Chris Godwin (ankle) and Mike Evans (hamstring) suffered injuries during the Buccaneers' loss.

 TAMPA, Fla. — The Tampa Bay Buccaneers faced a tough blow in their 41-31 defeat to the Baltimore Ravens on "Monday Night Football," losing both star wide receivers Chris Godwin and Mike Evans. Coach Todd Bowles reported that Godwin suffered a dislocated left ankle, while Evans was dealing with a right hamstring injury.

Bowles expressed concern for both players, noting, “It [didn't] look good” for Godwin, who was met by teammates in the training room post-game.

“Our prayers go out to him,” Bowles said, praising Godwin as both an exceptional player and person. “Not much you can say. You feel bad for him, and unfortunately, they’re not going to cancel the games. We’ve got to step up and move on. But our hearts are heavy.”

The injury occurred with just over a minute left in the game when Godwin caught a pass from Baker Mayfield and was tackled from behind by Ravens linebacker Roquan Smith, causing his ankle to twist awkwardly.

Teammates were visibly shaken as Godwin remained on the field, receiving immediate attention from the training staff. Mayfield, clearly emotional, said, “This absolutely sucks. Yeah, it sucks for our team, but Chris deserves better than that. He’s an unbelievable guy and teammate. He’s played extraordinary this year. Got a heavy heart right now.”

As Godwin was taken off the field on an injury cart, the entire Buccaneers bench rallied around him, chanting “Godwin! Godwin!” while giving him a standing ovation.

Both Godwin and Evans entered the game tied for the league lead with five touchdown receptions in the first six games. Mayfield referred to them as the “huge heartbeat of this team.”

Bowles defended his decision to keep Godwin and other starters in the game, stating, “We don’t second-guess,” especially since they were already missing Evans.

“I do protect my players all the time,” he added. “That has nothing to do with why we left him in this ballgame. We still had a shot to score some points and win this ballgame. It happens. It happens in football.”

Evans, who had entered the game with a hamstring strain but was determined to play, caught a 25-yard touchdown pass on the opening drive, becoming just the 11th player in NFL history to reach 100 receiving touchdowns. However, he later attempted to catch a pass in the end zone and fell to the ground, visibly in pain.

Trainers and teammates surrounded Evans as he lay on the field. He managed to walk off with the help of Bucs vice president of sports medicine and performance Bobby Slater, but limped noticeably as he exited to a standing ovation.

Evans had missed two days of practice leading up to the game, but had practiced on a limited basis Friday and carried no injury designation for the matchup. He was recognized on the videoboard for his scoring achievement in the first quarter.

Both receivers rank as the top two in all-time receiving yards for the Buccaneers. Evans aimed to tie Jerry Rice for the most consecutive 1,000-yard seasons this year, having only missed nine regular-season games in his career, with just seven due to injury.

For Godwin, this marks his second significant injury after tearing an ACL and MCL in Week 15 of the 2021 season. He had expressed feeling back to his best this summer, earning recognition from teammates and coaches alike.

"I'm sick about it," tight end Cade Otton lamented. "We talk about great guys and great leaders and great players. It sucks. It's the terrible part about this job, but we have to come together for them and play better and win games and just carry on like they would."

Outside linebacker YaYa Diaby added, “He was having such an amazing year, and for a guy like that... we need him on this offense. And then for Mike — we need him, as well. I hope he can get well.”

The Buccaneers, now 4-3, will need to rally as they prepare to face the Atlanta Falcons (also 4-3) in a crucial divisional matchup this weekend, a rematch from a heartbreaking overtime loss in Week 5.

“It sucks,” Mayfield reflected. “We’ll be thinking about Chris and Mike for a while, but we have to move forward. This group is going to have to be resilient and have guys step up. That's just the way it is. There’s no other way around it. We have to face this head-on.”