Toe Woes Continue For Bucky Irving; New Injury For Greg Gaines

October 24th, 2024

New injury.

The Buccaneers’ injury report is small but devastating.

Joe sees Mike Evans’ name on that list and dies a little inside. Evans might not practice again for at least a few weeks with his bad hamstring.

Bucs defensive tackle Greg Gaines popped on Thursday’s report with a calf injury. That’s a new situation. And for the second consecutive day, rookie sensation running back Bucky Irving sat out with a toe injury.

There was some good news. Second-year tight end Payne Durham was limited in practice with the calf injury that caused him to miss Monday night’s game against Baltimore.

While the Bucs rarely throw to Durham, he can catch and is the kind of big target that could help the Bucs in the absence of Evans and Chris Godwin.

For those wondering, cornerback Jamel Dean is on the injured list (hamstring) and he’ll continue to be replaced by emerging rookie Tyrek Funderburk.

Ira Kaufman Talks Ravens Loss And Faith In The Bucs

30 Responses to “Toe Woes Continue For Bucky Irving; New Injury For Greg Gaines”

  1. Buc4evr Says:

    It never seems to stop with this team. Why? Poor conditioning?, bad trainers? Or just fragile players.

  2. unbelievable Says:

    You know what else is devastating?

    Watching Jordan Whitehead stand there and watch opposing players run past him. Or watching KJ Britt be completely lost in space. Or watching opposing QBs and WRs find massive holes in our secondary play after play after play, even with Winfield back there.

    Losing Evans sucks. Same with Godwin. No doubt.

    And while I love Bucky, he’s probably the least concerning one on that list as we have 2 other capable backs in Tucker and White, both of whom have actually played better than Irving in their last 2-3 starts.

  3. A Bucs Fan Says:

    @Joe Jamel Dean was not listed on the injury report. He’s on IR.

  4. Pewter Power Says:

    Tired of seeing Evans hobble around the field this year. Let him sit as long as it takes to get healed.

  5. Cobraboy Says:

    @unbelievable: There is a circle about 10 yards in diameter directly behind the ILB, I’ll call the Zone of Suck, that every decent QB & receivers this team has faced has pitched a tent and built a campfire of completions.

    Again.

    And again.

    Will it ever end?

  6. 2 thumbs up Says:

    With all these injuries we are now just a very average to slightly below average team it seems to me. And there’s the few underperforming players to go with it.
    Oh well, these things happen.

  7. BucsfaninOregon Says:

    Don’t keep looking for help via trades. I firmly think that Licht and Bowles believe they have a band of merry pranksters with a strong internal bond. Adding a newcomer in the middle of the season, especially if he is a star player, would upset this bond. Maybe they are correct. And maybe they both know that adding an edge or LB would upset Bowels “finely tuned” defensive strategies. So we will roll along with what we have while other contenders load up. So it goes in BucLand.

  8. LakelandBuc Says:

    Injuries can be devastating, but they are a part of the game

    The problem l have is with this so-called fan base
    They keep whining, crying about Todd Bowles system
    But it’s the exact same system that shutdown three future hall of fame QBs, and won a Super Bowl. Devin White had 140 tackles, 9 sacks in this system, JPP signed in this system, Shaq Barrett was dominant in this system, and Suh was punishing every offensive lineman they put in front of him. Even Carlton Davis, Sean Murphy Bunting, Jamel Dean, Antoine Winfield, Jordan Whitehead was awesome.

    But as Warren Sapp would say …..it all starts up front
    We just don’t have quality players on the defensive front
    And it affects the entire team, Jordan Whitehead knows this

    If you have trash in the front yard

    It gonna make the backyard look bad

  9. Defense Rules Says:

    Buc4evr … I’ve often wondered if our weather, especially the heat, has anything to do with our being plagued by injuries. As of last game, we had 7 players on IR plus 2 listed as Out. Of course those numbers didn’t include Godwin or Evans.

    Dolphins also play in an outdoor stadium & have pretty much the same weather that we do. Right now they’re 2-4. As of their last game, they had 10 players on IR plus 1 listed as Doubtful.

    Jaguars play in an outdoor stadium also, but their weather is a little ‘cooler’ than ours (not much though). As of their last game, they only had 4 players on IR. Falcons had 6 on IR plus 2
    listed as Out for their last game. Panthers have had some wild injuries apparently; as of their last game, they had 6 on IR plus 8 players listed as Out with another Doubtful.

    Based on just that small sample, we’re not the only ones getting hit by the injury bug.

  10. unbelievable Says:

    @Cobra – so long as Bowles is coaching the scheme, it will not.

    I have zero confidence in that changing. And I think the size of that circle grows with each passing week.

  11. Defense Rules Says:

    Lakeland Buc … ‘But as Warren Sapp would say …..it all starts up front. We just don’t have quality players on the defensive front’.

    Agree with Sapp that ‘it all starts up front’, but it doesn’t end there. NFL OCs are all excellent at sniffing out the weak links & then mercilessly pounding on them.

    Through our 7 games, Vea & Gaines have both played 247 def snaps (50.9%). Those are our 2 big guys, but only one’s on the field at a time. Everyone else on our DLine lacks beef IMO, and that’s why we’re getting run over (on pace to allow over 2200 yards rushing this year). That’s not Buc-ball.

  12. Bojim Says:

    Every week and a couple more injuries.

  13. heyjude Says:

    Let’s go Durham and Funderburk!

    DR – You may be onto something. Seriously, maybe it’s time for a new stadium with a retractable dome.

  14. LakelandBuc Says:

    Defense Rules,

    I agree with you,

  15. I Remember 21 Says:

    @LakelandBuc

    Yes bowles called a masterful game in the super bowl. But I find it interesting you bring up Devin White in relation to that postseason run. Devin’s play declined dramatically and he is no longer a Buc. By ANY metric, the defensive performance of this team has fallen off a cliff. But fans are wrong to expect bowles to be held to the same account as Devin?

    Not to mention we spent 2 high draft picks on defense that have both been busts. And yes, Licht has to take some blame for those as well, but let’s not act like bowles had no say in those picks. And let’s not forget bowles has NEVER developed a stud edge rusher in his career.

  16. Mike Johnson Says:

    I’m starting to get scared of looking at My Bucs news everyday now because it seems we have players popping up on the injury list daily. Its starting to look bad. But I know the Falcons are grinnin from ear to ear.

  17. Capt.Tim Says:

    Injuries are part of football. Teams that are lucky and stay healthy have a better chance in the playoffs.
    But every team suffers injuries.

    Except the Chiefs, oddly enough

    Bowles is a very good Coach. He will find a way to still be competitive.
    But losing 2 of your 3 best players in one game isn’t something any coach is just gonna shake off.
    But we still have an outstanding QB, so anything is possible.

    Sunday will be interesting

  18. Usfbuc Says:

    Bucs players have missed the second most games due to injury this season. I am curious how much of that is just bad luck or how much of it is how the team practices and trains.

  19. Larrd Says:

    More calf injuries than the Midget Rodeo!

  20. Suggiefresh Says:

    So why not trade for Cooper Cupp, 9 million due this year and about 20
    Mil next but then get rid of Jamel always Injured Dean, they could
    Save $14 million next year and make up the 6 million in restructured
    Contracts. Then have enough to pay Chris Godwin also.

  21. ElioT Says:

    No pass rush, horrible secondary scheme at times.

    Had a running game but now every defense will put 8 in the box and or blitz the crap out of Baker.

    Not a good outlook.

  22. SenileSenior Says:

    Not just the injury has bitten us, it is more like the injury tiger has taken a big chunk out of us. This season will tell the story on all our coaches. Let’s see if we will rise above mediocrity.

    Go Bucs! Defeather the dirty birds!!

  23. IrishTony Says:

    Baltimore is probably the best regular season team in the league but suck in th playoffs. The Bucs match up poorly with them because for some odd reason they can’t match their regular season intensity. However despite the loss of Godwin and Evans they will beat the Falcons this week. Over/out

  24. Dave Pear Says:

    Maybe Jason could put Tood on IR and take his chances without him.

  25. The Fighting Schianoes Says:

    “Small but devastating.”

    So is my Johnson.

  26. I Remember 21 Says:

    Capt.Tim Says: bowles is a *very* good coach.

    Very Good:
    Career record: .432
    Regular season record: .435
    Playoff record (all Bucs): .333
    Bucs regular season record: .512

    2024 defensive rankings (bowles’ specialty):
    Overall: 31st
    Passing: 29th
    Rushing: 19th (best, but still easily bottom half of the league)
    Scoring (our supposed saving grace, “bend but don’t break”): 28th *sad trombone*

    Take off the rose colored glasses. bowles is a putrid coach, always has been, always will be in my eyes. He’s sure not helping us win, that much is clear. We win in spite of him, not because of him. I reiterate, a defensive head coach with a .500 record has the 31st ranked defense almost halfway through the season. What are we even talking about here? It shouldn’t even be a discussion.

  27. Fred Says:

    We’d be better off unloading Dean.

  28. StormyInFl Says:

    “I Remember 21 Says:
    October 25th, 2024 at 1:24 am
    Capt.Tim Says: bowles is a *very* good coach.

    Very Good:
    Career record: .432
    Regular season record: .435
    Playoff record (all Bucs): .333
    Bucs regular season record: .512

    2024 defensive rankings (bowles’ specialty):
    Overall: 31st
    Passing: 29th
    Rushing: 19th (best, but still easily bottom half of the league)
    Scoring (our supposed saving grace, “bend but don’t break”): 28th *sad trombone*”

    Facts.

    Bowles’ ceiling as a head coach is mediocre. You can count on Todd to make the worst possible gametime decisions at the worst possible moments.

    Wonder why teams weren’t beating down the doors to sign him up as a HC? Now you know. Hell – Leftwich got more run the Todd did and that guy is out of the NFL after going full moron negotiating with Jax.

  29. StormyInFl Says:

    And… at the end of the season, when this team is picking high in the 2025 draft, the Bowles apologists will use injuries as an excuse not to launch him.

  30. Badbuc Says:

    What are they doing in practice that causes all these calf injuries? Kancey a few times. Veta.