Buccaneers vs. Panthers: Thursday Injury Report

Nov 15, 2015; Tampa, FL, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers tight end Luke Stocker (88) runs during the second half of a football game against the Dallas Cowboys at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Reinhold Matay-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 15, 2015; Tampa, FL, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers tight end Luke Stocker (88) runs during the second half of a football game against the Dallas Cowboys at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Reinhold Matay-USA TODAY Sports /
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Time for the first injury report of the week for the game between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Carolina Panthers.

More from The Pewter Plank

It’s almost like a mirage, isn’t it? The Buccaneers on Monday Night Football? To tell you the truth, it happens so infrequently that I had a mental block on it all week, thinking the game was on Sunday. But it’s true, the men from Tampa take the grand stage on Monday night to face the defending NFC champions.

So, hopefully everybody reading this post is safe from the path of Hurricane Matthew. It sounds as if the game will not be affected by the storm after all, but of course we will monitor.

With that said, we have the first injury report of the week. It’s a mixed bag of information, first for the Bucs:

PlayerNo.Pos.InjuryThursday
Robert Ayers91DEAnkleLimited Participation
Doug Martin22RBHamstringDid Not Participate
Gerald McCoy93DTCalfDid Not Participate
Clinton McDonald98DTHamstringLimited Participation
Brandon Myers82TEHipLimited Participation
Cecil Shorts III10WRHamstringDid Not Participate
Charles Sims III34RBKneeDid Not Participate
Noah Spence57DEShoulderDid Not Participate
Luke Stocker88TEAnkleLimited Participation
Keith Tandy37SCalfDid Not Participate

Wouldn’t it be nice to have Robert Ayers back this week? Even if he plays a limited role in the game, his presence gives the Panthers something to think about. They need him, especially as we learned earlier today about Spence’s injury. Stocker and Myers returned to practice as well, beefing up the tight end position.

The unfortunate news is that neither Doug Martin or Charles Sims practiced. If it plays out, that will put a lot on the shoulders of Jacquizz Rodgers.

Now for the Panthers:

PlayerNo.Pos.InjuryThursday
James Bradberry24CBFootDid Not Participate
Vernon Butler92DTAnkleDid Not Participate
Thomas Davis58LBHamstringDid Not Participate
Devin Funchess17WRFootLimited Participation
Ted Ginn, Jr.19WRFootLimited Participation
Charles Johnson95DEQuadDid Not Participate
Ryan Kalil67CKneeLimited Participation
Star Lotulelei98DTShoulderLimited Participation
Cam Newton1QBConcussionDid Not Participate
Michael Oher73TConcussionDid Not Participate
Mike Remmers74TShoulderLimited Participation
Jonathan Stewart28RBHamstringDid Not Participate
Mike Tolbert35RBHamstringLimited Participation

Next: Bucs Helping Out in the Community

Now isn’t that a nice long list of big names? Anyone else smiling about even the potential of a game against the Panthers without Newton, Stewart, Tolbert, and Thomas Davis, among others? That would certainly level the playing field for this big NFC South matchup.

We will monitor all of these injuries as the week concludes.