TAMPA, Fla. — The Tampa Bay Buccaneers defeated the Dallas Cowboys 19-3 in its season opener, but it may have cost them a couple of injuries to key players.
After making a return to the field since his torn ACL and MCL injury last year, wide receiver Chris Godwin exited the game in the second quarter due to a hamstring injury and sat out the entire second half.
Prior to his exit, Godwin recorded three receptions for 35 yards and played as if the injury made no impact on his game.
However, the 26-year-old walked off the field on his own after he caught a ball from quarterback Tom Brady and did not return to the game.
It is unclear how much time Godwin will spend on the sidelines, but the Bucs have depth at the position with new wide receivers Julio Jones and Russell Gage.
Left tackle Donovan Smith also left the game after suffering a right elbow injury in the first half.
Smith was initially listed as questionable but did not return to the game.
The offensive line for the Bucs continues to face injuries after center Ryan Jensen was ruled out for most of the regular season and guard Aaron Stinnie was placed on the Injured Reserve in the preseason.
Tackle Josh Wells entered the game to replace Smith. Wells started the game shaky but improved his game throughout the night.
Tampa Bay has not yet announced how serious the injury is for Smith, but the team may look into bringing in a player that can help the offensive line until other players recover from their injuries.
The Bucs will be on the road again for its second game of the season as they take on the New Orleans Saints at 1 p.m. Sunday.