The Tampa Bay Buccaneers saw their playoff dreams slip away with their loss to the New Orleans Saints on Sunday. While there is a slim chance they could still get it, the Buccaneers are likely set to play their final three games of the season and now there are questions as to who will be on the field come Week 15. While Tampa Bay finally got Austin Seferian-Jenkins on the field, they could be without Vincent Jackson.
According to NFL Media's Ian Rapoport, Jackson suffered a sprained MCL in the loss to the Saints and is expected to miss several games. With just three matchups left in the season, the chances are slim the Buccaneers get the wide receiver back on the field. This is the second knee injury Jackson has suffered this year. HE missed three games earlier in the season for an injury. That is not helping his case as the receiver has just one year left on a five-year contract signed back in 2012.
"It will be a challenge, but no one really wants to hear that," Buccaneers coach Lovie Smith said, via ESPN.com. "It's got to be next guy up. We still have 53 guys on the roster. That will be our mindset."
The Buccaneers have a quick turn around with a game on Thursday against the St. Louis Rams. If Jackson is in fact out, the team will have to turn to Donteea Dye or Adam Humphries. Both players have seen just a little bit of time in the with Mike Evans playing tell. Someone will get the start in Week 15 as Tampa Bay must replace the 538 yards and three touchdowns Jackson had this season.
With Jackson injured, the Buccaneers need to look more at the run game. Doug Martin has been thriving this year, but he gets fewer carries when the Saints are losing. Martin is the second-leading rusher in the league right now which certainly helps his case for a new contract. However, in the loss to New Orleans, he had just 11 carries for the game. The team was forced to abandon the run game and certainly cannot afford to that again.
"First off, how many plays, time of possession did we have?" Smith said, via ESPN.com. "There's a lot of [factors] other than Doug didn't get the ball that many times. When you don't convert on third downs it can stop drives. You have to look at the full context of it all."
The Buccaneers are under a never-say-never mindset with the playoffs, but it is a steep uphill climb for the team. The injury to Jackson makes things worse. However, Jameis Winston made it clear he is not giving up on the idea and is hopeful they can grab the final spot in the NFC.
"Absolutely," Winston said, via ESPN.com. "That's how my mind works. And I guarantee you when I get [in] there, I'm going to make sure the guys know that, too."
