Bucs’ Bowles: Chris Godwin ‘Wanted to Be in the Game’ Before Late Injury vs. Ravens

Scott Polacek@@ScottPolacekFeatured Columnist IVOctober 22, 2024

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Hindsight is always 20/20, but it is easy to question the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ decision to have their starters in during the final minute of Monday’s 41-31 loss to the Baltimore Ravens, especially after Chris Godwin suffered a significant injury.

But head coach Todd Bowles explained the wide receiver wanted to be on the field.

“It’s unfortunate he got hurt, and we feel bad about that,” Bowles told reporters. “But he’s a football player and he wanted to be in the game just like Baker [Mayfield] and everyone else wanted to be in the game.”

NFL on CBS 🏈 @NFLonCBS”It’s unfortunate he (Chris Godwin) got hurt and we feel bad about that. But he’s a football player and he wanted to be in the game just like Baker and everyone else wanted to be in the game.”

— Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles on Chris Godwin’s injury in the fourth quarter pic.twitter.com/qFoYE38Pfq

Godwin was carted off the field with an air cast on his leg, and Bowles said after the game he suffered a dislocated ankle.

That might end the wide receiver’s season, which is even more concerning since No. 1 option Mike Evans was already sidelined by a hamstring injury he suffered earlier in the same contest.

Baltimore was in full control and extended its lead to as much as 41-18 in the fourth quarter. However, the Buccaneers cut into the lead by scoring back-to-back touchdowns during a stretch that included a successful onside kick to maintain possession.

They still would have needed to overcome incredibly long odds to parlay the momentum from those touchdowns into a full comeback, as they had no timeouts remaining and were in their own territory with approximately a minute remaining on the play that Godwin suffered the injury.

A comeback would have required a score, another onside kick recovery and another score without the benefit of a two-minute warning, timeouts or Evans on the field. That surely wasn’t going to happen, and now the Godwin injury could linger over the rest of the season for the team.

The Penn State product was in line to be Tampa Bay’s go-to option in the aerial attack in the immediate future with Evans potentially staring at an absence because of the hamstring injury. Instead, Mayfield will be relying on a receiver group that has more question marks than answers as the Buccaneers look to compete in the NFC South.

Next up is a key divisional game against the Atlanta Falcons, and things are certainly more dire for the team than they were before Monday’s loss.