TAMPA, Fla. — There were plenty of positives to take away from the 37-20 victory against the Washington Commanders, but it is hard for fans to fully enjoy that victory when they take a glimpse at the Week 2 injury report.
We know Antoine Winfield Jr. is out for, at least, two weeks with a foot/ankle issue. Calijah Kancey injured his calf last week and, as of Wednesday, has not reported back to practice.
There is hope Logan Hall and Zyon McCollum could return to action this weekend, but have only logged limited participation in practice up to this point.
"You can't really change the way you play because of circumstances or injuries," said Christian Izien who played cornerback for the first time since high school against the Commanders. "We have to go out there and play a physical ballgame or we'll get beat."
There is an offensive issue looming, as well. Luke Goedeke landed on the injury report with a concussion designation. When players are in the concussion protocol, they are usually wearing black, non-contact jerseys in practice. Zyon McCollum was in that outfit Wednesday.
As for Goedeke, he was not.
This is troubling because the concussion might have happened during mid-week work. If that is the case, it could be hard for him to clear protocol by Sunday.
There should be more clarity on this front Thursday.
Even if Goedeke cannot go, Baker Mayfield got rid of the football at one of the fastest rates in the NFL. Not only did he dominate the stat sheet earning the FedEx Air Player of the Week award, but he was efficient with quick decision-making. Mayfield totaled 289 passing yards throwing four touchdowns with six incompletions against Washington. He is going to need a similar performance to beat one of the best teams in the NFC.
"Not to put more pressure on our offensive guys, but we expect to be efficient when we have the ball," Mayfield said. "Sustaining drives [and] finishing in the endzone rather than field goals, especially in a game like this, is going to be vital for success."
This is a great litmus test for the Bucs. Win or lose, there are still 15 more games to play after this contest, but considering they are going up against a squad they lost to twice, and once in the playoffs, it would be a huge confidence boost to steal a victory on the road.
"I think we’re more excited about the opportunity to go back there," wide receiver Chris Godwin said. "It’s a great environment. The fans in that last game, they were rocking. You could tell that they were excited about how good their team is and they have a right to be. From a competitive standpoint, it’s fun to go and play in places like that.”
The Buccaneers will also get to see a familiar face in Carlton Davis III who was traded in the offseason to Detroit for a draft pick.
10 Tampa Bay sports director joins the Locked on Bucs Podcast above to discuss the upcoming matchup with the Lions, what the defensive strategy should be with so many injuries and his bold predictions for the contest.
You can also watch The Blitz every Sunday on 10 Tampa Bay at 8:30 a.m. You can also watch the show on our 10 Tampa Bay YouTube page and 10 Tampa Bay+ app starting on Saturday.