TAMPA, Fla. -- The Tampa Bay Buccaneers will be without two of their three cornerbacks Sunday when they open up divisional play against the Carolina Panthers. Four-time Pro Bowler Brent Grimes and veteran Robert McClain have both been officially ruled out.
Grimes suffered a shoulder injury against the Buffalo Bills last week, while McClain has been in the concussion protocol and has not been cleared. Neither participated in practice all week.
With Vernon Hargreaves struggling in both coverage and against the run in recent games, the Bucs moved McClain to the outside and Hargreaves to nickelback. Hargreaves will likely revert to the outside against the Panthers, with Ryan Smith expected to start opposite him. The Bucs' nickelback last year, Javien Elliott and newcomer Deji Olatoye, are both options as well.
Grimes already missed one game this year, against the Minnesota Vikings in Week 3, because of a shoulder injury, with Smith replacing him. In that game, backup quarterback Case Keenum posted a 145.8 passer rating when targeting them.
"If they are out there for us, I am 100 percent confident," coach Dirk Koetter said. "If they're on our team and they're out there, then I am 100 percent confident in those guys."
Through seven games, the Bucs have allowed opposing quarterbacks to complete more than 69 percent of their passes, 30th in the NFL.