Davin Joseph Injury: Guard Tears Patellar Tendon, Heading For Injured Reserve

It turns out Davin Joseph's injury was worse than most expected as the seventh-year guard suffered a torn patellar tendon, effectively ending his season, according to Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times.

Initial reports claimed Joseph's injury was a torn kneecap, which would have sidelined him for about three months. Instead, the 2011 Pro Bowler will have surgery on Monday and be placed on injured reserve.

With Joseph done for 2012, the Buccaneers will have to begin searching for replacements internally. Ted Larsen stepped in for Joseph last night, but Tampa Bay also has Derek Hardman waiting in the wings as an alternate. It's always possible that the Bucs will search the market once the rosters are cut down as it's imperative head coach Greg Schiano finds an adequate replacement if his power run game is to succeed.

For more Tampa Bay Buccaneers news, pay a visit to Bucs Nation.

Patriots Vs. Bucs Reaction: Tampa Bay Rookies Shine

The two Tampa Bay Buccaneers 2012 first-round draft picks made a name for themselves in Friday's 30-28 win over the New England Patriots.

Running back Doug Martin scored on a 1-yard run on the game's opening drive. Safety Mark Barron intercepted a Tom Brady pass -- which was tipped by Ronde Barber -- and returned it 22 yards to make it 14-0 in the first quarter.

Coach Greg Schiano was pleased with Barron's overall performance.

''Mark played faster this week. He looked more confident in what he was doing,'' Schiano said. ''That's what rookies do. They learn and they get better.''

Martin finished with a very strong 53 yards on 13 carries, as he looks to force his name into the conversation with LeGarette Blount. Barron also added two tackles to his line. Fellow rookie running back Michael Smith also had some good runs, finishing with 38 yards on six carries, good for 6.3 yards per run.

It was a needed showing from Barron as the seventh overall pick fro Alabama is expected to help shore up a defense that was one of the worst in the league last year. The Buccaneers surrendered a franchise-worst 494 points over the course of the season. The Bucs were also last in the league in sacks with only 23 last season.

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Davin Joseph Injury: Bucs Guard Has Broken Kneecap, According To Report

Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive guard Davin Joseph has a broken patella and will miss at least three months, according to a report from WTSP-TV's Dave Mirth out of Tampa. Joseph was carted off in the second quarter of the Bucs' Friday-night preseason win over the New England Patriots.

As bad as it sounds, it could've been worse if it were an ACL sprain as first speculated. That would've likely shelved Joseph for the season. NFL.com's Ian Rapoport tweeted Friday night Joseph was IR-bound, but this report suggests otherwise. There's still no official word from the team.

Despite the win, it was a rough night for Tampa Bay, which also saw defensive linemen Adrian Clayborn and Gerald McCoy banged up.

Stick with this StoryStream for injury updates and more from the Buccaneers preseason. For all things Bucs, check out Bucs Nation. And for coverage of all 32 teams from across the National Football League, head over to SB Nation's NFL hub.

Davin Joseph Injury: Bucs Guard Done For Season, According To Report

Davin Joseph suffered a season-ending injury in Friday night's preseason victory over the New England Patriots, removing a crucial piece of Tampa Bay's offense. The standout right guard is indeed headed to injured reserve, according to a tweet from NFL.com's Ian Rapoport.

A brutal blow for #Bucs with G Davin Joseph heading to Injured Reserve. Essential for protecting QB Josh Freeman, mauler in run game

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) August 25, 2012

The Bucs were hoping to build the running game as a key part of the offense in 2012 behind the efforts of LeGarrette Blount and rookie Doug Martin. Without Joseph, that plan becomes significantly more difficult to implement. Ted Larsen replaced Joseph in Friday night's game against the Patriots, but it's unreasonable to think that he'll be able to bring a level of play that would match that of Joseph, a Pro Bowl player.

Tampa Bay's offense didn't have an easy road in front of them, and with the loss of Joseph it only gets harder.

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Patriots Vs. Bucs Final Score: Bucs Win 30-28 But Lose Crucial Players To Injury

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers defeated the New England Patriots by a score of 30-28 Friday night, improving to 2-1 in the 2012 NFL preseason. Any enthusiasm over the team's performance is likely tempered by the injuries suffered in the game, including a likely season-ending injury to crucial offensive lineman Davin Joseph.

Josh Freeman was 10-for-19 on the night, throwing for 102 yards with no touchdowns and no interceptions. Rookie running back Doug Martin had most of the team's carries, racking up 53 yards on 13 attempts. LeGarrette Blount finished the night with 22 yards on 7 carries.

Tampa Bay's defense looked strong against the Patriots' first-team offense. Tom Brady was 13-for-20 for 127 yards but Tampa Bay was able to apply pressure and forced a fumble and picked up an interception early in the game.

In addition to Joseph, defensive end Adrian Clayborn left the game with an arm injury serious enough to require X-rays, and defensive tackle Gerald McCoy was limping after a hard shot to the knee.

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Davin Joseph Injury: Bucs Guard Likely Lost For Season

Tampa Bay Buccaneers right guard Davin Joseph suffered what may be a season-ending injury in Friday night's preseason game against the New England Patriots, according to the Tampa Bay Times. If true, it would deal a significant blow to the Tampa Bay offense and the 2012 season. The Pro Bowl offensive lineman is a key part of the run game Tampa Bay was counting on to help drive the team.

The injury came in the second quarter when fellow offensive lineman Donald Penn lost control of a New England rusher and pushed him to prevent him from sacking Josh Freeman. The pushed Patriot fell into Joseph's leg, and Joseph immediately fell to the ground.

Joseph was replaced in the game by Ted Larsen, a third-year pro originally drafted in the sixth round by the Patriots.

Stick with this StoryStream for injury updates and more from the Buccaneers preseason. For all things Bucs, check out Bucs Nation. And for coverage of all 32 teams from across the National Football League, head over to SB Nation's NFL hub.

Buccaneers Vs. Patriots: Bucs DE Adrian Clayborn Leaves Game With Arm Injury

Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive end Adrian Clayborn sustained an arm injury while diving to recover a fumble in the Bucs' preseason game against the New England Patriots. The injury was serious enough that Clayborn was taken in for X-rays, according to NFL.com.

Clayborn was the 20th overall pick in the 2011 NFL Draft. He started all 16 games for the Buccaneers in 2011, collecting 29 tackles, 13 assists and 7.5 sacks, as well as three forced fumbles. He had one assist in Tampa Bay's first preseason game, a 30-7 loss to the Tennessee Titans.

Stick with this StoryStream for injury updates, scores and more from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. New England Patriots preseason game. For all things Bucs, head over to Bucs Nation. For the Patriots perspective, check out Pats Pulpit. And for complete coverage of all 32 teams from around the league, head over to SB Nation's NFL hub.

Patriots Vs. Bucs Score Update: Tampa Bay Leads New England 20-7 At Halftime

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers lead the New England Patriots by a score of 20-7 at halftime of their preseason game. Josh Freeman is only 8-for-14 for 84 yards, but Tampa Bay's defense has come through with big plays to put the team ahead.

The Bucs opened the game with an 8-play, 68-yard drive to go up 7-0. Freeman was 3-for-3 for 49 yards on the drive, all to Vincent Jackson. Doug Martin picked up the touchdown, diving in from the one yard line.

The defense made their presence felt next, putting pressure on Tom Brady, including a brutal hit to force a fumble that New England was able to recover.

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They followed that up with an interception, with safety Mark Barron making off with a pass intended for Rob Gronkowski that Ronde Barber had managed to get a hand on.

via assets.sbnation.com

The defense forced another fumble later, but it was ruled that Tampa Bay had recovered it out of bounds. The defense may have looked good, but the offense continued to struggle in the second quarter. They managed only one drive of more than five plays, with the four drives in the half resulting in two field goals and two punts. The offense took another blow in the closing minutes of the half, as guard Davin Joseph had to be carted off the field after sustaining a knee injury. He was replaced by Ted Larsen.

Stick with this StoryStream for scores, injury updates and more from the Buccaneers vs. Patriots preseason game. For all things Buccaneers, head over to Bucs Nation. For the Patriots perspective, check out Pats Pulpit.

Gerald McCoy Injury: Buccaneers DT Limps Off Field After Hurting Left Knee

Gerald McCoy went down with an injury to the left knee after getting cut blocked in the opening quarter of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers preseason game against the New England Patriots. The injury occured on McCoy's first touch in the game. After limping off the field McCoy was examined by trainers and was able to walk around on the sideline, indicating that the injury may not have been as severe as initially feared. It certainly seemed like it could have been nasty, take a look:

via assets.sbnation.com

Buccaneers fans have reason to be concerned, given McCoy's history of injury. The first-round draft pick spent time on IR in each of his first two seasons.

Stick with this StoryStream for injury updates, scores and more from Week 3 of the 2012 NFL preseason. For all things Tampa Bay Buccaneers, head over to Bucs Nation. For New England's perspective, check out Pats Pulpit. And for complete coverage of all 32 teams across the National Football League, head to SB Nation's NFL hub.

Patriots Vs. Buccaneers: Jordan Shipley Expected To Debut For Tampa Bay

Jordan Shipley is expected to make his debut for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Friday night's preseason game against the New England Patriots, according to WDAE's Tom Krasniqi. The former Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver was claimed off waivers by the Buccaneers on Monday. He's expected to play in the slot and return punts.

Shipley missed all but one game of the 2011 season with a knee injury involving both a torn MCL and ACL. A second-round pick in the 2010 NFL Draft, Shipley was waived by Cincinnati after he struggled to return to form in the preseason. It is unclear whether Shipley has healed and is simply not up to par, or whether he's still healing and the Bengals couldn't find room on the roster while he progressed.

Shipley caught 52 passes for 600 yards and three TDs in his rookie season.

Stick with this StoryStream for scores, in-game updates and more from the Patriots vs. Buccaneers preseason game. For all things Bucs, head over to BucsNation.

Patriots Vs. Buccaneers: Game Time, TV Schedule, Injury Updates And More

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers play their penultimate preseason game Friday night against the New England Patriots. The game is set to kick off from Raymond James Stadium at 7:30 p.m. ET.

The live television broadcast of the game is blacked out in the Tampa Bay area, but a tape-delay broadcast of the game will air at 11:35 p.m. ET Friday night and at noon Saturday on WTSP 10 news. Radio coverage of the game will be provided by WFUS 103.5 FM and WDAE 620 AM.

Tampa Bay is currently 1-1 in the preseason with a 20-7 victory over the Miami Dolphins and a 30-7 loss to the Tennessee Titans. The Patriots are also 1-1, with a 7-6 victory over the New Orleans Saints and a 27-17 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles.

There is still no word on whether or not cornerback Eric Wright will play in Friday's game. He suffered an undisclosed injury at practice on Tuesday.

For the latest on the Bucs, head over to Bucs Nation.

Bucs vs. Patriots: Tampa Bay Blacked Out Again

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers continue to be an elusive presence on local TV, as it was announced on Tuesday that the Bucs pre-season game against the New England Patriots would be blacked out:

#Bucs vs #Patriots game #blacked out Friday night. Catch #10News #replay at 11:35 p.m. or Saturday at noon

— 10 News (@WTSP10News) August 21, 2012

Tampa had already missed out on the team's first pre-season home game of the 2012 season, despite the NFL lowering the benchmark to avoid a blackout from 100% to 85%. Last season, all 8 of the Bucs games were not available on TV.

It's a problem that very few teams in the NFL - by far the most popular sports league in the nation - deal with, but it remains an issue in the Central Florida area. Bucs fans will have to hope that it won't rear its head once the games actually start to count.

For the latest on the Bucs, head over to Bucs Nation.

Bucs, Patriots To Hold Joint Practices

The New England Patriots and Tampa Bay Buccaneers will hold joint practices together, in anticipation of the Week 3 preseason game between the two teams.

First-year Buccaneers head coach Greg Schiano believes that the practices will be beneficial for his Buccaneers.

I know it's going to be a benefit for us. I don't think Coach Belichick would bring them down if he didn't think it would be a benefit for them. They've done it more. I've done it 15-20 years ago when I was with the Bears. We did it a couple of years and I really enjoyed it. I think it's good. I like watching other teams, seeing how they practice. Watching our players in relation to theirs. In games is one thing, but in practice it's a little different.

Schiano is correct, as the Patriots have already held joint practices this year, doing so with the New Orleans Saints.

The Patriots take on the Eagles on Monday night, and will then have a quick turnaround when they take on Schiano's Bucs on Friday night.

The joint practices will take place on Wednesday and Thursday, and the two teams will play in the exhibition game on Friday night.

For the latest on the Bucs, head over to Bucs Nation.

Patriots Vs. Bucs Game Preview: Buccaneers Look to Bounce Back Against New England

The Buccaneers welcome the defending AFC champion New England Patriots to Raymond James Stadium on Friday night.