Joe doesn’t take for granted the fact that All-World left tackle Tristan Wirfs missed all of training camp after July knee surgery and didn’t start practicing for real until last month.
Wirfs has been his usual monster self since returning to the field in Week 4, but he’s still getting in shape whereas his opponents are at full steam.
After the Bucs’ thrilling win tonight, Wirfs told Joe he’s not quite 100 percent but feels great.
“Yeah, pretty close. I don’t really think about it much anymore, which is a really good feeling,” Wirfs said.
“You know, I didn’t have any training camp. I pretty much started practicing full in Week 3, so the more reps I get the more comfortable I keep getting. But I feel good right now.”
Bucs fans should find that highly encouraging. Wirfs is dominating but is still rounding into form.
Wirfs went on to talk about how focused the team is on Detroit in eight days. He said they even talked about that right after tonight’s win. And, of course, he’s enamored with his quarterback and hears the “MVP” chants from the crowd.
“To watch Baker work is incredible. We love him to death,” Wirfs said.