Buccaneers’ week gets off to the exact start they need heading into a tone-setting Week 2 matchup against the Browns
The Buccaneers are heading into an important game against the Browns and Wednesday’s injury news starts the week off on the right foot.
It’s not a must-win game by any means, but the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have to set the right tone this week by beating the Cleveland Browns and Wednesday’s injury news is a great start.
Per FOX Sports’ Greg Auman, starting cornerback Jacob Parrish, wide receiver Jalen McMillan, and third-string running back Sean Tucker were all seen practicing for the Buccaneers.
All three players are very important to their respective of the ball, so it’s very encouraging to see/hear them participating during the first practice day of the week.
Jacob Parrish easily highlights the recent batch of Buccaneers injury news
The second-year corner was playing well before he went down with a back injury against the Cincinnati Bengals and while there weren’t a lot of serious concerns about his Week 2 availability, you just never know until you see –or don’t see– these guys in action on the practice field.
Parrish is arguably the Buccaneers’ best corner and he plays a dual role on defense, so it’s easy to see why his status is worth monitoring throughout the week. If he goes, he’ll likely matchup with veteran wideout Jerry Jeudy or even rookie Denzel Boston when he’s on the outside and then it’s a mix of guys like KC Concepcion, Boston, or even Harold Fannin Jr. in the slot when he moves into that territory.
Jalen McMillan’s potential return would also be a major boon to the Buccaneers’ passing attack. Emeka Egbuka had a solid first half, catching five passes for 63 yards on six targets, but then completely disappeared in the second half. He didn’t receive a single target for Baker Mayfield over the final 30 minutes of the game.
McMillan’s presence can help offset that, as defenses won’t be able to square in on Egbuka or even Chris Godwin Jr. The Browns look like their typical selves after a bad loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars, but they have a good cornerback tandem in Denzel Ward and Tyson Campbell, so the more help the better.
And lastly, there’s Tucker. Sure, he may see limited action as RB3, but he’s great insurance in case Bucky Irving or Kenny Gainwell get hurt at some point and have to miss snaps.
It’s just the first day, so we’ll have to see how this holds up as the week progresses, but it’s undeniable this is how the Buccaneers want the latest injury news to show up.
