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Bucs' Bye Week Comfort: QB Is Stable, Healthy

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By ANWAR RICHARDSON | The Tampa Tribune

Published: November 6, 2007

TAMPA - It has been two years since Bucs coach Jon Gruden was able to go into a bye week and not worry about who his quarterback would be.

Brian Griese led the Bucs to a 5-1 start in 2005 before suffering a season-ending knee injury a game before the bye week. Griese was replaced by Chris Simms, who was 6-5 as a starter and guided Tampa Bay to the playoffs before being defeated in the first round.

Simms was Tampa Bay's starter in 2006 before suffering a season-ending spleen injury a game before the Bucs' bye week. Rookie Bruce Gradkowski took over before yielding to Tim Rattay.

Jeff Garcia has broken Gruden's two-year jinx, leading the Bucs to a 5-4 record heading into this week's bye.

"We had a number of injuries last year, obviously, with Simeon Rice shoulder, Brian Kelly turf toe, Shelton Quarles groin, our quarterback, our right tackle Kenyatta Walker, knee our right guard Davin Joseph, knee. That's part of the game," Gruden said. "What I'm most proud of with this year's team, we had some guys step up, some of our young players in particular, some of our veteran newcomers have delivered for us, so that's one reason to be excited."

Through nine games, Garcia has completed 170 of 258 passes for 1,967 yards, nine touchdowns and three interceptions. He has helped Tampa Bay win one more game than it did all of last season, and he's been the team's most reliable player.

"He's been a great leader. He's been a consistent playmaker and his poise, I think, shows through these times," Gruden said. "He's been outstanding from Day One.

"He's missed a few throws here and there, but he's completing close to 70 percent of his balls. He's made some incredible effort plays and some really heady ones indeed. He's a big reason why we have a chance."

SCHOOL OF ETIQUETTE: Gruden was not pleased to see RT Jeremy Trueblood ejected for accidentally running into a referee during an altercation in the final minute of Sunday's win against Arizona. But Gruden commended the camaraderie it showed.

Trueblood went after a Cardinals player once he saw teammate Joseph getting hit. In the process, he bumped into an official and was ejected with 45 seconds remaining.

"As I said, there's a certain etiquette that is part of football. At least the competition committee goes over those things ever year, what's good for the game, and what occurred at the end of that game was ugly," Gruden said. "I'm not going to be tolerant of us getting a 15-yard ejection penalty where we have a chance to ice the game.

"We do appreciate loyalty, OK, and guys believing in one another, but there comes a time when you've got to settle those things outside of the lines. That's just not good enough yesterday. We have to show more poise than that."

TALE OF TWO ROOKIES: Gruden said he was satisfied with rookie DE Gaines Adams' performance during his first start.

Adams, the fourth overall pick in April's draft, had one tackle, two quarterback hurries and nearly intercepted a pass starting in place of the injured Greg Spires.

"He had a couple of pressures. He was on a couple of run blitz drops," Gruden said. "He almost intercepted a pass. It was his first start. I thought he did some good things. We're going to need a lot more from him."

Conversely, Minnesota rookie RB Adrian Peterson set an NFL single-game rushing record of 296 yards during the Vikings' win against San Diego.

Peterson was the seventh overall pick, meaning there are six other teams, including Tampa Bay, probably wondering what could have been.

"I don't think he's a rookie. That's Jim Brown wearing No. 28," Gruden said. "What he did Sunday, what he did at Chicago, what he's done in eight games is unbelievable. I've never seen a guy do what he's done in eight games, come into the National Football League and dominate like that.

"He's a power runner, a finesse runner, he's a great receiver, he's as hard a running back as I've ever seen."

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