Four Bucs Ruled Out for Thursday Night Showdown, McLaughlin Healthy

The road doesn't get much easier for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as the team looks to capture their first win of the season against the surging Dallas Cowboys on Thursday Night Football.

After a surprising offensive struggle in Week 1, the Cowboys' prolific offensive attack has found it's groove, scoring 30 or more points in each of the past three weeks and sitting at 2-2.

It will be a tall task for backup quarterback Jalon Daniels and the Bucs offense to keep up with Dallas, especially with the recent loss of Jalen McMillan in the receiving room.

But, the defense does get a nice returning boost, with Rueben Bain Jr. returning from injury.

Bain, the Bucs' top draft pick, had a quiet start to his NFL career before missing the past two games with an AC sprain.

To this point of the season, Dallas' offensive line has held up, but they are susceptible to allowing pressure on the outside. 

Bain is yet to record a sack, and has been very limited in his tackling and pressure rate, but could have a big day against a Cowboys team that likes to throw the ball.

The defensive backfield for the Bucs remains shallow however, with Antoine Winfield Jr. and Benjamin Morrison sidelined.

Morrison's injury problems have lingered since Tampa selected him out of Notre Dame two drafts ago, while Winfield is the newest Bucs starter to catch the bug.

Earlier this week, head coach Todd Bowles announced Winfield had suffered a fractured rib against the Green Bay Packers, keeping him sidelined for a minimum of two weeks.

This comes at a very bad time for Tampa, who will need to contain Ceedee Lamb and George Pickens without it's top safety on the back end.

One positive piece of injury news comes from the Bucs' special teams unit, as starting kicker Chase McLaughlin practiced on Wednesday and is good to go for Thursday.

McLaughlin, who is dealing with discomfort in his hip and right groin, had not participated in Tuesday's walkthroughs and was briefly added to the injury report.

Having McLaughlin healthy is huge, as he has carried over last year's historic success to this one.

In 2025, McLaughlin had perhaps the best kicking season in franchise history, making 32 of 38 field-goal attempts, including 11 of 12 from 50 or more yards.

In Week 8 of last season, McLaughlin set the franchise record with a 65-yard bomb against the Philadelphia Eagles, just three yards short of the NFL record set by Jacksonville Jaguars kicker Cam Little, who nailed a 68-yarder in November.

He has started off this season on the same foot, sitting at 9-for-9 on his overall attempts, and making all three of his kicks from 50 or longer.

Tampa looks to upset Dallas on Thursday at 8:15 p.m.