Garcia’s poise helps lead Bucs past Kansas City

By Jeff Dickinson  |   Monday, November 03, 2008  |  Comments( 1 )

Tampa Bay Buccaneers
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This was one of those games that can sneak up and bite a good team. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers weren’t supposed to have any trouble against the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday.

After all, the Chiefs have been one of the worst teams in the NFL this season and have struggled to mount any offensive success. The Bucs, meanwhile, have been playing solidly since Jeff Garcia replaced Brian Griese in the starting lineup four games ago.

Someone forgot to tell the Chiefs that they had no chance of beating Tampa Bay, though. The Chiefs jumped out to a 24-3 lead, only to watch the Bucs outscore them 27-3 and win in overtime.

Commentary: This was a game that Tampa Bay won for one main reason – the solid play of Garcia. After falling behind by 21 points late in the second quarter, Garcia was spectacular in leading the Bucs to the comeback win.

Garcia finished the game completing 72 percent of his 43 passes for 339 yards and a touchdown. He remained poised despite his team trailing by such a large margin to a club it should have been able to handle.

With the win, Tampa Bay kept pace with the Carolina Panthers in the NFC South. The Bucs trail the Panthers by a half-game in the division.

Fan Pulse: Some fans found the silver lining in the comeback win over the Chiefs. Instead of sulking at the fact that the Bucs let an inferior team like the Chiefs jump out to a big lead, most fans seemed glad that Tampa Bay was able to stage such a furious comeback.

Fantasy Impact: Garcia has emerged as a solid fantasy option at the quarterback position. He won’t throw for three touchdowns and post huge fantasy numbers, but he will have a high completion percentage and throw for 250 to 300 yards on a consistent basis. Earnest Graham failed to reach the end zone on the ground against the Chiefs, but he did throw a touchdown pass. Wideout Antonio Bryant continues to be the team’s best fantasy receiving option. He had 115 yards and a touchdown against the Chiefs.

Injury Report: Warrick Dunn missed the Kansas City game because of a sore back, but he's expected back Nov. 16 against Minnesota.
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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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