Banged-Up Bucs Look To Regroup The Tampa Tribune, published 20 October 2003 The Bucs are not alone. There are other NFL teams that have suffered just as many significant injuries as Tampa Bay. Jon Gruden seemed to find some solace in that fact Sunday after the Bucs' injury woes appeared to worsen. On a day when two starters returned to the lineup, two more went down and a third returned to the game only because his substitute could no longer play. ``There are a lot of teams in similar straits with injuries,'' Gruden said after Sunday's 24-7 loss to the 49ers. ``But we are going to bring in some reinforcements soon.'' Most of that help is needed on the defensive side of the ball, where the secondary is the most banged-up unit. Starting left cornerback Brian Kelly aggravated a torn pectoral muscle Sunday and now may be forced to have season- ending surgery. Safety John Lynch, meanwhile, aggravated a shoulder/ neck strain and only returned to action after reserve John Howell went out with a concussion. The Bucs considered leaving Howell behind at a San Francisco hospital, but he accompanied the team back to Tampa on its late-night charter flight. His status is uncertain for next week's home game against Dallas, as is defensive end Simeon Rice, who suffered a lower back bruise intercepting a Jeff Garcia pass. ``I've never seen a MASH unit like this before,'' cornerback Ronde Barber said. ``We're really hurting, but we can't use that as an excuse.'' Lynch played with the pain in his neck a week ago and did so again against the 49ers. ``We're really having to shuffle the deck back there,'' Lynch said of the secondary, where the loss of Kelly has forced several changes. The Bucs have been playing Barber at left corner and free safety Dwight Smith at right corner. That has given backup free safety Jermaine Phillips and backup corners Corey Ivy and Tim Wansley more time. Rice's injury, meanwhile, gave rookie Dewayne White some snaps at end and allowed linemen Chartric Darby and Ellis Wyms a better chance to play. The Bucs may have to lean more on those players than they want to in the next week or so. They also may have to continue leaning on middle linebacker Nate Webster. Though starting middle linebacker Shelton Quarles returned to the lineup Sunday, he did not play as well as the Bucs had hoped. ``I thought his first game back, obviously he needs some work,'' Gruden said.