The preseason is finally here, and Todd Bowles and the Buccaneers got to show us a little bit of what they have been building in a matchup against the Steelers. 

There were moments of pretty and there were moments of very ugly. What's new for an early-season Tampa team?

The good news is that a game like this did plenty to reveal everything that is wrong (and going well) for this team, and you can rest assured that the good will be reinforced over the coming weeks and the bad will be addressed. Here is what stood out the most:

Baker Mayfield looks the part as a starter

Between Mayfield and Kyle Trask, Mayfield won the first of what is sure to be a number of heated battles over the next month.

Mayfield looked calm and collected in the pocket, moved the pocket well when his protection failed him (more on that later), and threw and absolute dime to Trey Palmer for a touchdown.

The final stat line of 8/9 for 63 yards and a touchdown shows a lot of conservative thought and training, and Baker being able to maintain consistency with lines like this should cause Todd Bowles to salivate with his ball-control brand of football.

New year, same penalty issues

12 penalties in one game. Do we really need to say more?

The Bucs killed themselves in nearly every aspect of how you can actually earn these penalties too. Illegal formations. False starters. Pass interference. The list goes on. The players and the coaches were undisciplined last night, and that might be the biggest sign of where the ceiling is for this Tampa team.

The roster is decent in most areas, but a bad head coach has a way of bleeding into and hurting everything else. One has to think this will be the last year of Bowles in Tampa.

Trey Palmer is a stud

Yeah, you can probably go out and start buying this guy's jersey. He is going to be in Tampa this season and he looked like a prime candidate to actually make an impact, especially if the injuries of the past at the wide receiver position start to show themselves.

Palmer showed speed, quickness, confidence, and a level of body control that is usually reserved for veterans in the end zone. If you aren't buying into the hype just yet, you will before the preseason is over. 

The Bucs may regret moving on from Donovan Smith

Yes, Smith was coming off one of the worst seasons of his career and was expensive as hell, but would he be better on the line than Luke Goedeke was last night? 

He absolutely would.

Goedeke looked lost and sluggish during his first start after a position change, and it is going to be a really long season for the Bucs (and their poor quarterback) if any level of play like that makes it to the regular season.

Tampa would be wise to start coming up with some contingency plans if competing is really a goal this year.

Buccaneers still have huge issue in first preseason game

It has to get fixed.

Kim Klement Neitzel-USA TODAY Sports