We're just one week into the season and already the Tampa Bay Buccaneers roster is being held together by duct tape.
Bryce Hall, Josh Hayes, and Zyon McCollum all left the win over Washington with injuries, with Hall suffering a season-ending leg fracture. Making matters worse, Antoine Winfield Jr. was seen in a walking boot after the game and was later ruled out for at least two weeks, adding even more pressure on a depleted defense.
The secondary isn't the only area of the roster that was bitten by the injury bug. When the first injury report was released this week, Luke Goedeke's name popped up and it's a potential nightmare scenario for the Bucs momentum.
Luke Goedeke showing up on the Bucs injury report is bad news
Starting right tackle Luke Goedeke popped up on the Bucs' injury report today, limited due to a concussion. https://t.co/lnLwRUEhHN
— Scott Smith (@ScottSBucs) September 11, 2024
One of the brightest spots in Sunday's win was how well the offense played. Things haven't looked as efficient as they did against the Commanders, and it set the right tone after an offseason of hearing about how not enough firepower was added to make a difference.
Specifically, the way the offensive line played was a massive relief. The last two seasons the line has held things back, whether because of injuries or poor play, and the Bucs invested a top draft pick in trying to improve things. Goedeke has flown under the radar as an important piece of making things work, and potentially losing him already is a tough blow.
The upside is that there's plenty of time for him to clear concussion protocol and be ready to play on Sunday. That's easier said than done, though, and the Bucs being without one of their best offensive lineman against a ferocious Detroit Lions defense is less than ideal.
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