ESPN announcer Joe Buck admitted he felt “sick” over what he described as a commentator’s curse during Monday night’s game between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Baltimore Ravens. The Buccaneers, trailing by 10 points, had one final drive with just 1:34 left on the clock and no timeouts remaining.
With the game nearly out of reach, Buck suggested on-air that head coach Todd Bowles should consider pulling his star players to prevent injuries.
“I know it’s a 10-point game, and I know you don’t give up on games,” Buck remarked, “but at some point, you want to get out of here and live to fight another day.”
Moments after his comment, star wide receiver Chris Godwin suffered a severe ankle injury after being tackled by Ravens linebacker Roquan Smith in what appeared to be a hip-drop tackle. Godwin dislocated his ankle, ending his season. ESPN, acknowledging the severity of the injury, opted not to replay the incident.
Reflecting on the moment, Buck later shared his regret with The Athletic: “You kind of feel sick that happened. I’d rather be wrong. I would rather nothing had happened. Not that anybody is different than anybody else, but Godwin is one of the really great guys in the league.” As Godwin lay on the field, visibly injured, Buck responded live, saying, “Oh no. He can’t get up. I’m told from our production truck we are not going to show the replay.”
This injury was part of a rough night for the Buccaneers, who also lost wide receiver Mike Evans earlier in the game to a hamstring injury. Evans is expected to be sidelined until after their Week 11 bye, further weakening Tampa Bay’s offense.
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When questioned after the game, Bowles defended his decision to keep Godwin in play. “He’s a player, and we’re trying to win the ball game,” Bowles explained.
“We were down 10, so we were still trying to get points and kick another onside kick, and it just happened. With Mike [Evans] going down, we didn’t have that many receivers as it was, so we played with what we had. It’s unfortunate he [Godwin] got hurt, and we feel bad about that. But he’s a football player, and he wanted to be in the game just like Baker [Mayfield, the quarterback] and everyone else.”
After Godwin’s left ankle was caught under Smith at the end of a 21-yard reception, medical staff rushed onto the field. Godwin attempted to crawl off but was soon immobilized, and his ankle was placed in an air cast as he was carted off.
Teammates and fans shared in the shock, and Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield spoke highly of Godwin’s commitment to the team. “He’s an unbelievable guy, unbelievable teammate,” Mayfield said. “Obviously, you guys have seen he’s been playing extraordinarily well this year. I’ve got a heavy heart right now.”
Despite the loss and injuries, the Buccaneers, now 4-3, face a crucial game against their NFC South rivals, the Atlanta Falcons, on Sunday.
