NFL

Buccaneers OT Tristan Wirfs out for a couple of weeks with MCL sprain

Tampa Bay feared the worst when Wirfs went down, so this is a good outcome for the floundering Buccaneers, all things considered. Still, it’ll be tough sledding for Tampa Bay without Wirfs, the team’s best player. One saving grace, though, is the Bucs’ remaining schedule. A soft slate will give Tampa Bay a chance to catch Atlanta in the weak NFC South.

NBA

Thunder C Chet Holmgren out for at least eight-to-10 weeks with right iliac hip fracture

What a bummer for the Thunder (and Holmgren). Oklahoma City has raced out to a dominant 8-2 start, hammering opponents with its smothering defense. Now, the Thunder will be tasked to move forward without their top defender. Until the team gets Holmgren or Isaiah Hartenstein back, Mark Daigneault will have little choice but to play extremely small, thus sacrificing rebounding.

For Holmgren’s long-term outlook, this is simply a minor setback, but it will cost the 22-year-old a chance at winning Defensive Player of the Year — an award he was seizing the early lead for — this season. Holmgren will return in January or February with averages of 18.2 points, 9.2 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 2.9 blocks per game.