Whether or not Luke Goedke plays will have a major impact on this game.
Since he is a lineman rather than a WR or RB, this news flies under the radar.
Tampa's entire offensive line has been decimated with injuries.
Would be nice for the Pats if the Bucs backup RT has to start one more game.
The Bucs need to get healthier coming out of their bye week, and one star offensive player took a big step in his return on Monday.
www.pewterreport.com
Tampa Bay has certainly missed Luke Goedeke over the last six games. Charlie Heck stepped in at right tackle in Week 2 and has started every game since, and it’s obvious that this offensive line just is not the same when Heck is there in Goedeke’s place.
When Goedeke returns and takes back over for Heck at right tackle, it’ll be the first game this season that the Bucs will play with even four of their five starting linemen in their normal positions. Early on in the season, center Graham Barton started at left tackle for an injured Tristan Wirfs, while left guard Ben Bredeson took over for Barton at center. Mike Jordan then stepped in for Bredeson at left guard.
And when that return to normalcy comes for the Buccaneer offensive line, the hope is that it’ll revive the struggling offense as a whole. There’s still the matter of Mike Evans and Jalen McMillan’s long-term injuries and the need to get Bucky Irving and Chris Godwin Jr. back, but having 4/5 of one of the league’s best offensive lines back together should be a big help for an offense that scored nine points in Week 7 and just 16 against the Saints in Week 8.
Since Goedeke stepped into the right tackle spot ahead of the 2023 season, the Bucs offensive line has helped the offense rank in the top 10 in points per game (24.9), total yards per game (350.0), yards per play (5.6), passing yards per game (235.0), net yards per pass attempt (7.0), third-down conversion rate (44.2%), fourth-down conversion rate (61.4%), and time of possession (30:46) throughout that span.
There’s a reason Goedeke was rewarded with a four-year, $90 million deal in September, as he’s a cornerstone of the Tampa Bay offense. Getting him back ahead of a Week 10 clash with 7-2 New England would be fantastic, but having him return at any point during this upcoming three-game stretch will be a major boost for Josh Grizzard and Baker Mayfield’s offense.