Bucs rule 3 starters out, expect key players back

TAMPA, Fla. -- The Tampa Bay Buccaneers volition beryllium without Pro Bowl antiaircraft backmost Antoine Winfield Jr., choky extremity Cam Brate, near defender Luke Goedeke and wide receiver Russell Gage erstwhile they big the Los Angeles Rams Sunday, manager Todd Bowles said Friday.

Winfield Jr., 1 of the Bucs' apical antiaircraft playmakers, suffered a concussion successful Week 7 astatine the Carolina Panthers. He returned to signifier this week successful a constricted capacity, arsenic permitted by the NFL concussion protocol, but is inactive moving his mode done the protocol.

"Good to spot him retired present moving around. He's going done the process close present but he's trending successful the close way," Bowles said.

Brate, their starting choky end, has been retired since suffering a cervix sprain Week 6 astatine the Pittsburgh Steelers, leaving the crippled connected a stretcher. He did instrumentality to signifier this week arsenic a constricted participant. Goedeke, their starting near guard, has been retired since suffering a ft wounded successful Week 7 and has not practiced, portion Gage, their 4th receiver down Mike Evans, Chris Godwin and Julio Jones, has been retired with a hamstring wounded since Week 7.

The Bucs, who person not won a crippled since Oct. 9 and person fallen to a 3-5 record, are expected to person respective cardinal players backmost from injury. Starting antiaircraft lineman Akiem Hicks, who has been retired since Week 2 with a ft injury, has been a afloat subordinate successful signifier each week. The Bucs' tally defence -- typically 1 of the apical units successful the league the past fewer years -- has struggled arsenic of late.

"It helps due to the fact that it puts everybody backmost successful their roles," Bowles said. "It puts everybody backmost successful their roles and they tin get the magnitude of clip and play however they're utilized to playing, and it helps america up beforehand due to the fact that it gives america a magnitude we haven't had implicit there."

Top cornerback Carlton Davis III, who aggravated a hep wounded successful Week 6 and missed the past 2 weeks, was besides a afloat subordinate successful signifier this week, arsenic was cornerback Sean Murphy-Bunting, who suffered a quadriceps wounded successful Week 5.

The Bucs person dealt with a fig of injuries to cardinal antiaircraft pieces this year, with Pro Bowl extracurricular linebacker Shaq Barrett suffering an Achilles teardrop and undergoing country earlier this week, ending his 2022 season.

Like the Bucs, the Rams find themselves successful unfamiliar territory astatine 3-4. The Rams person ne'er fallen 2 games beneath .500 nether manager Sean McVay, but Bowles doesn't expect diminished contention betwixt the past 2 defending Super Bowl champions, who volition look disconnected for the 4th clip successful 3 seasons.

"We cognize we're going to get the champion Rams squad we tin face," Bowles said. "We're successful the aforesaid vessel -- we're some trying to triumph a ballgame. They've inactive got each their prima players and precocious production, obviously, truthful it's going to beryllium a battle."