Want to impress Gruden? Do it on special teams

By Times staff writers
© St. Petersburg Times
published August 12, 2002

TV/radio: Ch. 28, ESPN; WQYK-AM 1010; 8 p.m.

LAKE BUENA VISTA -- The tentative plan for tonight's preseason opener against the Dolphins is to play all 87 Bucs. Tampa Bay will focus on special teams, mistake-free football and team play.

"We want to come together as a team, obviously," coach Jon Gruden said. "We want to play well, we want to execute and we want to play a physical football game. We want to win, but at the same time we want to play a lot of guys."

While final decisions remain game-time decisions, Gruden said he has a tentative plan for rotating his quarterbacks. Veteran Brad Johnson will start and play "a couple of series," and Rob Johnson will play the rest of the first half and, depending on "how the half unfolds," start the third quarter. Shaun King likely will play the bulk of the second half.

Gruden said starting running backs Michael Pittman and Mike Alstott and veteran offensive linemen Jeff Christy and Kerry Jenkins will play just a few series. Other starters, including left tackle Roman Oben and right tackle Kenyatta Walker, could see more time.

"We have a good idea," Gruden said. "You never can make too many promises because you never know how the game is going to unfold."

The coaching staff will monitor special teams, as a number of fringe players will attempt to distinguish themselves.

"I'll really look at the special-teams film, who's helping us in the kicking game, and get our guys acclimated to game situations," Gruden said.

Seventh-round draft pick Aaron Lockett will return punts, and receiver Frank Murphy and running back Aaron Stecker are scheduled to handle kickoffs.

"(Special teams) will be heavily scrutinized," Gruden said. "That will be, when it's all said and done, a winning edge for a man making this football team. You have to be able to cover kicks and protect the punter. Special teams is a huge area of football, especially with the guys that aren't starters. Guys that aren't starters, guys that we keep on this team, have to be able to play special teams."

PUT A CORK IN IT: At the end of practice, Gruden gave the players a final warning about trash-talking tonight.

"He said there's no need in running off at the mouth," linebacker Jack Golden said. "He said get out there and do it on the field and that will show everybody."

CHILD'S PLAY: After the morning workout with the Bucs, the Dolphins spent the afternoon at Universal Studios. Six of the park's most popular attractions were open to players only. The Dolphins held their team dinner at the park.

"It'll be for a couple of hours. We've got some things scripted just for them," coach Dave Wannstedt said. "It's been a grind and they've been up here and worked hard, and this will hopefully be a fun thing for them while we're here."

CONSIDER YOURSELF WARNED: Defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin realizes the team's young, defensive players aren't going to be perfect tonight. He said he will tolerate a few miscues, but anyone who doesn't give maximum effort might not be around long.

"I'll tell you one thing," Kiffin said, "if you're a young player on defense and you're trying to make this football team, you may make the mental mistakes, you may not play great, but one thing you better do, you better hustle to that football. You better get after it."

ORLANDO BUCS?: The city of Orlando is home to the Orlando Rays, Tampa Bay's Double-A baseball franchise, and Bucs officials hope the football team won't be just an August novelty.

They were pleased with the fans at Disney's Wide World of Sports last weekend, especially considering the Orlando area's history of supporting the Dolphins.

"I don't know that but I think in Orlando, when we first started playing preseason games in the late '80s early '90s, we would go into (the Florida Citrus Bowl) and it was always, at best, 80-20 percent Dolphins to Bucs," general manager Rich McKay said. "We tried to fight to get it to 50-50. I don't know what it is now, but it seems like our fans have figured out that we're practicing here and it seems like on a daily basis a lot of them made the trek from Tampa, and Orlando.

"Our objective when we tried to go into the Orlando market was to try to make Buc fans, hopefully we have," McKay said. "(Winning) never hurts."

-- ROGER MILLS, DARRELL FRY

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