TAMPA, Fla. — The hits just keep on coming for the Bucs. Friday, head coach Todd Bowles announced that running back Bucky Irving (foot and shoulder injuries) will not play Sunday when Tampa Bay takes on Seattle. He joins receiver Mike Evans, cornerback Jamel Dean, safety Christian Izien, and cornerback Benjamin Morrison on the list of players officially ruled out.
One of the players who's stepped up in a big way is rookie receiver Emeka Egbuka. He earned NFC Offensive Rookie of the Month honors for his work in the first four games of the season. He's posted 18 catches for 282 yards and rookie-leading four touchdowns.
The Bucs aren't surprised by his play-making ability. Offensive coordinator Josh Grizzard said they saw his potential on the first day of rookie minicamp.
"It happens every game, and it [was] fantastic to see another huge play that really brought some juice to the sideline when we were down, and people rally behind that," Grizzard said while addressing Egbuka's 77-yard touchdown reception against Philadelphia. "And, just the conversations he was just having out there with Mike [Evans] on how to run routes – these guys just soak in all the knowledge from Chris [Godwin Jr.] and Mike [Evans] and he’s in a great spot right now."
The Ohio St. grad has had a blazing start to his NFL career, but he admits he has plenty of room for improvement.
"[I am] just taking the steps to be able to learn from my mistakes and grow each and every week," Egbuka said in the locker room. "It is a very long season [and I have] to be able to not stay the same week in and week out, [have] to continue to grow."
The scouting report described Egbuka as almost a mirror image of Bucs receiver Chris Godwin, which is a comparison he relishes.
"[Godwin's] energy is infectious, he is a competitor to the max, and having someone like that back in your room and on the field with you is just so huge for the offense as a whole," Emeka added.
The Bucs offense has faced a season's worth of adversity in the first month of its campaign. But quarterback Baker Mayfield said, for the most part, his team thrives when it's being tested.
"I think from an offensive perspective, not having a bunch of the guys the first few weeks, we were getting tested early. [We] handled it well when it comes to just finding ways to get wins," he explained. "But yeah, like I said after the game, [we’ve] got to start faster, [we’ve] got to be the aggressor, not wait [for] whether it's chippy or we get hit in the mouth once. We’ve got to come out swinging."
The Bucs (3-1) and Seahawks (3-1) kick off Sunday at 4:05 p.m. from Lumen Field in Seattle.
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