How Much Will Injuries Hurt The Bucs?
November 22nd, 2023
Lavonte David
Yeah, the Bucs defense held the 49ers off the scoreboard in the fourth quarter on Sunday.
But let’s be real: The damage was already done. San Francisco had called off the dogs.
The Bucs lost three defensive starters to the hard-hitting 49ers (though one was a non-contact injury). Carlton Davis, Lavonte David and Jamel Dean. How can the Bucs, specifically the defense, bounce back being down two starting corners and one of the best linebackers in the game?
Yes, the Bucs are only out of the NFC South division lead by a half-game. So it’s not curtains yet.
The Bucs defense on Sunday coughed up 448 yards combined rushing and receiving, and the 49ers’ quarterback was four incompletions short of a perfect day.
Davis or no Davis, Dean or no Dean, David or no David, the Bucs defense can’t get much worse. All three had MRIs this week and the Bucs should have an update today.
Wirfs returned to the game on Sunday and Bucs coach Todd Bowles mentioned how Wirfs was very sore on Monday but he’s hopeful Wirfs will be ready to roll in Indianapolis.
November 22nd, 2023 at 4:38 am
I’m not a fan of Davis and Dean because they are not good at breaking up passes or intercepting them. I am a stan of David and Wirf and hope they recover quickly. The corner situation will improve with Davis and Dean out.
November 22nd, 2023 at 5:12 am
Am I the only one to notice but based on my objective perspective, Dean is not this top 10 corner I hear this chatter about. He lacks the ball hawking skills to make interceptions n disrupt passes.He lacks Physicality,Instincts, n Durability. At 6’1 206 lbs, he’s fragile n always hurt. He doesn’t play aggressie. He plays stiff n I’ve been saying it for years, he still has the deer in the headlight demeanor. Look at the difference between Bucs starting corners n Eagles, Cowboys, Chiefs, 49ers, Lions starting n backup corners. Contrary to Dean, they all play aggressive n know how to play the ball. Dean played Akuya man to man n didn’t jam him at the line of scrimmage to throw the timing of his route off which lead to a 76 yd td. Why play man to man in your face n not touch the guy within the allowed five yards. Dean is garbage.
November 22nd, 2023 at 5:52 am
Davis and Dean hurt again? Shocked! How will our defense go on without them?
November 22nd, 2023 at 6:07 am
with lavonte supposedly out 3-6 weeks………yowzers…
it’s devin white time…either he’s going to fly high or crash and burn…
but it’s going to be interesting to see him in action without lvd holding it all together
November 22nd, 2023 at 6:26 am
Let’s grab Darius (Shaq) Leonard, Colts just waived him. He’s a beast n an upgrade from DWhite. Come on Litch,make the move.
November 22nd, 2023 at 6:26 am
I’m sure we can lose just as well without them all, as we do when they all play. Dean, and Davis, Davis, and Dean, sounds like a singing act from the sixities are hot garbarge anyway. They’re the only corners who hurt themselfs in coverage. Dean was so beat on that TD, he snapped his ankle! God we’re going to miss that lock down coverage they provide.
November 22nd, 2023 at 6:44 am
darius leonard has been cut by the colts…
do we have use for the dude or nah…………………?
November 22nd, 2023 at 7:24 am
Injury firm of Davis n dean. 👍
1 of them need to go after this year. Don’t matter which
November 22nd, 2023 at 7:30 am
Losing LVD is a much bigger problem, IMO. Our “top” DBs have not been very productive when they’ve been on the field. I’m not sure what the answer is but I always defer to the Fanman’s family motto:
“You can never have enough competent DBs.”
Amen.
November 22nd, 2023 at 7:55 am
How Much Will Injuries Hurt The Bucs?
About as much as it helped being fully healthy. Jenna and everyone else can just stop. We were getting our doors blown off by top competition WITH Tom Brady. Except playing out of our minds was that Super Bowl playoff run. Who was the key cog? Devin White and he’s been checked out all season.
We are in no position to make a run, we won’t make a run, we don’t have the stones to make a run nor the defensive and offensive coordinator. Can anyone say with a straight face that Todd Bowles will take this team on some kind of winning streak into the playoffs??? Stop it just stop, we’re done and the only thing left to screw up draft position
November 22nd, 2023 at 7:59 am
Hodad Says:
November 22nd, 2023 at 6:26 am
“Dean was so beat on that TD, he snapped his ankle!”
Comment of the day! Well done, sir.
November 22nd, 2023 at 7:59 am
Shaq Leonard doesn’t look the same since he injured his back. Still probably worth a flyer, if he’s inexpensive (and wants to play for Bowles).
November 22nd, 2023 at 8:05 am
Wirfs and Lavonte are the only injuries worth mentioning. The other “starters” here are sadly interchangeable with the backups. In other words, no big loss.
November 22nd, 2023 at 8:28 am
Let’s see what the backups can do.
November 22nd, 2023 at 8:44 am
but the good news is that we rarely get called for pass interference because we don’t have anyone close enough.
November 22nd, 2023 at 9:24 am
Carlton Davis only looks good because the CB room is so pathetic. We need to draft QB and all DBs in draft (CB and S).
November 22nd, 2023 at 10:08 am
Let’s talk about our defensive stars… and how much money we are wasting for very little production:
Devin White – highest paid defensive player – 3 tackles against SF and an overall underwhelming season.
Shaq Barrett – 2nd highest paid defensive player – has only 5 sacks in his last 16 games played. Disappears for entire halves of games routinely.
Carlton Davis – 3rd highest paid defensive player – 0 interceptions and only 4 passes defended ALL SEASON. Meanwhile, he’s been burnt for at least 10 touchdowns this season.
Jamel Dean – 5th highest paid defensive player – 0 interceptions and only 3 passes defended all season. Brittle as glass.
JTS – 6th highest defensive players- literally does nothing. He makes Devin White actually look productive.
I understand Shaq is coming back from injury and getting older, but there are ZERO EXCUSES for these other guys.
Absolutely pathetic. You Can’t win when you have that much money tied up in a bunch of underperforming losers.
November 22nd, 2023 at 10:21 am
^^^^^ Boom!
November 22nd, 2023 at 10:24 am
unbelievable
Agree with most of what you said but losers? Each one of those dudes helped us get a Super Bowl ring but they didn’t come to play this season. It’s like they knew with that quarterback room we would suck
November 22nd, 2023 at 10:29 am
@unbelievable, spot on! So much money just blowing around doing nothing for our defense.
November 22nd, 2023 at 10:42 am
@Pewter Power – agreed, they are capable of playing SO MUCH BETTER. which is why it’s so maddening.
So yes, in 2023, I’m calling them out for playing like losers. “You are what your record says you are.” 4-6 says losers to me.
November 22nd, 2023 at 11:48 am
To add to the “mic drop” by unbelievable above, lets take a look at Logan Hall’s stats while we’re at it. Oh, wait, there are none!
9 gms/ 9 COMBINED tackles/ 0.5 sacks
That’s Will Gholston territory!
November 22nd, 2023 at 1:29 pm
Injuries to the starters hurt this team more than most because they were cap-strapped and thin behind the front runners. That said, they’re fortunate that they haven’t ran through Mayfield and Trask, and looking for somebody to backup Wolford.
November 22nd, 2023 at 3:47 pm
Bucsfanman
Lol Will Gholston has been insulted enough by coming in the backup if a team player like Logan.
November 22nd, 2023 at 11:11 pm
No injuries won’t hurt us. Doesn’t matter if you lose by 3pts or 30pts. It’s a loss.
November 22nd, 2023 at 11:14 pm
I actually feel sorry for Bowles and Licht. After you get fired from Tampa nobody wants you.