennon finished the night 11-of-20 for 141 yards and one touchdown, but Dolphins cornerback Will Davis picked him off twice. Seth Lobato, who spent last season on Miami's practice squad, replaced Glennon in the second half with Tampa Bay leading 15-10 at halftime.
Also sitting out was Dolphins quarterback Ryan Tannehill, who hasn't missed a regular-season game in his three seasons with the team. The Dolphins have high hopes that the 2012 first-round draft pick can lead his team to the playoffs for the first time since 2008.
McLeod Bethel-Thompson got the starting nod at quarterback for the Dolphins (1-3). The former UCLA signal caller is battling with Josh Freeman, Tampa Bay's first-round draft pick in 2009, for the No. 3 spot behind Matt Moore.
Bethel-Thompson's third-quarter drive was stalled by a 98-yard interception return from Tampa Bay linebacker Khaseem Greene. Bethel-Thompson was pulled after the interception return gave the Buccaneers a 22-10 lead. He finished 11-of-16 for 127 yards and two interceptions.
Freeman relieved Bethel-Thompson in the third quarter, finishing 13-of-22 for 165 yards with no touchdowns and a pair of picks.
While there was plenty of players whom fans needed a program to match their names to their numbers, at least one player who needs no introduction made his Dolphins debut. Wide receiver DeVante Parker, whom the Dolphins selected with the 14th pick, started the game but had a quiet night with just one catch for 11 yards. Still, Parker was just glad to be back in action after battling injury last season at Louisville and early this season during training camp.
"It felt good to be out there with my teammates," Parker told Local10.com.
Matt Darr handled punting duties for the first time since Miami released Brandon Fields earlier in the week. Darr, a rookie from Tennessee, beat out the former Pro Bowl punter to secure his spot on the final 53-man roster.
Dolphins head coach Joe Philbin said after the game that, despite a losing preseason record, he is pleased with the team's overall performance.
"Obviously, our record isn't great … but I like our group," Philbin said.
Last season at Florida State, Winston sat out a rivalry game against Clemson because of an off-the-field indiscretion and had to watch his backup lead the team to victory. Until Thursday, Winston hadn't experienced that feeling again. But if Winston was upset that he didn't play, he sure didn't show it.
"I'm just being a great teammate," Winston told Local10.com. "I'm just happy to see them boys go out there, you know, play hard and get us a win. That's all that matters."
The win improves his record to 4-0 at Sun Life Stadium. Winston orchestrated a comeback victory for the Seminoles against the Miami Hurricanes last year and was a redshirt freshman when Florida State defeated Miami and won the Orange Bowl against Northern Illinois during the 2012 season.
Winston downplayed the statistic and said he wasn't thinking about that during the game, but he hopes that he "can keep it going." For now, though, Winston's focus remains on Tampa Bay's next opponent.
"Bullets are flying now," he said of anticipating the regular-season opener. "Just trying to get ready for the Tennessee game."
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