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Some Things Never Change For Bucs Offense

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By MARTIN FENNELLY | The Tampa Tribune

Published: October 6, 2008

DENVER - Barack Obama was at this football stadium not too long ago to make an acceptance speech. Subject: change. We're pretty sure this wasn't the change he was talking about. It definitely wasn't the change Jon Gruden was talking about.

But there was Gruden in the third quarter, sending bestest friend Jeff Garcia back into the fray after Brian Griese's throwing elbow got smashed.

You can just hear Jonny G:

"Jeff, don't worry about the Favre stuff. Or the Griese stuff. Put McCown as second quarterback behind you, too. I'll phone your helmet with more things to put behind you, but get out there and go get 'em, kid."

That conversation did not take place.

Neither did the Bucs offense.

Some things never change.

Perfect Plan To Fall To 3-2

The Garcia offense outscored the Griese offense 7-6 in a winnable 16-13 loss to the Broncos. Griese missed open-for-touchdown Jerramy Stevens and Garcia later threw a bumbling interception, though Denver fumbled and lost the ball on the same play. First down, Bucs!

There's no quarterback controversy - it doesn't matter who plays quarterback if he uses Gruden's plan to test the Broncos, who weren't tested at all. Gruden wouldn't even take a shot at the end zone near halftime, playing it safe and settling for a Matt Bryant field goal. Yeah, that's killer instinct.

Understand, Denver's D had been dying. The Broncos came in with the 30th-ranked defense in the NFL. The only two teams ranked lower were the winless Lions and Rams. Denver gave up more than 200 rushing yards to Kansas City last week, and was next to last in NFL pass defense.

Did the Bucs lower their heads and run and run?

Did they beat the Broncos with daring pass plays?

No and no. They hurled the perfect plan to fall to 3-2.

Gruden trusted neither of his quarterbacks. His offense wasn't ready (hint: coaching) for Denver's D going zone instead of the man-to-man they'd been playing.

Gruden's explanation included false-start penalties (Jeremy Trueblood, you da man) and sacks and lousy field position and bionic Broncos kicker Matt Prater.

"Ever seen a kicker kick a 55-yard field goal and make it by 25 yards," Gruden asked.

Ever seen an offense go this soft against a defense this weak?

There was no surer sign than late in the second quarter, with the Bucs trailing 6-3, but having arrived at the Denver 17-yard line with 18 seconds left in the half. There was plenty of time to take a shot at the end zone, maybe even two, before settling for a field goal. Pitch right to Warrick Dunn for 4 yards. Tick tock - field goal as time expires.

"You are surprised sometimes by the play call," Dunn said, "but there's a reason for everything."

"Yeah, as a quarterback you want to be aggressive," Griese said. "At the same time, you have to take the whole game into account."

What Was The Idea, Anyway?

We took the whole game into account and we saw a running game that averaged 6.3 yards per carry but only got 22 tries. We saw the Bucs take only two deep shots. We looked at the final stats and saw that the longest completion of the day went for all of 17 yards. In the fourth quarter, on third-and-2, Dunn received another pitch. No gain. What was the idea Sunday, anyway?

Late in the game, with the Broncos ahead by 10, the offense finally left the deep freeze long enough to march 90 yards, more than a fourth of their yards all day. Garcia hit Ike Hilliard for a touchdown.

"You can't wait as an offense until it's the fourth quarter with seven minutes to go to start making plays," Hilliard said.

Did anyone notice that when the Broncos got the ball back, and the Bucs had them backed up at the 14, that Broncos quarterback Jay Cutler instantly completed a 12-yard pass on first down? It set the tone. Michael Pittman (yes, Mikey Pitt) finished the Bucs off.

"... That decision to come out throwing there was surprising, but Cutler is a hell of a QB and he made a play," Gruden said.

It's about confidence in quarterbacks.

It's about making plays.

They key is that you have to try to make them.

Which one of the Jonny G's G-men will it be now, Griese or Garcia?

Does it matter?

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