2007-10-28

Gameday: Jags @ Bucs

Sticks game preview can be found here.

I like the Bucs in this game for the same reason as the rest of America, Garrad is injured and the Jags are starting a former PRACTICE SQUAD RECEIVER in Garrad's place. It doesn't help Quinn Gray that this is his first start at quarterback ever.

In response to Garrad's absence I'm sure the Jags will pound the rock even more so than usual which means we will see plenty of Fred Taylor and possibly injured Maurice Jones-Drew. The key for the Bucs will be their ability to stop the run.

Reason #195 the NFL is Retarded
There is only one early game on in the Tampa Bay area....the sure-fire blowout Giants game. I am in Tampa Bay this weekend for the Bucs game which means no Sunday Ticket for me. To be fair I have no idea if the NFL is to blame, more likely than not the TV networks are to blame. But the NFL makes a much more convenient target for my wrath, so screw you Roger Goodall.

JAGS 24, BUCS 23
Close does not begin to describe how today's game played out. The Bucs had multiple opportunties to win the game but failed to take advantage of those opportunities. This was a game which came down to a few plays which could have gone either way.

POSITIVES
+ Ronde Barber had a few big plays including a 4th down tackle behind the line
+ Old Man Galloway bouncing back w/ 115 yards and a TD
+ Bryant has been quietly reliable w/ 3 field goals in this game
+ BJ Askew catching the ball, shades of the A-Train when he caught the ball
+ Ruud who came up strong against a Jags team which consistently pounded the rock
+ safeties Jackson and Phillips who did an excellent job of plugging holes in running lanes
+ was that a Maurice Stovall sighting? 5 catches for 47 yards plus a blocked punt
+ Jeff Garcia running the ball in the 1st quarter, which was the Bucs ONLY offense

NEGATIVES
- Jeff Garcia throwing the ball, yes he had 267 yards and a TD but he also had 3 INTs and under threw Hilliard (?) on the last drive for what would have been a first down
- Garcia again for his first INT for a TD, swear to God I called Galloway for a hook before the play which goes to show you there is a certain amount of predicatability there
- Galloway returning punts, he let a punt go over his head in the 4th which cost the Bucs at least 30 yards
- officiating, I normally hate to single out the refs but they missed some calls including a spearing against Garcia

2 comments:

T.K. said...

*sighs* Another loss that should have been a win that could kill us in a tight playoff race come the end of the season.

Jeff Garcia & Monte Kiffin get the blame for this one. The first Garcia INT that got taken back for a TD was the ultimate difference in the game, and even though it was his first INT it was a really bad one because the route was so telegraphed you might as well have shown the call to the Jags D using a big placard. Of course, it might not have been the difference if Monte hadn't waited almost a quarter and a half to start stacking the box, because then the Jags wouldn't have gotten those early two scores. C'mon, Monte... the Jags have no WRs and were starting a de-facto third-string QB. What were you thinking?

All we can do is look to next week. The Cardinals are another winnable game, and it would do us good to go into the bye off of a win rather than a 4-game losing streak.

Ski said...

it could always be worse, just look at what the pats did to the skins. i am absolutly enjoying the angst up here in northern virginia right now.

on the bright side the bucs have finished off the difficult part of their schedule and for the next 8 weeks play only two teams with winning records (skins and panthers). it is troubling that the bucs have beaten only two teams with winning records and were shredded by the colts, but the bucs are in the drivers seat for the division.