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The Tampa Tribune

Published: October 6, 2008

SUNDAY'S BEST
Bucs QB Jeff Garcia spent the last three weeks as an inactive player, but he came off the bench and gave his team a spark.

Garcia completed 13 of 17 passes for 93 yards, one touchdown and one interception in Tampa Bay's 16-13 loss to Denver. He led Tampa Bay on a 13-play, 90 yard scoring drive, which was capped by Ike Hilliard's 7-yard TD reception.
TEAM STAT
Tampa Bay's defense limited Denver QB Jay Cutler to a 23 of 34 effort for 227 yards and one touchdown, and WR Brandon Marshall had three receptions for 25 yards, but the Bucs were unable to pull off a victory.

REVENGE TOUR 2008

Tampa Bay QB Brian Griese just completed his tour of his former stomping grounds.

Griese spent five years in Denver and two seasons in Chicago, finishing 1-1 against his former teams this season.

BY THE NUMBERS

1 - reception, for 2 yards, by Tampa Bay RB Michael Bennett, his first catch this season

2 - victories, with five losses, by Tampa Bay all-time against Denver

5 - carries, for 13 yards, by Denver RB Andre Hall (a former USF standout)

9 - losses, against one win, for Bucs Jon Gruden against Denver coach Mike Shanahan

10 - tackles by former Tampa Bay LB Nate Webster (now with Denver)

52 - receiving yards for Denver WR Brandon Stokley

58 - receiving yards by Tampa Bay WR Antonio Bryant

64 - longest punt by Tampa Bay's Josh Bidwell

83.7 - Garcia's passer rating, compared to Griese's 78.4

150 - career victories by Shanahan after Sunday

CASUAL FRIDAY

It has been fashionable to wear Tampa Bay Rays gear into the office on casual Friday, but for those die-hard Bucs fans, this week's wardrobe will still feature pewter and red.

Here are a few jerseys worth wearing into your cubicle this week:

No. 3 Matt Bryant - Impossible not to cheer for him after what he has endured.

No. 7 Jeff Garcia - He might not be the starter, but there is finally a reason not to use his jersey as a tire rag.

No. 28 Warrick Dunn - Can't beat a guy who gives away houses and rushes for 74 yards against Denver.

No. 51 Barrett Ruud - He knocked Michael Pittman backward, which is just another reason to be excited.

LOCKER ROOM CHATTER

"From Week 1 to Week 16, there will be a different story each game. The story of this game is we hurt ourselves and didn't win it. Of course, you give Denver credit because they did a good job changing things up, but we had a lack of communication, and that led to a lot of penalties and lost yardage." - Bucs OL Davin Joseph

"It's what we came here to do, win a game. It was good for me to see everybody, but at the end of the day when you don't win, you can't be happy about that." - Bucs TE Alex Smith, who was born in Denver

"I feel great. I feel like I'm extremely healthy right now. I feel like I had an opportunity to get a few reps earlier in the week, that I was sharp, crisp, accurate, I had some bounce in my step, which is important with the way I play the game. I feel really good." - Tampa Bay QB Jeff Garcia

"We are used to throwing the ball down the field a lot and getting big chunks, and we really couldn't do it against this defense. They're disciplined, really sound. They get to their jobs. You just have to be patient, take them apart, believe in the system, and hopefully get a little momentum and get some big plays here and there." - Denver QB Jay Cutler

"They converted some third downs on us. We missed some opportunities to get off the field, and at the end of the day, that beat us. We've been living off turnovers the first four weeks, and we didn't get any today." - Bucs CB Ronde Barber

"We were expecting more man-to-man coverage. With our running game, we didn't expect a lot of two deep. We had to adjust our routes, because they were designed for man and not Cover 2." - Bucs QB Brian Griese

"He's done a great job for a young player. He's handled a lot of pressure, and we all know what a great player Jason Elam was to this organization and how many clutch field goals he's hit through the years. It's very hard to fill those shoes, but he has stepped up and done a great job." - Shanahan on K Matt Prater

"Too many penalties. That was our Kryptonite. We had some good plays called back and had to go elsewhere with a play call, and that put us in a messed-up position. We can't have penalties if you expect to win on the road." - Bucs WR Michael Clayton

Anwar S. Richardson

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