Todd Bowles Admits He Worries (A Little) About Receiver Injuries
September 22nd, 2022
Bucs coach Todd Bowles.
You have to start wondering about the care Bucs players receive at the AdventHealth Training Center when virtually the entire receiving corps is hurt.
Hamstrings? Good grief, do players learn at the AdventHealth Training Center how to pull hamstrings? It’s an incredible number of injuries coming from that place.
Joe will just worry about offense here. Chris Godwin has a hamstring injury, Playoff Lenny has a hamstring injury, Russell Gage doesn’t look like he’s 100 percent back from a hamstring injury.
Then you throw in Julio Jones and his knee injury and Donovan Smith’s hyper-extended elbow and Josh Wells’ calf injury and wow, all of this and it’s only Week 3? Breshad Perriman and Scotty Miller are banged up, too.
So many receivers down with injuries sure has Bucs coach Todd Bowles’ attention. He admits he’s worried some.
“We have depth,” Bowles began. “Any time you lose quite a few guys at one spot, you’ve got to worry a little bit.
“We’ve got guys that needed to step up and make plays and we kept them around for a reason. They’ve got to go in and perform.”
The first thing Joe thought of was, boy, it sure would be nice to have Tyler Johnson.
But Bowles is right. Dudes were kept for a reason. Now these same guys — Joe doesn’t need to type names today, you know who they are — need to demonstrate their value to the Bucs and make plays.
Scotty Miller is in a contract year. What he has put on tape this season isn’t going to create a stampede for his services when March rolls around. A touchdown catch in the NFC Championship, albeit a major play, will only get you so far in this league.
Anyone remember Jaelon Darden making a play on offense outside of his holding call on Sunday? Now would be a good time for him to show he’s a receiver.
Joe likes Breshad Perriman and he has made plays. He’s also had dropsies. Let’s hope he can be more consistent.
Joe guesses this is an example of why backups more often than not play like, well, guys who belong on the bench.
September 22nd, 2022 at 11:47 am
Paying $20 million for injury prone Godwin, hasn’t played a full season since 2018
Adding injury prone Julio
Paying $10 million for Gage who wasn’t hugely productive on a team with not many receiving options
Feel like we are wasting Brady’s last year with these choices
September 22nd, 2022 at 11:47 am
Selecting wrs based on special teams play was costly
September 22nd, 2022 at 11:48 am
Maybe Deven Thompkins comes up from the Practice Squad? I really like that kid.
Yes the number of WR injuries is SO frikking frustrating. Hopefully it all shakes out pretty soon.
September 22nd, 2022 at 11:51 am
Also hope that Thompkins gets a chance.
September 22nd, 2022 at 11:52 am
Correct your mistake Jason Licht-Sign Suh and reach settlement with Hicks.
September 22nd, 2022 at 11:55 am
I believe the Bucs will win this weekend. Green bay gave up 8.1 YPC on the ground and only faced 11 pass attempts.
The bucs can play smash mouth football by running the football and play action.
I’d love to see what Cade Otton can do in the pass game.
Hope the defense continues it’s red hot streak and I think the run defense will improve without Hicks in the lineup.
September 22nd, 2022 at 12:00 pm
Our run scheme is awful so don’t believe just because, the Bears ran all over them with a mobile QB that the Bucs can run all over them. Our run scheme is so uncreative its painful to watch.
Also doesn’t help that we run in predictable situations
September 22nd, 2022 at 12:02 pm
On Thompkins:
If Bucs were sold on him they wouldn’t have signed Cole Beasley.
September 22nd, 2022 at 12:05 pm
Miller is only effective if the team fields underneath WR’s, which is lacking today.
Do teams even need to defend between the hashes playing this team?
September 22nd, 2022 at 12:07 pm
@Pewter Warrior Justin Fields wasn’t a big contributor. Montgomery and Herbert averaged 8.1 and 9.5 YPC respectively with Montgomery earning over 120 yards on just 15 carries.
Things are not perfect with the injuries/inexperience, but I believe they can and will dominate the line of scrimmage running the ball Sunday.
September 22nd, 2022 at 12:07 pm
Keeping Darden and cutting Johnson was a huge mistake. Miller takes himself out of plays with his poor route running and catching. Have not seen much from Gage in crucial situations. Our TE’s are a non factor as they have to block. Brate is a waste as a receiver. Red Zone is a total disaster. Bucs spent a lot of money in the off season on guys who are not producing.
September 22nd, 2022 at 12:18 pm
Joe’s take is awful. Tyler Johnson can’t even see the field for the Texans, what a dumb thing to say.
September 22nd, 2022 at 12:24 pm
Gage & Perriman will need to step up Sunday….& we need to use our backs & TEs more on early downs……
Don’t care if TJ can’t make the field for Texans….he made it for us and did quite well……
I, too would like to see Thompkins on the field….he seems to catch everything thrown his way.
September 22nd, 2022 at 12:25 pm
The Bucs are now signing street bums off the street in Week 3 of the 2022 NFL season. Let’s see, OL Destroyed by injuries, WR Destroyed by injuries, TE worst in NFL HISTORY, your top RB playing with 1 leg and a 45 year old man with declining skills. Good old Beck (WDAE) gonna hate Rogers some more. Packers 24 Bucs 10.
September 22nd, 2022 at 12:29 pm
I’d be worried too. The only saving grace is that Rodgers is throwing to nobody’s also. The team that scores first will probably win. Better pray that some of these guys come back next week, because the bucs will need to score to have a chance against KC.
September 22nd, 2022 at 12:31 pm
@ A Bucs Fan
Even though Fields didn’t run much, the threat of a mobile QB helps the run game. Look at the Aints week 1 run defense they were gashed by ATL, Bucs don’t have that scheme to take advantage of the defencies of a defense like other teams.
I’d love to be wrong but I doubt we have success running like other teams have had. Our scheme and play caller don’t help us in that aspect of the game
September 22nd, 2022 at 12:35 pm
I agree with your thinking. I just believe the Saints were built to directly beat the Bucs (heard that from Malcom Jenkins own mouth). So I am not surprised that it wasn’t pretty against them. I expect Lenny will have similar success against the Packers as he did the Cowboys (I hope Sneak Vaughn finally gets some carries too. Kid has good burst).
I think the Bucs are very limited in what they can do offensively with all the injuries so I can appreciate what you’re saying but hope that as they heal up we will see more variety in the play calling.
September 22nd, 2022 at 12:40 pm
Screens.
September 22nd, 2022 at 12:42 pm
I agree with Joe on Darden, but that holding call was one of many awful penalties called against the Bucs last Sunday.
September 22nd, 2022 at 1:01 pm
If Tyler Johnson was available I bet we still take Beasely, however I’m starting to think we should have kept Johnson instead of Miller or Darden.
September 22nd, 2022 at 1:13 pm
Someone saying our run scheme sucks obviously missed the Cowboys game where Lenny went for 6 upcoming. Moron.
September 22nd, 2022 at 1:49 pm
Goatfarmer, I agree with the Dallas comment but am I the only one that saw BL went back to last seasons scheme? Dallas & Saints running game was apples & oranges. The injuries are huge, NO receiving TE and down to the 4th, 5th, 6th receivers. It’s no wonder Bucs are 30th in red zone O. Was Cook picked up? If not dump Rudolph and try him. With Evan’s out this could be the worst receiving core Brady ever had in 23 yrs, not to mention the oline. If Bucs win Sunday that will show this team has balls because the offensive personnel is very weak.
September 22nd, 2022 at 1:54 pm
Saints run defense which is a top one in the league is not the same as the Packers RD. People are overreacting.
September 22nd, 2022 at 1:58 pm
There’s star players all around the league down for long stretches … I think the way they practice where they don’t hit each other anymore, they barely play in preseason and when the season starts they’re not ready for those big hits!! There’s no speed like game day speed and pampering these guys all preseason doesn’t prepare them for it!!
September 22nd, 2022 at 2:15 pm
Seeing Justin Watson catch that bomb TD from Patty Ice hurt a bit.
Not going to name names… Then names the 3 names lol Joe got me cracking up
September 22nd, 2022 at 2:17 pm
sighn OBJ
September 22nd, 2022 at 2:28 pm
Licht or BA must have to rethink; WHY they kept Darden & let Johnson go
September 22nd, 2022 at 2:30 pm
‘Joe guesses this is an example of why backups more often than not play like, well, guys who belong on the bench’.
Yeah verily. That seems to be especially true for certain skill positions like WR & CB.
I’m sure that starters run better routes, but danged, our backup WRs don’t seem to be able to catch the ball … Perriman (37.5%), Miller (37.5%), Darden (hasn’t even been thrown to yet). Numbers like that don’t scream ‘Hey Tom, throw me the ball & I guarantee a TD’.
September 22nd, 2022 at 2:53 pm
Thompklns can catch. Is there a problem with his route running?
September 22nd, 2022 at 3:11 pm
Tyler Johnson couldn’t create separation by his route running or his lack of speed so almost every throw to him was a difficult one and it was never darden or Miller vs Johnson they are different types of receivers it was Johnson vs perriman and they made the right choice they probably have similar catch rates but at least perriman has speed to create separation.
September 22nd, 2022 at 4:12 pm
We’re 2-0. Not sure why fans are complaining about the WRs we kept on the roster. You can’t predict injuries and some of these WRs needed to contribute on ST. I wish these armchair GMs and armchair HCs would shutup. I think the GM and HC have made solid choices to this point.
September 22nd, 2022 at 4:22 pm
Dave in winter park . You sound very stupid.
I am definitely glad you are not running the team!
September 22nd, 2022 at 5:14 pm
In case you guys haven’t noticed the Bucs are fairly deep at most positions. It’s a marathon not a sprint. I think we’ll be fine but I would have liked to have Suh on the team. He is missed and can’t be replaced.
September 22nd, 2022 at 5:18 pm
Who is gonna step up come Sunday? Brady’s gonna sling it. I just hope we got somebody with reliable hands. We dropped quite a few against them Saints. Defense will not win every game for us.
September 22nd, 2022 at 6:32 pm
You chicken littles need to calm down.
Besides Jensen and possibly Wells, none of these injuries are season ending. Guys will be back. It does suck to be down so many with games coming up against Green Bay and KC, but it is what it is. Next man up.
Tho I agree about the training / conditioning staff… been saying for years that they are sub-par.
September 22nd, 2022 at 7:07 pm
Two FA busts at receiver right now, let’s call it what it is. J.J. started the season great, but alas, the oft injured WR is well, injured. Russell Gage is harder to find then the invisible man. At least Jones came cheap. Glad we traded Johnson because he didn’t play teams.
September 22nd, 2022 at 7:38 pm
Hodad you’re a bum bruh it’s 2 games. TJ can’t even dress for the Texans to sit your butt down.
September 23rd, 2022 at 1:42 am
Reading these comments you’d never know we were 2-0, just beat the Saints, have only allowed 1 TD and have the Greatest QB of ALL Time on our roster.
Take a breath guys.