The truth that the Bucs won the NFC South division with yet one more week left within the 2022 common season places them in a precarious state of affairs heading into the final sport of the common season. Tampa Bay is within the playoffs because the No. 4 seed and might’t transfer up or down primarily based on the end result of Sunday’s game at Atlanta.
With out actually having a lot to play for, will some high 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 – Photograph 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 loads 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 constant to construct on that efficiency might be slightly increased than it normally can be.
On the flip facet – if one thing had been to occur to one in every of their greatest gamers, corresponding to an damage to quarterback Tom Brady, that may derail the Bucs’ playoff probabilities earlier than they even reached the sport. It’s a fantastic line to stability, however Bowles stated that should you go in worrying about getting harm, you then’ll get harm.
“I imply, it’s soccer. You possibly can’t play 16 video games after which fear in regards to the seventeenth,” Bowles stated. “You possibly can’t play three preseason video games and 16 video games and apply each day and say chances are you’ll get harm within the seventeenth sport. You may get harm the primary week, you will get harm in coaching camp. Should you fear about that, you’re in all probability 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 acquired to educate it and also you’ve acquired to play it. Should you fear about accidents, you in all probability don’t should be taking part in this sport.”
Bucs’ Most Vital Gamers Are Dealing With Accidents
Final week’s matchup with the Panthers was basically a playoff sport. If the Bucs received, they clinched the division. If the Panthers acquired 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 deal with 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 deal with is one other subject of debate. Proper deal with Tristan Wirfs is coping with a excessive ankle sprain, whereas left deal with Donovan Smith simply got here again from a foot damage. 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 – Photograph by: USA At the moment
“Effectively, we don’t have many to start with,” Bowles stated. “It’s not like coaching camp when you’ve got 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 selections, however proper now everyone must plan on taking part in.”
Quarterback Tom Brady has already come out and stated he needs to play. The state of affairs was additionally floated to Bowles of the starters starting the sport after which getting pulled midway by way of. He’s open to entertaining the thought, nevertheless it appears like the general resolution 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 selections 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.”
