Capping road stretch with win 'important'

TAMPA -- What was it Dorothy said? There's no place like home.

Tell that to the Buccaneers, who will play their fifth road game and fourth in the past five weeks Sunday at Carolina.

A victory would give Tampa Bay a 6-2 record, equaling its best start after eight games with the '79 team.

"It'd be a great thing," Bucs coach Jon Gruden said. "I know a lot of people commented on the strength or weakness of our schedule, whatever it might be. But four out of five games on the road, that's hard on a football team. Two of the teams we just played had just come off a bye week. There's a lot to that. If we can win this game, it would be a huge, huge momentum builder for our football team. To go 3-1 in back-to-back quarters with five of our first eight (games) on the road is a goal we have because that's the best we can do right now.

"You've got to win on the road and this is a divisional game. We have to have the game. This is a very important game for us."

INJURY UPDATE: Receiver Keenan McCardell (left shoulder blade fracture), quarterback Brad Johnson (left rib fracture) and cornerback Dwight Smith (stomach flu) did not practice Thursday. Johnson and McCardell are listed as doubtful but Smith is expected to return to practice today.

Running back Aaron Stecker returned to practice. Center Jeff Christy (right knee sprain) is probable.

Rob Johnson is expected to start Sunday, with Shaun King at the No. 2 spot. If Brad Johnson is not healthy enough to dress, punter Tom Tupa will be the emergency quarterback. Tupa has started 13 games at quarterback.

"If Brad can be available, he would probably be the third guy, if not Tupa would be the third guy," Gruden said. "Or myself, at least I know the snap count. ... If Brad is under the same physical ailments that he's under now, he probably will be the third quarterback."

COLEMAN SHOULD START: The Bucs have not made an official decision on the status of guard Cosey Coleman, arrested Monday night on domestic abuse charges.

Though Gruden said he won't make a final decision today, Coleman has been taking regular snaps with the starting lineup.

"All indications are, as it is right now, that he's going to start the game," Gruden said. "He's back to work here."

WHAT'S UP WITH BK? Starting cornerback Brian Kelly came off the field during practice and then left One Buc Place for X-rays and further evaluation of his left knee.

Kelly, who this week was praised by Gruden for his excellent play over the recent weeks and specifically against the Eagles, walked through the parking lot with his knee wrapped in ice.

"I'm going to see right now," Kelly said, getting into his car. "I don't know anything (about it) yet."

The knee has been bothering him off and on for the past few weeks but the Bucs don't think it's serious. Kelly is expected to start.

THEY LOVE THE ROOKIES: Since 1996, the Bucs are 6-1 against rookie quarterbacks, which includes wins last season over Dallas' Quincy Carter (10-6) and over Detroit's Mike McMahon (15-12).

This would seem a foreboding stat for Carolina rookie quarterback Randy Fasani, who could start Sunday if Chris Weinke has not recovered from a concussion.

But none of the Bucs defensive players is likely to pay to much attention to that statistic.

"Regardless of who's back there, we're always going to play our game," defensive tackle Anthony McFarland said. "You just have to be a little smarter depending on which quarterback you're playing. We're going to do what we normally do, which is create havoc, get up field and stop the run."

HOW ABOUT HOME MOVIES: Sunday against the Falcons, Fasani made his league debut. This means the Bucs don't have much film of the former Stanford standout. No problem.

"Knowing Monte (Kiffin), they'll go back and find everything. We'll be watching (video of) Stanford-Cal from last year," safety John Lynch said.

QUOTE OF THE DAY: "Well, I don't know if John Madden is always right. He's a great coach, a great announcer, but I've seen a lot of great players, different shapes, different sizes. The bigger the better, you always say. But there are a lot of good players that are not necessarily the biggest guys in the world." -- Gruden on a statement from the Monday Night Football announcer that the West Coast offense needs bigger receivers.