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Now The Fun Starts

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By JOE HENDERSON | The Tampa Tribune

Published: December 30, 2007

TAMPA – On with the show.

The Bucs did an admirable job of putting forth effort Sunday in a game that meant nothing except to the men actually out there running and hitting and earning their pay on a way-too-warm afternoon at Ray-Jay. But enough of that.

Now the fun starts.

The Giants come to town for the opening round of the playoffs – we'll find out later tonight when the game is scheduled – and there's only one question: Are the Bucs ready?

The Giants are a load. You saw how tough they played New England on Saturday night. Their pass rush can rattle the best of quarterbacks. Quarterback Eli Manning played perhaps the best game of his career against the Pats. And although there was a little raincloud Sunday with the ankle injury that knocked guard Arron Sears early in the game (we'll find out later, maybe, how bad it is) the Bucs can counter with the NFL's top defense and an offense that has been the definition of slow and steady all season.

The Bucs should be rested. You can debate whether they should have rested their starters - personally, I had no problem with it - but what's done is done.

They have home field.

Will it be enough?

Overcame The Odds

We've beaten this storyline to tatters this season, but it bears repeating once more. I honestly didn't think the Bucs had a chance at the playoffs back in September but they kept winning the games they had to win. They dominated the NFC South. They beat the teams they should have beaten.

The Giants qualify as one of those teams.

As well as New York played Saturday, I'm guessing the Bucs' defense will have some twists in store for the young Mr. Manning. The Tampa 2 is perfect to use against a quarterback prone to mistakes because the only way to beat it is with extreme patience. New York likely will try to run the ball to take the pressure off Manning, but the Patriots showed late in the game how vulnerable he can be against the blitz. Think you might see some Bucs flying in on Manning in this game?

And when you consider Jeff Garcia's experience in games like this, you like the Bucs' chances even more. His scrambling will buy time against the Giants' pass rush and he is willing to take the 7-yard gain over a riskier big play. He'll keep the chains moving. And Earnest Graham – well, what an eye-opener he has been. If he can duplicate his regular-season success in his first high-stakes game as a starter, the Bucs chances will be enhanced.

Make No Mistakes

As always, mistakes will turn the game. Garcia threw only four interceptions this season and he has a knack for buying times until his receivers pop free. That's where Graham comes in as a weapon, too. He caught 49 passes this year out of the backfield – lest the Giants choose to ignore that threat and double up on Ike Hilliard and Joey Galloway.

I'm guessing the game will be fairly low-scoring, even though New York put 35 points up on New England. I'm guessing it will be one of those slugfest-type playoff games. And I think the Bucs are better equipped to win a game like that.

So unless Jeff Garcia steps in a pothole this week or some other catastrophe hits, you have to like the Bucs chances for their first playoff win since the Super Bowl championship. That would send them on to Dallas, but we'll worry about that at an appropriate time.

Right now, the opening act is done and it's time for the show to begin.

The Giants are coming to town.

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