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Bucs close out preseason tonight (on WDAE)
Garcia will likely play
Thursday, August 28, 2008
Tonight on the Sports Animal the Buccaneers wrap up their preseason slate as they take on the Houston Texans at Reliant Stadium.
Air time is 5:30 p.m. and the kickoff will be shortly after 8 o'clock.
Quarterback Jeff Garcia may play, partly because his first outing of the preseason left him with an uneasy feeling.
Saturday night, the plan was for Garcia only to go a couple of series at the most. But his own poor play dictated the need for more action.
Such was the story Saturday as Jacksonville defeated Tampa Bay 23-17 at Raymond James Stadium. The game featured four Buc turnovers, two on Reggie Nelson interceptions of Garcia.
Tampa Bay fell to 2-1 on the preseason. After tonight's game the team has a couple of days to decide on who will be released; rosters must be pared from 75 down to 53 by Saturday afternoon.
"I made two very poor decisions tonight, which is very unlike me, and I think it shows that I haven’t practiced a lot and haven’t played at all," Garcia said. "Those are things I needed to get out of my system."
Head coach Jon Gruden's allowed Garcia, and likely himself, the chance to feel better about things by leaving Garcia on the field after Nelson's pick in the end zone ended Garcia's third drive. That decision paid off as Garcia did lead a touchdown drive, ending with a 10-yard catch by Michael Clayton, who earlier on the drive made a great grab.
It was a big drive for Clayton too as he had yet another drop end a previous march.
Tampa Bay trailed 23-10 but had a chance to win at the end. Luke McCown's 3-yard TD pass to Chad Lucas made it 23-17 with 3:43 left and McCown led a drive inside the 20-yard line before time ran out.
David Garrard threw a pair of touchdowns for Jacksonville as the Jags starters played into the third quarter.
Air time is 5:30 p.m. and the kickoff will be shortly after 8 o'clock.
Quarterback Jeff Garcia may play, partly because his first outing of the preseason left him with an uneasy feeling.
Saturday night, the plan was for Garcia only to go a couple of series at the most. But his own poor play dictated the need for more action.
Such was the story Saturday as Jacksonville defeated Tampa Bay 23-17 at Raymond James Stadium. The game featured four Buc turnovers, two on Reggie Nelson interceptions of Garcia.
Tampa Bay fell to 2-1 on the preseason. After tonight's game the team has a couple of days to decide on who will be released; rosters must be pared from 75 down to 53 by Saturday afternoon.
"I made two very poor decisions tonight, which is very unlike me, and I think it shows that I haven’t practiced a lot and haven’t played at all," Garcia said. "Those are things I needed to get out of my system."
Head coach Jon Gruden's allowed Garcia, and likely himself, the chance to feel better about things by leaving Garcia on the field after Nelson's pick in the end zone ended Garcia's third drive. That decision paid off as Garcia did lead a touchdown drive, ending with a 10-yard catch by Michael Clayton, who earlier on the drive made a great grab.
It was a big drive for Clayton too as he had yet another drop end a previous march.
Tampa Bay trailed 23-10 but had a chance to win at the end. Luke McCown's 3-yard TD pass to Chad Lucas made it 23-17 with 3:43 left and McCown led a drive inside the 20-yard line before time ran out.
David Garrard threw a pair of touchdowns for Jacksonville as the Jags starters played into the third quarter.
Jacksonville had a 10-0 lead thanks to an Earnest Graham homer and Garcia's being intercepted on the first play of the next drive.
Tampa Bay looked like it would tie the score at the half but Matt Bryant, who had already missed two field goals wide right in the preseason, pushed a 23-yarder right.
On defense the Bucs got a solid night from the line led by Gaines Adams. New guy Jimmy Wilkerson, playing some tackle as opposed to his normal end position, had his second sack after collecting all of one last year in Kansas City.
© 2008