Simms Steps Out Quarterback Has His Day To Dream Joey Johnston, The Tampa Tribune, published 14 November 2005 The moment finally arrived. The moment of dreams for Chris Simms. The time when teammates looked around a huddle, searching for direction. The impossible highlight-reel touchdown drive he watched as a kid, usually in slow motion, with the dramatic blare of trumpets. The moment when everyone searched for the quarterback's eyes -- his eyes -- and saw a laser-beam focus. Winning a game. Somehow. Some way. Simms would not declare that he had finally arrived Sunday night, even after the heart-pounding exhilaration of the Bucs' 36-35 victory against the Washington Redskins at Raymond James Stadium. It was a step forward. Make that a giant step. Statistics tell the tale -- 15 of 29 passing for 279 yards and three touchdowns, including the superbly thrown 30-yard slant-and-go to Edell Shepherd with 58 seconds remaining, the second time Simms had resolutely brought Tampa Bay back from a seven-point deficit. Then there's the back story. Simms wasn't sacked. He stood tall in the pocket, making great decisions, finding the openings instead of forcing his hand. He was unruffled. In his fifth NFL start, he looked the part. "When all else fails, they expect the quarterback to make the play to put them over the top," Simms said. "It's something I've always wanted to do. I'm not going to say I've arrived. Last week [after a 34-14 loss to Carolina], I was the worst player in town. The truth probably lies somewhere in between. And I'm completely aware of that." A Defining Drive? You might say Sunday's moment was a lifetime in the making for Simms. Despite his prodigious prep career, despite his high-profile status at the University of Texas, Simms never had led a successful two-minute, game-winning drive. Never. We've all seen that other play, dozens and dozens of times. Texas-Oklahoma, 2001. "I remember running on the field that day, being so excited," Simms said. "We had like two minutes, five seconds left. We're on the 2-yard line, down 7-3. I remember thinking, 'Man, how great is this going to be? Going 98 yards to beat Oklahoma.' he first play, I'm throwing a hitch to [Longhorns wide receiver] Roy Williams. I get hit by a guy I never even saw." The ball popped loose, into the arms of an Oklahoma defender. Touchdown. Simms, stunned, just stood there. In some ways, it's the only thing people remember about Chris Simms. Fair or not, he was The Guy Who Couldn't Get It Done. Until Sunday night. "Tom Brady and Peyton Manning are who they are because of their fourth-quarter comebacks," Simms said. "Pretty much, I was wondering when this would ever come [for me]. As an athlete, you're always confident you can get it done, but you want it [two-minute comeback] to happen so you can get it off your back. We were right in the thick and thin of it today." Then Simms smiled. "It was great!" And for Simms' teammates, it was a great thing to see. "This is a big deal for Chris, something he can always draw upon," Bucs cornerback Ronde Barber said. "It was kind of necessary for him to have a game like this. It wasn't just him. The offensive line really stepped up. It didn't look like he was scrambling away from sacks or making pressure throws." Regardless of how many people wanted to tear him down the last couple of weeks, he has stayed calm," Bucs wide receiver Ike Hilliard said. "What can you say about him?" Simms wants to hear one thing. He's an NFL quarterback. A real one. "Compared to two weeks ago in San Francisco [a 15-10 loss in his first start this season], this was leaps and bounds," Simms said. "I don't even feel like that same player out there any more." Teammates are viewing him differently, too. Simeon Rice and Derrick Brooks kept encouraging Simms. Chris Hovan yelled from the sideline: "You're on fire!" Still, it came down to some guts by Jon Gruden, a 2-point conversion to win it. At first, offensive assistant Kyle Shanahan was joking with Simms, suggesting the Bucs would go for 2 after the Shepherd TD. Then came some Washington penalties, one that negated an apparent blocked PAT ("My heart was up in my throat," Simms said) and put the ball at the 1-yard line. Suddenly, it wasn't a joke any longer. "I was thinking overtime," Simms said. "Then I saw the offense running on the field. I figured I better get out there." Where he belonged. In the middle of it all. As a leader, a winner. He felt it in his heart. You saw it in his eyes. The moment had finally arrived.