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Bucs Defensive Line Taking Some Heat

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The Tampa Tribune

Published: November 16, 2007

TAMPA - The Bucs have struggled to establish a consistent pass rush this season, but few have been able to explain the problem.

The fingers have been pointed at nearly everyone on the defensive line. Rookie DE Gaines Adams has garnered the most criticism for Tampa Bay's lackluster performance, and with the exception of DT Jovan Haye (four sacks), this unit has been unable to have a major impact.

Tampa Bay has 16 sacks, ranking 20th in the NFL. The Bucs recorded only 25 sacks last season, but they had 36 in 2005 and 45 in 2004.

Despite the lack of major pressure up front, Tampa Bay's passing defense is ranked third in the league, a major accomplishment considering the sack totals.

As Tampa Bay prepares to play Atlanta on Sunday, the defensive linemen know they must play better in order to make a serious playoff run.

"Anytime you have young guys, and anytime you have guys who haven't played together, the key factor is developing chemistry," said DE Kevin Carter, who has two sacks this season. "We've had a great rush with four guys. We'll have unbelievable athletic moves, but we're not on the same page. The quarterback was able to step up and get out of the way.

"That hasn't been happening much the past couple of games. We've been applying better pressure."

Carter is correct about Tampa Bay's lack of continuity on its defensive line. LE Greg Spires and DT Chris Hovan are the only returning starters from last year's team. Carter played in Miami the past two seasons, Haye appeared in only eight games last season, Adams is a rookie, DE Greg White previously played in the Arena Football League and DT Ryan Sims was in Kansas City the last five seasons.

All of those players have been rotated, making it tough to build cohesiveness. Carter said the Bucs have no choice.

"It's about accountability. People have to be accountable and do their job," Carter said. "When you're in there, it's your responsibility to get it done. That's the professionalism we need to have overall, especially with us up front."

GRUDEN SUPPORTS LEHR: Despite a report in Thursday's Dallas Morning News that a former Plano, Texas, personal trainer, David Jacobs, allegedly supplied Bucs backup C Matt Lehr with steroids, Coach Jon Gruden stood behind his player.

According to the story, Jacobs pleaded guilty Tuesday in federal court to conspiring to possess with intent to distribute anabolic steroids. He admitted he trafficked more than 40,000 units of the drug from February 2006 through April of this year, as well as several thousand units of human growth hormone.

The NFL suspended Lehr, who was with Dallas from 2001-04 and then Atlanta, for four games last season for violating the league's banned substance policy. Gruden would like to keep that incident in Tampa Bay's rear-view mirror.

"It happened last year. We knew about it last year and it was addressed already," Gruden said. "If you want to talk about an incident that occurred last year, he's been through that, done that, talked about it and I got nothing to say other than he's here, he's been stellar for us and I really like Matt."

BUCS INJURIES: Gruden said there were no new injuries to report after Thursday's practice, but he said Spires would not play against Atlanta.

Players who were limited in Thursday's practice were WR Michael Clayton (ankle), RB Earnest Graham (ankle), RB Michael Pittman (ankle), TE Alex Smith (ankle) and OT Jeremy Trueblood (shoulder).

"I'm really tired of talking about the injured guys. I'd rather talk about the guys we know are playing," Gruden said. "Those are the guys we're going to count on to win the football game. These limited guys are limited guys, and hopefully we get some guys that can play at some point soon."

LB Quincy Black (hamstring), DE Patrick Chukwurah (shoulder) and WR Ike Hilliard (calf) participated in practice.

COACH OF THE WEEK: Hillsborough High coach Earl Garcia and Boca Ciega's Stevie Thomas have been named the Bucs' ninth and 10th coaches of the week, respectively, for the 2007 season.

Gruden presented both with a commemorative certificate and personalized football after the morning practice. Garcia's wife Gilda and Hillsborough High academic coach Charlie Diaz accompanied him on a tour of the team's headquarters prior to practice, while Thomas was joined by Boca Ciega assistant coach Patrick Walton, assistant principal Portia Slaughter and players Orhian Johnson, Ja-Vonta Trotter, Erick Clayton, Johnny Hartsfield, Mundrae Francis, George Durant and Aaron Kincy.

Each coach received $1,000 for his high school football program.

Anwar S. Richardson

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