By Sascha Bartels
Published: August 24, 2007 PrintEmail
So, is there any room for an optimist? Part 1 of 2 - Sascha Bartels (ruuuuudiii)
I’ve been hearing it all spring and summer. My fellow Bucs fans saying that, at best, the team will go 8-8 this year. And those so called “experts”, well they’re not even that generous. And no mention of a playoffs shot from any of them. So, is there any room here for an optimist? No? Too bad, make room anyway!
What do I think of the Bucs’ chances this season? Well, I can see a 10 win team challenging for a playoff spot. Sure, I also see where the naysayers are coming from, and a 5 win season is certainly a possibility. Why the reason for such optimism? Well, I suppose I’ll try to explain that now.
The Bucs won the NFC South just 2 seasons ago, before losing to Washington’s two defensive touchdowns in the playoffs. Still, that was two seasons ago. So, what went wrong last year? For starters, injuries. Sure, many teams can claim the injury bug, but the Bucs had them in all the right places. Chris Simms went down in game three. Cadillac Williams was probably never at 100%. And the big men in front of him? Injuries to Davin Joseph, Dan Buenning, Anthony Davis and others kept the young line from gelling. And that’s just the offense. On defense, the team lost Brian Kelly, Simeon Rice and later Booger McFarland to Indy. The team also had a couple of glaring weak spots last season, one being the rookie quarterback, another being safety.
So, what’s different in 2007? For starters, the quarterback. Unfortunately, Chris Simms is still suffering from last year’s injuries, and he will likely not play this season. But instead of Bruce Gradkowski, the team acquired another #7, Jeff Garcia. Garcia seems like a perfect fit for a Jon Gruden designed offense, as he has plenty of mobility, a veteran presence, and very good accuracy. Sure, Gradkowski may have 2 of the 3, but certainly his lack of experience hurt the team last season. Then there’s Cadillac Williams, healthy and at 100% for the first time since his rookie season. And the offensive line, which added a veteran tackle in Luke Petitgout, should be coming into their own this season, featuring 2 second year players, and a third year player, to go with the veterans Petitgout and the center Wade. The addition of Garcia alone should help Williams find more holes in the running game, as teams will not be able to solely concentrate on the rushing attack.
What else is there to be optimistic about? How about the infusion of David Boston and Maurice Stovall to the passing game? How about the chance that a troubled tight end, who may just be the most talented in the league, has a chance to shine in a new atmosphere? Sure, there’ll be no Mike Alstott, but could that mean that Earnest Graham finally gets a shot at some serious playing time? I for one hope so.
Then there’s the defense, long the staple for success in Tampa Bay. First, Kelly is back, and he’s playing for a contract. Rice is not back, but in his place is the top defensive player of the draft, Gaines Adams. Also added to the defensive line is Kevin Carter, who has never missed a game due to injury in his career, and Ryan Sims, a project similar to Chris Hovan two years ago. While I don’t hold any pretensions that Sims will become a key player in Tampa, after many unproductive years in Kansas City, who knows? Cato June bolsters an already strong linebacker unit, and makes up for the loss of the retired Shelton Quarles. And then, there may be the most exciting addition to the defense. The possible return of John Lynch, in the form of one Sabby Piscitelli, a 2nd round draft pick out of Oregon State.
Then comes the schedule, and here is where the optimism may come to an end. The first 5 weeks feature roadies in Seattle, Carolina and Indianapolis, with home games against New Orleans and St. Louis. Seattle is certainly a beatable team, and with New Orleans and St. Louis at home, I believe those are winnable games. But, I’ll go ahead and give them a 2-3 record at this point of the season. The team follows that with 3 home games out of 4, before heading into the bye. Tennessee, Jacksonville and Arizona all travel to Raymond James, and all could be leaving Raymond James with losses. Sandwiched between those games is a trip to Detroit, and what could be an incredible offense. The Bucs should head into their bye week with a 5-4 record. After the bye week the team has three home games left, with 4 more on the road. Both Atlanta games are on this part of the schedule, and I believe the Bucs can sweep those handily. Also, home games against Washington and Carolina, both will be tough, but both should be wins, especially if the team is sniffing the playoffs by this point. There are also road games in New Orleans, a loss, Houston, a win, and San Francisco, a loss. That can put their record after the bye at 5-2, and for the season at 10-6, most likely enough to earn them a ticket to the playoffs.
So there you have it, an optimist’s view of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Stay tuned for the second part of this series, when I will tackle the chances of my adopted home team, the Detroit Lions.
The Bucs won the NFC South just 2 seasons ago, before losing to Washington’s two defensive touchdowns in the playoffs. Still, that was two seasons ago. So, what went wrong last year? For starters, injuries. Sure, many teams can claim the injury bug, but the Bucs had them in all the right places. Chris Simms went down in game three. Cadillac Williams was probably never at 100%. And the big men in front of him? Injuries to Davin Joseph, Dan Buenning, Anthony Davis and others kept the young line from gelling. And that’s just the offense. On defense, the team lost Brian Kelly, Simeon Rice and later Booger McFarland to Indy. The team also had a couple of glaring weak spots last season, one being the rookie quarterback, another being safety.
Then there’s the defense, long the staple for success in Tampa Bay. First, Kelly is back, and he’s playing for a contract. Rice is not back, but in his place is the top defensive player of the draft, Gaines Adams. Also added to the defensive line is Kevin Carter, who has never missed a game due to injury in his career, and Ryan Sims, a project similar to Chris Hovan two years ago. While I don’t hold any pretensions that Sims will become a key player in Tampa, after many unproductive years in Kansas City, who knows? Cato June bolsters an already strong linebacker unit, and makes up for the loss of the retired Shelton Quarles. And then, there may be the most exciting addition to the defense. The possible return of John Lynch, in the form of one Sabby Piscitelli, a 2nd round draft pick out of Oregon State.
