Eight weeks into the 2024 NFL campaign, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers find themselves in a bit of a tough situation. Not only has the team lost three of their last four games, but they have a plethora of injuries piling up, particularly on the offensive side of the ball, where they currently find themselves without their top two offensive playmakers in Chris Godwin and Mike Evans.
Both Godwin and Evans suffered injuries in the team's 41-31 loss at the hands of the Baltimore Ravens in Week 7. Godwin suffered a dislocated ankle, which is expected to hold him out for the rest of the season, while Evans picked up a hamstring injury, with Week 12 being labeled as a potential return date for the talented wideout.
Without both of these guys, Tampa Bay fought valiantly against the Atlanta Falcons in Week 8, but ended up suffering a 31-26 loss, dropping their record to 4-4. Things may seem dire for the Bucs, and they don't exactly have an easy slate of games coming up, but even with Godwin and Evans on the mend for the time being, they still can make a playoff run over the second half of the season.
How Buccaneers can make playoff run without Chris Godwin, Mike Evans
With a 4-4 record, the Buccaneers currently find themselves sitting in ninth place in the NFC playoff picture, meaning they have some work to do in order to find their way into the playoffs. The good news is that there's still a lot of football left to be played, and even without Godwin and Evans in Week 8, the team's offense generally was able to move the ball well.
The immediate problem for Tampa Bay, beyond being without their two best offensive players, is that they are firmly in the middle of the toughest part of their schedule. After losing to the Falcons, the Bucs now have to take on the undefeated Kansas City Chiefs on Monday Night Football, before facing off against the San Francisco 49ers, who will be coming off their bye week (which could result in them getting Christian McCaffrey back), in Week 10.
The Buccaneers aren't going to be expected to win either of these games, so assuming that happens, their record will fall to 4-6, which doesn't bode well for their playoff hopes. After enjoying their bye week in Week 11, though, Tampa Bay will finish off their season playing six of their final seven contests against teams that currently sport a sub-.500 record. The one that has a record above .500 is the Los Angeles Chargers, and there's a decent chance the Bucs could end up winning that game.
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While Godwin is almost certainly out for the year, Evans is expected to return at some point, which would provide the passing game with a huge boost. Beyond that, Mayfield managed to make due without these two against the Falcons, as he heavily targeted tight end Cade Otton in the air, while also relying on the three-headed monster that is their running back room, with Rachaad White, Bucky Irving, and Sean Tucker all taking on bigger roles.
The NFC wild card race may end up being pretty tightly contested, but if Tampa Bay can find a way to win 10 games, they will have a shot to make the playoffs at the very least. They could also just win their division outright still, but considering how the Falcons won both of their head-to-head matchups, that may be a bit more difficult to pull off.
It will be tough to not panic if the Bucs lose their next two games, but as long as they return from their bye week and beat up their inferior opponents, they could end up making a late push for a playoff spot. Things would certainly be easier if they had Godwin and Evans healthy, but even without them, there's still a path to the postseason for Tampa Bay, so long as they take care of business once they return from their week off.
