QB Griese questionable for Bucs’ finale

By Hugo Guzman  |   Thursday, January 20, 2005  |  Comments( 0 )

Tampa Bay Buccaneers
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Tampa Bay quarterback Brian Griese sat out practice Dec. 29 with a sprained right foot and is questionable for the Buccaneers' season finale against the Arizona Cardinals.

If Griese can't play Jan. 2, Chris Simms will make his second pro start.

"I'm feeling better," Griese said. "I still have a ways to go. The biggest thing is my foot. I sprained the ligaments in the bottom of my foot and it's hard for me to plant right now. But the rest of my body feels pretty good."

Coach Jon Gruden said Dec. 27 that the seventh-year pro had a strained right hip. But Griese said that injury is a month-old and shouldn't keep him out of the finale. The foot could be another matter.

"Each day it keeps getting better; hopefully, it will continue to do that," Griese said. "But I've never had this injury and I don't really know how fast it's going to come back."

Simms practiced with the first offense and is eager to get back on the field. He became the starter after Brad Johnson led the Bucs (5-10) to an 0-4 record, but injured his throwing shoulder early in his first start against New Orleans on Oct. 10.

The Bucs were eliminated from playoff contention last week, however Gruden said Griese has earned the right to finish the season if he's healthy. He added that he has no intentions of playing Simms just because the game doesn't have postseason implications.

"He's going to get what he deserves, OK? He's not going to get any charity appearances because this game is the final game or it doesn't matter. We're going to continue to try to get Brian Griese ready to be great, and when Chris Simms earns the opportunity, he'll play, whether it be because of injury or performance," Gruden said.

Griese has completed 69.3 percent of his passes for 2,632 yards and 20 touchdowns in 11 games. But he's also thrown 11 of his 12 interceptions in the past seven games, including three that were returned for TDs.

Simms made his pro debut in relief of Johnson during a 10-6 loss to Seattle on Sept. 19. He made his first start three weeks later, going 5 of 8 for 68 yards before being injured at New Orleans.

The son of former New York Giants star Phil Simms was inactive for the next four games and has not thrown a pass in a game since being injured.

Simms said he can understand why Gruden might be reluctant to bench Griese because the starter has played well and has not done anything to lose the job.

"It would be great for me, just to get out there again and get that experience. I really haven't played a full game yet, maybe two quarters or three quarters if you add it all up. Like I said, it's whatever coach decides. I'll be ready," Simms said.
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About Hugo Guzman

Co-founder of RealFootball365.com. Born in Argentina, of Dominican descent, living in Hoboken, but from Miami through and ...
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