Injuries are biting now, but Tampa Bay still looks the part of a contender. Back on Sept. 16, the Buccaneers were navigating a lengthy injury list and still opened 2-0 with wins over the Falcons and Texans.
The case then, and now, is depth plus star power when healthy: a receiver room that can feature Chris Godwin, Mike Evans, Jalen McMillan, and standout rookie Emeka Egbuka, a line led by Tristan Wirfs and Luke Goedeke as they work back, and a defense keyed by Antoine Winfield Jr., Vita Vea, Haason Reddick and veteran leader Lavonte David. If the roster steadies, the ceiling remains real.
New Week 10 uncertainty arrived midweek. Buccaneers RB Bucky Irving and WR Chris Godwin were not spotted at practice, raising questions about their availability for Sunday’s game against the Patriots, per Adam Schefter.
That puts a spotlight on contingency plans in both the backfield and the pass game and asks Baker Mayfield to once again steer through attrition.
The context hasn’t changed much since September: Tampa Bay’s health has swung the weekly script. Godwin has been working back from a major leg injury, and Irving’s emergence has helped balance the offense when available.
If either sits, more strain shifts to the perimeter trio that includes Evans and Egbuka, with ancillary targets asked to win on schedule while the line protects Mayfield long enough to avoid drive-killing negative plays. Defensively, the Bucs still have difference-makers who can shorten fields, but the margin is thinner if the offense loses two of its chain-movers.
The broader injury arc matters here, too. Late last month, head coach Todd Bowles told reporters that Irving (foot/shoulder) and Godwin (fibula) would be out for the Saints game, with a bye immediately after, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
That update framed a near-term rest-and-reset window. If this week’s absences are precautionary, Tampa Bay could be managing toward long-term availability; if not, the depth chart will have to carry another Sunday.
Either way, Sunday versus New England doubles as a health checkpoint and a measuring stick. If Tampa Bay can keep the operation steady without two key skill players, it reinforces that early-season thesis: when they get bodies back, they have the look of a January problem.
