FAB 2. Injuries Piling Up For Bucs’ Foes

One of the biggest reasons why the Buccaneers were able to win Super Bowl XXXVII in 2002 wasn’t just the amount of Pewter Pro Bowlers and future Hall of Famers on the roster. It was also due to the fact that the Bucs were one of the healthiest teams in the NFL that year. In fact, when the Bucs took the field to play the Oakland Raiders on Super Bowl Sunday, only one starter – nose tackle Anthony “Booger” McFarland – was on injured reserve that year.

The first two weeks of the NFL’s 2020 season have seen a rash of major injuries, especially in Week 2 where several stars and Pro Bowlers were lost for the season, including San Francisco defensive end Nick Bosa and defensive tackle Solomon Thomas and New York Giants running back Saquan Barkley. Some of the carnage directly affects the Bucs – beginning with this week’s game at Denver.

Broncos QB Jeff Driskel – Photo by: Getty Images

The Broncos lost their starting quarterback Drew Lock to a right shoulder injury in Sunday’s 26-21 loss at Pittsburgh. Lock was 1-of-5 for 20 yards before leaving, and his backup Jeff Driskel kept the Broncos in the game by completing 18-of-34 passes for 256 yards with two touchdowns and one interception.

Pittsburgh’s defensive front recorded seven sacks against Denver’s quarterbacks, and that could open the way for the Bucs to have another successful day of rushing the passer. Tampa Bay had five sacks in last week’s 31-17 win over Carolina, and Denver’s offensive line has surrendered 46 pressures through the first two weeks of the season.

Driskel is expected to start against the Bucs on Sunday, and the Broncos signed Blake Bortles to be the eventual back up, but will likely promote Brett Rypien from the practice squad on Sunday because he knows the offense to serve as the backup QB this week. Lock isn’t the only Broncos starter that will be missing in action this week against Tampa Bay.

Running back Phillip Lindsay, who rushed for over 1,000 yards last year, will miss Week 3 with a toe injury, and top wide receiver Courtland Sutton tore his ACL against the Steelers and is out for the season. These injuries came after Broncos right tackle Ja’Waun James opted out of the season back in August due to COVID-19 concerns.

Defensively, Denver will be without two of its best players, as cornerback A.J. Bouye is on injured reserve and Pro Bowl pass rusher Von Miller is out following ankle surgery two weeks ago. The Broncos also lost rookie defensive end Dre’Mont Jones to a PCL injury and placed defensive end DeMarcus Walker and linebacker Mark Barron on injured reserve following Sunday’s loss.

Chargers QB Justin Herbert – Photo by: Getty Images

Other injured players from teams on the Bucs’ 2020 schedule include Los Angeles quarterback Tyrod Taylor, who had his lung punctured by the Chargers team doctor as he was applying a painkiller shot for a cracked rib Taylor suffered in Week 1. That incident occurred before kickoff of Sunday’s game against Kansas City and Justin Herbert, the Chargers’ first-round pick, was a surprise starter as a result. Taylor is out this week, so there is a good chance the Bucs will face Herbert next Sunday at Raymond James Stadium.

With Barkley out for the season with a torn ACL, the Bucs will face a familiar foe in former Falcons rusher Devonta Freeman when Tampa Bay travels to New York to play the Giants on Monday Night Football in Week 8. Minnesota outside linebacker Anthony Barr injured his shoulder and was placed on injured reserve. It’s unclear if he will be able to return to action in time to play the Bucs in Week 14.

A pair of NFC South Pro Bowlers, New Orleans wide receiver Michael Thomas and Carolina running back Christian McCaffrey, were both injured in their respective games against Tampa Bay over the past two weeks. Both weapons have high ankle sprains and will miss four to six weeks.

Bucs DBs Jordan Whitehead and Sean Murphy-Bunting and Saints WR Micheal Thomas – Photo by: Getty Images

Thomas missed Sunday’s game at Las Vegas, which resulted in a loss to the Raiders, 31-24, and dropped the Saints to 1-1 on the year. Carolina fell to 0-2 after losing to Tampa Bay, 31-17.

Losing Thomas and McCaffrey will be a big blow to the Bucs’ NFC South rivals, but both players should return to action by the time the rematch with Tampa Bay takes place. The Bucs host the Saints in seven weeks on November 8, and travel to Carolina the following week on November 15.

Meanwhile, Bucs wide receiver Chris Godwin returned to practice this week from concussion protocol and will play in Denver, which is a good sign for Tampa Bay. The Bucs have stayed relatively healthy through the first two weeks with only reserve wide receiver Justin Watson expected to miss this week’s game.

If the Bucs’ good fortune with injuries can continue who knows where that could lead? We saw how important staying healthy was for Tampa Bay in 2002.