Little clarity on Seferian-Jenkins' injury status for BucsGreg Auman, Times Staff WriterFriday, November 6, 2015 8:33pm
Tight end Austin Seferian-Jenkins is “making progress” in recovering from a shoulder injury, coach Lovie Smith says.DIRK SHADD | TimesTAMPA — The Bucs wrapped up practice Friday in preparation for Sunday's home game against the Giants, and though three players definitely will miss the game with injuries, there was no word on whether TE Austin Seferian-Jenkins (shoulder) would play."He's making progress," coach Lovie Smith said. "When a guy is ready to go and can protect himself, we'll get him onto the football field. We'll see how it is with him."Seferian-Jenkins posted a telling message on Twitter: "Can't rush God's timing control what u can control."The Bucs will be without WR Vincent Jackson (knee), DE Jacquies Smith (ankle) and S Major Wright (hamstring), who did not practice all week. S D.J. Swearinger, who suffered a toe injury in Thursday's practice, did not practice and is unlikely to play Sunday.The Bucs have the option of activating DT Demar Dotson from the short-term injured reserve list. He missed the first seven games with a knee injury. But with depth concerns elsewhere, the team would have to cut a player to add Dotson. So they can stick with Gosder Cherilus at right tackle for now and activate Dotson next week."(There) hasn't been any setbacks or anything like that," Lovie Smith said of Dotson. "Demar Dotson is a good football player, and in time he'll get back out there. Exactly when that is we still don't know."George Johnson is expected to start for Jacquies Smith at defensive end, and the team will rely heavily on rookies Donteea Dye and Adam Humphries, who were the No. 2 and 3 receivers against the Falcons on Sunday. Having Wright and Swearinger out leaves the team with three healthy safeties, but it has leaned heavily on starters Bradley McDougald and Chris Conte, with Keith Tandy as the only healthy backup.Three defensive linemen who had been limited in practice — DT Gerald McCoy, DE Will Gholston and DT Tony McDaniel — practiced and were expected to be active against the Giants.MORE HONORS: Rookie LB Kwon Alexander was voted by fans as NFL rookie of the week for the second time after getting two takeaways and 11 tackles in an emotional 23-20 overtime win at Atlanta. Alexander, who also was honored as NFC defensive player of the week, played two days after his 17-year-old brother, Broderick Taylor, was shot and killed in a fight in their Alabama hometown. Alexander forced and recovered a fumble from Falcons WR Julio Jones and later intercepted a pass from Matt Ryan, helping the Bucs to a 20-3 lead. It's the fourth time in seven games that a Bucs rookie has been voted rookie of the week. QB Jameis Winston also has won twice.