WP: Tampa Looks to Cut Its Losses

[E-Dog Night]

I can't believe this wasn't posted already, but I did three different searches for it & couldn't find it

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http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/11/08/AR2005110801689.html

Trying to Buck a Trend

Tampa Bay Looks to Cut Its Losses

By Mark Maske

Washington Post Staff Writer

Wednesday, November 9, 2005; Page E01

TAMPA -- This should be a satisfying, redemptive time for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and their coach, Jon Gruden. They are 5-3 at the halfway point of their season, showing progress after two seasons in which the club floundered and Gruden's once-radiant coaching star had dimmed.

But instead of savoring a revival, Gruden and his assistant coaches spent the past 2 1/2 days in a desperate search for answers. They're attempting to figure out how to keep the Buccaneers' season from unraveling. The team is reeling, with losses in two straight games after losing quarterback Brian Griese to a season-ending knee injury, entering Sunday's matchup here with the Washington Redskins.

Tampa Bay quarterback Chris Simms has struggled in his two starts since taking over for the injured Brian Griese. (Steve Nesius - AP)

The Buccaneers were dominated by the Carolina Panthers in a 34-14 defeat on Sunday at Raymond James Stadium, and the talk in their locker room after the game wasn't of jockeying for playoff position and making a run at a return to the Super Bowl. It was of avoiding another disappointing season.

"We don't want this to get back to last year," wide receiver Michael Clayton said. "We want this to stop here. We want to get back to playing the way we were playing."

Gruden, now 42, was the young coaching star -- nicknamed "Chucky" during his days in Oakland because of his resemblance to the horror movie character -- when he led the Buccaneers to a Super Bowl triumph in the 2002 season, his first with the team. But the Buccaneers began overturning their roster soon thereafter, saying goodbye to defensive mainstays such as tackle Warren Sapp, safety John Lynch and Super Bowl-winning quarterback Brad Johnson. The club went 12-20 over the next two seasons, the same two-year mark that got another notable football coach with Florida ties, Steve Spurrier, laughed out of the NFL.

Gruden and the Buccaneers appeared to have turned things around when they won five of their first six games this season. Rookie tailback Carnell "Cadillac" Williams looked like Hall of Fame material with a breathtaking first month in the NFL, and Griese was managing the offense well. But then Williams was slowed by foot and hamstring injuries, and Griese was shelved. Gruden had to put the offense in the hands of Chris Simms, a third-year pro who had the talent to impress scouts but never had added the necessary polish to be a winning NFL quarterback.

He still hasn't. In his two starts since taking over for Griese, Simms has been sacked 10 times, thrown four interceptions and lost two fumbles. The Buccaneers lost at San Francisco in Simms's first start, then were dominated Sunday by the Panthers. Carolina put the game out of reach early in the second half when cornerback Chris Gamble scored a touchdown on an interception return.

Gruden said afterward that he and his assistants would consider their options at quarterback but he reiterated Monday that he expected to stick with Simms as the starter against the Redskins.

"He showed growth," Gruden said. "It is not going to be an easy process, but there are going to be some things he did learn from."

Simms said: "My confidence is fine. I made one stupid throw for a touchdown. At the same time, I thought I played better than last week. . . . I hold myself to a high standard. I expect to play better. At the same time, I'm starting to realize mistakes will happen, and you have to bounce back from them."

Simms and his offensive teammates were booed Sunday by the home crowd, but he took the rough treatment in stride. He said he knows his father, former New York Giants quarterback Phil Simms, was booed at times. "It's part of football," he said. "You're losing 24-7, you get booed."

The problem for Gruden at this point is that his options are limited. His backup quarterback Sunday was another youngster, Luke McCown. The Buccaneers obtained former 49ers starter Tim Rattay in a trade with San Francisco last month, and he could end up being the club's best hope. But he's had to take a crash course on the offensive system and was on the inactive list Sunday as the No. 3 quarterback.

Said Clayton: "As an offense, we need to stay together. This is the time when Chris needs us, and we need Chris."

Simms got little help Sunday from his offensive line. Right tackle Kenyatta Walker couldn't contain Panthers defensive end Julius Peppers, and drew Gruden's wrath on the sideline for committing three false-start penalties on the same drive. Left tackle Anthony Davis suffered a knee injury and might have to be replaced in the lineup by Todd Steussie.

Williams had nowhere to run, and managed only 29 yards on 11 carries. He began his NFL career with 434 yards on 88 carries in the Buccaneers' first three games of the season. In the team's five games since then, Williams has missed two contests and totaled only 62 yards on 35 carries in the other three.

"Obviously we are not blocking well enough," Gruden said. "We're not calling the right plays. . . . We're just not getting it done right now running the football."

Gruden said that Williams might not be fully healthy again all season, but he hopes that the rookie still can be productive. Williams, who also lost a fumble Sunday, offered no excuses. He said he felt fine Sunday, and added: "There is running room. We, as a whole, just have to keep pushing."

Veteran linebacker Derrick Brooks said he planned to deliver a hang-in-there message to his younger teammates this week.

"It could be a whole lot worse than where we're at," Brooks said. "I'm going to do my best to get their heads back up and get ready for Washington."

[LiveStrongSkins]

This game makes me nervous. "Desperate teams do desperate things in desperate times" Thats what my old coach always said. They probably will run mis direction plays, go deep alot and all kinds of trick plays. The offense and defense has to be prepared. Thank god we have Gibbs.

[E-Dog Night]

I usually like what Maske writes, but I had a number of problems with this article:

- "Rookie tailback Carnell 'Cadillac' Williams looked like Hall of Fame material with a breathtaking first month in the NFL"

Saying someone looks like HOF material after one month is just idiotic.

- "But then Williams was slowed by foot and hamstring injuries, and Griese was shelved."

If by shelved, you mean placed on injured reserve because of a knee injury, well then ok. But if I didn't know that Griese was out for the season with an injury, I would assume, based on what Maske has written, that his play was ineffective and thus resulted in a benching.

- "The club went 12-20 over the next two seasons, the same two-year mark that got another notable football coach with Florida ties, Steve Spurrier, laughed out of the NFL."

What does Spurrier have to do with any of this? That's a cheap shot, regardless of how you might feel about Spunky. That comment is totally out of left field. It has nothing to do with anything.

This is the kind of article that makes you wonder if the sports editor for the Post has been replaced by a monkey throwing darts at a keyboard.

[skinsmania123]

This is going to be a very tough team. Their D can and will stop the run. Simm's is gaining experience, and with the exception of two bad throws ( one was returned for a TD ) and a fumble, returned for a TD, that game would have been only 20-14 instead against a good Panthers team.

So I agree this is not a given. We will have to go to the air a lot more this week and our D is really going to have to be able to rattle Sim's. He has a decent arm and he is gaining valuable experience.

[zallera]

This is definitely going to be a tough game. It's as much a must-win for them that the Philly game was for us last week. Plus it's in their house. But we have Joe Jackson Gibbs.

[MattGeorge85]

The Skins should take every team seriously but especially a 5-3 team. The Bucs would be foolish to overlook the Redskins just because they won close games and were demolished by the Giants. Simms might be getting a little too much credit, he's no McNugget and I feel that he got handled well. The Bucs defense should be taken seriously.

:logo:

[SonnyRules]

Reminds me of the Bears game; but instead of home field advantage we are on the road.

[PCS]

Tampa Bay Looks to Cut Its Losses.

What a coincidence. So are the Redskins.