On the ESPN broadcast on Monday night time, each Troy Aikman and Joe Buck puzzled if the Tampa Bay Buccaneers ought to run out the clock and never proceed to place their gamers in hurt’s method, as they had been down 10 factors to the Baltimore Ravens with lower than a minute to go.
Then the Buccaneers misplaced considered one of their finest gamers to a horrible harm.
Receiver Chris Godwin caught a cross over the center and his leg was trapped beneath him by Baltimore Ravens linebacker Roquan Smith. Godwin did not rise up and Buck let everybody understand how severe the harm was.
“I am instructed by our manufacturing truck we’re not going to point out the replay,” Buck stated.
Buck known as the harm “ugly” and a Buccaneers participant may very well be overheard yelling an expletive. Godwin was placed on the cart with an air forged on his left leg.
After the sport, Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles instructed reporters that Godwin is believed to have suffered a dislocated ankle.
“It would not look good,” Bowles instructed reporters postgame. In response to NFL Community’s Ian Rapoport, Godwin will undergo surgery on his ankle this week and miss the remainder of the season.
He was additionally requested why Godwin was nonetheless within the recreation whereas the Bucs trailed by 10 factors with lower than a minute left in regulation.
“We’re simply making an attempt to win the ballgame,” Bowles stated. “We’re nonetheless down 10, making an attempt to get additional factors, kick one other onside kick. It simply occurred.
“We have got our guys, we’re taking part in everyone we have got. It is unlucky he obtained damage. We really feel unhealthy about that. However he is a soccer participant, and he needed to be within the recreation similar to Baker [Mayfield] and everyone else needed to be within the recreation.”
“It is unlucky he (Chris Godwin) obtained damage and we really feel unhealthy about that. However he is a soccer participant and he needed to be within the recreation similar to Baker and everybody else needed to be within the recreation.”
— Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles on Chris Godwin’s harm within the fourth quarter pic.twitter.com/qFoYE38Pfq
— NFL on CBS 🏈 (@NFLonCBS) October 22, 2024
To be clear, the Buccaneers would have been allowed to aim a second onside kick had they scored in that scenario. Below the brand new NFL guidelines this season, groups are allowed to aim an onside kick within the fourth quarter if they’re dropping. There isn’t any restrict to what number of occasions a group might try an onside kick within the fourth quarter.
Bowles was then requested if he has an obligation to guard gamers from themselves.
“I do defend my gamers on a regular basis,” Bowles continued. “It has nothing to do with why we left him within the ballgame. We nonetheless had a shot to attain some factors and win the ballgame. It occurs. It occurs in soccer.”
Baltimore received 41-31.
The Buccaneers misplaced receiver Mike Evans to a hamstring harm within the first half. Then Godwin suffered an harm that appeared like it should doubtless finish his season.
Godwin was having a wonderful yr, with 43 catches for 511 yards and 5 touchdowns coming into Monday night time’s recreation. He completed with seven catches for 65 yards on 9 targets.
The Buccaneers misplaced the sport however extra necessary, misplaced their high two receivers. In Godwin’s case, it appears they will not have him again anytime quickly.