By ROGER MILLS, Times wires
Published August 19, 2003
ST. LOUIS - Punter Tom Tupa has had a solid, but quiet preseason, but his performance against the Rams Monday night may have put some distance between the veteran and rookie free agent Andy Groom.
"I've been kicking well all camp," Tupa said. "But the last week, things weren't going so well. I finished up well last week and it carried over today."
Tupa's booming 49-yard punt in the second quarter helped get the Bucs out of one field-position nightmare. Tupa had help, however, as cornerback Corey Ivy stuck returner Arlen Harris for no gain.
"You love to punt in a dome, obviously," Tupa said. "But this is good. I was able to get a lot of reps in the game and I'm happy with the results."
Tupa's first punts were 40, 49, 55 and 60 yards. He added a 58-yard punt and finished with seven for 345 yards and an average of 39.7 on the return.
Entering his 16th season, the former quarterback is rebounding nicely from an up and down 2002. Last season, Tupa struggled handling all the punting duties for the Bucs. But he set a single-season record with 30 punts inside the 20. He finished the season ranked seventh in the league with a punting average of 42.8 yards. "I had hernia on both sides of my groin last year and I had surgery in February to clear it up," Tupa said. "Since training camp, I've been hitting the ball pretty strong."
RUNNING WILD: The Bucs have been impressed with the preseason performance of starting running back Michael Pittman and are eager to see what backups Aaron Stecker and Thomas Jones can do. But all three on the field at the same time?
On the Bucs' third offensive play, Pittman, Stecker and Jones were on the field, and the three running back set seemed to confuse the Rams. Facing second and 1, Jones darted for 4 yards and a first down.
In fact, it was the beginning of another good preseason performance for Jones, who was acquired in trade as insurance in case Pittman's legal problems become problematic. Jones had 47 yards on nine carries. "You're never satisfied with what you do, but you have to continue to play hard," Jones said. "This is my fourth year in the league, so I should know what I'm doing. I've done a good job so far picking the offense up. There are still a few things I have to pick up."
BIG DROP: His hands are among the surest in the NFL, but receiver Keyshawn Johnson's fumble in the second quarter proved critical. Trailing by three, the Bucs appeared to regain some control when Brad Johnson hit Keyshawn Johnson for a 9-yard gain and an apparent first down at the Rams 39.
But safety Adam Archuleta drilled the ball loose and cornerback Kim Herring returned it 59 yards for a touchdown. "You know what, I didn't even see who hit me," Johnson said. "Those things happen. It's preseason, so I'm happy it happened now and not in the regular season."
NOT SO GREEN ACRES: Veteran Jacquez Green is in a battle for the final receiver position and was given a chance to prove his value on special teams. Green, who has 24 career kickoff returns for 483 yards, returned the first three kickoffs. They went for 19, 22 and 30 yards, respectively. Green also had a 15-yard punt return.
FAMILIAR FACES: Part of the landscape of free agency is that players change teams and often face former teammates, and it was no different against the Rams. Former Bucs Jamie Duncan and Tyoka Jackson are backups for the Rams. Former Bucs linebackers coach Lovie Smith is the defensive coordinator.
BIG GREASE IS THE WORD: Growing up in Zephyrhills, Rams defensive tackle Ryan "Big Grease" Pickett knows a bit about the highs and lows of the Tampa Bay franchise. Pickett, in his third year out of Ohio State, left in the first quarter with a left ankle sprain and did not return. X-rays were negative.
WHITE STARTS: Forgive right tackle Mitch White for having some butterflies before the game. White found himself in the starting lineup replacing starter Kenyatta Walker and backup Cornell Green, both with high ankle sprains.
Walker missed the game and Green, who did not practice much last week, played in the second quarter.
For White, who signed with the Bucs in February, it was his first start in an NFL game. White was a sixth-round draft pick of the Saints in 2001 and spent most of his first year in the league on the practice squads of the Saints, Packers and Jets.
BUCS BITS: The Rams completed their first 13 passes. ... Known for not allowing long drives, the Bucs defense gave up drives of 14 plays and 10 plays in the first half. ... Fullback Jameel Cook had a strained right thumb and left at the end of the third quarter. Quarterback Chris Simms exited briefly in the fourth quarter with a hand injury but returned a few plays later. ... Receiver Joe Jurevicius sat out with the flu.
OFFICIAL INJURY: A sideline official was taken off the field on a stretcher after being struck in the left temple by a kicked ball before the game.
Marvin Williams, a member of the chain gang, was down for several minutes just outside the 20 after being blindsided by the ball. The stretcher was used as a precautionary measure, a Rams spokesman said. X-rays of Williams' neck were negative.
