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Bucs Still Need To Improve Pass Rush

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By Roy Cummings, The Tampa Tribune

Published: September 30, 2007

CHARLOTTE, N.C. - The season is only three weeks old, but already you can see the Bucs are better this year.

The coaching is better, the quarterback play is better, the run-blocking and pass protection are better. The tackling is better, Jermaine Phillips is better and the play-making on defense is better.

If only the pass rush was better.

Against an injury-ravaged and revamped Rams line that gave up six sacks to the 49ers the week before, the Bucs recorded one sack last Sunday. And it took two players (Kevin Carter and Greg Peterson) to get that.

With five sacks through three games, the Bucs rank 21st in the league in that category. Only eight teams have fewer sacks and only one of them (Carolina) has a winning record.

When the Bucs start playing better teams, their line's inability to sack the passer could be a problem. No wonder Coach Jon Gruden keeps pleading for more pressure on the quarterback.

A pass rush from the line has long been a critical element of the Bucs' defense. It's the thing that allows their linebackers and defensive backs to stay back in coverage and force turnovers, but it's missing.

Maybe it will show up again when Patrick Chukwurah returns to the lineup or when Gaines Adams matures. Right now it's not a factor, and the fact Simeon Rice isn't there is probably one of the reasons.

The Bucs made a lot of wise moves in the offseason. Re-signing secondary coach Raheem Morris, luring linebacker Cato June and signing quarterback Jeff Garcia were among them. Releasing Rice was not.

Critics jumped all over that move the second it was made, and rightfully so. Rice was the one member of the defensive front for whom opponents had to game plan.

While the critics screamed, the Bucs pleaded for patience. They said they believed Adams would come along quickly, and if he didn't, they would have Chukwurah to fill the hole until he did.

Well, a funny thing happened along the way to being the smartest guys in the room. Chukwurah got hurt and the refining of Adams' raw skills is taking longer than expected. A lot longer.

It's hard to say how much of a difference Rice would have made, but it's safe to say he would have made one. With Rice, the Bucs might even be 3-0. Rice is off to a slow start in Denver, but it's no slower than anyone playing right end for the Bucs.

As it is, they are 2-1 and tied for first in the NFC South with Carolina. They're obviously better. If Rice was here, though, they might be even better than that.

SHOW-ME SAFETY: Tough-luck rookie Sabby Piscitelli says he never missed a game his entire college career. He says he never missed a practice, either. He'll miss the rest of this season, however, with a broken bone in his right foot.

It's a tough blow for the Bucs, who drafted Piscitelli with the last pick in the second round. It's an even tougher blow for Piscitelli, who says he feels he never got the chance to display all his abilities.

'It's tough,' said Piscitelli, who missed time in training camp with a sore hamstring and is now on injured reserve. 'I sort of feel as if I've disappointed not only myself, but a lot of other people as well. But I just have to find the positives in this and come back next year and show everybody that I can play here and hope they realize it.'

SCARY STREAK: Opposing running backs have run for 374 yards against the Bucs this year, but the two backs who gained the majority of those yards have paid a hefty price to get them.

Seahawks feature back Shaun Alexander broke his left wrist taking on the Bucs in the opener three weeks ago, and Rams feature back Steven Jackson suffered a groin tear running against the Bucs last week.

The other feature back to take on the Bucs this year, Deuce McAllister of the Saints, made it out of the Bucs game healthy. However, he didn't fare so well a week later when he tore his ACL early against Tennessee and is now lost for the season.

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