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Get Ready For The Rush

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By ROY CUMMINGS, The Tampa Tribune

Published: January 3, 2008

Updated: 01/03/2008 12:44 am

TAMPA - Ike Hilliard always gives it to you straight. Nothing the Bucs wide receiver says is overstated or understated.

That's why his response to a question regarding the battle the Bucs' offensive line faces trying to stop the Giants' pass rush was almost as bone-chilling as that north wind that's been cutting through Tampa the last two days.

"They're in for a long day," Hilliard said flatly. "I think we all know that."

As the season has grown longer, the days have grown longer for the Bucs offensive line, with three of the unit's longest days coming in the last three games.

The Bucs have given up 10 sacks, or nearly a third of all their allowed sacks this season, in those three games. Here come the Giants, who specialize in long days and sacks. They lead the league in the latter category with 53. Twelve of those came in one game, against the Eagles on Sept. 30. Six were recorded by one player, defensive end Osi Umenyiora. He may not be the best of the bunch.

Most believe that mantle still belongs to 15-year veteran end Michael Strahan (nine sacks). The mantle of most underrated belongs to end/tackle Justin Tuck (10 sacks). Umenyiora (13 sacks) falls somewhere in between.

Throw in tackle Fred Robbins (5.5 sacks) and former USF linebacker Kawika Mitchell (3.5 sacks) and you've got what Giants coach Tom Coughlin says is the best group of pass rushers he's ever been associated with.

Now, match that up against the youngest offensive line in the league this year (average age: 25.4 years), and you can see why Hilliard isn't the only one who believes the Bucs may be in for a long day.

"They're probably as tough as or equal to anything we've faced all year," said Bucs center John Wade, who at 32 and with 10 years of experience, is by far the Bucs' most experienced offensive lineman.

You could argue that he is the Bucs' only experienced offensive lineman, as he is surrounded on his left by two rookies and on his right by a pair of second-year pros.

According to Strahan, none of that matters. Come Sunday, he said the unit that will fare the best is the unit that executes best and plays with the most aggression.

"Those guys have had success this year and they have confidence in what they're doing," he said. "And we're confident in what we're doing. So what I learned 10 or 15 years ago has no bearing on today."

Right tackle Jeremy Trueblood isn't so sure experience doesn't matter. As he began preparing for Strahan on Wednesday, he was glad he had a game's worth of experience against him to look back on. On a day in which the Bucs threw the ball 48 times, Trueblood, making his fourth NFL start, didn't allow Strahan to get to his quarterback one time during last season's 17-3 loss at Giants Stadium.

"It would be a little different if this was the first time I've played him and it was a playoff game," said Trueblood, whose colleague on the left side is in just that situation.

Donald Penn, who took over for Luke Petitgout when he suffered a season-ending knee injury in Week 4, has never faced the Giants, much less competed in a playoff game. He's spent as much time this week asking veterans what to expect as he has watching tape of Strahan, Umenyiora and Tuck. Petitgout, a former Giant, has been the object of most of Penn's queries.

"I just got through talking to him in the weight room," Penn said as he walked through the Bucs locker room Wednesday. "I'm going to talk to him a lot more before Sunday, too."

Petitgout should bring Penn well up to speed on the Giants. A nine-year veteran, the first eight with the Giants, he has spent innumerable practices taking on Strahan, Umenyiora and even Tuck.

"I'll just tell him what they're going to try to do to him," Petitgout said. "They have four or five things they like to do, so he just has to be ready for it. I'm sure he'll be fine."

Penn's coach, Bill Muir, doesn't seem all that concerned, either. He's seen his young linemen improve steadily as the season has progressed and he has no reason to believe that progress will stop when they face the Giants.

"Competitiveness is what we're all about here," Muir said. "We want to physically challenge people in an intelligent sort of way, and if we do that we'll be fine. I can promise you they're not intimidated by the circumstances. They're realistic in their approach and there's plenty of respect in our room for who we're going to play but there is no fear."

Reporter Roy Cummings can be reached at (813) 259-7979 or at rcummings@tampatrib.com.

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