Buccaneers Get Update on Emeka Egbuka Ahead of Week 3 Game
With star wide receiver Chris Godwin yet to play a game this season, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have had to fill the void in the receiving corps alongside future Hall of Famer Mike Evans. Fortunately, the Bucs have been able to do just that, with the emergence of rookie wideout Emeka Egbuka.
Through the first three games of his NFL career, Egbuka has exploded on the scene on the professional level, as he caught eight passes from star quarterback Baker Mayfield for 96 receiving yards and three touchdowns.
Bucs Rising Star Dealing With Multiple Injuries
Unfortunately for the Bucs, the promising young rookie is dealing with hip and groin injuries heading into Week 3. Although Egbuka is officially listed as questionable, head coach Todd Bowles appears optimistic about his standout rookie’s status after Friday’s practice.
“He’s questionable right now,” Bowles said via Nick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times. “We’ll see Sunday morning. We have to see how he’s feeling after today.”
When asked if Egbuka practiced on Friday, Bowles admitted that the Ohio State product did get some work in, which is obviously a good sign with the Bucs’ Week 3 matchup against the New York Jets set for Sunday.
“In a limited role, yes,” Bowles said.
Bucs may Have Another Star Wide Receiver in the Making
When it comes to the wide receiver position for the Bucs, all the attention is given to Evans and Godwin, and for good reason. The two veterans are arguably one of the best duos in the league when healthy, but Godwin has struggled to stay healthy, playing only seven games last season.
With Egbuka showing promise, especially as a threat in the red zone, Mayfield can get the passing game firing on all cylinders during the 2025 campaign. The Bucs will be sporting a 2-0 record heading into Sunday’s game against the Jets, with both wins coming on the road against formidable opponents.
Mayfield and company got the best of the division rival Atlanta Falcons in Week 1, pulling off a three-point win. Tampa Bay followed that performance up with a win against the Houston Texans in Week 2, with a game-winning touchdown from Rachaad White with six seconds left in the game.
Obviously, it’s not ideal that the first two games were won by such a small margin, with Mayfield needing to pull off some late-game heroics. However, the Bucs have shown some resilience and appear to be the team to beat in the NFC South once again.
The Week 3 matchup with the Jets will be Tampa Bay’s home opener at Raymond James Stadium. It’ll be an ideal opportunity to remain undefeated while taking advantage of a new-look Jets squad led by Justin Fields that has struggled throughout the first two weeks of the season, losing to the Pittsburgh Steelers and Buffalo Bills in consecutive games to begin the 2025 campaign.
Egbuka being on the field definitely gives the Bucs a solid chance of improving to 3-0 while increasing their lead in the division standings and putting the league on notice that Tampa Bay might be the real deal this season.
Eagles Make Final Call on Dallas Goedert’s Status for Rams Game
The defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles are 2-0 after the first two weeks of the 2025 NFL season, with Saquon Barkley and company getting the best of the Dallas Cowboys and Kansas City Chiefs in consecutive games.
Even though the Eagles were able to start the season off on the right foot, the team didn’t come away with dominant performances, which has led to some concern about this NFC heavyweight heading into Week 3 against the Los Angeles Rams at Lincoln Financial Field on Sunday.
Eagles Dealing With a Few Key Injuries Ahead of Week 3
Although the Eagles are not as banged up as many other teams around the league after two weeks, the team does have one notable name from the offensive side of the football still on Friday’s injury report. Veteran tight end Dallas Goedert was on the report due to a knee injury he’s dealing with, along with Jalen Carter (shoulder) and Byron Young (forehead laceration), who all participated fully in practice and will play against the Rams.
This is obviously great news for the Eagles against a team that will definitely pose a challenge on both sides of the football on Sunday. Both the Rams and Eagles are undefeated coming into this matchup and appear to be teams that could be Super Bowl title contenders during the 2025 campaign.
The Eagles were without their starting tight end for the Super Bowl rematch against the Chiefs in Week 2. Philadelphia came out on top against Patrick Mahomes and company, regardless, with tight ends Grant Calcaterra and Kylen Granson catching just two passes combined.
However, the passing game wasn’t exactly working up to its potential for the Eagles against the Chiefs, with star quarterback Jalen Hurts throwing for only 101 yards. Hurts threw just 22 passes against Kansas City, with DeVonta Smith being the leading receiver on the squad with four catches for 53 yards, while A.J. Brown caught five passes for 27 yards.
Goedert Makes Eagles Passing Game More Dynamic
Goedert definitely has more of an impact when on the field and healthy, as he’s considered a threat in the passing game, along with star wideouts Smith and Brown. In the season opener against the Cowboys, he caught seven passes for 44 yards.
Last season, Goedert played in 10 regular-season games, finishing with 42 receptions for 496 yards and two touchdowns. During the NFL playoffs, he played in four games, racking up 17 catches for 215 receiving yards and two touchdowns.
Although Goedert can do damage as a passcatcher, he seems to be more focused on blocking Rams’ defensive ends, Braden Fiske and Kobie Turner, as he made clear when speaking to reporters in the locker room on Wednesday.
“They’ve got two really good defensive ends, we’ll have to make sure we’re on our Ps and Qs with,” Goedert said. “They are both really good players. High-motor guys. They’ve got a lot of techniques that they can use to win, so that’s kind of what I’m focused on this week.”
Goedert and the Eagles will have their work cut out for them against the Rams, with the defending champions potentially having everything to lose, while a win for Los Angeles would put them on the map as a legitimate force to be reckoned with in the NFC this season.
