Injuries take big toll on Bucs' plan Roy Cummings, The Tampa Tribune, published 24 October 2011 The Buccaneers were only two series into their game against the Bears at Wembley Stadium on Sunday when they had to scrap a week's worth of preparation and go back the drawing board. It wasn't the fact they were down a touchdown that forced the change. It was the loss of two running backs in four plays. Earnest Graham, who started in place of injured lead back LeGarrette Blount, injured his right ankle and did not return to the game. Erik Lorig, who replaced Graham at fullback, injured his right shoulder. Nothing was ever really right for the Bucs offense after that in a 28-14 loss. "We had a whole game plan going in with a personnel group where we have two running backs,'' quarterback Josh Freeman said. "But then we had to change up the game plan completely.'' With Kregg Lumpkin as their only healthy back, the Bucs were forced to throw the ball more than planned. Though Freeman completed 29 of 51 passes for 264 yards and two touchdowns, he was intercepted four times, including twice inside the Bears' 10-yard line. The bigger concern going forward, though, is about the health of the team. The Bucs have two weeks before they return to action against the Saints in New Orleans on Nov. 6, but will need to get players other than Graham and Lorig healthy. "Yeah, we're lucky that we have that bye week coming up now,'' Raheem Morris said. "We've got to get some practices in and hopefully get some guys healthy and ready to go.'' Tampa Bay sat three starters – Blount (knee), defensive tackle Gerald McCoy (ankle) and center Jeff Faine (biceps strain) – on Sunday and lost three more to injury during the game. Rookie middle linebacker Mason Foster left in the first quarter with an ankle injury, safety Tanard Jackson in the second quarter with a hamstring strain and center Jeremy Zuttah in the fourth quarter with an ankle injury. Lorig returned to the game and Zuttah was walking around without much trouble after the game. The same, however, same could not be said of Graham. He left Wembley late Sunday with his right ankle in a boot. While the Bucs were not certain of a time-frame for his or anyone else's injury, it appears Graham could miss at least a week or two. Jackson's status also was uncertain, but his hamstring injury was bad enough that Corey Lynch played the rest of the game, sparking a fourth-quarter rally with an interception. Foster seems to have the best chance of coming back soon after tweaking an ankle injury he's been dealing with for a couple of weeks. McCoy practiced twice during the week leading up to Sunday's game and was listed as questionable, though he did not play. The Bucs are hopeful he and Blount will play against the Saints in two weeks.