Injuries to WRs Godwin and Evans will test Tampa Bay's strength and resilience

TAMPA, Fla. – The Tampa Bay Buccaneers' depth and durability are about to be tested.

The three-time defending NFC South champions lost their two best playmakers in Monday night's 41-31 loss to the Baltimore Ravens. Mike Evans and Chris Godwin are arguably the best receivers the franchise has ever had – not to mention one of the most dynamic duos in the NFL.

Evans, the club's all-time leader in receptions, yards receiving, touchdown catches and points, limped off the field with a hamstring injury on a night in which he gave the Bucs an early lead with the 100th touchdown catch of his career.

Godwin, second on Tampa Bay's career list for receptions, yards and TD catches, was carted to the locker room after suffering a dislocated ankle in the final minute of a game that Lamar Jackson and the Ravens dominated more than the final score suggested left ankle torn.

Coach Todd Bowles said Tuesday that Godwin will require surgery and will likely be sidelined for the remainder of the regular season. He could potentially return during the playoffs if the Bucs (4-3) play well into January.

Evans is expected to miss the next three games against Atlanta, Kansas City and San Francisco as Tampa Bay completes a stretch in which it faces three of the four teams that played in last season's conference finals.

If all goes well, Bowles believes the 31-year-old receiver could return to the lineup after the team's bye week, when the Bucs visit the New York Giants on Nov. 24.

As the Bucs explore options, it looks like they probably won't pursue a deal to sign high-profile receivers.

“We checked outside the building. But to become a real number 1 here, you have to make massive trades and give up a lot. We’re not at that point right now,” Bowles said. “We feel comfortable with the guys in the building. They probably don’t have the same status as Mike and Chris or are not as successful right now, but that doesn’t mean they can’t play.”

To keep Tampa Bay's offense going, Baker Mayfield will likely have to rely more on a rejuvenated running game as well as a largely young group of receivers that includes rookie Jalen McMillan, second-year pro Trey Palmer and veteran Sterling Shepard Mayfield's former college teammates at Oklahoma.

“The biggest thing is these guys need to step up. We won't ask them to be Mike and Chris. We know what they were when they formed this team. “We’re going to ask them to do what they can,” Bowles said. “We’ll specialize in their talents, get them to play fast and hard, and then we’ll be fine.”

What works

Despite being dominated by the Ravens, who along with Lamar Jackson scored on seven of nine possessions, the Bucs continued to show their ability to move the ball against any defense. Mayfield threw for 370 yards and three touchdowns, but was sacked three times and threw two costly interceptions. The Bucs finished the game with 481 yards rushing, much of that coming from a 24-point deficit late in the third quarter.

What needs help

The Ravens have the NFL's No. 1 rushing attack, and Derrick Henry had another monster night with 169 yards on 15 carries, including an 81-yard run. The Bucs have had one of the best run defenses in the league since Bowles joined the team as defensive coordinator in 2019. Baltimore scored 244 points on the ground on Monday night, so any solutions Bowles looks for on that side of the ball must first start by fixing the run defense.

Stock up

Rookie running back Bucky Irving, a fourth-round draft pick out of Oregon, continues to impress. On nine attempts against Baltimore, he averaged just 2.6 yards per carry and rushed for 23 yards. However, he scored his third touchdown of the season and contributed to the passing game with three ball throws for 54 yards.

Inventory reduced

Struggling player Jake Camarda was released on Tuesday. He was inactive Monday night and has been a healthy backup in three of four games since the Bucs signed Trenton Gill to the practice squad.

Injuries

The Bucs may have to play this week without rookie safety Tykee Smith, who left Monday night's game after being evaluated for a concussion.

Key number

11 – Evans became the 11th player in NFL history to reach 100 TD catches. The others are Jerry Rice (197), Randy Moss (156), Terrell Owens (153), Cris Carter (130), Marvin Harrison (128), Larry Fitzgerald (121), Antonio Gates (116), Tony Gonzalez (111) . , Tim Brown (100) and Steve Largent (100).

Next

Sole possession of first place in the NFC South will be on the line when Atlanta (4-3) visits Raymond James Stadium on Sunday. The Falcons won a Week 5 match between the division rivals 36-30 in overtime.