Bucs Mike James to IR according to team

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers confirmed the fears and speculation from last night’s win; Mike James did fracture his ankle and his season is over as a result.  James is the fourth running back that the Bucs have placed on injured reserve this season including Doug Martin, Jeff Demps, and Michael Smith.  James had become the second leading rusher on the team behind Martin with 60 carries for 295 yards and 2 touchdowns while also catching 10 passes for another 43 yards.  This gave James a good opportunity to audition for the Bucs as well as the rest of the league.

The Bucs found enough to win with Bobby Rainey and Brian Leonard, but their situation is pretty dire at this point.  Rainey did show signs of life, so it would hardly be a surprise if he gets more opportunities going forward, but the Bucs are likely to try to find another back to fill the rotation.  Previously with the Cleveland Browns, Rainey was picked up off of waivers by the Bucs and carried the ball 8 times for 45 yards and a touchdown along with a catch for 11 yards in a productive debut.  The Buccaneers turn their attention to the Atlanta Falcon in the second of their divisional matchups as they fight for respectability with their 1-8 record.