The Tampa Bay Buccanneers can go as far in the playoffs as Tom Brady can take them. But Brady can only go as far as his offensive line allows him to. With a Divisional Round playoff matchup against the Los Angeles Rams coming up, Brady's protection is looking shaky due to injuries to key offensive linemen.
In the Buccaneers' Wild Card win over the Philadelphia Eagles, offensive tackle Tristan Wirfs and center Ryan Jensen both suffered ankle injuries. Wirfs left the game for good while Jensen eventually returned. Both Pro Bowlers' availability against the Rams is looking uncertain.
Tampa Bay head coach Bruce Arians said that Wirfs and Jansen are making progress but that their statuses for Sunday's game won't be known until inactive players are announced before kickoff. Both linemen returned to practice on Friday.
Bruce Arians says Tristan Wirfs and Ryan Jensen did some individual work today and are progressing. No decision will be made until inactives come out 90 minutes before kickoff Sunday.
— Greg Auman (@gregauman) January 21, 2022
The anticipation will be huge for Brady and Tampa Bay, who will be facing Aaron Donald, one of the best defenders ever. Having a backup be in charge of dealing with arguably the most dominant defensive tackle ever is not at all ideal.
Wirfs looked like he didn't want to put too much pressure on his ankle in practice.
You can see Tristan Wirfs gingerly step back onto his back right ankle…it gave out when he gave up that sack to Ryan Kerrigan last week and then he came out of the game for good. He’s not doing much. Ryan Jensen is a lot more active today from what I’ve seen. pic.twitter.com/I9IlOOF9D2
— JennaLaineESPN (@JennaLaineESPN) January 21, 2022
Brady and the Buccaneers may also be without Leonard Fournette — the team's leading rusher, who is dealing with a hamstring issue — for the second consecutive playoff game. The Bucs' defense against Matthew Stafford and Cooper Kupp will be extra important in this contest.
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