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Bucs Focused On Avoiding An 0-2 Hole

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By ROY CUMMINGS The Tampa Tribune

The Tampa Tribune

Published: September 13, 2008

TAMPA - The Bucs have bounced back from 0-1 starts before. They did it 2002, when they won the Super Bowl, and they did it last year, when they won the NFC South division title.

They have never bounced back from an 0-2 start. Not in the Jon Gruden era.

The Bucs started 0-2 in 2004 and again in 2006, finishing 5-11 and 4-12, respectively. It's no wonder many inside their locker room believe it's imperative to avoid an 0-2 start this year.

"This really is a do-or-die game for us," TE Alex Smith said. "We don't want to fall to 0-2 in the division. That's no way to start the season, so this is probably as big a game as we'll have the first few games."

Gruden doesn't want to put extra pressure on his players, so he isn't ready to call Sunday's home opener against the Falcons, an NFC South division rival, a must-win game. He did acknowledge, however, that it is one of the more important games the Bucs will play this year.

"Who are we kidding? We need to win this game," he said. "It's an urgent situation. But every day it's urgent around here. Still, we need to win this game. So do the Falcons. But we do need to get some momentum going."

If the Bucs fall to 0-2 in the division, it will mark the first time that's happened during the Gruden era. That's enough for LB Derrick Brooks to consider this a must-win.

"We'll dig ourselves a big hole if we go down two games within our own division," Brooks said. "So we've got our work cut out for us, because we have to find a way to win this game."

MANY HAPPY RETURNS: Bucs rookie Dexter Jackson is still learning how to be a kick returner. Though he handled those duties at times in college, he didn't handle them regularly.

It showed during the preseason. Jackson returned four kicks for an average of 19 yards in the preseason, his longest for 23 yards.

In the opener against the Saints, Jackson looked better. He had three returns, including one for 33 yards and one for 27. Gruden believes a subtle nudge may have pushed Jackson into the fast lane.

"The first couple I was like, 'Hey Dexter, c'mon now, let's go.' And then maybe he got mad at me because he slammed it up there pretty good," Gruden said. "Thing is, he's new at it. And there's nothing like your first NFL game when you hear 11 guys calling your name out and they're all wearing different-colored jerseys. So I think he's going to be OK. I think he's got a chance to be dynamic."

A WHOLE NEW WORLD: Rookie CB Aqib Talib got his first taste of regular-season NFL football last week. It tasted a lot different, he said, than preseason football.

"It was a lot faster," said Talib, the Bucs' first pick in April's draft. "The quarterbacks put a lot more touch on the ball. It's just a different game."

Fellow rookie Jeremy Zuttah also noticed the difference. The right guard, who was selected in the third round, started in place of Davin Joseph.

"The intensity definitely picked up from the preseason," Zuttah said. "I've just got to make sure I keep pace with it."

BUCS BITS: Brooks (hamstring), QB Jeff Garcia and WR Maurice Stovall (neck strain) were all listed as questionable for Sunday's game on the Bucs' official injury report Friday. The only player listed as out for the game is Joseph, who continues to rehab a broken right foot. LB Matt McCoy (groin) is listed as probable. ... Since 2004, Brian Griese has started 16 games as the Bucs' quarterback. That's the most for any starter over that period. Chris Simms is second with 15 starts; Garcia is third with 14.

Roy Cummings

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