Gerald McCoy (93) nearly gets a sack, drilling Tom Brady just as the Patriots quarterback releases the ball.

The new Gerald McCoy debuted tonight.

The better coached GMC, the better fit GMC, the better player GMC.

But no one saw that player, so GMC said himself after the game. Rather, the Bucs third overall pick last year said he was rusty from not playing in a game since last season.

“It felt good, but I had to knock the rust off,” GMC said. “The first few snaps, it was rust.”

It was that rust, GMC noted, that allowed Danny Woodhead to break off a 29-yard run that set up New England’s first score.

GMC, who seemed to get penetration all night, ran to his left as Woodhead ran right. Just when it looked like GMC would have Woodhead for a loss, he scooted out of GMC’s grasp of an armtackle and ran left for nearly 30 yards.

“He cut it up and I missed the tackle,” GMC said. “Those are things I cannot do. I fell into the trap. If I was playing a little bit, I would have had stopped that [run] instead of him flying upfield.”

GMC was also called for an offsides penalty when he jumped the snap. Too much rust, too much excitement GMC suggested.

“I wanted to come in and let it all go and get the rust off,” GMC said. Bucs defensive tackles coach Keith Millard “said as an undertackle I had to play like a wild man. That’s why I got the offsides. Any kind of a flinch, any kind of blinking, I was gone.”

GMC added that Millard told him he had to be pretty much everywhere, and he was.

“He said I will see people subbing in and out and I had to be disruptive on this side and that side,” GMC said. “You have to be everywhere. That’s all I was trying to do tonight.”