Just days after celebrating a 2-0 start, the Bucs are facing a crisis that Mayfield feared was a familiar nightmare for anyone who remembers the 2022 season’s MASH unit. Todd Bowles just decided to replace injured Cody Mauch with Bills star Dan Feeney, plucking the vet guard off Buffalo’s practice squad.

A necessary move born from desperation and a need for proven experience. Feeney, a former 3rd round pick, brings 120 games and 65 starts of NFL mileage to a room that desperately needs it. He’s been with 6 clubs since 2017, a journeyman’s journey that has forged a versatile and durable lineman ready to step into the breach.

Why was this needed? Bucs guard Mauch, the ironman who hadn’t missed a snap since being drafted, requires a season-ending surgery on his knee. It’s a brutal loss that rips the heart out of the offensive line. As Bucs insider Greg Auman put it, “Bucs guard Cody Mauch’s knee injury is significant enough he will require surgery that is expected to end his season. Another major loss for the Bucs, now down three starting OLs in the short term.”

The challenge now? The Bucs are potentially staring down a Week 3 matchup against a tough Jets front without three starting offensive linemen: Mauch, the recently extended Luke Goedeke (foot), and All-Pro Tristan Wirfs (knee). The projected lineup is a patchwork quilt of new faces and shifted roles, asking young players like Graham Barton to lead and newcomers to gel instantly.

What makes Mauch’s exit so painful is the manner in which it happened. He didn’t go down in a heap; he finished the game. After reviewing the film, it became clear he suffered the injury around the 8-minute mark of the third quarter and played through a notable limp for the final quarter and a half. Replacing that level of resilience is impossible, but the front office must try.

Todd Bowles’ changes meet the Jets

The offense’s early success, fueled by Baker Mayfield’s magical mobility and clutch gene, now faces its stiffest test. No doubt on Mayfield’s ability to escape pressure, but even he needs a semblance of protection. Bowles’ message is simple: “Everybody has to step up.”

While the Bucs’ line is being molded further (they got their own MJ?) and passed on to Feeney, the Jets’ identity is built upon destroying exactly that kind of vulnerability. They feast on pressure, and their defensive front, led by the relentless Quinnen Williams with 297 tackles, is to relish the prospect of facing a reconfigured interior line.

While the Jets’ defense is their USP, their offense presents an equally terrifying challenge for the Bucs’ defense that just lost its most dynamic interior pass-rusher, Calijah Kancey. The Jets counter with their own young stars, namely running back Breece Hall and receiver Garrett Wilson.

Hall isn’t just a runner; he’s the engine of their offense, a powerful, rhythmic back with the vision to find seams and the explosiveness to turn them into huge gains. He already has 136 rushing yards this season and poses a massive threat to a Bucs run defense that must now prove it can be stout without Kancey’s disruptive presence in the middle.

Then there’s Wilson, a receiver who pairs instant acceleration with elite route-running to manipulate coverage. He makes contorted catches look easy and is a constant big-play threat, leading the Jets with 11 receptions for 145 yards.

Bowles himself highlighted the tall task his defense faces, noting, “I think Breece is one of the best backs in the league… He has size and he has speed and he has wiggle so that makes him tough to bring down.” On Wilson, he added, “Garrett possesses speed, hands and route-running so that is always going to be a problem when you have all three of those things.”

So here we are. Two teams, two starkly different realities. The Bucs, riding a wave of emotional wins but navigating an injury crisis, are asking a veteran journeyman to help them hold the line. The Jets, loaded with defensive talent and offensive firepower, are looking to derail Tampa’s hopeful start.