Tampa Bay Buccaneers likely without at least one defensive starter against Baltimore
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers were upset in a shocking loss to the Carolina Panthers on Sunday afternoon. The Buccaneers failed to score an offensive touchdown for the first time this season against a team that had lost three straight games by 10+ points entering week 7. On top of that, the Panthers fired their head coach a few weeks ago and are in the midst of a firesale - wide receiver Robby Anderson and star running back Christian McCaffery were traded over the past week.
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To pile on to the misery, Tampa Bay lost starting safety Antoine Winfield Jr. in the third quarter. Winfield Jr. was evaluated for a concussion and couldn't return for the remainder of the contest.
On Monday, head coach Todd Bowles spoke to the media. Bowles stated that the third-year pro will "likely" be unavailable to suit up on Thursday night against the Baltimore Ravens. The short turnaround makes it tough for a player to get out of concussion protocol so swiftly.
"Winfield has a concussion, so he'll be in the protocol, likely will be out," Bowles said on Monday.
This would be a less than ideal loss for a defense that is already without veteran safety Logan Ryan. That leaves the defensive backfield extremely thin on depth and experience behind Mike Edwards and Keanu Neal. Someone else will have to step up in nickel situations.
Outside of the injuries at safety, star cornerback Carlton Davis and cornerback Sean Murphy-Bunting were unable to play against Carolina. To this point, the defense has been unable to respond as they've been forced to search for help deeper and deeper on the roster.
It's probably too late for Tampa Bay to realistically sign a free agent or scour another team's practice squad for depth. Look for rookie safety Nolan Turner to possibly garner snaps against Baltimore behind Edwards and Neal. According to PFF, cornerback Dee Delaney earned playing time at the position last week in relief of Winfield Jr.
Winfield Jr. ranks third on the team with 39 tackles, 5 tackles for loss, 3 sacks, 1 interception, and a forced fumble this season. The 2021 Pro Bowler came away with a season-high eight tackles and a sack in Tampa Bay's win over Atlanta a few weeks ago.
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