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QB Takes Big Step On Road To Recovery
Tribune photo by CLIFF McBRIDE
Tampa Bay Buccaneers Chris Simms walks past Jon Gruden after taking a sack vs. the Miami Dolphins at Dolphin Stadium Saturday night.
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Published: August 10, 2008
MIAMI - I suppose in the world of Bucs football, you know, the big picture, it doesn't matter.
There was no sizzle to it.
It wasn't about Brett Favre.
It wasn't even about a quarterback Jon Gruden wants.
No, it was just one long lost quarterback in a preseason opener in Miami, trying to break out of prison.
Chris Simms is the Nowhere Man.
You know Gruden doesn't want him.
You know Simms wants out.
You know he's twisting in the wind.
He'll never matter here again.
But Saturday mattered.
Chris Simms' smile said so.
"I was more or less just excited to be out there," he said.
This Was Good To See
Saturday mattered because a tough kid played for a long time for the first time in the longest time.
He played and got hit and got up and played again.
These should be Simms' last few weeks as a Buc.
The quarterback who gave his spleen for this franchise, who has felt mistreated and who has tried to talk his way out of here, helped the Bucs beat the Dolphins 17-6.
He threw 10 passes and completed eight. They amounted to 60 yards. He started the second half and led a touchdown drive.
He hung in.
He hung tough.
"I'm just going to continue to keep cracking away," Simms said.
He was happy.
Really happy.
It was nice to see.
Saturday represented Simms' most substantial playing time since that day in September 2006 when he went down against Carolina.
He played briefly in the preseason game with Miami last summer. He threw one ball. It was incomplete.
Then came Saturday.
Simms was hit, he took some hard shots, when he was sacked Saturday. He zipped some nice spirals into receivers' hands.
"I was pleased with a lot of the things he did - he hadn't played in a long time," Gruden said.
He got sacked on one play, got back up and, on third-and-13, threw a 15-yard completion to Micheal Spurlock.
"He has a long way to go to get it all back, but a lot of it came back tonight," Gruden said.
Chris Simms has been through a lot.
Enough to make you smile at his smiles Saturday.
Some team should take a chance on him and his arm and his heart. The Bucs should let him go if they can get anything close to what they want for him.
Let's end the charade.
Simms said he was more nervous the first few days of camp this season than he was Saturday.
He wasn't worried about his body against the Dolphins.
He hopes other teams were watching.
"I'm working my way back to the old Chris Simms."
Plenty To Be Proud Of
We don't know if he'll ever be an NFL starter again.
He won't be a starter for Gruden.
He looked good enough Saturday to keep. He looked good enough to trade, too.
"Tonight was a good first step," Simms said.
Even the head coach bent a little.
"He gave me a little hug and said he was proud of me," Simms said.
Simms grinned.
"He did give me a hug."
Another grin.
"I did kind of give him a hug back."
Strange night.
The kid was happy is all.
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