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Bucs Give Themselves, And Fans, A Break

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By JOE HENDERSON | The Tampa Tribune

Published: October 12, 2008

After all the late-night/early-morning drama that took place on a baseball field across the bay from Raymond James Stadium, sports fans around here needed a little break Sunday.

The Bucs provided that.

They ground the Carolina Panthers into pile of mush in what was supposed to be a big-time showdown in the NFC South. The Bucs won 27-3 and it was never close. Good thing, too, because no one had fingernails left to chew after the Rays' dramatic win over Boston that concluded less than 12 hours before the Bucs began to methodically dismantle the Panthers.

The Bucs suffocated Carolina on defense, had superb special teams playe and managed not to screw it up on offense.

That formula pushed them to their fourth win in six games and leaves them atop the division.

Get used to it.

This team just isn't going to do much on offense this season, not with the game of quarterback roulette – Jeff Garcia was back in the saddle for this game – and the lack of a deep receiving threat. They're just going to pick and probe and inch their way down the field while hoping for two things:

1. Avoiding turnovers (which they did Sunday).

2. Hoping their defense and/or special teams can contribute, which both did mightily.

Geno Hayes got them started with a 22-yard touchdown return after blocking a punt less than three minutes into the game. He basically took it off the toe of punter Jason Baker. If anyone even blocked him, it didn't show.

That wasn't the last good special teams play, either. Punter Josh Bidwell buried Carolina at its 1-yard line in the third period (the Bucs challenged a ruling that gave the Panthers the ball at their 20 on that play and won).

The defense was basically everywhere. Rookie Aqib Talib deflected one pass in the end zone that turned into an interception by Jermaine Phillips, then intercepted one himself. Gaines Adams had an interception bounce off his hands that had a chance to be a touchdown. Tanard Jackson also had a pick.

And when it got to the fourth quarter, the Bucs ran over a tiring Carolina defense for some icing.

Panthers quarterback Jake Delhomme had no chance. His rating after three quarters was 31.7. But that's O.K. because what the Panthers lacked in passing they more than made up for by being unable to run, either.

Credit the Bucs defense for that.

The Bucs are 4-2 now with a nationally televised home game next Sunday night here against Seattle. A trip to Dallas follows.

They're in as good condition in the division as they could hope right now, even in one as tightly bunched as this one. The Bucs, Carolina and Atlanta all are 4-2, with New Orleans right behind at 3-3, but the Bucs have beaten both the Falcons and Panthers.

And after Dallas, the schedule turns a little more forgiving. They'll be on the road the two of the next three weeks after that, but neither opponent is very frightening – Kansas City and Detroit. Sandwiched in between is a home game with Minnesota.

Clearly, they have a chance to get on a little roll here.

But while we wait for to see if that happens, we should give them a word of thanks for what they did in this game. They were methodical. They turned a showdown into a snore. Considering everything else that's going on, we've had about all the excitement we can stand.

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