The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have been hit fairly hard by injuries this week. As expected, Legarrette Blount, Luke Stocker and Gerald McCoy are all out. In addition, the Bucs have to miss LB Zac Diles which hurts their linebacker depth.
Despite missing two practices this week, Mason Foster is active. Quincy Black returns from an ankle injury too, which should give the Bucs' run defense a small boost.
But the biggest active is, of course, Tanard Jackson. He has finally returned from a 56-week suspension, and will be starting. Jackson is very talented, but it will be interesting to see whether he can play well enough after being out of football for so long.
No surprises among the Saints' inactives. T Zach Strief is the only big name to miss the game, but he was already known to be out.
Full inactives:
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
WR Sammie Stroughter, RB Legarrette Blount, LB Zac Diles, G Derek Hardman, T. James Lee, TE Luke Stocker and DT Gerald McCoy
C Matt Tennant, LB Will Herring, T Zach Strief, TE David Thomas, WR Adrian Arrington, DE Jeff Charleston, CB Johnny Patrick.