Injuries pile up heading into Tampa Bay-Detroit matchup
Heading into Week 15 of the National Football League season means the injury bug is starting to mount for some teams. Part of those teams include the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Detroit Lions, whom will meet today at Ford Field for a 1 p.m. matchup between NFC teams.
For Tampa Bay, the loss of wide receiver Mike Evans is the biggest news on the table, as the Buccaneers will be playing a lot more of Justin Watson, who caught his first NFL touchdown pass last week. Another player who might be out of the game is middle linebacker Devin White, who has come down with an undisclosed illness and is now questionable to play.
Also throw in the fact that quarterback Jameis Winston was a question mark throughout the week, with the fifth-year starter dealing with a hairline fracture in his right hand, the Buccaneers are like any other team dealing with the injury bug. Winston went from not throwing to tossing tennis balls to throwing a football by the end of the week to be upgraded to active for the game. Winston is coming off what could be labeled one of his most up-and-down games as he threw for 456 yards, four touchdowns and three interceptions in a 38-35 win over the Indianapolis Colts last week.
For Detroit, the injuries pile up day by day and this past week played out no differently for the Lions. They continue to be without starting quarterback Matthew Stafford, who suffered a back injury several weeks ago and is very unlikely to play at all the rest of this season. Two starting offensive linemen will also be out for Detroit, with the promotions of two linemen from the practice squad.
Detriot (3-9-1) will be very thin at the running back position, with Kerryon Johnson continuing to miss time, Bo Scarborough has been downgraded to doubtful for the Lions. With Detroit dealing with a myriad of injuries pile up all over the place, Tampa Bay (6-7) is in prime position to notch its fourth win in a row as they try to even the record to 7-7. The last time Tampa Bay was at the .500 mark was back in Week 4 when they defeated the Los Angeles Rams on the road.
