Bucs’ Bowles Weighs Options Of Playing Starters In Week 18

The truth that the Bucs received the NFC South division with yet another week left within the 2022 common season places them in a precarious state of affairs heading into the final recreation of the common season. Tampa Bay is within the playoffs because the No. 4 seed and might’t transfer up or down based mostly on the end result of Sunday’s recreation at Atlanta.

With out actually having a lot to play for, will some prime starters on the Bucs get a recreation off to maintain them wholesome for the postseason? Head coach Todd Bowles is weighing all of his choices.

“Proper now I’m planning on taking part in them,” Bowles stated on Monday. “We’ll see because the week goes ahead, however we are able to get higher at a whole lot of issues that we have to work on, and we don’t must take our foot off the fuel.”

Tampa Bay is coming off one in all their finest offensive performances of the season the place they scored 30 factors. The Bucs haven’t been scoring in a excessive quantity this season, so the significance of constant to construct on that efficiency might be somewhat increased than it normally can be.

On the flip facet – if one thing have been to occur to one in all their finest gamers, comparable to an damage to quarterback Tom Brady, that will derail the Bucs’ playoff probabilities earlier than they even reached the sport. It’s a effective line to stability, however Bowles stated that should you go in worrying about getting harm, then you definately’ll get harm.

“I imply, it’s soccer. You may’t play 16 video games after which fear in regards to the seventeenth,” Bowles stated. “You may’t play three preseason video games and 16 video games and apply day-after-day and say you might get harm within the seventeenth recreation. You will get harm the primary week, you will get harm in coaching camp. When you fear about that, you’re in all probability going to get harm anyway.

“We signed as much as play soccer and coach soccer, that’s what we’re going to do. Everyone that loves soccer, that likes to play, will play the sport. Accidents are going to occur. That doesn’t imply it occurs in Week 17, the playoff recreation or preseason. You’ve simply obtained to teach it and also you’ve obtained to play it. When you fear about accidents, you in all probability don’t should be taking part in this sport.”

Bucs’ Most Necessary Gamers Are Dealing With Accidents

Final week’s matchup with the Panthers was basically a playoff recreation. If the Bucs received, they clinched the division. If the Panthers obtained the win, they’d be up a recreation with one to go. Due to that, Tampa Bay noticed gamers who had been out return to the lineup. Defensive deal with Vita Vea (calf) and cornerback Jamel Dean (toe) returned to motion as two examples.

However with the division title secured, would gamers coping with extra critical accidents push it for a recreation like this?

Offensive deal with is one other matter of dialogue. Proper deal with Tristan Wirfs is coping with a excessive ankle sprain, whereas left deal with Donovan Smith simply got here again from a foot damage. It seems like it could be finest in the event that they rested, however with a 53-man roster Bowles and the coaches can solely sit so many guys, particularly at a place that’s skinny on the depth chart.

Bucs RT Tristan Wirfs, C Robert Hainsey, LT Donovan Smith and QB Tom Brady – Photograph by: USA As we speak

“Effectively, we don’t have many to start with,” Bowles stated. “It’s not like coaching camp when you could have 80 guys, 90 guys. We’re restricted to start with, however some guys want some work on issues. Because the week goes ahead, we’ll progress and make these choices, however proper now all people must plan on taking part in.”

Quarterback Tom Brady has already come out and stated he desires to play. The state of affairs was additionally floated to Bowles of the starters starting the sport after which getting pulled midway by. He’s open to entertaining the thought, but it surely seems like the general determination might change all through the week.

“It’s doable,” Bowles stated. “Like I stated, it’s early within the week. We haven’t made any choices but. We haven’t met on it, we haven’t talked about it, every little thing is on the desk. We’ll speak about it and we’ll transfer ahead from there.”