Bucs’ season is in hands of Earnest Graham

By Chris Cluff  |   Wednesday, October 10, 2007  |  Comments( 0 )

Tampa Bay Buccaneers
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If the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are going to continue a promising start and reclaim the NFC South title they won in 2005, they're going to have to stop losing running backs every week.

Cadillac Williams was lost for the year in Week 4. Then Michael Pittman went down with a badly sprained ankle last Sunday and probably won't be back for two months.

And now it's down to Earnest Graham and rookie Kenneth Darby.

All certainly is not lost, as Graham was quick to point out when he seemingly tried to convince reporters that he is not chopped liver.

"I've been around here a long time. It's not like I'm a young guy," he said. "I've been out here on the practice field. I've played in the preseason. I think they know what I can do. They're pretty confident."

Indeed, Graham has played well when given the ball. This season, he has run for 147 yards on 36 carries, an average of 4.1 per tote, and has scored three times. His best game came in Tampa Bay's 24-3 win over St. Louis in Week 3, when Graham ran eight times for 75 yards and two touchdowns. The next week, in a 20-7 win over Carolina, he carried the ball 17 times for 48 yards and another score. So he certainly seems capable of carrying the load.

Behind him is Darby, an undrafted back out of Alabama who was signed after Williams was hurt in Week 4. Darby was in camp with the Bucs and didn't make it past the final cut.

The Bucs probably will rely most on Graham, but coach Jon Gruden indicated the rookie would get some carries as well.

"I feel like Earnest Graham's a very good football player," Gruden told reporters. "Ken Darby's gonna get an opportunity. Obviously for a young back at this stage of his career, it's a great challenge."

The Bucs are 3-2 and tied with Carolina atop the NFC South. But the Panthers are in disarray on offense and look poised to take a nosedive. Meanwhile, the Atlanta Falcons are 1-4 and the New Orleans Saints are 0-4. So it looks as if the division is in Tampa's hands.

And the Bucs are in the hands of Earnest Graham.
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About Chris Cluff

Chris Cluff spent 10 years as an editor and sportswriter for The Seattle Times. He was a key figure in the newspaper's coverage of the Seahawks, particularly during their Super Bowl run in 2005. He also has written two books on the Seahawks: "The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly: Heart-Pounding, ...
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