October 17 Updates
The Buccaneers ran 77 offensive plays in their blowout win over the Saints on Sunday, but wide receiver Mike Evans was only on the field for 44 of them, or 57% of the total. In the first five games of the season, Evans had participated in 79% of the offensive snaps.
Evans was not knocked out of the game by an injury but he did take longer breaks on the sideline than usual. On Thurday, Head Coach Todd Bowles relayed that the veteran receiver had aggravated what had been a "nagging" issue in one of his legs.
"He tweaked his leg," said Bowles. "He didn't practice today but he's getting better. We'll see how the week goes."
The Buccaneers will practice again on Friday and Saturday in preparation for their Monday night matchup with the Baltimore Ravens at Raymond James Stadium. The long week gives Evans a bit more time to get ready for game action.
Bowles also indicated that wide receiver Trey Palmer, who has missed two games since sustaining a concussion during the Week Four win over Philadelphia, is trending towards returning to action on Monday. Palmer still needs to pass some tests to clear the NFL's concussion protocol and be eligible to play.
CLICK HERE for more on the status of another Bucs receiver, Rakim Jarrett.
October 11 Updates
The Buccaneers may have some key reinforcements on Sunday when they take on the Saints in the Superdome seeking their first win against an NFC South opponent. Defensive lineman Calijah Kancey is expected to make his 2024 season debut after recovering from a practice-field calf injury. Right tackle Luke Goedeke has finally cleared the concussion protocol after missing the last four games and All-Pro safety Antoine Winfield Jr., who has also missed those same four games due to a foot injury, ramped up his participation on the practice field this week.
"Kancey was full [participation in practice], so he'll play," said Head Coach Todd Bowles on Friday. "Winfield was limited; he did a lot of things and that will probably be a game-time decision but he's very close if he doesn't play. Hopefully he can. Goedeke passed his test so he's trending forward that way."
As of Friday, Goedeke looks like the surer bet to play between him and Winfield. Like Kancey, Goedeke has practiced without limitations this week while Winfield has been listed as a limited participant.
"He's trending that way," said Bowles of Goedeke returning to action on Sunday. "He had a good week of practice. Barring any setbacks he should be scheduled to play. He looks good. Obviously you can't tell until the game because you only can do so much in practice. But he looks fresh, he looks healthy, so he's ready to go."
CLICK HERE for a preview of Sunday's showdown with the Saints in the Superdome.
October 9 Updates
With Hurricane Milton bearing down on the Gulf Coast of Florida and the Tampa Bay area expecting a powerful hit, the Buccaneers elected to depart early for Sunday's game in New Orleans. The team used two planes to fly players, coaches, staff and their families and pets to New Orleans on Tuesday morning and is now proceeding with something close to a normal practice and meeting schedule.
Head Coach Todd Bowles spoke to the media via Zoom following the team's first practice on Wednesday, which was held at Tulane University. The key to making the trip work and finding a way to focus on football was to bring the families and pets along.
"I think overall, everything went smoothly," said Bowles. "We got the team out, we got their families out, we got their pets out and everything else. Family is the most important thing right now. You can replace material things and you want everybody to be okay and you hope everybody evacuated; if not hunkered down safely. Family is the most important thing. If you can get your family out and keep them safe, everything else can be replaced."
Bowles and the rest of the Buccaneers understand that most Bay area residents are currently focused on other things as Milton begins its landfall. As for the Bucs, they needed to find a way to prepare for Sunday.
"The task at hand, most of them have their families here with them, so that's a big relief for them and they're able to focus on football," said Bowles. "We understand that the things that we do in football are a small mechanism in the game of life and the Hurricane is going to affect people. But we're focused and we're trying to get ready for a game. If everybody's here and there families are here, that makes it a lot easier."
CLICK HERE to hear Coach Bowles' thoughts after practice on Wednesday.
October 7 Updates
With Hurricane Milton expected to make landfall on Florida's Gulf Coast midweek, the Buccaneers are taking their Week Six operations on the road.
The Buccaneers announced on Monday that they were departing Tampa on Tuesday morning and heading to New Orleans, where they will face the Saints on Sunday. The team will conduct the remainder of its preparations for that game at a site in New Orleans. The Bucs typically practice in the mornings on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.
The Bucs had their preparations for a Week Four home game against Philadelphia mildly interrupted by Hurricane Helene, but that storm made landfall in the Big Bend region of Florida. Hurricane Melton, in contrast, is moving from west to east and is currently projected to reach Category 4 status before impacting the west coast of the state.
October 1 Updates
Former Buccaneer (and yes, Patriot) great returned to Raymond James Stadium in a new capacity last Sunday, as he called his first game in Tampa Bay as a color analyst on Fox's lead broadcasting team. Prior to the game, Brady traveled from the booth down to the field and caught up with a number of his old Buccaneer acquaintances, from Jason Licht to Mike Evans to Lavonte David.
Brady also took some time to talk with Buccaneers Offensive Coordinator Liam Coen, who was not with the team during the quarterback's three seasons in Tampa. Coen and Brady hadn't crossed paths as professionals, but this actually wasn't the first time they had met. That was 17 years ago, when Brady was in the midst of one the greatest seasons of his career. Coen was 22 at the time and a quarterback at the University of Massachusetts, not coincidentally wearning jersey #12.
"I met him in 2007," said Coen. "They played a playoff game against Jacksonville, won the game. I was there at the game and I was with the running backs coach for the Patriots' son, Ivan Fears's son. He took me downstairs; I got to shake his hand. There's no shot he remembered that, but I did, obviously. I grew up going to Patriots games. That's where I grew up. I grew up going to Patriots training camp at Bryant College. I emulated him my entire life. I wore 12 because of him. So that was a really cool moment [on Sunday] to be able to pick his brain, just talk football with him. That was probably something I'll never forget."
Brady threw a career-high 50 touchdown passes in the 2007 season; meanwhile, Coen was putting up the sort of numbers that would eventually land him in the UMass Athletics Hall of Fame. Both have since moved on to new pursuits and both in the very early stages of their current jobs. For Coen, to have perhaps his best game as a play-caller since joining the Buccaneers, as his offense racked up 445 yards and 33 points in a lopsided victory, with Brady in attendance was special.
"That helped," he said with a laugh. "That helps when you're successful and you have a good game. One of the guys you grew up idolizing happened to be a part of that game, from calling it, from that standpoint. That was pretty cool day that, like I said, I'll never forget."
CLICK HERE to hear from Baker Mayfield about working with Liam Coen.
