Joe Buck didn’t need to be proper. With 1:20 remaining of their sport Monday in opposition to the Baltimore Ravens, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers had a third-and-17 at their very own 18, down 10 factors. That they had no timeouts.
In Buck’s thoughts, it was time to concede the sport.
“I do know it’s a 10-point sport, and I do know you don’t quit on video games, however sooner or later, you need to get out of right here and dwell to battle one other day,” mentioned Buck, ESPN’s “Monday Night time Soccer” play-by-play voice, on the published.
Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield transformed the primary down completion to wideout Chris Godwin. It was instantly obvious, nevertheless, that one thing was incorrect.
Godwin crumbled to the bottom, injured.
“Oh no,” Buck mentioned on the air. “He can’t stand up. I’m informed from our manufacturing truck, we’re not going to point out the replay.”
(Content material warning: The video beneath of the decision reveals Godwin’s damage, too.)
Godwin’s ankle, it was later revealed, was dislocated. He’ll probably miss the rest of the season after surgical procedure on his ankle.
Tampa Bay coach Todd Bowles had his causes for attempting to play to the tip and never quit, even when a comeback was unrealistic. There may be an argument for taking part in the total 60 minutes, and on this case, one massive play may’ve nonetheless given the Buccaneers an out of doors likelihood.
Nonetheless, Buck, 55, has been calling video games for many years, so he has seen quite a bit, and he thought the Bucs can be higher off both working the ball or taking a knee.
“I’d moderately be incorrect,” Buck informed The Athletic. “I’d moderately nothing had occurred. Not that anyone is completely different than anyone else, however Godwin is among the actually nice guys within the league.”
Buck mentioned that Bowles is aware of greater than him about his workforce and he understood the place he was coming from.
“None of those guys, none of those head coaches, need to appear like they’re giving up on a sport, however from the place I sat at that second, it was a very bodily sport that entire night time, and it felt like now we have already seen Mike Evans exit with a foul hamstring and that didn’t look good,” Buck mentioned.
“They’re form of all the way down to Godwin and all people else. It simply ran by means of my thoughts, after a very bodily sport, like: ‘What’s there actually to realize?’”
Following the loss, Bowles was requested why Godwin was nonetheless within the sport with the result nearly actually out of attain.
“He’s a participant, we’re attempting to win the ballgame,” Bowles mentioned. “We’re nonetheless down 10, we’re attempting to get additional factors and kick one other onside kick, and this occurred. We didn’t have that many receivers left because it was, so we play what we received.”
After the sport, which the Ravens received, 41-31, Buck mentioned he walked out of the sales space with a pit in his abdomen.
“You form of really feel sick that occurred,” Buck mentioned.
GO DEEPER
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(Picture of Joe Buck: Michael Zagaris / San Francisco 49ers / Getty Photos; video: courtesy of ESPN)
