The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are the walking wounded right now, as injuries to star wide receiver duo Mike Evans and Chris Godwin have thrown this team completely off-kilter. To make matters worse, standout running back Bucky Irving also popped up on the injury report.
Irving's availability for Tampa's home matchup against the rival Atlanta Falcons was thrown into doubt by a nagging toe injury that Irving has dealt with throughout practice. The last thing Baker Mayfield needs is yet another skill position player dropping by the wayside before a divisional game.
Luckily for a Bucs fanbase that has been beaten over the head with injury news lately, all signs point to Irving being good to go in this one despite having given his fans a scare.
The latest buzz around the league suggests that Irving, barring a major setback, is going to play against Atlanta. This further backs up what head coach Todd Bowles had been implying prior to this game, as he had been optimistic about Irving suiting up in this one.
#Bucs RB Bucky Irving, part of their three-headed monster, is expected to play despite a toe injury that has him listed as questionable, source said. Todd Bowles had been optimistic this week.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) October 27, 2024
Buccaneers RB Bucky Irving expected to play vs. Falcons in Week 8
While Sean Tucker has had some moments, and Rachaad White is the most experienced member of the backfield, Irving has the most potential out of anyone in that backfield. Irving has already run for 351 yards and three touchdowns while piling up a very efficient 5.2 yards per carry in relief of White.
While Atlanta has some stars in the secondary, their defensive line might be one of their more exploitable areas of weakness on the roster. Tampa Bay was able to reel off a few big gains against them on the ground when the two old rivals locked horns in a thrilling Thursday Night epic.
Irving has recorded at least 50 yards from scrimmage and a touchdown in three of his last four games, upping that yards minimum to 77 with a touchdown in each of his last two. Unless his toe starts acting up, Irving will both be out there for Tampa Bay and assume a role as one of the primary offensive creators.
With Evans and Godwin both banged up, albeit to varying degrees of severity, the Bucs may need to lead on the ground game more than they had in past weeks. Just a few weeks after making his debut as a fourth-round rookie, a less-than-100% Irving is going to assume a role as a primary offensive creator.