Every game down the stretch has been a playoff game for the Bucs, but in Week 17, this is by far their biggest game of the season. The Bucs have a chance to clinch the NFC South for the third year in a row by defeating the Saints on Sunday. Unfortunately, they’ll have to attempt to do it without a couple of very important players on their roster.

Falcons RB Bijan Robinson and Bucs OLB Shaq Barrett – Photo by: USA Today

Following practice, Todd Bowles stated that outside linebacker Shaq Barrett (groin), cornerback Carlton Davis (concussion) and tight end Ko Kieft (shoulder) would be out for the game. This will be the fifth game Davis has missed this season due to a number of different injuries.

It’s the first game that Barrett has missed, which is even more impressive considering he hasn’t needed to be limited at all since coming back from achilles injury last year and has started all year long this season. This is the first game Kieft as ever missed in his two-year career.

Bucs Replacements For Injured Players

Cornerback Zyon McCollum might as well be called a starter at this point. All year long he’s come in for Davis and Jamel Dean the point where he’s had more defensive snaps than them. We don’t even need to think any further about it beacsue we’ve seen McCollum do this over and over.

Bucs OLBs YaYa Diaby and Anthony Nelson – Photo by: USA Today

At tight end, Cade Otton plays almost 100% of the offense snaps already and rookie Payne Durham has gotten more playing time over the last two months, so there’s not too much of an adjustment that needs to be made without Kieft.

Either rookie Tanner Taula or third-year player David Wells will be elevated from the practice squad and have roles on special teams. Taula has yet to play a game and Wells has suited up for 10 games.

The real question comes in at outside linebacker. Yaya Diaby will start on one side of the line, but what about the other? The two candidates in the running are Anthony Nelson and Joe Tryon-Shoyinka. When asked who it would be, Bowles replied “They both got to be ready to play. (It) depends on the package.”

It sounds like it’ll be a rotation between the two. The Bucs will also have Cam Gill and Markees Watts available that might get a couple more snaps then usual.

A lot is on the line for the Bucs to punch their ticket into the postseason. Making it that much better would be to do it against their bitter rival.