It feels like the Bucs have dealt with a season’s worth of injuries in just six games. But against the odds, Todd Bowles and Co. are 5-1 and atop the NFC.

As impressive as Tampa Bay’s “next man up” mentality has been — with the latest and perhaps best example being Sunday’s 30-19 win over the 49ers — the idea of some reinforcements being on the way has to sound pretty appealing to this battle-tested Bucs team.

So, is there help on the way? The boring answer is that we’ll know more as the week progresses and the team’s Monday Night Football matchup against the Lions in Detroit draws nearer. But the more fun, more speculative answer is that some key players could find themselves back on the field soon, maybe even as soon as Monday night.

Could Mike Evans, Luke Goedeke Be In Play For Week 7?

From a pure timeline standpoint, Monday’s game against the Lions could be a reasonable target date for the returns of wide receiver Mike Evans and right tackle Luke Goedeke. Yet sources tell Pewter Report that Goedeke won’t be ready to return to face Pro Bowl pass rusher Aidan Hutchinson and Detroit next week.

Evans, who left the Bucs’ Week 3 win over the Jets with a hamstring injury, has missed the last three games. At the time of the injury, it was widely reported that the team didn’t believe this hamstring injury was as serious as the the one he had last year. A year ago, he missed three games and then had the bye week as well before he came back. In total, he was back by the fifth week after his injury.

Bucs WR Mike Evans – Photo by: USA Today

It stands to reason, then, that Evans could be back as soon as Monday night. The fact that the Bucs didn’t place him on injured reserve – which would’ve meant automatically missing four games – would give further credence to the idea that he could be back after missing the last three weeks.

The key, of course, is for Evans to at least get back on the practice field on Wednesday and participate in some capacity. He didn’t participate at all in practice leading up to Sunday’s win over the 49ers, so getting some practice time in would be a good sign ahead of Monday night.

As for Goedeke, he would be eligible to be activated off injured reserve this week, as he’s missed the requisite four games that comes with being placed on IR to begin with. Early in the recovery process after his foot injury, he was seen in a boot and was using a scooter to get around.

This past week, he was seen in the locker room without a boot and without a scooter, walking around without a noticeable limp. That’s a positive development, but apparently he’s still a little ways away from returning to practice. So unless something remarkable changes this week, he’s not expected to suit up against the Lions.

Bucs RT Luke Goedeke – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

But last week also saw an ominous-sounding report surface about the timeline — or lack thereof — for Goedeke’s return, courtesy of Fox Sports’ Greg Auman:

There never seemed to be a thought that Goedeke’s injury was season-ending, so the fact that the Bucs are “hopeful” he’ll be back this season sounds concerning. That report, as well as the timing of it, would seem to fly in the face of any possibility that the highly-paid right tackle is back in time to face Hutchinson and a strong Detroit pass rush.

Whether the Bucs activate Goedeke and start his practice window this week will be the tell of whether he’s in play for Week 7 or if his return is still farther off.

Could Bucs Get Other Key Players Back In Week 7?

Mike Evans and Luke Goedeke are two of the longer-term injuries the Bucs are dealing with. What about other players who missed Sunday’s game against San Francisco with what are believed to be shorter-term injuries? Could Tampa Bay get any of those guys back for its trip to the Motor City?

Chris Godwin Jr., who just returned in Week 4 from the season-ending ankle injury he suffered last October, missed the Bucs’ Week 6 game with a fibula injury. Head coach Todd Bowles said last week that Godwin is considered week-to-week, so his practice status is another to keep a keen eye on this week. The team reportedly had no plans of placing him on injured reserve.

Bucs WR Chris Godwin Jr. – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

Another important name to consider is Bucky Irving, as he’s missed the last two games with foot and shoulder injuries. It was reported by Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times on Friday that Irving could miss 1-2 more weeks with those injuries, which means it may be a longshot for him to be back for Monday Night Football in Detroit.

On the defensive side of the ball and particularly in the secondary, cornerback Zyon McCollum and Benjamin Morrison’s practice statuses will be worth monitoring.

McCollum had surgery on his thumb following the team’s Week 5 win over the Seahawks after playing through that game with the injury, which he suffered in Week 4 against the Eagles. Initial word from Todd Bowles was that he could still be in play for the 49ers game, so even though he ended up not playing in that game, it could be a good sign for his potential Week 7 availability.

Morrison is dealing with a hamstring injury of his own. He was seen working with a trainer during last Friday’s practice, so whether he can go from that to even a limited level of participation in practice could determine his availability for the Lions game.

Beyond those players, everyone is awaiting word on the severity of Emeka Egbuka’s hamstring injury. He missed the second half of Sunday’s game, and while Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio reported Sunday night that the injury isn’t considered to be “too serious,” there’s still the matter of Egbuka having an MRI to determine whether he’ll miss time and/or what the timeline for his return could be.

The other significant injury that happened in Sunday’s 30-19 win over the 49ers was to Luke Haggard, who had been starting at right guard in place of the injured Cody Mauch, who is out for the year with a knee injury. Haggard left the game in the fourth quarter with a shoulder injury and his left arm was in a sling after the game. Elijah Klein replaced him in the lineup and either he or veteran Dan Feeney will start at right guard next week in Detroit.

The Silver Linings With Bucs’ Injury Crisis

There are a couple of silver linings to take away from the current situation the Bucs find themselves in. Chief among them is the fact that despite a long list of injuries to key players on both sides of the ball, Tampa Bay is 5-1 and sits alone atop the NFC. This is a team that has weathered the storm thus far and finds itself with a commanding lead in the NFC South through six weeks of the season.

The depth on this roster has been tested a whole lot already this season, and so far, it has passed any and all tests it has faced. Not only is this a 5-1 team, it’s a 5-1 team that was perhaps a few plays away or one better quarter away from being 6-0 through six weeks. As it stands, the Bucs had that six-point loss to the Eagles but has some key NFC wins over the 2-2 Falcons on the road, the 4-2 Seahawks on the road and the 4-2 49ers.

Bucs HC Todd Bowles Photo by: USA Today

And along with that, there’s the fact that even if help isn’t on the way for Monday night’s game in Detroit, help will be on the way at some point in the near future. Evans, Goedeke, Godwin, Irving, McCollum, Morrison, Egbuka and Jalen McMillan are all expected back this season. So, if the injury hits can somehow slow down in the coming weeks and these key players start to make their way back, the Bucs could see things come together at the right time as the season’s stretch run approaches.

The upcoming schedule following the team’s Week 7 trip to Detroit helps, as Tampa Bay will head to New Orleans to face the 1-5 Saints in Week 8 before a much-needed bye week in Week 9. That bye week could come at the perfect time, as the team might see some players trickle back and make returns, some just before the bye and others just after.

Help is on the way for the Bucs. When it arrives remains to be seen, but the fact that it’s on the way is a boost itself.