Hurricane Milton is a Category 5 storm expected to make landfall Wednesday night as a direct hit just south of Buccaneers team headquarters and Raymond James Stadium. To beat the storm, head coach Todd Bowles said his team was able to safely evacuate Tuesday, like most of the 3 million people on Florida’s west coast.
Per Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times, the Bucs (3-2) are practicing at Tulane’s Yulman Stadium and conducting meetings from their New Orleans hotel in advance of their game against the Saints (2-3) on Sunday (1 p.m. ET, FOX). Bowles said Wednesday that the team’s logistics this week are similar to a schedule when conducting joint practices with an opponent in August ahead of a preseason game.
“I think overall, everything has gone smoothly,” Bowles said Wednesday. “We got the team out, we got the families out, we got their pets out and everything else. And you know, family is the most important thing right now. You can replace material things, but you want everybody to be okay.”
Bowles also wants three key players to be okay. The coach said Wednesday that defensive end Calijah Kancey (calf) would be listed as full participation on Wednesday’s injury report, while All-Pro free safety Antoine Winfield (ankle/foot) was limited. Winfield hasn’t played since the Week 1 win over Denver. Tampa Bay is also monitoring starting right tackle Luke Goedeke, who’s missed the last four games in the concussion protocol.
New Orleans, meanwhile, will have a new starting quarterback on Sunday. Derek Carr’s oblique injury will sideline him multiple weeks and the Saints, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo, are considering rookie Spencer Rattler a strong candidate to start against the Bucs.
Tampa Bay has a significant rest advantage over the Saints this week. The Bucs had a mini-bye and will get 10 days of rest after their 36-30 overtime loss at Atlanta on Thursday. New Orleans, however, needs to play on six days of rest following the team’s 26-13 loss at Kansas City on Monday night.
Looking ahead to Week 7, Tampa Bay is scheduled to host Baltimore on Monday Night Football, Oct. 21. Depending on the severity of damage to the stadium and the availability of the community’s emergency resources, the NFL is expected to consider alternate sites for that game, including AT&T Stadium in Dallas. The Cowboys have a Week 7 bye.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the NFL are partnering to make Raymond James Stadium a “Mission Venue Ready” emergency shelter.
“The focus will always be the shelters closest to your home,” said Craig Fugate, FEMA administrator.
Raymond James Stadium has a Know Before You Go, if it’s the loses shelter to those affected by Hurricane Milton.
Discover more from Pro Football Post
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.