Last week against the Cincinnati Bengals, Rueben Bain Jr. didn't have the debut most people were expecting.
After months of impressing everyone during the offseason, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' star rookie was invisible in the team's Week 1 33-27 defeat.
Many were expecting Bain, who had been Tampa's most-hyped rookie in ages, to immediately make an impact, especially against a suspect Cincinnati offensive line that has struggled to protect quarterback Joe Burrow for years.
Instead, the early favorite to win Defensive Rookie of the Year, who has already earned comparisons to NFL legend James Harrison, was only able to register a single tackle against the Bengals. No QB hits. No pressures.
No impact.
Though it was only one game, that's all it took for Bain's critics to crawl out of their hiding spots and trash the rookie.
The critics went right back to the concerns about Bain's arms being too short for an edge rusher. Though Bain had, for months, been dominating in practice against Tampa's terrific offensive line, a disappointing debut has created a new wave of doubt about the rookie's potential.
This week, the Bucs take on the Cleveland Browns at Raymond James Stadium, looking to get...