Bucs Double Their Misery
Marty Strasen, The Tampa Tribune, published 29 November 2004

They were the most dismal of losses, a pair of setbacks against Carolina that kept the Bucs from reaching the 2003 playoffs. They couldn't make a simple extra point in the first one. They gave up a game-winning drive in the final minutes of the second. Sunday in Charlotte, the Bucs might have knocked themselves out 2004 playoff contention by revisiting those familiar gaffes. Last year's blocked PAT and two botched field-goal tries in a Week 2 loss to Carolina look minuscule compared to their current kicking nightmares, which were the main culprit in Sunday's 21-14 loss.

Martin Gramatica can no longer be counted on for a field goal of any length. He had one kick blocked Sunday and missed two others from inside 40 yards, including a potential go-ahead boot in the final two minutes. The man who was once known as ``Automatica'' might be near the end of his 5 1/2-year run with the team. The Bucs can no longer afford to be patient with a kicker who has missed seven of his last nine attempts.

Then a late defensive meltdown reminiscent of the one that cost the Bucs in their second 2003 loss to Carolina sealed their fate again. Panthers QB Jake Delhomme directed a 78-yard drive in the closing minutes of last year's game to rally his team to a 27-24 victory. This time, Delhomme and the Panthers covered 73 yards, and they needed merely five plays to do it. The last was a 40-yard touchdown pass to Keary Colbert with 20 seconds on the clock. Cornerback Torrie Cox, isolated man-to-man on Colbert, slipped and fell on the underthrown ball.

In many ways, it was a fitting end to a day that saw the Bucs lose two fumbles by Michael Pittman and give up an interception return for a touchdown by Carolina defensive end Julius Peppers. However, the fact the Bucs nearly overcame those errors - and probably should have - make this loss even more painful. Jon Gruden continues to coax production out of an offense that operates behind a mediocre line.

With Carolina stuffing Pittman and the running game, Brian Griese completed 27 of 39 passes for 347 yards and two touchdowns. He remains among the top-rated QBs in football despite that shaky line and an arsenal of weapons that has been injury-depleted all season. If Griese keeps it up and the Bucs defense plays to the standard it expects, there's no reason this team can't get on a season-ending surge. Three of the final five opponents have losing records.

It's looking more and more likely that an 8-8 team will make the NFC playoffs as a wild card. As much as the playoff race seems like a subject for the back burner after Sunday's loss, it's not inconceivable that the Bucs could bid to become that .500 wild- card team. If they fall short in that quest, they have only themselves - not Carolina - to blame.