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Roy Cummings, The Tampa Tribune, published 24 November 2008
Jeff Garcia took a beating Sunday. He was sacked six times and he lost two fumbles, including one that helped the Lions build their 17-point first-quarter lead. Without Garcia, though, the Bucs probably don't beat back the Lions and win this game. Though he admits he was sloppy at times, there were also times when Garcia was as precise as a hand-crafted timepiece.
He finished the game with a 137.5 passer rating that was largely a result of the fact he completed 13 of 18 passes for 165 yards and two touchdowns and was not picked off. His biggest plays came in the second quarter, when he solved the Bucs' red zone problems by making sure they scored before they got there. With pressure in his face on both plays, Garcia found Ike Hilliard 36 yards downfield for one score and Jerramy Stevens 24 yards downfield for another that proved to be the game-winner.
UNSUNG HERO
The football world didn't take much notice of the Bucs' decision to sign free-agent DL Jimmy Wilkerson last spring. You can bet the football world is taking notice now. Though he's still a part-time player, Wilkerson has become more and more noticeable the past few weeks. He was especially noticeable Sunday, when he twice broke through the Lions' line to sack QB Daunte Culpepper.
Wilkerson's second sack was arguably his best. It came just as the Bucs were beginning their comeback and forced the Lions to punt the ball away after taking it at their own 40. If Wilkerson, who got to Culpepper for pressures two other times, doesn't prevent Culpepper from making a play there, the Bucs might never have rallied to win this game.
KEY DECISION
Their hand was forced a little bit but the Bucs made the right call in dressing RB Cadillac Williams for this game. Williams had reached the point where he needed to test his knee against an angry group of tacklers and this game allowed him to do that while not jeopardizing the Bucs' chances of winning. Throwing Williams out there for the first time against New Orleans, Carolina or Atlanta would have been a bit risky because Williams was understandably nervous about his return and it showed.
He was hesitant and out of place on some plays, but his mistakes didn't keep the Bucs from beating a team they were supposed to beat. It will be a while before Williams gets back into high gear again, but this game gave him a chance to regain a feel for live action and to build some confidence. He and the Bucs may need that in the coming weeks.
QUIRKY PLAY
We have to go with that Garcia fumble in the first quarter, the one that came as a result of Garcia and Williams colliding in the backfield. Neither player was really sure who ran into whom on that play, but the end result had Lions S Daniel Bullocks picking up the loose ball and running 44 yards with if for a touchdown.
The play was the first for Williams since he tore his patellar tendon in a Week 4 game against Carolina last season and he didn't lose sight of that fact as he walked back to the sideline afterward. "I came to the sideline and said, 'What a way to start,'" Williams said. "Thank God we overcame it. That's a mistake that won't happen again."
CRUNCHING THE NUMBERS
The 38 points scored by the Bucs matched the most for a Bucs team in a road game. ... The victory evened the Bucs' road record at 3-3. ... The 17-point deficit that the Bucs overcame tied for the second largest ever erased by the Bucs in a victory. The largest deficit ever erased in a victory is 21 points. They did that at Kansas City earlier this season. ... CB Ronde Barber has 11 career regular-season touchdowns on fumble/interception returns, the most among active players and third most in NFL history. This was his sixth career multi-interception game, with the last time occurring vs. Philadelphia (10/22/06), both of which were returned for touchdowns. ... Wilkerson has four sacks, including three in the past two weeks.
INJURY UPDATE
WR Antonio Bryant hurt his ankle early in the second quarter but returned. The Bucs appeared to come out of this game without any serious injury problems. After losing two players for the season in last week's victory over Minnesota, that would be a welcomed scenario.
OUR TAKE
You can't just look at the bottom line here. Sure, the Bucs won and that's what matters, but there's a higher goal here and this game left you wondering if the Bucs are good enough to achieve that. They were very sloppy at times on both sides of the ball and sooner or later someone is going to make them pay.
These Bucs are a very resilient bunch and they've got a real weapon in their new return man but they're about to embark on a three-game stretch against three very good teams, all of which are in their division. The Bucs are good enough to win every one of those games and run away with the division title but they won't if they don't clean up a few areas and stop giving opponents opportunities to beat them.
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