Mark Cook and Scott Reynolds with Pewter Report caught up with News Channel 8 after Bucs camp Tuesday to discuss whether the team is ready for the first game in Miami.
Injuries are piling up for the Bucs as the team prepares for the Dolphins on Thursday night.
The team hit the field one last time Tuesday but shortened the practice because of injury concerns. It’s basically a man power issue, more than anything, that is changing the day on the field.
“We got a game Thursday night and even though we have 90 players, it seems like you always get hit at one spot. And right now we’re just a little bit thin on the offensive line and that affects everybody,” head coach Dirk Koetter said.
The team did manage to get some good work in during red zone drills even in the shortened practice.
The Bucs were near the bottom of the league in scoring touchdowns inside the 20-yard line last year and it’s an obvious emphasis for the team at camp this year.
“We got down to the red zone plenty of times, but didn’t score enough touchdowns. You have to score touchdowns in the red zone somewhere between 55 and 60 percent of your drives. We were under 50 percent. We got to do better. We know we have to solve it but we’re not going to do it in one day,” Koetter said.
The head coach still did not say how many reps each quarterback will get in this first preseason game. It’s an obvious guess Ryan Fitzpatrick will get the start but what happens after that is the bigger question.
The game can be seen on News Channel 8, your Official Bucs Station.
