The Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Atlanta Falcons named their game-day inactives on Sunday at 7:00 p.m. ET, 90 minutes before kickoff of their Week 15 Monday Night Football contest at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa. NFL teams are required to reduce their active rosters to 46 players for each regular-season game.
As was announced on Saturday, the Buccaneers will play without two of their defensive captains, linebacker Lavonte David and defensive tackle Gerald McCoy. David and McCoy – who between them have team-leading totals in tackles, sacks, tackles for loss, quarterback pressures, forced fumbles and fumble recoveries this season – will sit out a game together for the first time since becoming teammates in 2012.
In addition, running back Doug Martin is inactive. Second-year man Peyton Barber will start in his place.
The Bucs will get defensive tackle Clinton McDonald back from a two-game absence due to a back injury. In addition, safety T.J. Ward returns after missing two games with a concussion and safety Josh Robinson, the team's special teams captain, has been cleared to play after sitting out the last two contests with a hamstring injury.
When the Buccaneers and Falcons met in Atlanta three weeks ago, running back Devonta Freeman was out with a concussion but running back Tevin Coleman took the lead in the Atlanta backfield. In the rematch, those situations are reversed, as Freeman is back in the lineup but Coleman is now sidelined by a concussion. In addition, a triceps injury will keep starting left guard Andy Levitre out of the game.
BUCCANEERS INACTIVES
- LB Lavonte David
- QB Ryan Griffin
- CB Vernon Hargreaves
- OL Mike Liedtke
- RB Doug Martin
- DT Gerald McCoy
- WR Bobo Wilson David, Hargreaves and McCoy are out due to injury.FALCONS INACTIVES
- RB Tevin Coleman
- G Sean Harlow
- G Andy Levitre
- CB Leon McFadden
- CB Deji Olatoye
- LB Sean Weatherspoon
- WR Nick Williams Coleman and Levitre are out due to injury.
