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Roy Cummings, The Tampa Tribune, published 3 January 2005
For those seeking evidence of that bright future Jon Gruden talked of earlier this year, there was this: a short pass from second-year quarterback Chris Simms to rookie receiver Michael Clayton, who then ran about 70 yards, the last 10 as if he was trying to avoid falling off a tightrope, for a touchdown. Other than that, it was more of the same Sunday.
During a 12-7 season-ending loss to the Arizona Cardinals that typified their entire season, there was this for the Bucs: four turnovers, including a lost fumble by Michael Pittman (his sixth) at their own 14- yard line; four sacks, including one that knocked Tampa Bay out of field goal range; and eight penalties, including two that robbed Gruden of the confidence he needed to run the ball. The result was the Bucs' fourth straight setback, one that saddled them with their first 5-11 record since the Sam Wyche era. And if you think Simms and Clayton provided reason for optimism, think again.
Simms, who started ahead of an injured Brian Griese, bobbled four snaps from center Sean Mahan and failed to connect with several open receivers on potentially game- turning plays during the contest's waning minutes. Clayton, meanwhile, caught that 75-yard touchdown pass to become the fifth-most productive rookie receiver in NFL history, but also dropped a Simms pass while standing alone at the 35-yard line during the next-to-last series. ``That just kind of epitomized everything that's happened to us this year,'' Gruden said of Clayton's drop. ``The kid's got great hands. And he's had a great year. It's just unfortunate that play had to happen. It's stunning, really.''
So was this: backup running back Earnest Graham, running alone down the left sideline, yards beyond any defender with 5:19 to play and the game's outcome still undecided. Simms drew a bead on Graham ... and overthrew, the ball landing yards beyond the streaking target. ``I was flabbergasted by that,'' Gruden said. Simms will be haunted by it. ``That play is going to kill me all offseason,'' said Simms, who was making his second start of the season and first since he injured his left (throwing) shoulder during the Oct. 10 game at New Orleans. ``We'd called the perfect audible and everything. I just had somebody in my face and gave it too much.''
It wasn't the first time. During a game in which he completed just 16 of 32 throws for 224 yards, Simms overthrew several receivers and threw two interceptions. Gruden refused to place all the blame on Simms, though. Several of his passes were catchable but dropped, Gruden said. And Simms got very little help from an offensive line that seemed constantly befuddled by Arizona's defense. ``The blitz was coming from everywhere,'' Gruden said. ``It's a credit to [the Cardinals]. They blitzed every play from a different alignment. It was a hard game for a quarterback.''
Simms couldn't have agreed more. ``I don't think I could have had a more difficult defense to get a start against,'' he said. ``I mean, I made more throws today with a guy hitting me than I can remember.''
It's not like he had much choice. The Bucs' original game plan called for them to attack the Cardinals' 29th- ranked rushing defense by repeatedly running Pittman. But after watching Todd Steussie and Matt Stinchcomb jump ahead of the snap on two of his first four plays, Gruden lost confidence in the Bucs' ability to run the ball and scrapped the plan. The Cardinals countered with their array of blitzes and the result left Simms feeling so uneasy behind center that he wound up bobbling those four exchanges from Mahan. ``Whether they run me out of here or not, we will not allow that kind of play. Not here,'' Gruden said. ``That doesn't happen at the Chamberlain-Leto game and it's not going to happen here.''
Gruden made similar comments regarding some of the penalties that plagued the Bucs, in particular a 12-men- on-the-field call that allowed the Cardinals to continue a drive near the end of the half. After a Dwight Smith interception, another penalty cost the Bucs possession. But there was virtually nothing typical about the play, which started with defensive tackle Darnell Dockett intercepting a Simms pass at the Arizona 26. As he ran upfield, Dockett had his helmet ripped off by Bucs right tackle Kenyatta Walker. Undeterred, Dockett continued to run until Joe Jurevicius popped the ball loose. Pittman finally recovered the ball at the Bucs' 17, but as a result of Walker's penalty, Arizona retained control at the Tampa Bay 39.
Five plays later, Neil Rackers kicked a 45-yard field goal to give the Cardinals a 6-0 edge. The Bucs wiped that lead out with Clayton's touchdown catch and run, but two more Rackers field goals, including one that came as a result of Pittman's fumble, did them in. ``It's like we kept playing the same record over and over all year,'' Pittman said. ``We talked about it all year, cleaning things up, but it never happened. It was just the same story week after week.''
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