Coming out of their recent bye week, the Tampa Bay Bucs knew they confronted a three-part challenge that could determine the direction of their season.
They faced consecutive games against the powerhouse New England Patriots, Buffalo Bills and Los Angeles Rams. A sweep seemed like a tall order, but winning two of those contests seemed entirely plausible – especially after the Bucs easily disposed of the Saints 23-3 to improve to 6-2 at the halfway mark.
The worst-case scenario would be losing the first two games and having to fly west to face one of the league’s most dangerous teams, the Rams.
Oh well. That is precisely the predicament in which the team finds itself now after letting two winnable games slip away, 28-23 to the Pats and 44-32 to the Bills.
And consider this: If the 6-4 Bucs lose to the 8-2 Rams in an 8:20 p.m. Sunday Night Football showdown, and Carolina defeats San Francisco Monday night, the Panthers would actually take a half-game lead in the NFC South Division with a record of 7-5. It's a scenario nobody would have imagined when Tampa Bay stood at 4-1 after knocking off Seattle on the road.
But that is the toll injuries have taken on the Bucs, yanking the rug out from what looked like a special season in the making. One injury situation, in particular, was in the spotlight Friday involving tailback Bucky Irving, out of action since Week 4 when he hurt his foot and shoulder against the Philadelphia Eagles.
Internet speculation spread early Friday suggesting that he might be out for an even longer period due to undisclosed off-the-field reasons. But on Friday following practice, Bucs head coach Todd Bowles expressed optimism that Irving would be ready to play Sunday, Nov. 30, against the Arizona Cardinals, though did acknowledge the second-year pro, who has missed six games, has had a hard time being injured.
"He's not going through much off the field; he got hurt [and] he didn't handle it well because he [was] hurt for the first time,” Bowles said. “He had a full practice this week. He will definitely be trending up and playing next week. We're just preparing him for the Arizona game, which is what we were getting him ready for and that's what he'll be ready for."
Bowles reiterated that Irving’s shoulder injury has been the main issue. But in every other respect the Bucs’ starting running back has been making good strides. “(It’s) the shoulder more than the ankle,” he said, “but he's been doing great the last week and a half.”
That leaves the rushing attack in the hands of Sean Tucker and Rachaad White, and that tandem helped the Bucs combine for 202 rushing yards against Buffalo. Their effort was highlighted by Tucker’s monster game of 106 yards and a pair of touchdowns, one for 43 yards, as well as his 28-yard catch and run for a third TD.
In addition to Irving’s continued absence, guard Ben Bredeson, cornerback Jamel Dean and linebacker Haason Reddick will also sit out the Rams game, though wide receiver Chris Godwin “is definitely trending toward playing,” Bowles said.
That’s good news for the offense, because Godwin’s presence could take the pressure off of rookie wide receiver Emeka Egbuka, who has been facing double coverage since Mike Evans fractured his collarbone in Week 6 in Detroit. Coupled with the welcome contributions from rookie Tez Johnson and veteran Sterling Shepard, as well as tight end Cade Otton, the Bucs receiving corps could be in its best shape in more than a month.
“(Godwin is) extremely smart, number one.” Bowles said. “He's great in the run game and in the pass game, he's a heck of a blocker, and he's a heck of a receiver. (He) has great hands (that are) reliable. He's one of (those) guys once Baker (Mayfield) starts to scramble that knows how to get open, and (Mayfield) … trusts him, so it brings an added element for us."
But the Bucs will also be facing a solid Los Angeles defense. The unit no longer boasts one of the game’s defensive tackles, Aaron Donald, who retired after the 2023 season. But it is now anchored by standout interior linemen Braden Fiske and Kobie Turner and defensive ends Jared Verse and Byron Young. Meanwhile, four different members of the Rams’ secondary have multiple interceptions. And four of them came last Sunday against Seattle’s Sam Darnold in a 21-19 win that gave LA sole possession of first place in the NFC West.
“It’s a very good unit,” Bucs offensive coordinator Josh Grizzard said. “Coach (Chris) Shula has been there for a long time, so you can tell these guys have a system that they all know. “… Not only do they play fast, they’re very physical, it’s a good scheme, but they have very good depth where they can play with six (defensive backs) on the field at times. They can move guys from outside to inside and this thing really keeps humming. I mean, they’re not number two in the league in terms of points scored for no reason.”
Of course, the Rams’ offense poses an equally big, if not more daunting, threat, led by veteran quarterback Matthew Stafford. The unit is ranked eighth in the league with 3,609 yards this season and seventh in points scored with an average of 27.2 per game. And so far this season, Stafford has already thrown 27 touchdown passes and just two interceptions for a quarterback rating of 112.7 – the highest of his 17-year career.
“I’m not sure he’s playing his best – he’s been great for years now,” Bowles said. “He knows exactly where to go with the football. He’s very accurate, a heck of a competitor, and one of the toughest guys to play against. He knows the offense inside and out, and he’s having fun – he’s really driving the boat for them.”
Stafford also has two top-flight targets in Puca Nacua (73 catches for 850 yards and four touchdowns) and Davante Adams (43 catches for 569 yards and 10 touchdowns).
LA's Puka Nukua surges for yardage after a catch against Seattle. @ Jayne Kamin-Oncea“Oh yeah – both tough, both aggressive at the line of scrimmage,” Bowles said. “It’s hard to play them one-on-one. They’re very savvy at the top of their routes, as well. Puka and Davante both have strong hands and are polished route runners. It’s going to be a challenge for our guys.”
Preventing the Rams from getting big plays – the kind the Buc defense yielded in the losses to New England and Buffalo – will also be a challenge.
"No question about it,” said defensive pass game coordinator George Edwards. “It’s unfortunate (that) it happened again last week. (It was a) combination of things that happened on those plays. … (With) people in and out and just in different positions, it just unfolded badly. It's bad, it's bad for all of us, we have to do a better job as coaches, making sure our players understand those situations and what we are trying to get accomplished with the calls. We have to play it better – at the end of the day, that's what it boils down to – where everybody is accountable (for) each other, and that's what needs to take place."
One player in the hotseat will be rookie cornerback Jacob Parrish, who will start in place of veteran defensive standout Dean. Parrish expects Stafford to test him.
“"Yeah, I grew up watching him a lot,” Parrish said. “He has an elite arm talent. He trusts his arm a lot and he does those no-look passes. He's a great quarterback and I am ready for the challenge."
A Bucs win on Sunday against a first-rate Rams team could go a long way to restoring their equilibrium and perhaps propel them down the stretch – considering Irving’s expected return a week later at home against the 3-7 Arizona Cardinals.
"I think it would be big for us,” said offensive tackle Tristan Wirfs. “(There are) lot of good teams in the NFC, a lot of good teams in the NFL. (The) Rams are one of them, so we want to go out there and get a big win on the road on Sunday Night Football. I think it would be big for everyone in the locker room for confidence moving forward."