Bucs-Ravens

We'll post observations here during the game. We welcome your comments. Please leave your name and hometown.

FIRST QUARTER

• Shelton Quarles is inactive for today's game. Barrett Ruud starts at middle linebacker. Let's keep an eye on him.



• Ravens RB Jamal Lewis, photo at left, looks like a load again.
• On third down in red zone, Ravens are beneficiaries of tight pass interference call on Ronde Barber.

7-0, Ravens. Just like that, Baltimore marches 80 yards on the opening possession.

• The Bucs offense goes short run, dropped pass, completion for no gain, punt.
• Steve McNair is part of two fumbles and Ravens lose 20 yards.
• Even with the referees wearing their new jerseys, a drive-altering holding call still looks ugly.

14-0, Ravens. Chris McAllister intercepts Chris Simms and returns 60 yards for a touchdown. The CBS analyst Rich Gannon (who knows something about interceptions) criticizes Simms for not seeing McAllister.

SECOND QUARTER

• Three possessions for Bucs, three dropped passes: Mike Alstott, Joey Galloway, Anthony Becht.
• Bucs lose first challenge of season.
• Subtle play by Baltimore punt returner B.J. Sams. It looks like Josh Bidwell's punt might be killed inside the Baltimore 5-yard line, but Sams blocks the Bucs' cover man and the punt dribbles into the end zone. Touchback.
• Other scores of note: Bills 17, Patriots 7 . . . Rams 9, Broncos 0 . . . Falcons 6, Panthers 3 . . . Saints 9, Browns 0 (Reggie Bush has 40 yards on seven carries).
• Back to the game . . . Simms' first completion to a wide receiver is followed by Simms' first ball batted down down by a defensive lineman.
• Since that opening Baltimore drive, the Bucs defense has forced four consecutive punts, three straight possessions without a first down. The Bucs have good field position just before the half but . . .



• Simms' second batted ball is a killer. Haloti Ngata, photo at right, all 340 pounds of him, intercepts and returns 60 yards to the Bucs' 9-yard line.

17-0, Ravens. Field goal means 10 free points for Baltimore.

Halftime. Listen to the boos.

Scores around league: Bills 17, Pats 7 . . . Bengals 17, Chiefs 3 . . . Jets 13, Titans 0 (Vince Young is 3-of-4 but throws an interception) . . . Saints 9, Browns 0 (Reggie Bush has 10 carries, 51 yards) . . . Falcons 13, Panthers 3 (Keyshawn Johnson has one catch for 8 yards).

THIRD QUARTER

• Bucs have 62 yards of offense, three first downs, two turnovers.
• To start second half, Ravens LB Bart Scott crushes Cadillac Williams for a 4-yard loss, then sacks Simms for an 11-yard loss. Rich Gannon says Bucs' patchwork offensive line (minus Davin Joseph and Dan Buenning) is having a bad day.

20-0, Ravens. Short field for Ravens offense.

• Three batted balls for Simms.
• Something to cheer about: Alstott takes a pass in the flat, slips a defender for a first down; Simms finds Michael Clayton for 27 yards; Alex Smith turns a checkoff pass into an 18-yard gain.
• Hit of the day: Ray Lewis pancakes Pittman on an incomplete pass.
• Game over? The Bucs turn the ball over on downs inside the Ravens' 10-yard line.

FOURTH QUARTER

27-0, Ravens. After Simms' third interception, Steve McNair throws his first TD pass.

• The white towel is thrown. Bruce Gradkowski is playing quarterback for Tampa Bay.

POSTSCRIPT

• Here are some numbers:
  Chris Simms: 17-of-29, 133 yards, three interceptions
  Cadillac Williams: 8 carries, 22 yards
  Joey Galloway: zero

• As openers go, this ties for second-worst loss.
  1996: Packers 34, Bucs 3
  1988: Eagles 41, Bucs 14
  2006: Ravens 27, Bucs 0
  1993: Chiefs 27, Bucs 3
  1986: 49ers 31, Bucs 7
  1998: Vikings 31, Bucs 7

• This was the third shutout loss on opening day. The others:
  1976: Oilers 20, Bucs 0
  1983: Lions 11, Bucs 0

Comments

[mike maharrey]

Watching the first half, i'm starting to think the pessimist were right. This team cannot move the football.

[Jay Are]

horrible....they should be ashamed to make that much money and play like that.....

[Derek]

Where was Cadillac in the second half??? Last years opener he ran something like 25 times and today he only ran 8! Gruden got away from the run way too early!

[Dan Bead]

TO JON GRUDEN:

I run a JV team....can I play the Bucs ? I need to establish some team confidence.
RSVP

[Alex]

Bucs are a good team with good coach with bad general manager (gruden is actually general manager with a proxy GM). Bucs hire new general manager. Sooner the better.

Let me tell you people some truth. I always tracked galloway games because he used to give lots of fantasy points when he plays weak defense/CB. He is a choker. Cadillac is inconsistent because of Gruden. You have to put players in best possible position to succed. That is coach's job. Gruden more worried about his General Manager duties and he forget to how to coach.

Bucs will be average team as long as gruden is coach and GM. BUCS need strong willed GM who makes his own decision. Until then enjoy gruden's old oakland raider team in bucs.

it may not be stretch to say that Gruden may not have won the superbowl without the players dungy assembled and discipline he taught.

[Greg]

Chris Simms just isn't cutting the mustard. Bucs need a new quarterback. Don't give this guy 2 more years. He ain't worth is weight in salt.

[Harold Russell]

This shows that not playing your projected starters in pre-season was just wrong. Simms, Galloway, Cadillac, & Clayton all looked rusty and out of sync. And the Raven's first drive showed a defense that was not ready as well.

[Alex]

It does n't matter who you play or what ever the form the players in , it is not easy to play raven defense with ray lewis

What bothers me is Bucs are trounced in their own stadium. That is not a good sign for this year.

I say time to fire gruden or Hire a strong GM. This year is another lost cause for bucs fans. Gruden still a good coach if he has given good players.

Football is about match up and talent.

[Stan Shepherd]

Today the Bucs looked like a high-school team playing a college team, and, as I said last year, Simms is not cut out to be the Quarterback, so Gruden would be better training Gradkowski for that job, and also a better job of blocking and tackleing for the rest of the team, it looks like we are going to have a VERY long year, hopefully they will improve soon, but I doubt it!

[Jim]

We have a great Coach, just ask HIM!! DON'T USE THE SHOTGUN! Let's see, all of last year's playoff teams do, but Gruden knows better!! Don't use Alstott and what ever you do, don't have the Quarterback in a shotgun with Cadillac and Alstott in the backfield! That may give time for the Quarterback and put some doubt to the defense! Just another no offense!

[Alex]

I will declare now itself that Gruden will win Superbowl with another team than with bucs again. Why?

Simple. His priority is different. He won the superbowl with dungy team. he is trying to validate himself by winning with his own team from scratch. Unfortunately he can't do it. He did n't knack for building team because he is not a guy with discipline. Gruden is more of brain guy. He likes to stratgize and compete. At present he is not doing good coaching job because he is more worried about personal.His mind is occupied with too many things.

He will immediately win superbowl with another team if bucs fire gruden. Gruden is not a leader and he can't build team but he is a one clever guy who can win game with strategy.

I really think it is time for bucs to trade or fire gruden somewhere and get some draft picks as gruden becoems stagnant with bucs.

[Buck an ear]

Well,
They have shown that they CAN go back to the old ways. Coach Gruden can say what he wants and so can Allen, Resting the players in the pre-season was just plain stupid. You play to win no matter what. I waited all year just to see this??? I can say that if they do not get the kinks out, this season is going to be a failure all the way thru and it is going to be a very, very long year.
To the Coach and the Players - Do Not pass the buck, Buckle up, Hunker down and play the game that you are making the big bucks for, if not, go play somewhere else. Tampa Bay is tired of the EXCUSES.

[Hank]

Outstanding -- an opportunity to be the only voice of disagremeent! My opinion -- people are too quick to make judgments based on one game. I recall this time last year few people expected the Bucs to even have a winning season, yet they made the playoffs. Credit for that? Gruden (sorry). Gruden is neither as good as he was touted coming in, nor as bad as people thought he was beginning of last year, nor as bad as the comments on this thread would imply. He's much better than average, still young and still learning. Stick with him.

As for this game: Piss poor, yes. But not one person on this thread mentioned the absence of Beunning and Joseph. Hello? Obvious challenge to have to overcome. We get those two back then we start running the ball better and give Simms more time to pass. Then, you eliminate 1 or 2 of Simms' interceptions and we win this game. The difference between this horrid performance and winning the game is a very fine line, the score notwithstanding.

Hey, the defense allowed only 2 long drives _the_entire_game. That's not good news?

[Senor]

I think the Bucs need to work on scoring. If you don't score any points the best you can do is a tie.

[Alex]

Looking for silverline in the game is the way people who looks to find excuses for everything.

The problem with bus is Gruden management of the team not his coaching. I still think he is a smart coach but his ego kills bucs team.

Bucs may still win many games and you all will go nutz. I reall do not think Bucs has "stuff" to be a good team.

I say it is the year Bucs has to fire GM allen and hire Strong GM. That will push gruden to pure coaching or he will want to leave. Either way it is better for bucs if they can get few draft picks by trading gruden.

[Mike T]

Whereas I am with everyone else who is extremely disappointed with today's performance, I don't know why people are blasting Gruden for shying away from the run. When you fall into a hole like they did, you become a one-dimensional ball club, and it is very difficult to rebound. That being said, that is why it is important for this team to establish momentum early. Today was an all-around poor performance. From dropped passes, to poor line play, to poor quarterback play. The defense had some bright spots, but overall, a very listless effort. Good news is, they can only go up from here.

[Tampa Caddy]

From a defensive perspective the defense was pretty stout. We only allowed 2 long drives and gave the offense plenty of opportunity to make plays. My problem is with Chris Simms and the lack of production out of our receiving corp. Chris Simms needs to become more of a leader and improve his abilty to read and improvise on plays to succeed in this league. I hope it still a learning curve but this team does not have that kind of time. Not every play is going to execute like its planned. Most importantly those people that want to hate on Gruden are nuts. Without Grudens offense that he put in place this team would have never won the Superbowl. Winning in this league is very hard so a win is a win nomatter how you get it. The bottom line is until we get an offensive line in place that is strong and somewhat consistant this offence will not start open up or dominate. You do not know how almost impossible it is to win without a consistant off line and Gruden has done nothing but put a competetive team on the field. Winning the division last year when everybody(including you)doubted even a .500 record. I think we are headed in the right track. Just look around the league today. The So called SuperBowl pic Carolina got stomped at home and Seattle about lost and they played for the Superbowl didn't they? Go Bucs!

[Kyle Kruger]

The display today was absolutely appalling. I have a been a fan since the team's inception, and today was the first time I considered renouncing my fandom.Then I realized that it's not the team fault...it's the coach's.

This was the most poorly planned game I have ever witnessed. Gruden's over-inflated ego is evident in his play calling. He is so hell bent at seeing that his complicated system is executed, that he fails to utilize the team's talent to it's fullest potential. Where was the running game? Why the myriad of passing in the redzone?

That being said,I am not a fan of Chris Simms. His lack of vision, periferal or otherwise, is in dire need of re-tooling and while he has a major league arm, he doesnt seem to possess the kind of game it takes to win consistently in this league. But even with my disdain for Simms, Gruden pulling him in favor of Gradkowski was downright foolish. I believe that this move alone, will cost the Bucs their season, because Simms' leadership and abilities have been undermined and I question the faith his teammates will have in him going forward.

First Johnson, then Griese and now Simms. Gruden is looking for something that doesnt exist, because his system is mired by his own ego-driven agenda.

After today I am completely convinced, that the Buc's Super Bowl Championship had everything to do with Coach Dungy and very little to do with Gruden. It's time to cut bait...

[Rob]

What kinda game plan was chucky trying to employ against the Ravens with a patchwork O-Line? Pass the Ball? What happened to "POUND THE ROCK"! I'm gonna pop a blood vessel if I hear Simms & Gruden say one more time that batted balls are unavoidable. C'mon...Kyle Boller doesn't even have his balls batted to D-lineman for near touchdowns. Nice effort guys on running down that 400lb nose tackle! THE EFFORT SUCKED...THAT BLASTING THEY GOT WAS WELL DESERVED FROM THE LACK OF EFFORT THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE ORGANIZATION.

[joseph]

love to see you buc fans pooping in your pants. Gruden is a good Off coord, not a head coach. he put thogether a good game plan to beat the eagles to get to the supe, has done nothing since. Sticking with simms was a joke, he cant play, has no guts and is not a winner. just like texas. By the time Gruden gets the O figured out, the D will be too old. this team is going nowhere slowly.