He did not practice all last week. His coach said his knee was throbbing. The injury report indicated he might not even play.
And with all that as a backdrop, all tight end Kellen Winslow did was lead the Bucs in receiving today with two of the day’s most awe-inspiring offensive plays.
Listed as questionable on the week’s final injury report because of what coach Raheem Morris termed “knee pain,” Winslow went on to catch four passes for 83 yards. Among them was a brilliant 40-yard, sideline-straddling reception that completed a stunning play from QB Josh Freeman.
Freeman shook two would-be tacklers on the play and Winslow had the presence of mind to continue working to get open.
Regarding the discomfort in his knee, Winslow, per usual, downplayed the pain he plays through when the joint flares up, as it did last week. But he vowed to be ready no matter what happens (or doesn’t) on the practice field.
“The only thing that matters is what you do on Sunday,” he said. “Nobody cares about practice. When that game is on the line, you’re going to make the play or not. So it doesn’t matter what you do during the week. . . I’ll be ready every Sunday.”
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