Depleted Buccaneers keep winning as injuries continue piling up

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — No matter who is blocking or catching passes, Baker Mayfield and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers find ways to win.

The big question is how long can a depleted offense keep going.

The Buccaneers are 3-0 for the first time in 20 years heading into a tough matchup against the reigning Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles in a battle between two of the NFL’s six undefeated teams.

“They’re battle-tested, they won the Super Bowl — that’s where we’re trying to get to,” coach Todd Bowles said Monday. “We know they’re a quality team coming in here. We think we’re a quality team they’re going to play. So, we’ve just got to limit our mistakes and focus on us right now. It’s a big game four — that’s all it is, it’s a big game four. It’s not going to break us and it’s not going to make us if we win. At the same time, it’s a quality opponent coming in here that we can test ourselves against and see where we are.”

Already missing three starting offensive linemen and a backup-turned-starter, the Bucs lost star wide receiver Mike Evans to a hamstring injury during a 29-27 victory over the Jets on Sunday.

Bowles said it appears Evans has a low-grade strain, which is good news for Tampa Bay, pending the result of his MRI. Evans tried to play through a lower grade hamstring injury last season and ended up missing the next three games. Tampa Bay went 0-3 without him.

The Bucs have been without Chris Godwin and Jalen McMillan the first three weeks so losing Evans means they’re down their top three wide receivers from last season. The addition of rookie Emeka Egbuka helps. There’s a chance Godwin, who suffered a severe ankle injury last October, could return against the Eagles.

Right guard Cody Mauch and right tackle Luke Goedeke joined All-Pro left tackle Tristan Wirfs on the sideline after last week’s game. Also, backup left guard Michael Jordan couldn’t play, forcing another major reshuffle.

Center Graham Barton switched to left tackle and left guard Ben Bredeson moved to center before the opener to accommodate all the injuries, so the Buccaneers didn’t have any of their projected starting five offensive linemen in their primary position against New York. That contributed to five holding penalties on just the first drive alone.

What’s working

The two-minute offense again was clutch with Mayfield leading another game-winning drive. The latest comeback win made the Buccaneers the first team in the Super Bowl era (since 1966) to record a game-winning score in the final minute of the fourth quarter in each of the first three games of a season.

What needs help

Special teams. Last week, punter Riley Dixon had a punt blocked. The Jets blocked a field goal that would’ve given the Buccaneers a 29-20 lead and returned it for a go-ahead score.

Stock up

Cornerback Jamel Dean had a pick-6 and didn’t allow a reception. He was only targeted once. Dean played 51 of 69 snaps with rookie Benjamin Morrison taking the other 18.

Stock down

Right guard Luke Haggard and left guard Elijah Klein each had two holding penalties in their first career starts.

Injuries

Wirfs (knee) and Godwin (ankle) will practice and a determination on their status will be made later in the week.

Key number

0 — The Bucs haven’t turned the ball over in three games.

Next steps

The Buccaneers host the Eagles (3-0) on Sunday. Tampa Bay has won six of the past seven meetings, including a pair of playoff wins.

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