Grading Tampa Bay’s offense at the midseason point

By Jeff Dickinson  |   Thursday, November 06, 2008  |  Comments( 0 )

Tampa Bay Buccaneers
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As the Tampa Bay Buccaneers enjoy their bye week, it's time to reflect on their first half of the season and see how the different aspects of the team have performed thus far.

The Bucs are sitting at 6-3, trailing NFC South Division leader Carolina by only a half-game. Where does Tampa Bay need to improve to make a strong playoff run the rest of the season? Look no further than one place – the offense.

Commentary: Here is how the Bucs stack up on offense so far this season:

Quarterback: B. They have gone from Jeff Garcia to Brian Griese and now back to Garcia, but the quarterback play has been solid. Garcia is completing almost 69 percent of his passes and only has three interceptions.

Running backs: C-plus. Earnest Graham is only averaging 62.2 yards per game and has just four touchdowns. Warrick Dunn has been solid, but he isn’t an every-down type of back anymore.

Wide receivers: C-minus. Antonio Bryant has been a pleasant surprise for Tampa Bay, but the Bucs have had little else at the position to brag about. Bryant leads the Bucs with 566 receiving yards, but he only has two touchdowns. Ike Hilliard has three scores but just 281 yards.

Red-zone scoring: F. In 35 trips inside their opponents’ 20-yard line, the Bucs have netted just 12 touchdowns. That is a pathetic touchdown percentage and is one that will have to improve over the second half of the season.

Fan Pulse: Although the team is 6-3, fans aren't overly confident about the offense over the last half of the season. Progression inside the red zone and fewer turnovers are necessary in order for the Bucs to make a playoff plush.

Fantasy Impact: Garcia and Bryant have become the go-to fantasy players for Tampa Bay. Graham has been inconsistent and hasn’t been worthy of a start every week. If Cadillac Williams comes back, look for there to be further fantasy confusion at running back with a trio of guys vying for carries.

Injury Report: There is an increasing change that Williams will be activated after the bye week. He is participating in practice drills and must either be activated or placed on the physically unable to perform list.
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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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