Tampa Bay catching teams at the right time

By Jeff Dickinson  |   Friday, October 24, 2008  |  Comments( 4 )

Tampa Bay Buccaneers
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Although they didn’t plan it this way, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are in the right place at the right time. Last week, for instance, the Bucs were aided by the absence of Seattle quarterback Matt Hasselbeck in a dominating win over the Seahawks.

This week, Tampa Bay gets another fortunate opportunity when the Bucs travel to Dallas to play the Tony Romo-less Cowboys. Without Romo last week against the St. Louis Rams, Dallas was humiliated in a 34-14 loss.

Commentary: Some people might say that the Buccaneers are lucky to be playing two straight games in which their opponents are without their starting quarterbacks. Luck might play a part in every football team’s success or failure, but Tampa Bay still has to play the game and execute.

While the Bucs’ job was made much easier against the Seahawks without Hasselbeck, quarterback Jeff Garcia still had to run the offense effectively. Garcia was much more than effective; he was phenomenal. Garcia completed 75 percent of his passes against Seattle and threw for 310 yards. Even with Hasselbeck, it’s a safe bet that Tampa Bay would have beaten the Seahawks.

Romo has been practicing on a limited basis for the Cowboys, but it is doubtful that he will play against the Bucs. Brad Johnson filled in for Romo against the Rams, but he had a dreadful afternoon. Johnson only completed 50 percent of his passes versus the Rams and threw three interceptions.

Fan Pulse: Fans are already beginning to talk about the playoffs. With 5-2 Tampa Bay tied for first place in the NFC South, fans are excited about the prospect of securing a playoff berth early. Although there is still a lot of football left to be played, the Bucs can take a big step toward a playoff spot with a win against the Cowboys.

Fantasy Impact: Warrick Dunn has been stealing fantasy points from Earnest Graham the past couple weeks. Graham has been filling in at fullback because of injuries, and Dunn has been up to the task. Dunn is nursing several injuries this week, but is expected to play. It’s a safe bet to start Graham because he will be the go-to back in scoring situations.

Injury Report: This should finally be the week that the Bucs get wide receiver Joey Galloway back. Antonio Bryant has stepped up and will be Tampa Bay’s No. 1 receiver, but Galloway will be ready to make a big contribution. Running back Cadillac Williams has been practicing on a limited basis this week and is expected back this season, possibly within the next two weeks.


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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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