Tampa Bay Buccaneers second-year cornerback Jacob Parrish left the Week 1 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals after just 20 snaps due to a back injury.
Head coach Todd Bowles delivered some good news when it came to the injury, noting that it is just a sprain. There is a good chance for Parrish to return to the lineup as soon as this week.
“He just has a back sprain,” said Bowles. Both X-ray and MRI came back negative. It’s just a matter of him getting over the soreness.”
So, as long as Parrish feels right, there is a good chance he will return for Week 2 against the Cleveland Browns.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers Get Positive Injury News on Jacob Parrish
This was going to be a big season for Parrish, as he was moving from the slot to the outside. Parrish was excellent in the slot, but played on the outside in college. The team was giving him a look back at where he played a year prior. Parrish allowed one catch for 12 yards in his limited time on the field.
The injury did not let the Bucs fully answer the question about who the third cornerback would be. By the looks of it, the team was set to bench Benjamin Morrison after he missed most of the offseason with injuries.
Keionte Scott was starting in the slot, and Parrish stayed on the outside. If Morrison was going to come in with Parrish on the field, Parrish would have played in the slot.
However, when Parrish left, the team was able to get a long look at Morrison. Morrison ended up with 43 snaps. He looked strong, with a PFF grade of 78.5. Still, while Scott was not quite as strong, he also looked good in the 47 snaps he played. Scott had a 70.4 grade.
If Parrish is back next week, we will see if Morrison is able to earn more playing time now that he is healthy.
Buccaneers Secondary Struggles in Loss
The Buccaneers did a great job of locking down star receiver Ja’Marr Chase. He was held to two catches on four targets.
However, Joe Burrow and the Bengals found other ways to beat the defense. In total, Burrow completed passes to nine different players. Mike Gesicki led the team in yards. He had five catches for 78 yards.
Tee Higgins had a solid game as well, with three catches for 59 yards.
Alex Anzalone allowed the passing touchdown, but only allowed 32 yards in total. Josiah Trotter had a pick-six, but also allowed 61 yards in coverage. Scott gave up 35, and Morrison gave up 34.
The Bengals did not pick on anyone in particular, and they did not pepper one specific player with targets. However, they did find ways to move the ball on the Bucs’ defense.
Buccaneers Get Good News on Injured Starter