Just two hours before kickoff on Monday Night Football, NFL insider Ian Rapoportreported that Tampa Bay Buccaneerswide receiver Emeka Egbuka will suit up against the Detroit Lions, despite dealing with a hamstring injury that had made his status uncertain all week.
Rapoport noted that early in the week, it looked like Egbuka was a “long shot” to play, but after an encouraging pregame workout, the rookie was officially cleared. His return is a major boost for Tampa Bay’s offense, who will also have veteran WR Mike Evans in their lineup.
The Buccaneers’ inactives is as follows:
Egbuka has quickly become one of Baker Mayfield’s favorite targets this season, leading all Tampa receivers in yards per catch (17.4) and ranking among the league leaders in touchdowns through six weeks. Expect Mayfield to look Egbuka’s way early and often as the Bucs try to attack a Detroit secondary missing several key starters.
Kickoff between the Buccaneers (5-1) and Lions (4-2) is set for7:00 PM ET on ESPN.
The Detroit Lions‘ defense might be in for a long night under the lights at Ford Field.
According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers could have both Mike Evans and Emeka Egbuka on the field Monday night, despite each being listed as questionable. Schefter reports that Evans is “likely to play,” while Egbuka has “a real chance to play” after suffering a low-grade hamstring strain last Sunday. The Bucs won’t make a final call on Egbuka until pregame warmups.
That’s potentially devastating news for a Detroit secondary already gutted by injuries. The Lions have officially ruled out Terrion Arnold, D.J. Reed, Brian Branch, and Kerby Joseph, leaving their starting defensive backfield completely depleted.
If both Evans and Egbuka suit up, quarterback Baker Mayfield will have his top weapons ready to exploit Detroit’s thin coverage unit, a matchup nightmare for defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard, who’ll likely lean on backups and creative schemes to survive the night.
Dan Campbell’s squad has overcome adversity before, but this test, facing two top-tier receivers with four starters missing, could define how gritty this team truly is.
You’d think the Eagles would’ve taken things personally after coming up short to the Denver Broncos at home. Losing 21-17 in Week 5. A short week that would see their second NFC East match of the season, against a 1-4 Giants squad that just struggled to keep a close game against the New Orleans Saints. The opportunity to go 5-1 was right in front of them.
And then disaster struck.
Injuries On Injuries On Injuries
Jalen Carter was held out of Thursdays game as a precaution. An unfortunate pre-game loss but it shouldn’t have been as detrimental to the team as it was. Hopefully the Week 7 injury report comes with good news for his availability against Minnesota.
Add on top of that a Quinyon Mitchell hamstring injury held him out for the remainder of the game (we’re still waiting on an update for Week 7).
With Landon Dickerson finally being given much needed time off to recover from a plethora of injuries. The Eagles aren’t looking as healthy as they did for last seasons run.
Another Week Of Sloppy Offense
The Eagles can’t seem to pick which quarter they struggle the most in. From 3 points in the 2nd half of week 1. 7 points in the first half against the Rams, and only 7 points in the 2nd half against the Buccaneers and Broncos. The Eagles were shutout against the Giants and were picked off the first time in the 4th quarter of Week 6.
If the Eagles plan on winning more games, they’ll need to get the offense in a more consistent rhythm that is able to score more than 17 points against some of the best (and worst) defenses.
A Weekend Of Successful Hate Watches.
While the Eagles dropped an important division game against a bottom feeder Giants team. That didn’t stop more teams in the NFC from also having very unfortunate ends to their Week 6 matches.
The Cowboys fell to 2-3-1 as Rico Dowdle stacked up 239 total yards against his former team.
The 49ers(4-2)lost their 2nd game to the Buccaneers(5-1), but both teams racked up more injuries, including Fred Warner & Emeka Egbuka.
The unstoppable Lions were held to only 17 points to a Chiefs team that started the year 0-2.
The Bears struggled to take down the Commanders, but a late 4th Quarter fumble gave the Bears the opportunity to come out on top.
After a very long week being disappointed in an Eagles loss. They still finish Week 6 atop the NFC East with a 1 game lead on the Commanders.
Throughout the first five weeks of the 2025 NFL season, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers saw rookie wide receiver Emeka Egbuka break out as an immediate star. From day one, he has been an elite playmaker within the team’s high-powered offense.
Unfortunately, in Week 6, Egbuka suffered an injury.
During the game, Egbuka went out due to a hamstring injury. As fans wait for a firm timeline for his return, there is concern that the news won’t be good. The Buccaneers have already dealt to injuries at wide receiver for both Mike Evans and Chris Godwin.
With that being said, a notable sports doctor has weighed in on the situation in a post on social media. His opinion will not make Tampa Bay fans very happy.
Jesse Morse, who has become a very popular sports figure on X, shared that he doesn’t see Egbuka returning to the field anytime soon.
“The earliest I expect Emeka Egbuka to return is Week 10,” Morse wrote.
Losing Egbuka for any period of time will be difficult for the Buccaneers to recover from. Missing him for at least two more games would be extremely bad news. Over the next two weeks, Tampa Bay will be facing the Detroit Lions on the road and the New Orleans Saints on the road as well.
So far this season in his rookie year, Egbuka has put up big-time numbers. He has racked up 27 receptions for 469 yards and five touchdowns. Very few rookie wideouts are able to make that kind of an impact.
Thankfully, Morse’s possible return date would see him return to the field in Week 10 against the New England Patriots. However, the earliest return date does not mean the most likely. Egbuka could miss more than two games by the sound of his opinion.
Nothing is set in stone at this point in time. Until an official timeline is released, it’s just guesswork. Hopefully, the reality of the situation is not as bad as Morse believes it to be from seeing the injury.
Expect to hear more news about Egbuka in the near future. For now, it sounds like the Buccaneers will have to do without him for the near future as he works his way back from the injury.
For more on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and general NFL news, head over to Newsweek Sports.
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The American Flag on full display moments before kickoff during the Atlanta Falcons season opener at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Sunday, Sept. 7, 2025. Photo by Donnell Suggs/The Atlanta Voice
The Falcons lost the home and season opener 23-20 on Sunday. Atlanta kicker Young Koo missed a field goal that could have tied the game.
Mistakes will cost you everything in the National Football League. Three roughing the passer penalties, a pair of missed field goal, a missed extra point attempt, they all mattered during this game.
“We have to find a way to win next week,” Falcons head coach Raheem Morris said after the game.
“We have to keep going, it’s just one game,” Leonard Floyd said in the locker room after the game.
The biggest play will go down as the touchdown pass from Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield to receiver Emeka Egbuka that made the score 23-20. But it was the roughing the passer penalty from the Falcons that helped extend the Bucs’s drive.
Minutes earlier, the score was 17-13 in favor of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The game clock read 3:33 in the fourth quarter. Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Penix, Jr. (27-42 for 298 yards, a touchdown pass and run) ran for the goal line and was short of scoring a touchdown. He was however past the first down marker. The Buccaneers had two roughing the passer penalties called on them during the drive.
The biggest play of the game came courtesy of the feet of Penix, Jr., because Atlanta’s fresh set of downs lead to another Penix, Jr. run, this time for a one-yard touchdown with 2:17 left to play. The touchdown put Atlanta ahead 20-17 following the extra point by kicker Younghoe Koo.
Back on defense, the Falcons put pressure on Mayfield (17-32 for 167 yards) late in the game, but not enough to keep him from throwing three touchdown passes.
The video montages featuring former Falcons Andre Rison, Ray Buchanan, and Roddy White, Freddie the Falcon bungee jumping from the rafters, a smoke-filled entrance to the field, and a loud roar from a crowd of re than 70,000 when starting quarterback Michael Penix, Jr.’s name was announced. The Falcons season opener had it all.
The Atlanta Falcons opened the 2025 season at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Sunday, Sept. 7. Their opponent, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, have won the NFC South division crown time after time, and this game was an opportunity for Atlanta to set the tone for the next 17 weeks.
Under current head coach Raheem Morris, the Falcons have had success against the Buccaneers and head coach Todd Bowles. Atlanta swept Tampa last season, winning on the road by five points, and winning at home by six points.
The Falcons put together a one-minute and 46-second offensive drive to open the game. The big play came on a Penix, Jr. screen pass to running back Bijan Robinson for a long run and score. Robinson caught two passes during the abbreviated drive.
Photo by Donnell Suggs/The Atlanta Voice
Tampa’s first score, a 48-yard field goal from kicker Chase McLaughlin, came eight minutes after they began their third drive at the tailed of the first quarter. By the time the score was 7-3 in favor of the Falcons, it was midway through the second quarter.
The Buccaneers took their first lead of the game at 10-7 when quarterback Baker Mayfield found perennial Pro Bowl receiver Mike Evans over the outstretched hands of Falcons rookie safety Xavier Watts for a touchdown at the seven-minute mark of the second quarter.
The Falcons tied the game at 10 on a 41-yard field goal from kicker extraordinaire Younghoe Koo. That subsequent Falcons offensive drive included a fourth and one that was completed by running back Tyler Allgeier. The Falcons offense rushed for only 27 yards during there first half.
The second half began with a Tampa Bay drive dow to the Atlanta 26 yard line. The Bucs and McLaughlin attempted a 44-yard field goal that missed the mark and kept the score tied at 10.
A 53-yard punt return and 20-yard scramble by Mayfield gave Tampa Bay the kind of field position deep in Falcons territory that usually leads to a touchdown. And it did. A few plays later, Mayfield found running back Bucky Irving on a screen for a touchdown a 17-10 advantage with seven minutes to play in the third quarter.
The Falcons offense found a way back into the scoring column, adding three more points on a 36-yard field goal from Koo. The 11-play drive included receptions by Kyle Pitts, Ray-Ray McCloud III, Drake London, and the team;’s leading receiver at that moment of the game, Robinson (5 receptions for 94 yards). On one play, Robinson took a Penix pass 23 yards to get into the team into field goal possession.
Down 17-13 with less than 10 minutes to play in the fourth quarter, the Falcons
ATLANTA — Only months after Georgia defensive linemen and Ohio State wide receivers combined to fill five first-round slots in the NFL draft, those positions again boast top talent for the teams preparing to meet in the College Football Playoff Peach Bowl semifinal.
Georgia had three defensive linemen, including No. 1 overall pick Travon Walker, selected in the first round of this year’s NFL draft. Ohio State had wide receivers Garrett Wilson and Chris Olave chosen with the 10th and 11th picks, respectively.
Despite those important losses, Saturday night’s Peach Bowl will showcase evidence that No. 4 Ohio State and No. 1 Georgia reloaded with more star players.
Wide receiver again is a strength for the Buckeyes as two players, Marvin Harrison Jr. and Emeka Egbuka, have more than 1,000 receiving yards. Quarterback C.J. Stroud said Harrison and Egbuka showed their talent even when they had to play behind Wilson and Olave.
“I’m not saying they’re better than Garrett and Chris, but they were playing really good to be freshmen,” Stroud said. “And I think when you come in with that type of attitude, I am not just going to be here to learn. I am going to be here to dominate. That’s when you learn and that’s when you become a great player. So it hasn’t been overnight.”
The ability to reload with two 1,000-yard receivers is especially impressive because Ohio State lost AP Preseason All-American Jaxon Smith-Njigba, who will miss the game as he recovers from a leg injury and prepares for the 2023 NFL draft. Smith-Njigba is projected as a possible first-round pick even though he was hurt in the Buckeyes’ opener against Notre Dame and played in just two other games.
Georgia coach Kirby Smart said Stroud is a key to Ohio State’s success at wide receiver.
“It is great quarterback, great system, great coaches, great receivers,” Smart said Thursday. “They’ve come up under … first-rounders. Those kids watched those guys before them play.”
Harrison Jr. was an AP first-team All-American. The sophomore leads the Buckeyes with 72 catches for 1,156 yards and 12 touchdowns.
“I think what makes Marvin special is his discipline and his skill,” said Ohio State coach Ryan Day. “He’s built a tremendous amount of discipline in his life, takes care of his body, prepares at a high level, just unbelievable amount of discipline, the way that he runs his routes. His work ethic is unbelievable.”
Meanwhile, Georgia reloaded after leaning on its defense to win the 2021 national championship. After having Walker and two defensive tackles, Jordan Davis and Devonte Wyatt, taken in the first round of this year’s draft, the Bulldogs’ 2022 defensive front is led by Jalen Carter, also projected as a high first-round pick.
Carter also was named to the AP All-America team.
“Very good player,” Day said when asked about Carter. “Disrupts the game, and their entire front is really good and so is their back end. They really don’t have any weaknesses on defense. They’re very, very good, and you can see why they’re ranked one of the best in the country. They do a good job, and he is very good as well.”
Carter helped Georgia rank second in the nation in scoring defense, allowing 12.8 points per game. Ohio State ranks second in scoring with 44.5 points per game.
“I’m very confident in the talent we do have on offense, and I feel like when it comes to us playing any team in the nation, I feel confident with our guys and our ability to sling the rock,” Egbuka said.
Georgia had a record five defensive players selected in the first round and 15 players picked overall in the 2022 NFL draft. Linebacker Quay Walker, selected by Green Bay, and safety Lewis Cine, by Minnesota, were the Bulldogs’ other first-round picks.
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