Bucs judging quarterback on wins, not stats

By Jeff Dickinson  |   Wednesday, October 01, 2008  |  Comments( 2 )

Tampa Bay Buccaneers
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In this day and age of instant gratification, most football fans want to be able to brag that their team’s quarterback is the Man. They want a QB who goes out every week and throws for 300-plus yards, multiple touchdowns, doesn't turn the ball over and comes out with a victory. That's not the case in Tampa Bay, which is succeeding with the unspectacular Brian Griese at the helm.

Commentary: Griese, whose quarterback rating is abysmal, has thrown more interceptions (six) than touchdowns (four) this year, but he's 3-0 as the starter.

His ability to win despite poor stats is why Griese unseated Pro Bowler Jeff Garcia, whom the Bucs benched after a Week 1 loss to the Saints. Dating back to the 2005 season, Griese is 7-1 in games he has started for the Bucs. Not bad.

Garcia supporters point to the fact that he led Tampa to the playoffs last season and tossed 13 TDs against just four interceptions in 13 games.

Statistically, Garcia is the better player than Griese. However, it's going to be difficult for Garcia to get the No. 1 job back if Griese keeps leading the Buccaneers to victories.

Fan Pulse: Is Griese the Brett Favre of Tampa? Some fans on Bucs forums have drawn that comparison because of Griese’s ability to hit the big plays while also taking more chances than he probably should.

Fantasy Football Impact: The only solid fantasy bets for the Bucs are running back Earnest Graham and their defense.

Injury Watch: The Bucs remain relatively healthy thus far in the season. Receiver Joey Galloway has a sprained foot, though, and is questionable for Sunday’s game with the Denver Broncos.
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About Jeff Dickinson

I have been writing and editing professionally for 18 years. I spent the first three years of my career as a sportswriter for a daily newspaper in Alabama and got to cover sports and get paid for it! It was great until I got married and then it wasn't too much fun being away from my wife every ...
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