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We're Physical, Not Dirty, Buccaneers Linemen Say

Tribune photo by JAY CONNER

The Bucs' offensive line protects Brian Griese during Sunday's overtime win in Chicago

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By ROY CUMMINGS

The Tampa Tribune

Published: September 25, 2008

TAMPA - The Bucs like their offensive linemen mean and nasty, like pit bulls protecting a junkyard. You have to wonder, though, if the Bucs linemen haven't suddenly taken the notion a little too far.

Only three games into the season and already the Bucs' line has been whistled twice for personal foul penalties and been accused of crossing the fine line that separates mean and nasty from dirty and out of line.

The play of the Bucs' line has been so close to the edge, in fact, that even the league is looking into it. But not even a league reprimand is likely to get the Bucs to change their ways.

For starters, the Bucs take issue with Bears defensive tackle Tommie Harris' claim that they play dirty. Secondly, the Bucs say their "physically aggressive" style is a winning one and they point to the standings as proof.

The Bucs will go into their game Sunday against the Packers with a 2-1 record and a share of the NFC South lead, and the fact they're coming off a 67-pass effort in which they didn't allow a sack is further proof their style works.

"Everybody has their opinions, but as long as we win, we don't care what they say about the way we play," Bucs left tackle Donald Penn said. "No matter who it is, we're going to take the punch to them. It's what we do."

Interesting choice of words there. For it was an alleged punch thrown at Bears end Adewale Ogunleye by Bucs right tackle Jeremy Trueblood that prompted Harris' claim of dirty play.

The punch supposedly was delivered while Trueblood and Ogunleye wrestled with one another at the end of a pivotal third-down play during the overtime session of the Bucs' 27-24 victory against the Bears last week.

Trueblood says the fracas was started by a Bears player (he's not sure which one) who grabbed him below the belt. Either way, it resulted in Bears defensive back Charles Tillman taking a swing at Michael Clayton.

That was the only violation the referees saw and the result of that call was a first-and-10 at their own 25 for the Bucs, who otherwise would have been saddled with a fourth-and-6 at their own 10.

Given new life thanks to the penalty, the Bucs went on to win the game on a 21-yard Matt Bryant field goal. Shortly after the ball passed through the uprights, the accusations started flying. So too did the denials.

"I don't think I'm dirty," Trueblood said Wednesday. "I'm not trying to be dirty. I'm just trying to play hard and play physical and that's what we do every week.

"But it is a thin line. There's a mutual respect line that I try to tip toe every week. I try to be respectful. I think everybody tries to be respectful. But sometimes tempers flare.

"I mean every other Sunday it seems like someone is getting a little chippy. It's a game where it's meant to be physical. If we're going to run around out there and not hit each other we wouldn't wear pads."

Bucs coach Jon Gruden spent part of Wednesday defending his line's style. He said the very nature of the game often lends itself to unfounded accusations of dirty play.

"This is the National Football League, and this is tackle - full-speed tackle," he said. "They try to knock your brains out whenever they can and we try to come off the ball with authority, make first downs and keep drives alive.

"It's a hard game. We're not playing chess here. It's hard to block these guys when you're in the gaps every play blitzing. They just don't turn their back and let you block them. You've got to be a physical man to play here."

If you include reserves, the Bucs have at least six physical men playing on their offensive line. And a physical, hard-working group is what they say an objective observer will see if he watches them play.

"That's the label I think we're earning," center Jeff Faine said. "We're a group that plays hard and plays physical and that you're going to have your hands full with until the end of the game.

"I definitely don't think we're dirty or cheap-shot artists. If you ask guys we've played to show you an instance where a cheap shot was really taken, I don't think they can. We're just guys playing hard and to the whistle."

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

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