Every game is a must-win in the NFL, but for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, this Week 7 game really earns the term. The Bucs are playing the NFC South leaders, the Carolina Panthers, in their first NFC South game of the year — a win keeps their meager playoff hopes alive, and a loss could bury them entirely.
Naturally, the team will want everyone healthy to try and pick up the crucial victory, but that's never all that simple in the NFL. Quarterback Baker Mayfield is likely to return for Tampa Bay under center for the first time since Week 3, but he may not have as many offensive players to work with as he'd like.
Based on Thursday's practice, the Buccaneers could go without two important members of their offense.
Emeka Egbuka and Luke Goedeke Still Not Practicing
A few players, like running back Bucky Irving and cornerback Zyon McCollum, were back at practice on Thursday after being absent on Wednesday. But two key Buccaneers did not practice, and that could put them in danger of not playing on Sunday.
Left tackle Luke Goedeke was listed as a non-participant with a calf injury on Wednesday, and he also did not participate on Thursday. Additionally, wideout Emeka Egbuka, listed with a concussion and a foot injury, was working off to the side with a trainer and thus was also not practicing.
With two days off of practice, both players are in danger of missing Tampa Bay's game against Carolina on Sunday.
Goedeke has been a bright spot on Tampa Bay's offensive line along with left tackle Tristan Wirfs. If he cannot go because of his calf injury, one of the team's swing tackles — likely Ben Chukwuma — would step in for him at right tackle.
Egbuka has been healthy this whole year so far, but he'll have to clear concussion protocol to play against the Panthers — and that's assuming that his foot is healthy. If he cannot go, wideouts like Tez Johnson and potentially David Sills, should the latter come off of IR, could help bolster the receiving corps. Rookie wideout Ted Hurst has already been involved in the offense in the absence of receiver Jalen McMillan, who re-injured his knee in Week 3.
The Buccaneers would love to see one or both of Egbuka and Goedeke be able to make it for Sunday. But in the very real possibility that they aren't able to, Tampa Bay's depth will have to step up when the team heads to Charlotte on Oct. 25.
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