Kwon Alexander, Lavonte David almost certain to miss Giants game

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers will almost certainly have to play Sunday’s game without star linebackers Lavonte David and Kwon Alexander. Both of them have missed their second consecutive day of practice, and neither seems close to returning—David in particular is certain to miss the game.

Worse news is that safety T.J. Ward also missed the past two practices. After making an impact as a part-time player the past two weeks, he should have been moving to a full-time role this week. Instead, it seems increasingly likely that he’ll be absent against the New York Giants.

In slightly better news, Gerald McCoy, Noah Spence, Brent Grimes and Jacquies Smith are on track to play on Sunday. Injuries take away, injuries give back. A little.

Meanwhile, the New York Giants are pretty injured, with five players missing the past two practices. The most notable player there: defensive end Olivier Vernon, him with the record-breaking contract and the two sacks this year. The Bucs would be pretty happy if they wouldn’t have to play him.