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Storybook Season Had Memorable Efforts

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The Tampa Tribune

Published: December 30, 2007

Updated: 12/29/2007 11:34 pm

TAMPA - A storybook regular season resplendent with storybook heroes officially comes to an end for the Bucs today.

The hope among Bucs fans is that the fairy tale continues throughout the playoffs. It very well may. Should it end soon after the playoffs begin, though, this always will be remembered as one of the best and most exciting Bucs seasons ever.

Here, then, is a look back at the players and plays that made it special, and some that nearly made it forgettable.

OFFENSIVE MVP: You could make a pretty good argument for RB Earnest Graham. Though he started just 13 games, he led the team in rushing, ranked second in pass receptions, was second in scoring and established himself as the Bucs' new feature back.

Without QB Jeff Garcia, however, the Bucs probably win far fewer games, their playoff prospects are no doubt dim and Coach Jon Gruden's future here is probably still in jeopardy. Garcia was viewed as a savior when he signed with the Bucs last spring and he proved to be just that.

DEFENSIVE MVP: It looked for a long time as if MLB Barrett Ruud would run away with this honor. As the season wore on, though, Ruud's contributions seemed to diminish. Either that or they were overshadowed by the contributions by players such as DE Greg White and DT Jovan Haye.

Any of the aforementioned three or even OLB Derrick Brooks would be worthy of this title this year, but it's hard to imagine the Bucs having the season they had without CB Ronde Barber. Barber didn't lead the defense in any major category, but he seemed to make a big play every time it was needed and was probably the unit's most consistent player.

BIGGEST SURPRISE: Again, you could make a pretty good argument for Graham. The only problem is, we've been seeing flashes of his brilliance for three preseasons now.

You also could make a good argument for the likes of S Tanard Jackson, DT Jovan Haye and LT Donald Penn. Even S Jermaine Phillips' play constitutes a surprise, especially after the way he played last year.

No one surprised us more, though, than White, an Arena League refugee. His story is a great one, but what's even greater is that he made the decision to get rid of Simeon Rice look like the right call.

With a team-leading eight sacks and seven forced fumbles to go along with 47 tackles and two fumble recoveries, he was easily the biggest and most pleasant surprise.

BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENT: Gaines Adams got a mention for this dubious distinction back around the midway point in the season. Looking back, that probably was not a fair assessment. As touted as he was coming out of college, the first-round draft choice needed time to acclimate himself to the NFL game.

It was simply too much to ask of him to jump into the league and dominate it the way the Bucs believe he eventually will. So this award, if you will, should go to someone who has been around awhile, someone from whom much was expected but little was gained. Someone such as WR Michael Clayton.

It's a shame, but Clayton almost certainly will go into the 2008 season looking to shed the belief that he has been a bust. A fellow first-rounder like Adams, he is still trying to recapture the magic that made him Rookie of the Year runner-up to Ben Roethlisberger three years ago.

MOST MEMORABLE MOMENT: You really have to do something special to push your team clinching a division title to the second paragraph, but Micheal Spurlock did it three weeks ago when he ran a kickoff back 90 yards for a touchdown against the Falcons. For those who don't realize it - and we're sure there are still some out there - that was the first kickoff return for a touchdown by a Buc in their 31-plus seasons of existence.

MOST FORGETTABLE MOMENT: The sight of a motorized cart carrying yet another Buc on its back as it leaves the field is ingrained in our minds. Still, the most disappointing and forgettable moment of the season happened last week at San Francisco, where the Bucs really did try to win, honestly. They just didn't try as hard as they could have.

Their objective was to keep their key players healthy, so they started resting many of them before the first half was over. The only problem was, their lead wasn't big enough and the lowly 49ers came back and beat them, leaving them with two losses in their last three games with only one game left before the playoffs.

BEST ROOKIE: White doesn't qualify. Neither does Haye. Spurlock does, but he has made only one big play. To be the top rookie you have to make a lot of plays, and that's what Jackson has done at safety. He started in training camp and he never slowed down. Along the way he helped shore up a truly deficient deep secondary, and in so doing he has made that area of the field one that rival receivers truly fear to tread.

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