ST. LOUIS (Oct. 13, 2004) --
Brian Griese began this season as the third-string quarterback for the
Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He's now the leader of a team that is less than two years removed from winning the Super Bowl.
Griese will make his first start for Tampa Bay when it plays host to a
St. Louis club it has beaten three consecutive times.
Brad Johnson, who led the Bucs to a Super Bowl victory in the 2002 season, was Tampa Bay's top quarterback heading into this year. But after losing his first four starts, coach Jon Gruden replaced the 36-year-old veteran with
Chris Simms for their victory Oct. 10 against New Orleans.
Simms led a 13-play, 70-yard drive that produced a field goal on Tampa Bay's opening series, but sprained his throwing shoulder in the final minute of the first quarter when he was sacked.
Griese came off the bench to spark the Bucs, completing 16 of 19 passes for 194 yards and a touchdown as Tampa Bay beat New Orleans 20-17 for its first victory of the season.
"I can't really say in my years of coaching that I've seen a guy come in off the bench and play that well in a situation where we really needed him to do that," Gruden said Oct. 11.
"This guy can play. He's thrown (77) touchdown passes in the league. He led the AFC in passing efficiency. He succeeded
John Elway. Hand-picked by Mike Shanahan, who I respect tremendously. He's had some bumps in the road, much like a lot of us have had. But what he did yesterday was for real. It was a heck of a show."
Gruden said that Simms is day-to-day, but Griese will start against the Rams. If Simms is not healthy enough to be the backup, Johnson will be No. 2.
Griese started 51 games in Denver from 1999-2002 and was the regular for five games in Miami after being released by the Broncos last year. He felt his chances of being successful in Miami were hindered because he didn't sign with the Dolphins until just before training camp, and it takes time to learn a new offense and earn the confidence of teammates.
He joined the Bucs in March and the value of having the entire offseason to settle into Gruden's system showed against New Orleans, even though Griese has spent most of his time in Tampa Bay behind Johnson and Simms on the depth chart.
"That's what I expect out of myself when I go out there. I never looked at myself as the third-string quarterback. I always knew I could go out and play. I've done it before, and I want to get back to a situation where I play at a high level," Griese said.
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Griese will need to be on top of his game against St. Louis, which leads the NFC with 116 points and is coming off a thrilling come-from-behind victory Oct. 10.
The Rams twice trailed by 17 points before
Marc Bulger brought them back in the final 5½ minutes, then calmly stood up to the blitz on the game-winning 52-yard touchdown pass to
Shaun McDonald in overtime as St. Louis beat Seattle 33-27.
"He does have ice in his veins," coach Mike Martz said. "He just doesn't ever get unnerved. I've never seen him get unnerved, in any situation."
Bulger was 8-for-14 for 52 yards and two interceptions in the first half, but finished 24-for-42 for 325 yards. The 17-point comeback was the second-most in the final six minutes in NFL history, trailing only the Colts' 21-point rally against the Bucs on Oct. 6, 2003.
"You have to keep plugging," Bulger said. "You say it is not one of my best days. I'm not saying it was my worst day but I prepared the same.
"In my mind, if I stick to the course and keep doing what I'm doing, guys are going to get open. We gave them enough different looks that they started to sit on different things. And it worked."
Tampa Bay has won three straight in the series with St. Louis since the Rams beat the Bucs 11-6 in the 1999 NFC Championship Game.
STANDINGS: Buccaneers -- 4th place, NFC South. Rams -- 2nd place, NFC West.
BUCCANEERS LEADERS: Offense -- Johnson, 674 passing yards and 3 passing TDs;
Michael Pittman, 123 rushing yards;
Michael Clayton, 23 receptions and 301 receiving yards; four with 1 receiving TD. Defense --
Anthony McFarland, 2 sacks;
Brian Kelly, 2 INTs.
RAMS LEADERS: Offense -- Bulger, 1,426 passing yards and 7 passing TDs;
Marshall Faulk, 364 rushing yards; Bulger and Faulk, 2 rushing TDs;
Isaac Bruce, 38 receptions and 526 receiving yards; McDonald and
Torry Holt, 2 receiving TDs. Defense --
Leonard Little, 3 sacks;
Jerametrius Butler, 1 INT.
BUCCANEERS TEAM RANK: Rushing Offense -- 81.0 yards per game (31st in NFL); Passing Offense -- 202.4 ypg (18th); Total Offense -- 283.4 ypg (25th). Rushing Defense -- 130.6 ypg (24th); Passing Defense -- 143.8 ypg (3rd); Total Defense -- 274.4 ypg (4th).
RAMS TEAM RANK: Rushing Offense -- 116.4 ypg (14th); Passing Offense -- 270.0 ypg (4th); Total Offense -- 386.4 ypg (4th). Rushing Defense -- 147.2 ypg (29th); Passing Defense -- 225.0 ypg (19th); Total Defense -- 372.2 ypg (28th).
LAST MEETING: Sept. 23, 2002; Buccaneers, 26-14. At Tampa, Fla., the Bucs intercepted
Kurt Warner four times, including one with just under a minute remaining that
Derrick Brooks returned 39 yards for a TD.
STREAKS AND NOTES: Buccaneers -- QB Griese has a 103.9 rating, going 37-for-56 with 509 yards, four TDs and two INTs in two career appearances against St. Louis. ... WR
Tim Brown has 100 TD catches and needs one to pass Steve Largent for third all-time. He also has caught a pass in 177 consecutive games and will pass Largent for third place on that list with a reception against the Rams. ... WR Clayton leads NFL rookies with 23 receptions and 301 receiving yards.
Rams -- St. Louis is 7-4 on Monday night under Martz. ... RB Faulk needs one rushing TD to become the sixth NFL player to record 100 in a career, and is 10 receptions away from joining
Larry Centers as the only RBs with 700 catches. ... WR Holt has averaged 147.7 receiving yards in three appearances against Tampa Bay.
ROAD/HOME RECORDS: Buccaneers -- 1-2 on the road; Rams -- 1-1 at home
