Next man up for battered Bucs offensive line
The "next man up" mentality is real in the NFL, and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are finding that out the hard way as they prepare for Sunday's game in London against the Carolina Panthers.
Last week, the Bucs surrendered six sacks in a road loss to the New Orleans Saints. If you think that's rough, think about what the Panthers could do against a Tampa Bay offensive line that will be missing both starters on the right side Sunday.
Veteran right tackle Demar Dotson and second-year right guard Alex Cappa are both staying home while the Bucs travel abroad. Dotson is nursing a hamstring injury, while Cappa played all of last week's game despite suffering a broken arm in the second quarter.
Bucs offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich knows injuries are a part of the game, and he's confident in backups Josh Wells and Earl Watford, who will have to step up Sunday.
"It's a big challenge," Leftwich said Thursday. "Anytime you lose the guys that we lost, veteran guys who have been around, and then you have Cappa, who's playing so well. You never want to be in that predicament. But hey, man . . . next man up. That's why, the guys on our team, we believe in everyone who's on this team, who put a helmet on every day, and we're gonna give these guys an opportunity to be their best selves and try to play well."
Wells missed a practice earlier in the week due to the birth of his child, but is expected to start at right tackle in Dotson's place. Watford has experience playing for Bucs head coach Bruce Arians when he held the same position for the Arizona Cardinals.
Tampa Bay's patchwork offensive line will face yet another daunting challenge in the trenches, as the Panthers boast one of the league's best defensive line units.
