The Tampa Bay Buccaneers suffered a disappointing 48-10 loss on Sunday afternoon that has put them back toward the .500 mark through the first month of the year.
Things have become a little more difficult as tight end O.J. Howard exited the game with a knee injury that was deemed an MCL sprain after an MRI that will keep him out of the lineup for the next two to four weeks, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.
Buccaneers’ TE O.J. Howard sprained his MCL and is expected to miss 2-4 weeks, per source.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) October 1, 2018
Howard has been off to an encouraging start to the season hauling 11 catches for 222 receiving yards with a touchdown. He has been a reliable option in the passing game with more than 50 receiving yards in each of the first three games played prior to the injury in Week 4 against the Bears. This has now derailed what could be a breakout year for him to establish himself a key part of their offensive game plan, but instead will potentially be out for the next couple of weeks while backup Cameron Brate will step into a more prominent role.
Brate has been effective in his limited action with six catches for 62 receiving yards and a pair of touchdowns. He has been productive over the last two seasons that has seen him tally north of 45 receptions, 550 receiving yards, and six touchdowns. Regardless of who the quarterback has been, Brate has stepped as a major option in the red zone, which is a trend that should continue moving forward with this temporarily increased responsibility.
Meanwhile, the Buccaneers are a bit of a spot with their quarterback situation heading into Week 5 with both Ryan Fitzpatrick and Jameis Winston vying for the starting job. Given the nature of how things unfolded against the Bears, it could push Winston back into the fold. Nonetheless, there will be one less weapon in the passing game.
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