Not Looking Good For Trio Of Bucs
November 24th, 2017
Injury updates.
While everyone else was out shoveling grub and liquor down their gullets and watching football, the Bucs were hard at work at One Buc Palace.
And, as with any Thursday practice leading to a game, an injury report is released. Yesterday, Mr. Beasting Robert Ayers, Vernon Hargreaves and Evan Smith each missed their second straight day of practices this week.
Ayers and Smith are in concussion protocol (usually — but not always — that means a player misses a game) and Hargreaves is still dealing with a nasty hamstring injury.
Even if all three are limited in glorified walk-throughs today, that does not bode well for their availability for Sunday’s showdown in Billy Sherman’s favorite firepit, Atlanta.
This is a season make-or-break game in Joe’s eyes. It could also be a trap game for the Dixie Chicks as they are coming off a thrilling win at Seattle and had to fly back cross-country after a Monday night game and play on a short week with Thanksgiving thrown in. Bucs need all hands on deck.
November 24th, 2017 at 4:54 am
Call it like it is Joe: Bucs are hurting. Big time, especially on defense. Lack of depth is haunting us.
November 24th, 2017 at 5:17 am
Is it it lack of depth??? I prefer to call it lack of GM preparation prior to the season beginning.
November 24th, 2017 at 7:25 am
They’ll probably rest Noodle Arm Ryan.
November 24th, 2017 at 7:43 am
Season make or break? AYSM? I applaud the optimism.
What can we consider a “make” season at this point? Winston not needing surgery and sex crime allegations proviing false. Glazers forgiving Winston IF he didn’t tell them anything (whether true or false). Start there. No offseason surguries required for any players. Fitz signing a two year deal as back up. Griffin getting in four games of experience. Barber breaks out and explodes for 500 yards over the remaining games. Godwin clearly a solid #2 WR. O line gels. Grimes agrees to one more year. DE is biggest draft need. Drafting in the top 10.
What’s “break” season? Winston needing surgery. Civil suit brought. NFL suspension for six games. All negated if Glazers say “bye” to JW3. But now, having to find a new starting/franchise QB. Needing to draft a RB. Needing to replace two-plus on the O line. Grimes hangs up his cleats. ACL or other major injuries in meaningless games that impact next season. DE, OL, CB, RB are huge draft needs, with more than one of the positions needed.
Sure, win a trap game Sunday and maybe even GB. They are not mathematically elimated with one or both of those wins, but lets be realistic. This team is a joke right now.
November 24th, 2017 at 7:55 am
Yeah, I suppose having Pro-Bowlers and Superbowl ring wearers at defensive tackle is just bad management.
November 24th, 2017 at 8:30 am
“Lack of depth is haunting us.”
Exactly D.R.
And our starting lineups at the beginning of the year had some prayers in there as well.You can’t totally revamp a roster just through the draft in two or three years.
That’s seven picks a year…50% fail rate…seven picks in two years…10 in 3 for a 53 man roster. Gotta hit on some UFA’s like Brate and Hump….some FA’s like Ayers and especially Grimes! But it still left us short of a complete starting lineup much less starters and decent backups.
Again I think Licht was forced to gamble that perhaps Jack Smith would get healthy but mostly on Noah…when he went down for the season any pretense of an edge rush disappeared. Now our starting QB?
#ONEMOREYEAR
November 24th, 2017 at 9:05 am
Watch the film from last week. Ayers got his ass kicked. I counted three times he was pancaked on chip blocks. He got hit hard, should sit out. Like for the rest of his career.
November 24th, 2017 at 9:21 am
Jack Smith is healthy and playing elsewhere. By the way… I’d love to know why we released him. And what did Bernard Reedy do wrong?
November 24th, 2017 at 9:37 am
Casey … I’ve been wondering exactly the same thing.
StPete … 2 years away IF Bucs do everything exactly right (hit on draft picks, FAs, minimum injuries, etc.) . Doubt seriously that Vegas would give us very good odds on that.
November 24th, 2017 at 10:18 am
Once again weak Robert Ayers is on the list again . The guy keeps ending up on his back every game ! Did you see how the little RB put Ayers on his back all game . Guy is the worst free agent pick up ever . Mr Rice 97 is laughing right now
November 24th, 2017 at 10:55 am
Buc believer Says
“Is it it lack of depth??? I prefer to call it lack of GM preparation prior to the season beginning.”
Okay…you’ve got me curious. How would you have prepared if you were the GM? Without knowing the areas of injuries that would need to be covered?
Would you have drafted a CB?
He drafted two the year before.
Would you have drafted a RB?
He did that.
Would you have drafted a Safety?
Guess what? HE did that.
Heck, because Noah Spence was supposed to step things up this year, you could even argue he thought DE was covered for this year.
I mean, shoot man, he hit on 4 of 6 picks! That’s more than 66%!
November 24th, 2017 at 10:57 am
Licht was only able to start addressing depth with quality this past off season. Just like it took time to fill starters roles, it takes time to improve depth too.
November 24th, 2017 at 10:58 am
Casey Morgan, Jack Smith might be playing RIGHT NOW, but we all know that will not last.
November 24th, 2017 at 11:53 am
Lol a trap game for Atlanta? Stop with the jokes
November 24th, 2017 at 1:10 pm
Yeah unfortunately dirk broke this thing in Arizona. Cant make or break anything now, except of course jobs and draft position. I’m curious to see if they at least show up and play with great effort.
November 24th, 2017 at 2:08 pm
Trap game indeed, Joe. That Seattle game took something out of the birds. It looked like half a Julio to me in that game. I believe they’ll sit Freeman trying to get him whole for the stretch run. And then weird things can happen when those won loss records are mirror images. A 6 and 4 playing a 4 and 6. I’ve seen it before many times. I’m superstitiously calling it a Bucs win 21 -20 on an Atlanta missed field goal at the end.
November 24th, 2017 at 2:10 pm
No such thing as a trap games for the Falcons. According to the Atlanta Constitution (newspaper), The Falcons are all fired up calling this game against the Bucs as a..Must win! Matt Ryan said, We shall be ready! I’m not rollin with my Bucs in this weeks football pool. You see, I luv winning…that pool!
November 24th, 2017 at 2:42 pm
Lack of depth is a constant problem on this team…yes Licht makes (mostly 50/50) good draft picks…but he stocks the cupboards of this team like he’s playing Madden with injuries off. C’mon man, depth! Way too much faith in players “turning the corner”