You Made the Right Choice, Coach

I’ll admit it. I thought the Bucs were done when I saw they were down by 3 with about 43 seconds left in regulation. I didn’t know who had the ball, and the clock was running down quickly. All I had to keep me informed was the ticker at the top of the screen during the Bears-Giants game. So when I saw the score of 27-23 with :14 seconds left, I jumped up and down, pumping my fist and screaming “yes.” This game was amazing, leaving the Bucs one victory away from clinching the NFC South. Even more amazing? The Bucs are undefeated against South opponents. Only two more division games will be played this season, and even if the Bucs lose both, one victory against a non-division opponent will seal the division. Let’s look at what made this game what it was:

Great Choice, Coach
Head Coach Jon Gruden made one of the best decisions of his career when he decided to start Luke McCown at QB over Bruce Gradkowski. Even though Gruden has a crush on Gradkowski, his decision to play the third string proved to be the best. Making only the 5th start of his career (first in a Bucs uniform), McCown went 15 for his first 15, and wound up going 29-of-37 for 313 yards and 2 TD’s. The biggest part of his day was when he led the Bucs down the field late in the game, and threw a TD pass to Jerramy Stevens with :17 seconds left in the game.

Joey In the Big Easy
Joey Galloway has tormented the Saints all year long, and it didn’t stop yesterday. He had 7 catches on the day for 159 yards, including key catches of 41 and 60 yards that set up scores. In the first meeting between these two teams earlier this year, Galloway caught 4 catches for 135 yards, including a 69 yard TD catch. That TD was the longest completion by the Bucs offense since 2005. Since coming to the Bucs in 2004, Galloway has scored 10 touchdowns in six games against the Saints.

Oh Earnest
It’s hard to believe this guy has been a third stringer his whole career. Since taking over for the injured Cadillac Williams and Michael Pittman, Graham has run for 737 yards and 7 TD’s. In the past 4 games, he has 3 games of 100 or more rushing yards. That includes yesterday, when he ran for 106 yards on 22 carries, and scored a touchdown. Yesterday was the fourth consecutive game in which he’s scored a touchdown. The team record is five consecutive games.

Game Notes:

• Tampa Bay has opened division play with a 4-0 record for the first time since 1990, when it played in the NFC Central. Tampa Bay’s best records within the division in team history are 5-1 in 2005 and 6-2 in both 1979 and 1981.
• Tampa Bay’s 285 yards in the first half are the most in a half since the second half against Atlanta in 2003. The 466 total yards marked the fifth-best-single-game total in team history.
• Joey Galloway’s 159 yards on seven catches gave him a 100 yard outing for the 29th time in his career, and the third time this season. Two of those three efforts have come against the Saints.
•  Joey Galloway came into the game tied for first in the NFL with six receptions of 40 or more yards this season. He added two more, a 41 yarder, and a 60 yarder.
• Earnest Graham scored a touchdown in the fourth consecutive game yesterday. The team record is five consecutive games with a TD.
• Jon Gruden has won a game with 12 starting quarterbacks, more than any other active coach.

The Bucs get to take on the Houston Texans next week, only the second time these two teams have ever faced each other. The Bucs lead the all time series, 1-0, with a 16-3 victory over the Texans in 2003. The Texans are a different team this year, but are still privy to the Texans play of old. The Bucs are on a 4-game win streak, and the Texans are riding a 2-game losing streak. The Bucs need only one more victory the rest of the season to clinch the NFC South.