Nov 17, 2013; Tampa, FL, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers middle linebacker Mason Foster (59) smiles and reacts after he intercepted the ball and ran it back for a touchdown against the Atlanta Falcons during the first half at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers will be without Dashon Goldson on Sunday due to a suspension, but he’s not the only defensive starter who will miss out on the contest against the talented Detroit offense.
The Buccaneers released their official end-of-week injury report today, and in doing so revealed that Mason Foster will miss Sunday’s game with a concussion.
Here is the full list.
| POS. | NAME | INJURY | STATUS |
| LB | Mason Foster | Concussion | Out |
| G | Cark Nicks | Foot | Out |
| CB | Johnthan Banks | Shoulder | Probable |
| DE | Da’Quan Bowers | Concussion | Probable |
| G | Davin Joseph | Knee | Probable |
| G | Jamon Meredith | Ankle | Probable |
| WR | Chris Owusu | Foot | Probable |
| DT | Akeem Spence | Wrist | Probable |
It’s tough to say who will step in for Foster, or if it will even be one player filling his shoes. The Buccaneers may opt to be creative with their front seven as they were against the Falcons, rotating in Adam Hayward, Jonathan Casillas, and Dekoda Watson depending on the scheme and situation.
But without Goldson at safety, there will be a bit more strain on the defense when it comes to lining up in nickel and dime defenses. That means the linebackers who stay on the field for those formations must be in sync with the schemes and be capable in pass coverage. Mason Foster isn’t the best coverage linebacker ever, but he had a grasp of what the defense was looking to do as a starter and regular contributor. It will be interesting to see if the defense struggles with mistakes and breakdowns with two backups in the starting lineup.
Carl Nicks remains out, and no one else appears to be at risk for missing the game.
Here is the injury report for the Lions.
| POS. | NAME | INJURY | STATUS |
| S | Louis Delmas | Knee | Probable |
| DE | Ezekiel Ansah | Ankle | Probable |
| DE | Israel Idonije | Knee | Questionable |
| WR | Calvin Johnson | Knee | Probable |
| TE | Brandon Pettigrew | Knee | Probable |
| S | Glover Quin | Ankle | Questionable |
| RB | Joique Bell | Achilles | Questionable |
| CB | Bill Bentley | Knee | Probable |
| WR | Nate Burleson | Forearm | Probable |
| DT | Andre Fluellen | Thigh | Probable |
| CB | Jonte Green | Illness | Probable |
| T | Corey Hilliard | Knee | Probable |
| G | Larry Warford | Shoulder | Probable |
There are a lot of important players on this list for Detroit, but nearly all of them are listed as probable. The big names listed as questionable, Bell and Quin, would be frustrating losses for the Lions, but it seems as if their other main stars are healthy and ready to go for Sunday’s game.
(Both injury reports obtained from the Detroit Lions website.)