By james art The Tampa Bay Buccaneers will have their key rookie for their Week 8 meeting with the Atlanta Falcons. Bucky Irving is expected to play despite a toe injury that has him listed as questionable, a source said. Todd Bowles was upbeat this week, according to Ian Rapoport.
Irving has been dealing with a toe injury all week, but it appears the 22-year-old rookie is expected to be in the timeshare along with Rachaad White and Sean Tucker on Sunday.
Entering the game with 351 rushing yards on 67 carries and three touchdowns, Irving had a positive game against the 4-3 Falcons. He was also valuable as a pass catcher with 13 receptions for 198 yards. Baker Mayfield will be forced to turn to the running game in the absence of top wide receivers Chris Godwin and Mike Evans, which could make any member of Tampa Bay’s backfield a viable option in Week 8.
The Buccaneers are 4-3 and on the verge of capturing the NFC crown this season, but recent struggles within their lineup have left plenty of concern. They will have to find a way to prove the critics wrong against the Falcons.