All eyes are on Sunday night and whether the Tampa Bay Buccaneers can snap a primetime winless streak to once again reach the NFC Divisional Round. It would be the continuation of what has turned out to be a fantastic season, with the Bucs escaping the clutches of a four game losing streak in the middle of the season to finding 6-1 and NFC South champions for a fourth straight year.
The work is hardly finished, though, and there’s still a lot the team needs to prove. We saw the Bucs reach the Divisional Round last season and everyone is looking for improvement on that growth, including everyone in the locker room.
Unlike the home stretch of the season, though, the Bucs are going to get some key guys back from injury.
Part of what made the way Tampa Bay finished the season so strong was the fact that they didn’t have full deck. Antoine Winfield Jr., Jordan Whitehead, and Cade Otton were all missing and guys like Bucky Irving,Baker Mayfield, and Tristan Wirfs were all banged up.
Aside from Whitehead, who was placed on IR after a car accident, none of those guys seem interested in missing Sunday night’s Wild Card showdown with the Commanders.
Buccaneers get some fantastic news on the injury news ahead of Wild Card game
There’s still plenty of time for things to change, but it seems everything is trending in the right direction for the Bucs getting some key guys back. The biggest name to pop up in a positive way on the injury report is Winfield Jr., who was a full participant in practice for the first time since his knee injury back in Week 14.
Cade Otton is the other name everyone is keeping an eye on, as he’s been out since the loss to Dallas and seems to be finally working his way back.
Here’s today’s injury report for Bucs and Commanders. Long list but only a few guys completely held out today. pic.twitter.com/aZqta1wnLj
— Greg Auman (@gregauman) January 8, 2025
Don’t read too much into MIke Evans or Lavonte David popping up on the injury report this early in the week, as neither is expected to miss Sunday’s game against Washington. It’s also notable that Baker Mayfield isn’t on the injury report, as that seems to indicate all is well with the ailments he’s been dealing with as of late.
On the other side of the field, it’s hard not to see Marshon Lattimore’s status and get excited for what it means. He missed the Buccaneers matchup in New Orleans earlier this year and was traded before the two teams met again, but he’ll be matching up with Mike Evans in what is truly a primetime heavyweight fight.
Perhaps emphasis on fight, given their history.
Getting Winfield Jr. back is going to be huge for a depleted Bucs defense. Somehow the team managed without him, but he’s going to be needed if Tampa Bay wants to avoid a first round upset against the likely Rookie of the Year in Jayden Daniels.
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