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Roy Cummings, The Tampa Tribune, published 13 October 2008
The Bucs usually try to pick their spots with Warrick Dunn. He is 33, after all. He didn't look much like a 33-year-old back on Sunday, though. Forced into the role of feature back after FB Byron Storer went down with a knee injury and Earnest Graham volunteered to play fullback, Dunn looked like the Dunn of old instead of an old Dunn. He ran 22 times for 115 yards and caught three passes for 18 yards. Most impressive perhaps was his play late in the game.
At one point he ran the ball on five consecutive plays, gaining 24 yards on the first four carries and 20 on the fifth. The Bucs didn't score on that fourth-quarter drive but the 6 minutes they took off the clock by running Dunn up the middle most every play pretty much salted the game away. "Given a chance, I think I can still play at a very high level," Dunn said. It seemed so on Sunday.
Unsung hero
Out of fullbacks and with three quarters still to go, Jon Gruden began asking his tight ends if any of them could fill in for an injured Byron Storer. That's when Earnest Graham turned to Gruden and said, "If you need a fullback, I can play fullback." Can he ever. Graham, who worked part time as a fullback before his breakout 2007 season, helped lead the way for Warrick Dunn's 115-yard rushing effort and even scored a touchdown on a 1-yard plunge early in the fourth quarter.
"That's what this game is all about," Gruden said. "Earnest Graham stepped up, unselfishly so, and played as good a fullback as we've had a fullback play since I've been here. He didn't just go into the hole and curl up. He laid himself into the hole with as much authority as he runs the football with. I've got a lot of respect for what he did. He didn't show up on the stat sheet (five carries, 11 yards) but what he did today makes coaching worthwhile."
Key decision
The net result on the scoreboard was just three points, those coming on a 49-yard Matt Bryant field goal a drive later. The Bucs decision to challenge a touchback ruling in the third quarter had implications far greater than that, though. When it was finally determined that Sabby Piscitelli had not touched the ball while sliding into end zone and that Michael Bennett had actually downed it at the 1, the Panthers were saddled with yet another offensive hole they could not dig their way out of. One drive later, thanks to Bryant's field goal, the Bucs had a three-score lead and the game was all but over.
Quirky plays
There were three of them, all the result of Bucs overexuberance and all coming in the wake of a Bucs takeaway. On the first, CB Ronde Barber was whistled for unnecessary roughness following Tanard Jackson's interception in the first quarter. On the second, DT Jovan Haye was flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct following Jermaine Phillips' interception in the second quarter and on the third, the Bucs bench was penalized for sideline interference following Aqib Talib's interception in the fourth quarter.
Crunching the numbers
The Bucs are 41-7 under Gruden when leading at the half.
The Bucs allowed the Panthers to gain just 40 yards on 20 carries Sunday. Their defense this season still has not given up a rushing touchdown or allowed a 100-yard rusher.
The Bucs had four passing plays of 20 or more yards Sunday. They had five in the previous four games combined.
Panthers QB Jake Delhomme completed 20 of 39 passes for 242 yards but finished with a 38.6 passer rating.
Jeff Garcia had a 117.3 passer rating.
Graham's 24-yard reception - one of two catches he made on the day - was the longest of his career.
Injury update
The Bucs had three players go down in this one. WR Maurice Stovall left in the first quarter with a hamstring injury; FB Byron Storer left in the first quarter with a knee sprain and LG Arron Sears left early with a knee injury.
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