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Offensive Line Turns In Nearly Flawless Effort

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By IRA KAUFMAN

The Tampa Tribune

Published: August 11, 2008

Updated: 08/11/2008 12:12 am

MIAMI - Derrick Brooks thought he had witnessed it all during his glorious 13-year NFL career.

Then came another Saturday night.

Tampa Bay players kept pointing to a pair of zeros following their crisp 17-6 victory against Miami in the preseason opener. The Bucs didn't commit a turnover and weren't flagged for a penalty, despite shuffling new players onto the field in stifling humidity.

"I've never been involved in a game like that before as a pro, going wire-to-wire with no penalties or turnovers," Brooks said. "Those are the two things that stand out to me about tonight's game and that's what we continue to emphasize around here - winning edges."

Quarterback Chris Simms said even the footballs felt waterlogged, but Tampa Bay's offensive linemen appeared light on their feet, consistently providing running room in short-yardage situations.

The Bucs converted 11 of 20 on third down and 2-for-2 on fourth down, maintaining possession for 36:11 as Michael Bennett rushed for 74 yards and kept finding creases between the tackles.

"That's something our line takes a great deal of pride in, keeping our defense fresh," guard Davin Joseph said. "Converting on third-and-1 is like making a statement. Tonight was nothing I haven't seen from Michael Bennett before. He just works hard and doesn't complain. He's consistent and before you know it, he's going to give you that big run."

Bennett's 31-yard burst early in the fourth quarter highlighted a 76-yard march and he capped the drive by plunging over from a yard out on third down to put the Bucs ahead 14-6.

"Everyone in this room already knows how good Michael Bennett is," defensive end Kevin Carter said. "He's fast, he's strong and he's got good vision. Fundamentally, this was a very good game for us. No penalties or turnovers ... that's what you want. We didn't do the little things that get you beat in this league."

While the defense played up to its usual standards by limiting Miami to 10 first downs and 198 yards, it was Tampa Bay's offensive front that controlled the line of scrimmage and the clock.

The Bucs posted four drives of at least 10 plays, tuning up for Sunday night's home matchup against New England by displaying the kind of thump up front Coach Jon Gruden has craved since arriving in Tampa in 2002.

"We got into a good rhythm and when other guys came in, they did a great job, too," said left tackle Donald Penn, who played the entire first half. "We had a good running game going tonight. We're going to watch the film today and there will be a lot to build on. I thought we looked pretty good out there."

Converted guard Dan Buenning received extensive playing time at center and rookie Jeremy Zuttah appeared comfortable at right guard in a reserve role.

"It feels good to say I played my first game as a pro," said Zuttah, the versatile third-round pick out of Rutgers. "Just like I expected, the speed of the game in the NFL is a lot faster."

First-round choice Aqib Talib hardly looked out of place on the corner.

"It was OK for a first game," he said. "You really won't know until you sit down and watch the tape, but I'd say it was OK"

The Bucs hope to see some key players return to the practice field today at Lake Buena Vista, including quarterback Jeff Garcia (calf), fullback B.J. Askew (foot) and wide receiver Joey Galloway, who hasn't participated in training camp since arriving July 25 with a groin injury.

Tampa Bay's aggression along the offensive line frustrated the Dolphins for most of the sultry evening, but pushing the AFC champion Patriots around is another story.

"It's only one game, but our line has taken an extra step," Brooks said. "We kept converting on short yardage tonight and we did it convincingly, where you don't even have to bring out the sticks to measure."

By any measure, Bill Muir's developing group has caught everyone's attention.

"Those guys are turning the corner," Carter said. "They were all young last year and they kind of got thrown into the fire and did really well. Now they're a year older and adding Jeff Faine at center really helps. The offensive line should be one of the strong points of our team all season long."

Ira Kaufman can be reached at (813) 259-7833 or ikaufman@tampatrib.com.

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