The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are having a severe case of the injury bug to start 2022.
Even veteran QB Tom Brady is battling with an injury this season.
However, his finger injury isn’t keeping him out of practice with the team.
Bucs injury report shows Chris Godwin (hamstring), Julio Jones (knee) and Donovan Smith (elbow) limited today in practice. WR Breshad Perriman (knee/hamstring) did not practice. Tom Brady (finger) had full participation. pic.twitter.com/BMLk8dC5zh
— Rick Stroud (@NFLSTROUD) September 28, 2022
But other stars, like Chris Godwin, Julio Jones, and Donovan Smith, saw limited reps in practice.
With the list of offensive stars being hurt, does this mean the team’s season might be in jeopardy?
The Buccaneers’ Offense Is Used To Making Adjustments
No other QB can lead their offense like Brady.
He and the Buccaneers’ offensive roster are accustomed to making adjustments because of injuries.
It was something the team did last season when they lost Mike Evans and Chris Godwin down the playoff stretch.
Bucs players injured vs. the Saints:
– Chris Godwin (knee)
– Mike Evans (hamstring)
– Leonard Fournette (hamstring) pic.twitter.com/OUKHFO6o2D— B/R Gridiron (@brgridiron) December 20, 2021
They can push through their current rash of mishaps by them overcoming their injuries.
However, they also need their veteran QB to make fewer mental mistakes in games.
While the seven-time Super Bowl champ can adjust to roster changes, he’s making some mistakes that might show his age.
Brady’s Clock Management Has People Talking About Age
A late fourth-quarter drive by the Bucs saw Brady committing some mental mistakes.
There were two plays in which the clock was at zero before the ball was hiked.
However, the first one didn’t see Brady get a penalty for a delay of game.
The rule of the “extra beat” on delay of game penalties is applied a bit differently to Daniel Jones as it is to Tom Brady it seems…
— Mark Oldacres (@MarkOldacres) September 27, 2022
But the second one didn’t get the “extra beat” rule applied, costing the Bucs a successful 2-point conversion.
He didn’t get the benefit of the doubt the second time and Aaron Rodgers might be the person behind that happening.
Aaron Rodgers just got the Bucs Jumbotron guy fired pic.twitter.com/We6DxucElQ
— Barstool Sports (@barstoolsports) September 25, 2022
With two straight plays with the clock showing all zeros, it might mean the veteran QBs age is showing.
It was the subject of some people’s thought process online.
Brady late game clock mgmt was bad his age really showing fr
— AfterPay Papi (@r1ddler_) September 26, 2022
However, this isn’t the first time Brady has goofed in a game with the Buccaneers in managing the offense.
But will it continue and hurt the team’s chances of making the playoffs this season?
The Bucs Can Overcome Rash Of Injuries And Miscues
One thing Brady does best is bouncing back from a poor game.
He can also rebound from having a lack of weapons on offense and he’s done this before.
While things look grim for the Bucs, they have a leader who can persevere in the toughest of situations.
They also have a top-tier defense to help them hold off opponents and give Brady and the offense chances to win games.
"This Bucs defense has dominated every QB they've faced. … It's going to come down to Patrick Mahomes, whether the O-line is good or mediocre, if he can make enough plays. I don't think Tampa can score 24 points. So the question is can Mahomes score enough." — @getnickwright pic.twitter.com/0m2fBVyB9k
— First Things First (@FTFonFS1) September 29, 2022
However, the best news is that most of these injured players aren’t out for the season.
Had the Buccaneers lost their star players for the season, then Brady might be in trouble.
With this not being the case, he can overcome the injury bug in Tampa Bay.
While the defense can keep him in games, it’s up to him to score more points on offense.
With his remaining offensive players, Brady can find at least one to help him and the Bucs continue to win games.
NEXT: Buccaneers HC Comments On 2 Injured Stars