Todd Bowles defends late WR play against Ravens

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers lost star wide receiver Chris Godwin in the final minute of their 41-31 loss to the Baltimore Ravens in Week 7 to a likely season-ending ankle injury.

Godwin suffered a dislocated ankle with 59 seconds left in the game after being tackled by Roquan Smith near midfield. The veteran receiver was unable to stand and had to be carried off in mid-air after sustaining the injury, while ESPN's broadcast declined to show a replay of the gruesome injury.

According to ESPN Analytics, Tampa Bay trailed by as many as 24 points in the fourth quarter and had an estimated win probability of just 0.1 percent at the time of Godwin's injury. This led many to question why the Buccaneers left the receiver in contention.

Todd Bowles defended his decision to keep Godwin and his starters on the field during a postgame press conference, even though a win was highly unlikely.

“He’s a player,” Bowles told reporters, referring to Godwin. “We’re trying to win the ball game. We were still 10 behind. We try to get extra points and get another onside kick. (The injury) just happened.”

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Bowles also explained that the decision was partly related to the personnel Tampa Bay had available toward the end of the contest. The Buccaneers had just four healthy receivers on the roster after Mike Evans was sidelined in the first quarter with a hamstring injury.

“With Mike out, we didn’t have as many receivers as we had before,” Bowles said. “So we play what we have.”

But it couldn't be argued that Evans' injury and the team's lack of receiver depth would give Bowles more incentive to retain Godwin for the Buccaneers' crucial Week 8 game against the Atlanta Falcons as a win became increasingly unlikely ?

“You can say that because he got hurt. We have no doubt about it,” Bowles said. “We have our boys. We play against everyone we have. It's unfortunate he got hurt, but he's a football player and he wants to be in the game, just like Baker (Mayfield) and everyone else wanted to be in the game.”

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Bowles bristled at the notion that he had failed to protect Godwin by leaving him on the field for the team's one-minute practice.

“I protect my players all the time,” Bowles said. “That has nothing to do with why we left him in the ball game. We still had a chance to score a few points and win the ball game. This is what happens. That’s what happens in football.”

The injury couldn't have come at a worse time for everyone involved. The Buccaneers are preparing for an important Week 8 game against the Falcons that will decide which team will determine its own fate in the NFC South early in the season.

Meanwhile, Godwin was in the midst of the best season of his career, ranking second in the NFL with 576 receiving yards in seven weeks. He was set to become a free agent after the 2024 NFL season and the 28-year-old would have had a robust market.

Instead, he will undergo another lengthy rehab while the Buccaneers will have to play the rest of the season without him.

“Our prayers go out to him,” Bowles said of Godwin. “Chris is a great player and a great person. There's not much you can say. People feel sorry for him and unfortunately the games will not be canceled.”

“We have to get up and keep going. But our hearts are heavy.”

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