Lack Of Offense In Opener Was Like A Cold Blast From The Past Martin Fennelly, The Tampa Tribune, published 13 September 2004 Hello again. It took them 23 minutes to make a first down. We still don't know how long it took to make a touchdown, because they still haven't made one. The season of dread has begun. Back to the future. Isn't Mike Shula at Alabama? Stop us if you've heard this one, but right now the Bucs defense has a better offense than the Bucs offense. Bucs cornerback Ronde Barber ran 9 yards with a fumble for a touchdown, 2 yards farther than the longest one the offense broke off. Just like old times. The ghost of Christensen past. The aged, ever-changing unit Jon Gruden has Stonehenged into place, one we worried about, one that never scored in the preseason, kept its streak alive in a 16-10 loss to the Washington Redskins, who welcomed Coach Joe Gibbs back after 12 years. Jonny Neutron might take that long to watch this game film. ``Not the way you wanted to start out,'' Brad Johnson said. Yes, it's only one game. But there was nothing Sunday. No running, no blocking, no rhythm, no speed, no pulse, no promise - and no points. It marked the first time a Gruden-Johnson offense hadn't scored a touchdown in a game. The biggest noise it made was the sound of Joey Galloway's groin twanging as he dropped a touchdown pass. The 32-year-old Galloway is expected back by the 2014 season. Think Keenan was watching? All the things you worried about were worth the worry. The lack of a running game, of downfield passing, of third-and- shorts, of a line to make holes for runners and plug them for quarterbacks. Throw in an ill-advised Johnson pass, circa late 2003, that was intercepted and led to the winning field goal. What's not to worry about? We knew the Bucs would miss Warren Sapp. But on offense? Here's all you need to know. The Redskins had Clinton Portis. The Bucs had Charlie Garner. Portis, in his first game as a Redskin, on his first run, went 64 yards to the end zone. The 32-year-old Garner lost a yard on his first carry. He finished with 25 yards and his chair neatly folded in his locker, no sign of him, when media arrived. The shape of things to come? It hasn't helped this offense that its senior members didn't huddle up much in the preseason. Injuries and what not. Or maybe Gruden wanted to keep things under wraps. He should have left them there. Tim Brown, 40, dropped back for a punt return at one point. Repeating: Tim Brown, 40. The Bucs have 12 starters over the age of 30, eight on offense. They need playmakers. Instead, they have pacemakers. Gibbs, fresh from NASCAR, still knows how to kick the tires on a lemon. The Redskins employed all blitzes known to man, and Bucs men couldn't stop them when it mattered. Did they pick up the safety all day? Washington also set a North American record for playing corners closest to the line. A few more inches and they would have needed Bucs uniforms. This offense doesn't scare a soul. Rookie Michael Clayton was encouraging, but you can't build around a possession receiver. No matter what Keyshawn said. Yes, it felt like bad old fashioned Dungy ball, when a 3-point hole was a deep, dark mine shaft. The Bucs managed 10 yards in the first quarter and 169 all day, their worst showing under Gruden. It included 90 feet of rushing. On their last chance, with the game still within reach, Johnson was sacked on consecutive downs. Also on the game's final play. Perfect. Understand the gravity of this situation: Chris Foerster's offense outscored Gruden's on Sunday. ``We've got a long way to go,'' Gruden said. ``We've got to find some rhythm and identity on offense.'' What if they already have? All of this leads back to the defense. It allowed Portis 148 yards, pointing to another preseason worry, namely how to stop the run? Even so, the defense settled down and made a match of it. And they had to. Funny. We thought those days were over. They might be just beginning. Again. This offense will improve. Gruden took a once motley crew to and through San Diego two seasons ago. But this is worse. Gruden will be hard pressed to mix and match this bunch into any sort of contention. It's just one game, but there are ones like it in the the Bucs' future, if you can call it that. Feels more a blast from the past. A cold one.