Prepared.

When Justin Skule got rag-dolled badly, repeatedly by Aidan Hutchinson in Detroit earlier this year, Bucs fans were chugging bottles of liquor.

Every game that starting right tackle Luke Goedeke missed, Bucs fans bought more and more bottles of TUMS.

Funny thing happened along the way. Skule started getting better. In fact, the Bucs won three of the four games that Skule started with Goedeke sidelined with a nasty concussion.

Two weeks ago when Skule was pressed into service when Tristan Wirfs went down with a knee injury in the second quarter of the loss to the 49ers, Skule held his own with 49ers star pass rusher Nick Bosa.

Now Joe is not about to say Skule owned Bosa. He didn’t. But you know what? Bosa didn’t go bananas on Skule the way that Hutchinson did.

Bucs offensive coordinator Liam Coen sure took notice.

“You do see Skule having more and more confidence as we go and he had to jump in there [against San Francisco]. Go out and go play and you go let it rip and we’ve won games with him obviously in there, we’ve played some good football with him in there.

“He’s a smart football player who understands leverage and how to use his hands and how to be able to use his athletic ability to his advantage. That’s just something we’re going to have to go throughout the game and see how it goes.”

Joe spoke with Skule last week and he admitted being baptized by fire facing two of the better pass rushers in the game will help him prepare for today facing Brian Burns and Kayvon Thibodeaux, the menacing edge rushers of the Giants.

“Every week you are going to [face] talent,” Skule said. “You have Brian Burns and Kavon Thibodeaux. Every week you are going to have guys like that.”

In fact, facing tough defensive ends is life in the NFL, Skule told Joe.

“Nick Bosa is one of the best in the league and I think Brian Burns and Kavon Thibodeaux are phenomenal defensive ends,” Skule said.

“No matter who you are playing, you have to get ready mentally and physically.”

Joe agrees with Coen. You could feel Skule’s confidence grow since that awful outing in Detroit. Now, Skule isn’t a liability.

No, Skule isn’t Wirfs and never will be. Who the hell is?