MORE
Most Recent Entries
Monthly Archives
|
There was a faction of the Bucs fan base – a small one, hopefully – that got its wish Sunday. Brian Griese lay on the Raymond James turf, victimized by what Derrick Brooks and others considered a late hit supplied by the Dolphins defense. Thus, by necessity (or divine intervention, some might suggest), backup quarterback Chris Simms was forced into the game with the outcome still in reasonable doubt.
The reaction among those on hand was interesting – the aforementioned Griese bashers seemed almost gleeful; but most fans pulling for the home team seemed to turn ambivalent at best. Was this what we really needed? The Bucs’ fast start seemed almost to happen in spite of the starting quarterback, but was a 4-1 start best maintained by a virtual NFL rookie?
No one can say at the moment how long – if at all – Simms will be in charge by default. The upcoming week, of course, should help the health of both Griese and franchise-in-the-making Cadillac Williams. But what should be beyond question is that whoever’s in the pocket drawing the wrath of fans frustrated with what Tampa Bay chooses to call an ‘’offense,’’ the job of Bucs quarterback will be more defined by what it’s not than what it is.
The reasons for this evident against the Dolphins, just as they are against virtually every opponent. If the Bucs don’t give a game away – as Griese essentially did against the Jets – their defense will almost certainly take it for themselves. And if Williams makes use of what will basically be a three-week layoff by the time the Bucs play again, the expectations on either Simms or Griese will be what they usually are when things are going well. Namely, take this funny-shaped thing, more often that not give it to the big guy behind you, and if all else fails just hang on to it.
It’s true that Simms looked unusually poised when forced into the game against Miami. It’s equally true, however, that he had the advantage of a sizeable lead and a snarling defense on his side. Regardless, Jon Gruden knows more than a little about NFL quarterbacks, and Griese didn’t win the starting job because of his dad.
Gruden, like any quality coach, knows to play to his strengths. And with this current cast, he surely realizes that neither option at quarterback is ready for a leading role.
Posted by shecky, Projected Path,Florida on 10/22 at 10:01 AM
Everybody needs to relax.Gruden is a great coach, I dare say better than anyone posting on here.Clayton will get the ball more because Simms already showed against the dolphins he spreads it out more.Even if he throws an interception every game we were already getting that from Greise.And to the guy who says it’s too hot to stay the whole game, be a man!
Posted by BUC FAN, Valrico on 10/19 at 10:50 PM
I am addressing a comment made by Rhonde Barber on a radio broadcast Tuesday, regarding fickle fans departing the Sunday Miami game early in the fourth quarter.
Rhonde, whenever the Bucs have a “secure” lead or are hopelessly far behind, I am leaving the game early for the following reasons:
(1)concession prices. A 16oz beer is $7, a water is $3.75, a hot dog $4. What’s next..pay toilets. By the start of the fourth quarter, I had spent almost $50 on refreshments for two people.
(2)the heat. Sitting in the heat for over 3 hours takes its toll.
As a season ticket holder for many years, I have earned the right to leave the game at anytime to seek shade and reasonably priced refreshments with other tailgaters while listening to or watching the game.
Peace.
Posted by gt adamcheck, detroit mich on 10/19 at 06:31 PM
good luck brian and bucs.Iam big time bucs fan from detroit.
Posted by Andrew Wills, hernando beach on 10/19 at 01:15 PM
Hey everyone,
What’s the hub-bub? Simms has proved himself as a quality quarterback. His first start last year was outstanding until his early injury and the poor showing the last game of the season was due to his lack of confidence after that injury. Sunday’s game is just a preview of what he can do!! He showed poise, arm strenght and enough football smarts to lead this fan to believe. No Worries Mates!!!! Go Bucs!!!!!
AWills
Posted by jdog, on 10/19 at 12:13 AM
Was it just me or did it seem like Thomas threw himself into QB’s knee and held his hands out to look like he wasn’t doing anything. I feel it was a bull cheap shot after watching it.
Thomas always been a bit of dirty player.
Posted by Toy Pelaez, Tampa on 10/18 at 10:58 PM
Simms or Griese ,its seems easy to roll over and die.Thanks to the cheap shot that half pint size Zack Thomas delivered, rolling into the Griese legs well after he threw the ball.But I remember a short time ago When the Bucs were face with a similar situation,the second stringer almost let them to the superbowl.There are many other factors that make-up a championship contender .One is team chemistry and another is that certain individuals,namely Chris Simms step-up and be counted.For surely his time has come to prove he is a NFL quarterback.I believe he can and I’m sure his teammates do ,too.San Francisco is an important game.The Cadillac should help immensely and spreading the ball around wouldn’t hurt either.
Posted by Ringer, Atlanta on 10/18 at 12:55 PM
We’ll be hard pressed to keep the same offensive momentum we were building (yes we were) with someone as new as Simms in as QB. But hey, look at Ben Rothleisberger! He did it, albeit with a power running game.
I think Simms can get the job done as long as we can run the ball well. Unfortunately, everyone is going to stack up against our run and make Simms beat them which will be tough. The good news is that our D will keep us in games as long as we are careful with the football. As Simms gets more experience we can get more aggressive. We are really going to miss Griese’s football mind and his tight grasp of Gruden’s complex offense. At the end of the day the odds are extremely low that Simms will be able to take us to a Super Bowl simply due to his inexperience. It should be exciting though and hey, there’s a first time for everything!
Posted by Sue Clark, Brandon on 10/18 at 12:05 PM
It was so nice to see passes going to other players than just Joey Galloway and then all of sudden it stopped. Simms should be the qb he is young so of course that wont happen because of Gruden. How do you not throw to your receiver that did so well last year. I’m with Clayton if he was that hurt how can he block so well and he does block well. No point in playing Alstott he is just on the team to satisfy the fans. Grudens head would have been chopped off had he gotten rid of Lynch, Sapp and Alstott.
Hope the bucs make the post season then I hope ego maniac Gruden if fired. After all it wouldnt surprise us they fired Dungy after how many play off seasons?
Go Simms throw that ball around and let everyone have a chance.
Posted by Paul Anderson, Denver on 10/18 at 10:53 AM
Enjoy your 5 victories, Buc fans, ‘cause Griese is gone. Chris Simms is the perfect 2nd-string qb--you know, the guy who looks good for a game or two after the true 1st-stringer(Brian Griese) goes down, but then shows his true colors after that. Get ready for a Buc highlight reel of bloopers, bleeps, and blunders for the rest of the season.
Outside of Brian Griese, the person who feels the saddest is Jon Gruden. Gruden knew that Griese would ultimately thrive under his tutelage and he invested greatly in Brian. Griese was the brainiac engineer of the whole offense, which was just beginning to hit on all 8 cylinders. Now--can you say Square One? For Simms, Gruden will be better off drawing plays up in the dirt and then praying.
Accurate prediction for the season: 7-9.
To Brian Griese: dude, you’re the best thrower of the timing route I’ve ever seen, and I’ve seen everyone. Good luck with everything, whether it’s with football or not.
Posted by Thomas Peluso, Floral Park, NY on 10/18 at 12:45 AM
It’s tough to answer that question, because in three years we’ve never really gotten a good glimpse of just who Chris Simms is. Brian Griese is a good quarterback and has one hell of a football brain, but he does have those lapses every once in a while that make it impossible to say that he has to be the guy.
Nevertheless, the bye’s coming at the perfect time. If Griese’s injury isn’t severe, he can use this time to get well just as Cadillac will. We’ll definitely see Cadillac line up against the 49ers in two weeks (he has to… right?) Whether it’s Griese or Simms in front of him all depends on how bad Griese is, simply because if Griese recovers, I have to imagine he’s the guy. It’s not as though Simms had a blowaway performance yesterday or anything.
Posted by Joe Strigle, Tampa on 10/17 at 07:50 PM
It looks and feels that Gruden does not respect Alstott. It seems he even does not respect Clayton. I heard a lot of fans very upset on the radio. It seems that Gruden back stabs the players after he promised them. Why wouldn’t he allow Alstott go on it at 4 and less than a yard,but decided to punt. This does not make sense. He barely now uses Clayton. Why doesn’t Gruden tell the trut to the fans. After we all so what, why can’t he be honest to the fans. He doesn’t have the guts to be honest.
Posted by Chris, Northern VA on 10/17 at 07:02 PM
I didn’t get to see much of the game, but I did get to see the end and once again I am concerned with Gruden’s play calling when playing with the lead. In my opinion, he becomes too conservative and next thing you know the Bucs are going 4 and out throughout the 4th quarter. Regardless, I am extremely impressed with the Bucs this year and could not be happier. I had a feeling the Bucs would be better this year and told all of my buddies, even made a few side bets. However, I had no idea they would start 5-1 going into the bye. With parity running amok throughout the NFL it is no small feat to be 5-1 at this point regardless of who they’ve played.
Posted by Brian Schaffnit, Gainesville, FL on 10/17 at 06:08 PM
A good win for the Bucs on Sunday, if not at a very high price. It is a shame Griese got hurt, as he was playing well before his injury in fairness to him. The defense after a bit of a shaky start continued to be their normal dominant selves. It was a great win over a lackluster Miami team, but they are on the schedule and you still have to beat them on the field. They all count in the win column.
The important question going forward is just how effective Chris Simms can be in this offense in the case of a lengthy absence for Brian Griese. You saw glimpses of it with some outstanding throws against Miami, coming in cold off the bench no less. Consistency is key for Chris, and he showed a little of his inexperience with an ill advised pass to Clayton into double coverage that he was lucky was not intercepted. With the continued presence of a very strong running game I believe Chris has all the elements he needs in place to be very successful in this system.
Posted by Bud Clark, Largo on 10/17 at 05:52 PM
Gruden drives me nuts. Griese goes down and Simms goes in and looks pretty goo. Then Gruden has him hand off the rest of the game. Anybody can do thet. Let the kid play.Let’s see if he’s got the stuff needed to get the Bucs into the playoffs. Sooner or later, he’s got to let him go. Hilliard and Clayton can catch the ball as well as Galloway so spread it around. And tho’ Pittman had a good game yesterday, he’s a mediocre back at best, in my opinion. He starts to juke when there is no one around instead of heading right for the hole. Just one man’s opinion.
Posted by Ringer, Atlanta on 10/17 at 12:45 PM
I was impressed with Simms and hope he’ll do well going forward. But it’s a tall order to have someone with as little game experience as he has to take us deep into the playoffs.
I think the hit on Griese was totally intentional. He LUNGED into his knees..Look at the tape. He was NOT blocked or “out of control”. It’s BS that the media has not highlighted that yet. I’m P’o’ed but there’s nothing we can do about it. He may get a slap on the wrist if the league addresses it but at the end of the day a good quarterback who, despite all the negativity here, is a big reason we’ve been successful. Yes it would be nice to not have those picks but you can’t take only the good and not the bad-- risks must be taken. He wouldn’t have completed nearly all of the great throws (so many 3rd down pick-ups) he did if he didn’t take chances. I think he had tremendous upside with more experience. Simms has potential but honestly, at this stage (5-1), I would love to have Griese back.
Posted by Darin, B'ham on 10/17 at 12:40 PM
I just wish we could be more creative on first down. Miami knew we would run up the middle every time. Where is the play action? The QB’s bailed Gruden out of 3rd downs all game long. We need to be more aggressive in playcalling on both sides of the ball!! Buffalo blitzed Vinny all day long yesterday and came away with a W. Bucs should be 6-0!!
Posted by Ron Undieme, St Petersburg on 10/17 at 10:27 AM
At last, a complete game from our Bucs. It seemed like half the starters were hurt and all of the backup’s were playing, but they never missed a beat. Griese and Simms both played well, although someone should tell Griese he has more recievers then Joey. Pittman played a great game even though he has a problem knowing which yard marker is the goal line. Hint: Celebrate after the play is over not on the 10 yard line. And what can be said about the defense. Outstanding. Even our poor special teams did not let down too much.
Hey, who knows, we might still make the playoffs if we can split our remaning games which would put us 10-6. We have yet to play in our division. And that is when we will see what we have is the real deal.
Posted by George Kall, Davenport, Iowa on 10/17 at 09:29 AM
It was great to see the offense play decent after last weeks performance and very happy to see the buccaneers at 5-1 going into their bye week. Chris Sims i thought played alright after not having any game experience this week. I hope everyone gets healthy on the off week and then take care of the 49er,s. I do think that Griese needs to spread the ball around more to Clayton and Hilliard.
Posted by R. Broughton, Belgrade lakes, Maine on 10/17 at 09:03 AM
My comment is to J Fitzhenry and the like. I have read on this post many times that Tampa has yet to beat a team with a winning record...My question is...who are those teams...I mean c’mon...New England? Pittsburgh? Seriously, these teams are no more of a winning team THIS season as the Bucs...I guess the same question could be said that “nobody has beat this winning record Bucs team”...(-Jets)!
My point is, there is no runaway teams this year thus far, if there were, Tampa would certainly have to be listed among those...so as far as not beating a team with a winning record, Oh well, New England made there 2nd superbowl run this way!
Posted by Bruce Miller, St. Louis on 10/17 at 07:43 AM
Congrats to the Bucs on a great effort vs. the Dolphins and way to rebound from a hiccup game last week. I think Chris Simms did great engineering 2 scoring drives in the 2nd half and hats off to the o-line for a good performance as well. Let’s enjoy the bye week and get healed up. I think the Bucs as a team can really feel good about themselves at 5 - 1, but now the road gets pretty tough, Carolina and Atlanta are right behind at 4 - 2 and Division play kicks in, not to mention a 3 game road trip in December, but 1 game at a time. Next up: a nice 2 week break then off to Frisco!!
Posted by BucsFan, on 10/17 at 06:43 AM
Congratulations to the entire Bucs Team & Coaches! A 5-1 record into the Bye week is excellent!
I would like to see Gruden use the 3 step & throw pattern for the QB Simms
to prevent future sacks. Simms does have a strong arm and he is mobile, but he does get on occasion sacked as noted in the second half. Also, why don’t we ever use the Shot-Gun for the
QB? I expect the other teams to rush Simms to pressure/hurry him into poor throws. These next two weeks should be used for practicing these 2 sack-avoiding techniques and to help the Bucs in moving & keeping the ball.
Posted by Chris Bugden, Brisbane Australia on 10/17 at 02:49 AM
The biggest problem with losing Griese is that opponents will likely not worry about the pass as much and tee off on a finally potent T-Bay ground game. I am sure opposing coaches fear a veteran more than a guy with a couple of starts under his belt. Having said that, Simms’ upside is interesting, and I am curious to see what he can do. In a tight division race, he may feel the pressure. Props to the O-line for bringing back the ground game this year. The fresh blood has made the difference.
Posted by TS, New Jersey on 10/17 at 12:11 AM
Great way to bounce back from last week’s bump in the road. Good production from Pitt and the defense and solid poise from Simms. The bye allows some much needed rest and hopefully getting a lot of guys healthy. Maybe this is Simms’ time to see if he can be the QB of the future and end up with the career his dad had. Bottom line, get everyone healthy, Cadillac included, and keep playing like we’ve been. We should be 6-1 going into the Atlanta game and I truly expect not only the Bucs to make the playoffs but to win the NFC South as well. Shows how much the so-called experts know.
Posted by L Smith, Wesley Chapel on 10/16 at 11:42 PM
Please bring out the fact that the injury to Griese was deliberate by the Miami linebacker. He wasn’t tripped, blocked, or pushed. He went low with full intention to cause injury.
The NFL should review this and levy fines accordingly.
Posted by Bruce Miller, St. Louis on 10/24 at 03:31 PM
This game vs. San Francisco has “trap” written all over it, a couple of reasons why:
(1). San Francisco got pasted at Washington and returns home very angry and eager to get back in the win column.
(2). Tampa could be looking ahead to a huge home division game vs. Carolina the next week and possibly taking the 49ers too lightly.
(3). Injuries, will Cadillac and other key players return, the bye week certainly helps that situation.
I like many of you, are surprised at the Bucs resurgance and their 5 - 1 record, but I look back last year to a Rams team that was 4 - 2 and flew down to play a winless Dolphin team, the result: 31 - 17 Dolphins. Gruden needs to have this team focused in practice this week, have a good mind set for this game vs. the 49ers and take care of business, remember, any team can beat you on a given day and always respect your opponent no matter what the record.