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Following Sunday's upset loss to the Carolina Panthers in Week 7, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are preparing for a bounce-back effort on Thursday Night Football against the Baltimore Ravens. However, with a quick turnaround time, the team only has three days to prepare before gameday arrived. According to Joey Knight of the Tampa Bay Times, three key members of the Buccaneers' secondary (namely cornerbacks Sean Murphy-Bunting and Carlton Davis III, safety Antoine Winfield Jr.) did not practice on Monday or Tuesday, leaving their statuses for Week 8 in question.
On the flip side, the Ravens share feelings of uncertainty regarding injury woes as tight end Mark Andrews (knee) and wide receiver Rashod Bateman (foot) did not practice on Tuesday either. Regardless, it would serve the Tom Brady-led squad well to see their secondary contributors receive the green light for primetime. The Buccaneers' defense has allowed the eighth-fewest passing yards and seventh-fewest total yards to opposing offenses in 2022, according to Pro Football Reference. So even missing just one of Murphy-Bunting, Davis III, or Winfield Jr. would be very consequential.
Given recent grumblings and calls for the firing of offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich swirling around, a Buccaneers' win on Thursday night would go a long way in uninspiring confidence in the fan base. Despite the recent loss in Week 7, the team still sits atop the NFC South with a lackluster 3-4 record. In what is perhaps the weakest division in the NFL right now, a division title and playoff berth are still well within the realm of possibility for the Super Bowl LV champions.
