The truth that the Bucs received the NFC South division with yet another week left within the 2022 common season places them in a precarious scenario heading into the final sport of the common season. Tampa Bay is within the playoffs because the No. 4 seed and may’t transfer up or down primarily based on the end result of Sunday’s sport at Atlanta.
With out actually having a lot to play for, will some prime starters on the Bucs get a sport off to maintain them wholesome for the postseason? Head coach Todd Bowles is weighing all of his choices.
Bucs HC Todd Bowles – Picture by: Cliff Welch/PR
“Proper now I’m planning on taking part in them,” Bowles stated on Monday. “We’ll see because the week goes ahead, however we will get higher at a variety of issues that we have to work on, and we don’t must take our foot off the fuel.”
Tampa Bay is coming off one in every of their greatest offensive performances of the season the place they scored 30 factors. The Bucs haven’t been scoring in a excessive quantity this season, so the significance of continuous to construct on that efficiency might be slightly larger than it normally can be.
On the flip aspect – if one thing had been to occur to one in every of their greatest gamers, resembling an harm to quarterback Tom Brady, that might derail the Bucs’ playoff probabilities earlier than they even reached the sport. It’s a high quality line to stability, however Bowles stated that should you go in worrying about getting harm, then you definitely’ll get harm.
“I imply, it’s soccer. You’ll be able to’t play 16 video games after which fear concerning the seventeenth,” Bowles stated. “You’ll be able to’t play three preseason video games and 16 video games and apply day-after-day and say you might get harm within the seventeenth sport. You will get harm the primary week, you may get harm in coaching camp. If you happen to fear about that, you’re most likely going to get harm anyway.
“We signed as much as play soccer and coach soccer, that’s what we’re going to do. All people that loves soccer, that likes to play, will play the sport. Accidents are going to occur. That doesn’t imply it occurs in Week 17, the playoff sport or preseason. You’ve simply received to educate it and also you’ve received to play it. If you happen to fear about accidents, you most likely don’t must be taking part in this sport.”
Bucs’ Most Essential Gamers Are Dealing With Accidents
Final week’s matchup with the Panthers was primarily a playoff sport. If the Bucs received, they clinched the division. If the Panthers received the win, they’d be up a sport with one to go. Due to that, Tampa Bay noticed gamers who had been out return to the lineup. Defensive sort out Vita Vea (calf) and cornerback Jamel Dean (toe) returned to motion as two examples.
However with the division title secured, would gamers coping with extra severe accidents push it for a sport like this?
Offensive sort out is one other matter of dialogue. Proper sort out Tristan Wirfs is coping with a excessive ankle sprain, whereas left sort out Donovan Smith simply got here again from a foot harm. It appears like it could be greatest in the event that they rested, however with a 53-man roster Bowles and the coaches can solely sit so many guys, particularly at a place that’s skinny on the depth chart.
Bucs RT Tristan Wirfs, C Robert Hainsey, LT Donovan Smith and QB Tom Brady – Picture by: USA Right now
“Nicely, we don’t have many to start with,” Bowles stated. “It’s not like coaching camp when you’ve gotten 80 guys, 90 guys. We’re restricted to start with, however some guys want some work on issues. Because the week goes ahead, we’ll progress and make these choices, however proper now all people must plan on taking part in.”
Quarterback Tom Brady has already come out and stated he desires to play. The situation was additionally floated to Bowles of the starters starting the sport after which getting pulled midway by. He’s open to entertaining the concept, nevertheless it appears like the general determination might change all through the week.
“It’s doable,” Bowles stated. “Like I stated, it’s early within the week. We haven’t made any choices but. We haven’t met on it, we haven’t talked about it, all the pieces is on the desk. We’ll speak about it and we’ll transfer ahead from there.”
