PERSONNEL NEWS

Strategy And Personnel

The Sports Xchange

October 18, 2018 at 12:09 am.

The Bucs re-signed LB Devante Bond. He reached an injury settlement with the team out of training camp but has returned to bolster the linebacker corps. Bond will compete with Adarius Taylor on the strong side.
PLAYER NOTES

–DT Gerald McCoy has a calf injury and did not practice on Wednesday.

–QB Jameis Winston was added to the injury list with a hip injury but had full participation in practice Wednesday.

–CB Carlton Davis has a back injury and was limited in practice Wednesday. He did not play vs. the Falcons.

–T Demar Dotson was limited in practice Wednesday with a knee injury.

–CB Ryan Smith, who suffered a concussion vs. Atlanta, practiced on Wednesday.

–WR DeSean Jackson has 36 career 100-yard receiving games, fourth-most of any active player.

–DE Jason Pierre-Paul has five sacks this season and has recorded at least one in each of the past four games.

–TE Cameron Brate has 17 TD receptions since 2016, tied for the eighth most in the NFL during that stretch.

–DE Vinny Curry has an ankle injury and did not practice on Wednesday.

PLAYER SPOTLIGHT: RB Peyton Barber. He had a slow start to the season as the Bucs struggled to run the football. But he had his best game of the year at Atlanta, rushing 13 times for 82 yards. Barber eventually could yield way to second-round pick Ronald Jones II, but for now, he’s the Bucs’ No. 1 ball carrier.

GAME PLAN: The Bucs could be different on defense under new coordinator Mark Duffner. In general, when playing a rookie quarterback like Baker Mayfield, teams tend to throw a lot of formations and disguises. It’s hard to know how much blitzing Duffner will do, but the Bucs only have nine sacks this season.

Offensively, the Bucs are only stopping themselves. Quarterback Jameis Winston had one of the best games of his career, throwing for nearly 400 yards and four touchdowns Sunday. But his two interceptions doomed the Bucs. That’s been the case most of his career. Only Giants quarterback Eli Manning has more turnovers than Winston since 2015.
MATCHUPS TO WATCH

–Browns DE Myles Garrett vs. Bucs LT Donovan Smith. Garrett has five sacks, which is tied for ninth in the NFL. He is tough to block with one player, but Smith will draw the assignment.

–Browns WR Jarvis Landry vs. Bucs CB Brent Grimes. Landry leads the Browns with 392 receiving yards. The Bucs secondary has struggled and Grimes is a big reason why. He hasn’t been a factor in the games he’s played.

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