TAMPA, Fla.
Wide receiver Chris Godwin suffered a torn ACL and is done for the season with no shot of returning for the postseason.
Together, those three players had comprised 3,299 of the Bucs’ 5,634 yards from scrimmage this season and 27 of their 50 touchdowns.
The ankle injury is no longer a concern after missing five games, and neither is conditioning, so he should not be on a rep count.
Like Godwin, Johnson has gotten his fair share of snaps in the slot: 113 of 459 offensive snaps.
But few receivers will have Godwin’s 5.8 receptions above expectation – among the top in the league this year.
Scotty Miller stepped into Evans’ role Sunday, and he too struggled when pressed against the Saints, finishing with two catches on eight targets, with one of his targets being picked off by Gardner-Johnson, who trailed behind him on a crossing route before swooping in.
He was placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list last Friday, less than a week after having the 58-yard game-winning touchdown against the Buffalo Bills and played over Miller, who was a healthy scratch in the Bucs’ Week 13 over the Falcons.
Ronald Jones II will continue to be the first- and second-down back, but Bell impacts the passing game.
“ depends on how fast he can catch up,” Arians said of Bell.
… He had a good day today, with learning the offense and being able to grasp all the stuff that we were doing.
He couldn’t find his way onto the field with the Kansas City Chiefs last season, even when Clyde Edwards-Helaire went down with an injury.
But their chances of overtaking the Green Bay Packers for the NFC’s top seed to secure a Round 1 bye could be tough.
The Bucs were also overtaken by the Dallas Cowboys , despite their head-to-head record because the Arizona Cardinals are also 10-4 now, and head-to-head tiebreakers are thrown out the window when there are three or more teams involved.