Ready?

Joe barely slept last night after learning defensive end Robert Ayers, the soul of the Bucs’ defense, was ill and couldn’t practice yesterday.

The good news is Ayers was on the practice field today, per Jenna Laine of ESPN. Laine caught a photo of Ayers during the 30-minute segment open to media.

Ayers playing Saturday is critical on so many levels. Too few Bucs have played in critical Christmas week games, and Ayers is the kind of guy that does — and needs to — set a championship tone.

Also, with Will Gholston nursing a dislocated elbow, the Bucs can’t afford to go thin again at defensive end. That’s a big reason the team fell to 3-5 in the first half of the season.

Their four-man rush was beastly against New Orleans two weeks ago and absolutely must repeat that performance Saturday.