Fresh off edging out the Texans (20-19) to move to 2-0, the Bucs ‘ early buzz has been muted by a brutal injury report. As Buccaneers insider Greg Auman put it, the news is as grim as it gets: “Bucs guard Cody Mauch’s knee injury is significant enough he will require surgery that is expected to end his season.” This is a devastating blow.

Mauch, the ironman right guard who hadn’t missed a snap in his young career and allowed only one or fewer QB hits on over 1,000 snaps, is done for the year. Auman’s report drives the point home, highlighting the sheer scale of the problem: “Another major loss for the Bucs, now down three starting OLs in the short term.”

The O-line, a unit just finding its dominant stride, now resembles a MASH unit. The timeline is cruel: first, All-Pro ta

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