Tampa Bay will have to find a way to beat the Minnesota Vikings without its two star rookies, who have been ruled out for Sunday's game.
If the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are to beat the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday and avoid starting the season 0-3, they will have to do it without the services of their top two rookies.
On Friday, the Bucs ruled first-round edge rusher Rueben Bain Jr. out with a groin injury after his third straight day of not being able to practice.
Linebacker Josiah Trotter, drafted a round after Bain, got in a limited practice Friday after missing practices on Wednesday and Thursday. The upgrade to practicing in any capacity gave some hope that Trotter might give it a go on Sunday.
Unfortunately, it was not enough and Trotter was also ruled out for Sunday's tilt.
Complete Opposite Starts To Their Careers
Both rookies earned plenty of hype over the offseason, but the pair have had complete opposite starts to their careers.
Bain looked dominant throughout months of practices, and was Tampa's most hyped and anticipated rookie in years,
He earned comparisons to NFL great James Harrison and became the favorite to win Defensive Rookie of the Year.
However, the star rookie has had a very underwhelming start to his career. In Tampa's season opener, Bain only registered a single tackle and was unable to generate any pressure against the Bengals' quarterback, Joe Burrow.
Though it was only one game, Bain's critics had a field day and brought the pre-draft concerns about his short arm length back into focus.
Last week, Bain was invisible once again as the Bucs fell in a shocking home loss to the Cleveland Browns. He was kept off the stat sheet entirely, prompting head coach Todd Bowles to publicly question whether he was healthy.
Trotter, meanwhile, has had a terrific start to his career.
Against Cincinnati, Trotter had a historic debut, becoming the first player in NFL history to record both a sack and a pick-six in his first NFL game. He would finish the game with 11 total tackles, two for a loss, and broke up a pass as well.
Last week against Cleveland, Trotter had an impressive encore. He was credited with 13 more total tackles. Through two games, the rookie is tied for third in the NFL in tackles, and has been the best player on Tampa's defense.
Final Thoughts
Having to play Minnesota without either Bain or Trotter is a tough blow for the Bucs.
Trotter has been outstanding out of the gates for Tampa, and Bain was hoping to make an impact for the first time in his career.
Hopefully, Bain can get fully healthy with a week off and finally start looking like the player everyone expected.
The Bucs are going to miss Trotter a great deal against the Vikings. He has been great so far. Unfortunately, he will have to wait a week to continue the terrific start to his career.
