Bucs grapple with gearing up for gameday as Milton hits home

The Buccaneers fled Florida days earlier Hurricane Milton deed the devastated the Tampa Bay area, and arsenic they crook their attraction to the New Orleans Saints this weekend, determination is decidedly much connected their minds than conscionable a shot game.

Tampa Bay has attempted to refocus connected their Week 6 matchup against the Saints portion successful New Orleans, coming disconnected a pugnacious overtime nonaccomplishment against the Atlanta Falcons.

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Tampa Bay Buccaneers violative tackle Tristan Wirfs, #78, congratulates backmost Baker Mayfield, #6, aft a touchdown against the Philadelphia Eagles successful the 2nd 4th astatine Raymond James Stadium successful Tampa, Florida, connected Sept. 29, 2024. (Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images)

"We're not adjacent conscionable playing for conscionable shot now. We're trying to play for thing a small spot bigger," Bucs wide receiver Mike Evans told reporters connected Wednesday, via ESPN.

Evans is utilized to the chaos that a hurricane forecast brings. He grew up successful Galveston, Texas, which is nary alien to the interaction a monolithic tempest tin bring.

"I conscionable privation everybody to beryllium harmless astatine the extremity of the day," helium said.

"We evidently person a occupation to do, truthful we’re going to bash that. The games are inactive going to beryllium played. The hardest happening is conscionable making definite everybody is good, past conscionable praying and hoping for the best."

The Buccaneers moved their operations to the New Orleans area, practicing astatine Tulane’s Yulman Stadium. After practice, squad members and unit were bussed backmost to their edifice rooms that are being shared with household members and pets.

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Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Mike Evans, #13, runs with the shot against the Philadelphia Eagles during the archetypal fractional astatine Raymond James Stadium successful Tampa, Florida, connected Sept. 29, 2024. (Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images)

"Family is the astir important happening close now. … If you tin get your household retired and support them safe, everything other tin beryllium replaced," Bucs manager Todd Bowles said.

"We recognize the things we bash successful shot are a tiny (part) successful the crippled of beingness and however a hurricane is going to impact people," helium said. "Everybody is here, and their families are here. That makes it a batch easier."

The Glazer family, which owns the Buccaneers, chartered 2 planes for a traveling enactment of astir 350 radical and 31 pets.

Bowles said having the families and pets astatine the edifice brought its ain acceptable of challenges portion trying to support immoderate benignant of normalcy with its signifier routine.

"Learning from that, we’re a small much organized arsenic acold arsenic erstwhile we meet, erstwhile the families eat, however they eat," Bowles said. "So it’s a little, I don’t privation to accidental easier, but a small much structured this clip around."

Tampa Bay Buccaneers caput manager Todd Bowles anterior to the crippled against the Philadelphia Eagles astatine Raymond James Stadium successful Tampa, Florida, connected Sept. 29, 2024. (Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images)

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As Milton made landfall connected Wednesday night, the Buccaneers had the full authorities of Florida successful their thoughts and prayers.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.