Gruden backs Griese despite interceptions

Jon Gruden backed quarterback Brian Griese while acknowledging that he has to cut down on his turnovers during Gruden's news conference Monday at One Buc Place.

Griese had a 36.0 quarterback rating after completing 15 of 30 passes for 149 yards and three interceptions during Sunday's 30-21 win over the Packers. He has thrown six interceptions the past two weeks, both Bucs' wins.

''You've got some real good stats there,'' Gruden said. ''You know he's 3-0 as a starter; how about that? We've played two very good defenses. The Chicago Bears on the road -- he was the player of the week for us last week. He threw a couple interceptions yesterday and we can't have that. He knows that. But he's a winning quarterback for us and we're going to rally around him, continue to try to improve on his strengths and try to clean up a couple plays that hurt us last week."

Gruden said Griese made a ''good decision'' on his first interception, which was tipped by wide receiver Michael Clayton into the hands of Tramon Williams. "He missed the throw a litle bit,'' and "Nick Collins made a superb play'' on the second, Gruden said.

On the third, which Charles Woodson returned 62 yards for a touchdown and 21-20 Packers lead, ''I think Brian telegraphed it a little bit,'' Gruden said.

''I credit Green Bay to a degree, but we've got to make better decision-making,'' Gruden said, "and w'ere going to work toward that later this week.''

Gruden said Griese rebounded from the interceptions to make a couple of big plays down the stretch. He also liked the way Griese commanded the running game.

''I got a lot of respect and confidence in Brian Griese,'' Gruden said. "There’s three or four throws he’s made the last two weeks that have hurt us and there are about thirty five or forty throws that have really helped us. He made some throws yesterday after the third interception that were big time plays. They changed the game in terms of field position.

''He made some decisions in the running game that were outstanding. So there is some areas I think that are very clear and obvious that we need to clean up. He knows where I stand and where our team stands on turnovers and we got to clean that up, and we’re going to work our butt of this week to get that done.”

Gruden said the Bucs will "split the reps up and get all three guys some work'' in preparation for Sunday's game against the Broncos. He said the Bucs will need all three of its quarterbacks, including  former starter Jeff Garcia, at some point this season.

"Garcia was our starter and might be our starter again at some point in time,'' Gruden said.

Gruden expressed ''some concern'' about the right elbow injury that sent safety Sabby Piscitelli to the sideline in the third quarter. Gruden hoped to have more information about the severity of the injury later today.

Offensive linemen Arron Sears and Jeremy Trueblood also left the game with injuries. The team will update its official injury list on Wednesday, Gruden said.

Comments

[3Bucs]

"we've got to make better decision making". Does that comment apply to the coaching staff as well??? C'mon Gruden 6 picks in two games!?! We've dodged two bullets now, but in the NFL, that kind of good fortune runs out in a hurry.

[DR]

"he telegraphed the pass a bit." Really? It looked like Woodson was running a slant pattern the wrong way. You can't keep giving up 3 picks a game. The defense is playing well enough to make up for mistakes right now, but you can't ride their coat tails all season.

[Kurt]

We do have the 7th ranked offense and Griese did complete 5 scoring drives. It would have been six and 1 less Int if DR, I mean Clayton, hadn't given up the one interception. Go root for you Cowgirls DR and leave your insolence to their website. No-one wants to see all these turnovers, but there's a lot more to his game than Garcia and it shows by the points scored, first downs, time of possession, etc!

[Justin]

Let all the Gruden haters keep drinking Duemig's kool aid, but the fact of the matter is Gruden has us at 3-1 despite being a "terrible coach".

[JOhn]

Geez...Sabby, "made of glass" Piscatelli!

[3Bucs]

Granted, Griese has put up some respectable numbers, but all I'm saying is you can't keep dishing up that many turnovers a game and expect to keep winning. I don't think I'm saying anything ground breaking, that's basic football 101. Surely Gruden and company know this. Our defence is playing great and our running attack looks solid. Eliminate the turnovers, and we'll keep the good times rolling. Unfortunately, I don't have much faith in Griese's ability to eliminate the turnovers, and I question how long the powers that be will bang their heads against the wall before they figure that out as well.

[Opinion MASTER]

for crying out loud, Greise is NOT the answer, he is NOT the best QB on the roster, I don't know if I wuld even put him as the 2nd best option at QB on the Roster...
the knock on Griese has ALWAYS been, he is a capable QB but always, ALWAYS, tends to make that one (or two, or 6) mistakes at the wrong time.
Lets not forget the fumble last week either in the red zone. So that is 7, count them, SEVEN mistakes in two weeks, his fault or not. ie Clayton missing..

can him Gru-dog!!

[Anthony]

I totally agree with you 3Bucs but at the same time what better solution do you offer at QB? Griese is by no means Tom Brady but he is leagues better than Garcia. If you watch the few deep balls that he has attempted to throw he did a decent job of placing the balls where only his guy could get to it. Also on the short patterns he is for the most part hitting the receivers in stride, where as Garcia wasn't. The problem is the WR's can't get any separation from the DB's. I'd like to see them bring that rookie in and let him run a couple deep routes each game. He was a first rd pick and should be able to make some impact NOW!

[DMS]

When was the last time we lost a game with Greise as QB?

[Ray]

I am not a Gruden hater. But, I am a Griese hater. Bench Griese and let Garcia play. I like what Gruden said "He also liked the way Griese commanded the running game." What is there to command when you hand the ball off to the running back. the only good thing Griese did in that drive was he did not throw which I am sure Gruden told him to. In his defense, he did pick up the first down when he ran for it. Also, before the first INT, twice we were in the red zone, just a few yards away from TDs and we managed to get two FGs.

[Leo in Canada]

Plenty of thought went into re-acquiring Griese in the off season. The day he came back into the fold was the beginning of the end for Garcia. We obviously don't know ALL the facts from behind closed doors. He left as a starter (injured) and returned to be a starter. It was only a matter of time. Garcia just may be the best backup in the NFL, but he is only 3 on the Bucs depth chart. No matter how you slice things, the Bucs are 3-0 with Griese and personally I hope he keeps winning games, no matter how he does it. If they go into a prolonged losing streak, I will definitely suggest assessing the situation. For now, IF IT BROKE...DON'T FIX IT. I cheer for the name on the front of the jersey, not the back. I love them all.

[Jay]

So John,

How long have you been playing safety in the NFL?

[Leo in Canada]

Left out the word "AIN'T". Must be good manners. LOL!

[mike]

Griese is substandard but is garcia's "dink and dunk" going to be any better? At least Griese is not afraid to throw the ball downfield. We all saw garcia's first game. The fact is, Griese is really our only choice at Quarterback. We have one "has been" one "never will be" and Griese.

[3Bucs]

Anthony, I'll take Garcia over Griese right now. With all respect to Griese, he's not a starting QB in this league. He's proven that over and over again. He's a good backup, but that's it. Garcia didn't look good against the Saints, but he basically hadn't played all preseason. Once he gets his timing and touch back, he'll be fine. He doesn't throw the deep ball well, but that's always been the knock on him. The upside is he doesn't make stupid decisions with the ball. It's great that Griese has thrown some nice deep balls, but if the flip side is it's going to cost you 2-3 turnovers a game, well that is not a winning formula for the long term. Pound the rock, play great D and don't turn the ball over. We've got the personel to pull that off and be successful, and I think Garcia (right now) is the best guy to do that.

Just my opinion...

[Todd]

Gruden's pride & ego are getting in the way of him putting the best quarterback on the field! Because of the defense he can stick to this stupid decision. Just because we won the last two doesn't mean Griese should stay in there!!! Pssst, Jon. Garcia saved your job last year bud!

Did any of the Griese haters happen to notice what happened last night in Chicago? McNabb couldn’t come out of there with a win, but Griese did. The Bears and Packers both have very good defenses, and anybody with any sense is going to realize they are going to make some plays. The only numbers that matter are 3-1. However, having said that I have a feeling a switch is coming. I think Gruden is saving and conditioning Garcia for the stretch run. I have never heard of saving your quarterback till later in the season, although I did once make a joke about it. Get some wins out of Griese, and then insert Garcia who will be fresh, conditioned, and highly motivated, might be Dr. Grudenstien’s plan!

[Fuber]

You all need to calm down. 3-1 with wins against quality teams ain't too shabby. The Bucs find a way to win and that's more valuable than anything else. It's a sign of great coaching, that's why Gruden is one of the highest paid coaches in all of sports. The Glazers know it.

I don't want a touchy feely coach like Scott Linehan. Give me championships.

Spurrier, Urban Meyer, Gruden - "mean" guys that win.

[nick]

The only difference between Griese now and then is the team he has around him. Better players make up for the INT's. Back in 05 the pick he threw to Woodson would have been the game.

[John Klopfer]

Only a complete idiot would not be concerned with 3 ints per game. That has got to change. Griese made some really good plays. He ran for a first down...he avoided being sacked for the 2nd straight game. Truthfully when we needed him Griese came through...even though he dugged the hole himself. The big question is would we be better with Garcia or cool hand Luke? Garcia whines to much and has become a distraction. Cool hand Luke has a tendancy to try to create something out of nothing. Where is Chris Simms when you need him?

[Jim]

You build a portion of next week's game plan from the one you just played...Its basic football...Win the turnover battle, win the 'D'&'O' line and you win games.

[Jim]

The Buc's are 3-1. That's a nice start and any fan would take that start on any team in any given year. So lets not freak out Buc nation...Part of the regular season is preparing your team for a successful playoff run. Lets hope ours is a long playoff run this year.

[bobbyd]

MORONS UNITE! Bench Griese!!

I'll say what I've said elsewhere... Go find one instance (in the HISTORY of the NFL) of a team benching a quarterback who was on a three game winning streak. If you can find that, then you can complain. Otherwise, pull your pants back up so we don't have to hear you.

[rdlrdr]

Gruden resting Garcia? I agree! Did anyone notice Jeff fizzle and fade as the 2007 season wore on. He isn't a 16 game plus playoffs Quarterback. Add to it that he's seems to come off the bench a hot player with something to prove (Philly).

Gruden will get as many wins out of Griese as he possibly can.

I think we'll eventually see Garcia AND Galloway again down the road.

[Nate]

I like how people are going nuts at being 3-1. Or those other people who act like those of us who celebrate the team are ignorant to the fact that Griese has thrown 6 INTs in two games. o rly? He did? As a Bucs fan, I managed to miss all of that!

Which is more important--the player who gives your team the best chance to win or the player who gives your team the win?

I hope he cleans up the INTs, but you can't argue with someone that's undefeated.

And yeah--he managed the running game. What that means is: he threw the ball 67 times last week and torched the Bears' D in the process. So by selling the passing game, he opened the holes for the running game.

[Nate]

Jeffriatric Garcia and Greybeard Galloway on the Roger Clemens plan?

[Irish Mike]

Um, the Bucs are in first and are 3-1. I'll take it. Isn't Griese like 9-2 as a Buc starter? I'll take that also.

[DR]

Hate to point out the fact that Garcia has a better QB rating than Griese. Griese has benefited from not having to throw to that prima donna that runs half a-- patterns, that girl named Galloway. You put Garcia in the last two games, and he would have done the same or even better. He makes better decisions and he definitely wouldn't have 6 picks.
A win is a win and I guess you should go with whats winning but Fisher did the same with Young and he lost in the first round of the playoffs. Thats all Griese is right now, a first round playoff loss. He needs to dramatically improve soon.
Don't compare and Eagles-Bears and Bucs-Bears match up. Bucs didn't face Hester who is a big X factor. Hester has single handedly changed the outcome of many games in his short career. The Bucs were fortunate they didn't have to deal with him. The Eagles were also without arguably, the most valuable player in the NFL the last 3 plus seasons. No comparison.

[DMS]

There is an impostor DMS posting here...

Ouch.

[DR]

I can't believe you guys who are crucifying Garcia. He only put his body on the line last year and got the Bucs a home playoff game. You may not like what he has to say but he is just being honest and he is allowed to have an opinion. I guess honesty does come with a price though- a leash and a dog house.

[Matt]

Thank god for Monty and our Def....they allow us to stay in it game after game.

[bobbyd]

DR,
I'm fine with Garcia myself. My only point is that you don't bench a QB who is on a three game winning streak. Yes, he's making mistakes, but he's also making up for them.

None of us know what the real story is with Garcia. He may have been a distraction in the locker room, he may not have been practicing well, Gruden may think that Griese has a better understanding of the offense. One thing I do know is that I personally noticed Garcia's lack of pocket presence in the Saints game. And I also know that Griese hasn't been sacked in two weeks.

I honestly didn't think Garcia should have been benched, but that's where we are, and now the Bucs have won 3 in a row. It's clear that this is Brian Griese's job to lose, and as long as he's winning, he isn't going to lose the job.

[db]

It is so easy for you lowlifes (you know who you are.. I hope) to call these athletes names on the internet. Not one of you have the balls to do it to their face. Cant you just give a intellegent opinion and stop with the name calling?

[DR]

bobbyd, I agree, keep Griese in there... for now. He has beaten the Atlanta Falcons, Chicago Bears, and Green Bay Packers who are not in the elite class of teams in the NFL. Those teams have weak offenses, Green Bay is an unknown, they have talent but Rodgers is essentially a rookie in experience. The defense has done their job by keeping the mistakes made by the offense from killing them. The defense has made some bone head mistakes, slipping, and if Monte doesn't kill the next guy who laterals the ball, i'll be surprised, but the defense has been the reason the Bucs are winning. They already put up 21 points.
A 60 QB rating usually doesn't win you games, unless you have a stellar defense.

[bobbyd]

DR,
During the local post-game radio show, they were talking about how Richard Mann, Raheem Morris and even Monte himself have really hammered home that when the defense gets a turnover, they need to look for ways to score. I think that's where all this lateral stuff is coming from. I find it funny that Cato June always seems to be the target of the lateral though.

One other thing, it's a bit hard to tell just how "bad" those interceptions are. The Bears are (historically) a good defense prone to takeaways. The Packers were also at the top of the league in interceptions (coming into the game against us). So, yes, interceptions bad, but against two defenses who tend to be very good at taking the ball away, maybe not as bad as it looks. I'm not ready to hit the panic button yet.

[Vince]

Go For all Bomb plays! That way Griese is throwing less attempts per yards gained, and less pass attempts! Let the defense play with a 17 point lead! Then let the run game close it! The defense can cover a few int's every game!

[Smartest man here...]

Hey idiots, how about slinging some mud at the NFL's 26th ranked defense and give the NFL's #7 ranked offense a break. It's getting very old, Griese is 3-0 after winning the job in Training Camp and preseason where Jeffy couldn't beat out a calf strain.

Get over it... Griese is our guy, the 38 year old, 13 TD throwing senior citizen isn't. He's done, get over it.

Go Bucs, Go Gruden, Go Allen, Go Griese... GO BUCS!!

(Fuhk you hatin' bit(hes)

[Anthony]

Again I don't think Griese is the future but had he started game 1 I think the Bucs would be 4-0 rather thank 3-1. Garcia is not a Pro caliber QB his only good years came when throwing to TO! Can you name 1 QB who didn't make the Pro-Bowl throwing to TO?? Garcia only made the Pro-Bowl last year because Favre backed out and the Bucs were one of the NFC teams in the playoffs at the time. Kurt Warner and Drew Brees both had better numbers and should have easily made the Pro-Bowl over Garcia.

Not only does Garcia have a weak arm but he has no pocket presence either. He seems to shuffle right into sacks. Griese is apparently a pretty smart guy and can make up for his short comings by being able to audible and take advantage of defensive match ups.

[STIXX]

AHH...GRIESE IS THE MAN FOR NOW. YOU NEVER KNOW AROUND HERE WHAT NEXT WEEK BRINGS...........

[3Bucs]

Yes we're 3-1. But look at how we've won the last two - we needed a miracle comeback against the Bears (which I'll give Griese credit for orchestrating) and an injury to Aaron Rodgers in the 4th qtr (not to take anything away from our D, but once Flynn came into the game, it was over). I understand traditional thinking is you can't replace a guy who is 3-0, but other than the Falcons game, we're pretty fortunate to be 3-1, and we're really not that far away from being 1-3. I'll repeat the point I made earlier - you don't build long term success when you turn the ball over as much a we have. We've dodged the bullet, but that luck is going to run out very soon. We either need Griese to get better with protecting the ball (and why should he start now) or put someone in who will (ie. Garcia).

I'll throw it out there now that the Bucs won't beat Denver if Griese throws 2 ints or more. Hope I'm wrong (or better yet, that we don't find out).

[dylan]

my take on all of this is lets not question griese till he loses a game which he almost did but held on and bounced back..

[Mike]

3bucs u can say that about any teams in the game. every 3 and 1 team are not far away from 1 and 3. way to state the obvious.. most nfl comes down to the wire. you sound like madden making these comments

[Nick]

You know what you're getting with Brian Griese. Basically he gives you an even Touchdown-Turnover ratio, he did it last time he was with the Bucs and his entire career. Put Garcia in Gruden, you're not smarter than everyone, the offense would be so much better.

[Stab]

Clayton is no longer an asset.

Hilliard needs to play more and Gruden might as well start letting Dexter Jackson do his 'Joey Galloway' impression and let Dexter run some deep routes. He's faster than Galloway and isn't 60 years old physically.

[wwtfsb37]

3-1 ... 12 weeks from now, these two close wins will be evidence of a team that is good at winning games when it counts. and we wont care how we got them.

i think gruden said it right: mistakes were made, but he has confidence in griese.

favre makes mistakes, too, but the dude wins. and that poise in the huddle does a lot more for the offense (and the defense) to operate effectively than any of us fans will ever know.

griese has it. it's clear from how this team has responded in the final minutes of these past two fourth quarters that his teammates have confidence in him.

3 starts, 3 wins. let's at least wait until he loses for us to call for his head.

btw, the last time we started 3-1, and lost to the saints but beat the packers and the bears in the same season, we won a super bowl.

i think it's amazing how many opportunities we missed and still won the game. that tells me the bucs are a better team than we think they are.

lets see how griese does against his old team. he shouldnt have to look over his shoulder just yet.

[jobucs]

DR,

How about them Cowboys!!!!!!!!!!

[3Bucs]

Mike, I guess that was a bit of an obvious statement, and I appreciate the NFL is a game of inches and lots of games can go either way right until the end. However, I've read alot of posts today about how we're 3-1, so therefore everything must be good and no need to be concerned. I'm just saying let's not drink the Kool Aid, look at the way we've gotten to 3-1 and let's not fool ourselves into thinking we're necessarily on the right course.

And geeze Brett Favre looks like he's having fun out there, doesn't he?

[Justin M]

This is the best Bucs defense since 2002. I dont care what the stats say. We have a tremendous running game and a great third down back in Dunn. If the turnovers can be limited, this team can go places. The return of Joseph and Galloway will help Griese.

[DV]

Why, why, WHY do you people think Garcia is so good? He didn't commit to getting better in the off season, instead he went to the Garlic Festival and other such things not football related, all the while complaining about his terribly small pay check and the sheer difficulty of Grudens' playbook. Please. Spare us the drama. Teams play harder for team players like Griese.

[DV]

Oh yeah... nice job Romo and the Cowgirls!