Chris Simms to be put on injured reserve

The Bucs plan to place quarterback Chris Simms on injured reserve, general manager Bruce Allen said Tuesday.

"We're going to put Chris Simms on injured reserve tomorrow,'' Allen said during a conference call on Tuesday. "This what we feel is the best move for Chris to regain his full strength. We've been very hopeful, as has Chris, that his recovery from from the splenectomy, that he would've recovered by now. It's just taking longer than both Chris and we had hoped for. We'll make another roster move to add a player (Wednesday).''

The Bucs plan to use Simms' roster spot for a running back following severe injuries in consecutive weeks to Cadillac Williams and Michael Pittman. Williams was placed on injured reserve and Pittman will miss 6-8 weeks with a high ankle sprain.

Allen said the Bucs are likely to select from a list of four running backs the team worked out Tuesday.

Although Allen wouldn't reveal the list, those running backs were Pittsburgh's Kevan Barlow, Florida's Ciatrick Fason, Alabama's Shaud Williams and Notre Dame's Tony Fisher. Last week, the Bucs worked out former Florida State fullback Zack Crockett, who played for Jon Gruden with the Raiders.

Simms to stay with Bucs

Chris Simms is a Buccaneer - for now.

The fifth-year quarterback is expected to be among the 53 players turned into the league office by the Bucs Saturday.

It was a tough decision for the Bucs because Simms, 27, had just six snaps in the preseason in a game at Miami last week. He did not play Thursday night due to a hip strain.

How long Simms will remain on the team is uncertain. The Bucs signed Simms to a two-year, $7-million contract in December that included $5-million in guarantees.

The Bucs most likely will go with four quarterbacks - starter Jeff Garcia, backups Luke McCown, Bruce Gradkowski and Simms.

It's an unusual move for a NFL team to keep that many quarterbacks. Some teams only carry just two.

But the Bucs believe they have some value in Simms. In addition to the lucrative contract, he has spent five years in Jon Gruden's system.

But Simms has struggled to recover from his splenectomy last September. He began training camp with a sore left elbow and rarely got reps in 11-on-11 before the team left Lake Buena Vista.

In the last two weeks, Simms has shown progress and said Thursday night he could be ready to play in the Sept. 9 opener at Seattle.

"I'm not far off. I'm not going to say I was 100 percent myself last week when I played, but I'm getting there,'' Simms said Thursday. "And I think if I continue to work and do the rehab and stuff that I've been doing, we've got a pretty good hold on this thing right now and I'm doing the right exercises. I've really felt a difference the last few weeks.''

Simms looks shaky

Chris Simms is finally getting some 11-on-11 work this afternnon, but it's not much: he's taking a series of reps with the scout-team offense.

It's been a real mixure so far. He's thrown a couple nice balls on shorter passes, but his two deep balls were horrific to watch as they fluttered downfield.

It's been a long time since he's gotten reps against a full, live defense. Whether that's progress or not,  given the results, well maybe it depends on your perspective.

Simms released from hospital

Chris Simms was released from St. Joseph’s Hospital in Tampa on Saturday, six days after the Bucs quarterback had emergency surgery to remove his spleen.

Simms’ spleen was ruptured during a Sept. 24 loss to the Panthers.

Team officials, including coach Jon Gruden, suggested Simms’ spleen ruptured in the fourth quarter on a hit by Carolina defensive tackle Al Wallace. The league fined Wallace $7,500 for using his body to drive Simms into the ground.

ESPN’s Chris Mortensen reported Sunday that Simms believes the injury occurred in the first quarter and that doctors pumped three pints of blood from Simms’ stomach due to internal bleeding.

The Bucs likely will make a decision this week to put Simms, 26, on injured reserve, which would end his season, or keep him on the 53-man active roster in hopes of a late-season return. Recovery is expected to take at least six weeks.

Rookie Bruce Gradkowski will start Sunday at New Orleans.

Wallace fined for hit on Simms

Carolina Panthers defensive lineman Al Wallace was fined $7,500 by the NFL for his hit on Chris Simms in the Panthers' 26-24 win Sunday.

Bucs coaches believe that hit, which occurred late in the fourth quarter, may have caused Simms' spleen to rupture. Simms was taken to St. Joseph's Hospital after the game where his spleen was removed.

The league cited Rule 12, Section 2, Article 12(2) of the NFL Official Playing Rules: "A rushing defender is prohibited from committing such intimidating and punishing acts as 'stuffing' a passer into the ground or unnecessarily wrestling or driving him down after the passer has thrown the ball, even if the rusher makes his initial contact within the one-step limitation … When tackling a passer who is virtually in a defenseless posture (e.g. during or just after throwing a pass), a defensive player must not unnecessarily and violently throw him down and land on top of him with all or most of the defender's weight. Instead, the defensive player must strive to wrap up or cradle the passer with the defensive player's arms."

There was no penalty called on the play, but in fining Wallace the league agreed with the Bucs that the hit was illegal and should have resulted in a roughing the passer penalty.

Also Friday, it was revealed Bucs safety Will Allen was fined $5,000 for taunting against the Panthers. Allen was called for a taunting penalty during the game.

— RICK STROUD, Times staff writer

Times photo by James Borchuck; click to enlarge

Simms hit illegal?

TAMPA — Early indications are the NFL has notified the Bucs that the fourth-quarter hit on Chris Simms that they believe ruptured his spleen warranted a roughing the passer penalty.

Coach Jon Gruden and general manager Bruce Allen said they received notification from the NFL regarding the hit Simms sustained from Carolina defensive lineman Al Wallace. Although neither would comment on the league’s ruling, they encouraged reporters Wednesday to contact Mike Periera, the NFL’s supervisor of officials.

A message left at Pereira’s office was not immediately returned.

“You’ll have to call the league and I’m sure they’ll tell you,” Gruden said. “All I can tell you is we got a 15-yard penalty for taunting (on Will Allen) and what they did is roughing the passer. If it’s first-and-goal at the 1-yard line and we win the game, I’m sure Chris feels a lot better laying in the hospital knowing we won the game.”

AP photo; click to enlarge.

Simms has spleen removed

Quarterback Chris Simms had his spleen removed in emergency surgery after Sunday's 26-24 loss to the Carolina Panthers, Simms' mother Diana has told the St. Petersburg Times. She said her son's spleen apparently was ruptured early in Sunday's game.

The Bucs say Simms is in stable condition.

It is thought the injury occurred in the second quarter. Simms took several hard hits during the game -- on several pass attempts and a touchdown run -- and he left the game once in the third quarter, reportedly to be treated for dehydration. The quarterback went down on a knee at the end of a Bucs possession, but he walked to the locker room under his own power. But he returned to help the Bucs take the lead in the fourth quarter.

After the game, he also left the field under his own power.

Simms was taken by ambulance to St. Joseph's Hospital in Tampa. There, he underwent the emergency surgery.

Team physician Dr. Joseph Diaco released this statement Sunday night: "Chris Simms suffered an injury to his spleen during today's game and was taken to the hospital. He underwent a splenectomy (removal of the spleen) this evening and is in stable condition. Chris is doing well and we anticipate a full recovery."

At his postgame press conference, Jon Gruden had said of Simms:

"He got hit early and he hurt his ribs. We don’t know the extent of that, but he played hard today. He played tough and he showed a lot of grit. He really did. It is a credit to him. He made some big plays when we needed him. We tried a lot of things today — flea flickers and going for it on fourth down, and he responded to a lot of different scenarios. He is hurting right now, there is no question. He left the game. I don’t know that it was because of his ribs, dehydration or both. He is a very sore and tired man right now, and I am proud of how he hung in there against a very good run defense."

Doctors say a ruptured spleen is the most common serious abdominal injury caused by blunt trauma.

A ruptured spleen is a serious injury because it can cause patients to bleed internally. If it is not corrected, it can be fatal.

Doctors say that the severity of the injury is graded on a four-point scale, depending on how badly the organ has been bruised or torn. Sometimes the damage to the spleen and its blood vessels is so severe that the organ needs to be removed in order to control internal bleeding.

But in cases that are not as severe, treatment often becomes a judgment call. Whether patients are taken to surgery for a particular spleen injury often comes down to personal preferences of the surgeons or the particular policy of the hospital where the patient is treated.

Simms: "I was the reason we lost."

Chris Simms accepted the blame for the Bucs' 27-0 loss to the Baltimore Ravens. All of it.

"I just didn't play good all around and didn't help out the offensive line at all. I made some stupid decisions in the passing game,'' Simms said Wednesday. "I was the reason we lost. Period."

Simms threw three interceptions, including one that was returned 60 yards for a touchdown and had three passes batted down at the line of scrimmage.

Speaking for the first time since the numbing defeat, Simms took responsibility for the deflected passes.

"I’ve just got to find ways to throw it around guys and maybe throw it a little quicker here and there," Simms said. "Just things like that where I’ve got to be more aware when I’m out there on the field to get it around some of these big defensive linemen."

Simms also fell on the sword for the Bucs’ failure to recognize some of the Ravens’ defensive fronts, deflecting some of the criticism from center John Wade. On at least one occasion, the Ravens overloaded the left side of the line of scrimmage and Simms was sacked.

"I messed up simple, day one practice back in OTA, April stuff that I shouldn’t have messed up on," Simms said. "You’ve just got to imagine being in John Wade’s shoes. He’s down in a squatting position with a 330-pound guy right on his nose and he’s trying to read blitzes and which way they’re coming from and I have a better perspective pretty much all the time."

Simms said he his experience bouncing back from poor outings last season against the 49ers and Panthers will help him Sunday at Atlanta.

"I had enough times last year where I didn’t play so well the week before and came back played pretty good the next week,'' Simms said. "It’s all about putting it in perspective. It’s one loss. It’s not the end of the world. It hurt for two days, really. But at the end of the week, I’ve got to be ready to play the Falcons.''