BJ playing in pain
The Tampa Tribune, published 10 December 2007

B.J. Askew's left leg was in a cast this week to help his injured ankle, but he is a long way from being healed. Askew has been battling ankle problems for a few weeks, but played through his pain. He wore a cast for a few days prior to Sunday's game against Houston, but it did not have the desired result Tampa Bay's medical staff hoped for.

"It's kind of weird because I thought it got better, and when I took the cast off, I was walking a little better," Askew said. "I felt really positive about going into this game. Once I started to go out for the warm-ups, I started to get into my routine and it felt more difficult than normal. Being the type of game this was, a game we needed to win, I just made a decision to push it. I probably shouldn't have, but I made the decision to go ahead and push it."

Askew said he did not further damage his ankle and expects to play in pain the rest of this season. "It was probably the roughest I've felt. It will be another long week of preparation," Askew said. "I'll have to take it one day at a time. ... I don't think it got any worse coming out of the game. Still limping and doing the same thing I've been doing after every game, but it's one of those things. I'm going to have to see how it feels as the week goes on."

Graham provides a bright spot
Earnest Graham continues to excel in the absence of Cadillac Williams and Michael Pittman. Graham rushed for a 4-yard touchdown in the second quarter, which is the fifth consecutive game he has scored on the ground, tying a team record. Other Tampa Bay players to rush for touchdowns in five consecutive games were Gary Anderson (1990), Reggie Cobb (1992) and Errict Rhett (1995).

"I think we are where we need to be as a running game on crucial third and fourth downs and around the goal line to cap our drives. We have been able to do that," Graham said. "We would have liked to have done that better today."

Graham rushed 15 times for 61 yards and two touchdowns, but Tampa Bay gained only 71 yards on 17 attempts, with McCown the Bucs' only other carrier. "We were not making the plays on third down," Graham said. "The way we started the game and turnovers ... those are usually things that will lose you a game."

Buc notes
Game Notes: Sunday's game marked the Buccaneers' first regular-season appearance at Reliant Stadium. Tampa Bay won the only previous Bucs-Texans regular-season meeting, at Raymond James Stadium in 2003.

CB Ronde Barber made his 158th start as a Buccaneer on Sunday. That ties him for sixth place on Tampa Bay's all-time starts list with FB Mike Alstott. Barber needs two more starts to match former C Tony Mayberry for fifth place.

DE Kevin Carter made the 200th start of his NFL career, opening the game at left defensive end.

WR Micheal Spurlock's 45-yard kickoff return in the first quarter is the Bucs' longest of the season so far.