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Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Chris Godwin remains in the concussion protocol and he’s listed as doubtful for Sunday’s contest vs. the Panthers.
Godwin participated in practice on Friday, though he will need to undergo testing on Saturday and team doctors will need to clear him to play. It’s possible that he is upgraded to questionable, though he still faces hurdles to suit up in Week 2.
Buccaneers WR Chris Godwin still is not out of concussion protocol and will be listed as doubtful for Sunday’s game vs. Panthers. He will go through more tests tomorrow and if doctors clear him then, he will be upgraded to questionable. But he still has hurdles to clear to play.
Godwin took a big hit from Saints safety D.J. Swearinger against the Saints on Sunday. The play resulted in a penalty but Godwin showed no signs of a concussion then or in the days after the contest.
Who Steps Up if Godwin Misses Week 2?
If Godwin, who had a breakout, Pro Bowl season in 2019, misses the contest, it could further open the door for Scotty Miller. Miller, who Brady previously said had his trust, saw six targets, catching five of them for 73 yards in the team’s opener.
Mike Evans, who was hindered by a hamstring injury leading up to Week 1, ultimately suited up against the Saints but he found little success. Much of that was a result of cornerback Marshon Lattimore blanketing him, though hamstring injury certainly didn’t help.
Evans was limited in practice on Wednesday, though participated he participated everyday this week (as opposed to last week where he didn’t participate until Friday). The wide receiver is on track to be a full go in Sunday’s tilt against the Panthers.
The former No. 7 overall pick has gained 1,000 in each of his first six seasons, something only Randy Moss has done, as Football Outsiders highlights in their 2020 version of the almanac. Expect him to get seven-straight, which would be the record, with Brady at the helm.
Evans’ poor Week 1 showing and steady history provide an opportunity in the fantasy realm, as I wrote earlier this week. Expect Evans’ resurgence to begin in Week 2.
Stat Shows Reason for Buccaneers Optimism
One loss doesn’t define a season and there’s optimism that things will turn around for Bucs. Brady has lost Week 1 as a starter on three other occasions in his career; each time, he went on to play in the Super Bowl that season.
Brady’s three Week 1 losses as a starter came in 2003 (Bills), 2014 (Dolphins), and 2017 (Chiefs). Brady’s Patriots went 2-for-3 in Super Bowls, losing at the end of the 2017 season to the Eagles in the big game.
After the Saints game, Bruce Arians was asked if he still believed that the Bucs could win the division, the coach responded with “Hell Yeah.”
While some have made the excuse that Brady and the Buccaneers haven’t had time together to get acclimated, Arians dismissed that notion.
“You can’t say that we weren’t in sync because we started out as good as you can start out, going right down the field. Then we don’t get any more chunk plays other than pass interference penalties. I think it’s a great learning experience. It’s just round one of a 16-round fight. And we’ll learn from it.”
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Buccaneers WR Unlikely to Play in Week 2