Bucs at Falcons Wednesday Injury Report: Important Progress

The 5-7 Bucs have a pivotal NFC South contest against the 6-6, division-leading Falcons on Sunday afternoon in Atlanta. Tampa Bay is hoping to be healthier in Week 14 than it was in a 21-18 win over Carolina in Week 13, particularly at the inside linebacker position.

So, what kind of progress was made when the Bucs took the field for a walk-through at the AdventHealth Training Center on Wednesday? For starters, there were some important returns to action for two of the team’s linebackers.

Lavonte David, SirVocea Dennis Trending In The Right Direction For Sunday

Bucs ILB Lavonte David – Photo by: USA Today

It may have only been a walk-through for the Bucs, but it was still an encouraging sign to see both Lavonte David (groin) and SirVocea Dennis (illness) listed as full participants on Wednesday.

The especially big return was that of David, who was injured late in the loss to San Francisco three weeks ago. He missed the loss to Indianapolis the following week before once again being sidelined this past Sunday for Tampa Bay’s win over Carolina.

David had been playing some excellent football before this groin injury occurred. Even at 33 years old, he has been one of the Bucs’ best defenders in 2023. Getting him back at full health for Week 14 would be a major help for Todd Bowles and his defense, as the Atlanta rushing attack is a big threat with both Bijan Robinson and Tyler Allgeier.

Dennis missed this past week’s game against the Panthers after being sick all week, so him returning to practice is a good sign early this week. The rookie made his first career start two weeks ago and missed a big opportunity to string another start together in Week 13 given the absence of David and Devin White, as well as the eventual back injury to K.J. Britt. Assuming everything trends as expected, Dennis will return against the Falcons with an opportunity to start alongside David.

Bucs Defense Still Missing Some Key Pieces

Bucs HC Todd Bowles, ILB SirVocea Dennis and ILB Devin White – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

While David and Dennis were both full participants, there were still some key players missing or limited the Buccaneer defense during Wednesday’s walk-through.

Keeping up with the linebacker position, Devin White (foot) did not participate while K.J. Britt (back) was a limited participant. Meanwhile, J.J. Russell, who stepped up in a big way as Tampa Bay’s only healthy linebacker for the final three quarters of Sunday’s win, was out due to personal reasons on Wednesday.

Jamel Dean (ankle/foot), who went down in the Bucs’ Week 11 loss to the 49ers, was also a non-participant in the Bucs’ walk-through. He has missed the last two games, making it three that he’s missed this season after signing a new contract this past offseason.

Elsewhere on the Buccaneer defense, Vita Vea (toe) did not participate on Wednesday.

Three Tampa Bay Offensive Linemen Limited In Practice

Flipping over to the other side of the ball, the offensive line is banged-up heading into Week 14. Left tackle Tristan Wirfs (ankle/back) continued to be limited on Wednesday. He has been banged up for a few weeks now, but has missed minimal snaps in games.

Rookie guard Cody Mauch (foot) and center Robert Hainsey (knee/knee) were also limited participants during Wednesday’s walk-through.

While these three are worth monitoring as the week goes on, it would be surprising if any of them missed out on Sunday’s game. Given that it’s Week 14 and the nature of the position they play, they’re bound to be shy of 100% throughout the week but should be able to go come gameday.