As the Tampa Bay Buccaneers prepare to take on the Seattle Seahawks in Week 5, the game will hold some extra meaning for Emeka Egbuka, who returns for a homecoming of sorts. Egbuka is from Tacoma, Washington and grew up a huge fan of the Seahawks.
Egbuka told reporters that he will have a crowd of family and friends present at the game, and that his mom is distributing the tickets under the condition that his local supporters wear Buccaneers gear.
Egbuka will look to continue the sensational start to his career in front of the hometown crowd, and further build his case for Offensive Rookie of the Year. Through four games, Egbuka has 18 receptions for 282 yards and is tied for third among all wide receivers with four touchdowns.
Egbuka leads all rookies in yards, receiving touchdowns, and yards per reception. He also leads all rookie wide receivers yards from scrimmage and yards after catch, and is tied for the most receptions. For his incredible production through four games, Egbuka was named the NFC Offensive Rookie of the Week in September.
The Buccaneers will need Egbuka to continue his dominance in Seattle as they go into the game extremely shorthanded. The team remains without the heart and soul of the offense in Mike Evans as he recovers from a tweaked hamstring, and they will also be without star running back Bucky Irving who is dealing with a foot injury.
They are also without right guard Cody Mauch who suffered a season-ending knee injury, and Luke Goedeke who is working his way back from a foot injury.
Without several key skill players and offensive linemen, Tampa Bay needs the healthy players they do have to step up in a major way.
The Seahawks boast a great defense, ranking No. 11 in yards per game allowed and tied for second with just 16.8 points per game allowed, and beating them will be a tall task for the Buccaneers in a game that could prove to have massive playoff implications as both teams enter the week at 3-1.
Still, if Egbuka can rise to the occasion and put on a show in front of his hometown crowd, it could be exactly the spark Tampa Bay needs to overcome its injuries and keep its hot start to the season alive.
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