The fall equinox may have taken place on Sunday, but in many ways, it is still summer in some regions of the country.
That is especially true in Florida, especially when it comes to hurricane season, which can sometimes stretch all the way into November.
Right now, hurricane Helene is approaching western Florida, and it is expected to be at least a Category 3 storm once it makes landfall.
This Sunday, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers host the Philadelphia Eagles, and they have made some changes to their practice schedule, presumably to allow members of the organizations to prepare and be safe during Helene’s approach, per JennaLaineESPN.
The Bucs have changed their practice and availability schedule tomorrow to allow players, coaches, front office and support staff to be home with their families during the worst of Helene. They’ll practice indoors at 10:05 and have virtual availability after that.
— JennaLaineESPN (@JennaLaineESPN) September 25, 2024
Dealing with tropical cyclones is a simple reality of life in the Southeast, and luckily, Helene is expected to be safely north of Florida by Sunday.
The Florida panhandle is expected to withstand the brunt of the storm, so the hope is that the Tampa Bay area mostly only experiences moderate gusts of wind and heavy rainfall but nothing catastrophic.
The Buccaneers are 2-1 after a disappointing 26-7 loss last weekend to the Denver Broncos, but there is still solid reason for optimism moving forward.
Quarterback Baker Mayfield, who finally tapped into his vast potential last year, is still playing at a relatively high level, as is wide receiver Chris Godwin.
On the other hand, Sunday’s loss to the Broncos exposed some potential problems, especially on defense, where Tampa Bay ranks near the bottom of the league in several metrics.
A win over a Philly team that may have a legitimate shot at getting to the Super Bowl would be a major statement for a Bucs team that may still be carving out a true identity.
