Bucs

Ready to get it started

TAMPA BAY 34, HOUSTON 3: The defending champion Bucs end a long preseason with a convincing win - and no major losses to injury.

[Times photos: Toni Sandys] Nate Webster and newcomer, Dwayne Rudd congratulate each other during a defensive stand in second quarter action.

Shaun King attempts a pass during the team's first touchdown drive in the first quarter.

TAMPA - It's over.

In the time it took to overthrow a foreign government, to mow your grass with scissors or for Noah to find parking space, the Bucs completed their longest preseason Thursday.

After 42 days and 42 nights in two hemispheres, from Tampa to Tokyo, through five games, four wins and one loss, the world champions made it to the starting line of the 2003 season by beating the Houston Texans 34-3.

But here is the Bucs' biggest victory: they avoided a serious injury.

In a preseason in which the Falcons' Michael Vick fractured his right fibula and the Jets' Chad Pennigton dislocated and fractured his left wrist, remaining healthy was the best break for the Bucs.

Tampa Bay now has 11 days to prepare for its Sept. 8 opener against the Eagles in the grand opening of Lincoln Financial Field. In answer to the rhetorical Hank Williams Jr. question, the Bucs are ready for some football.

"Good riddance," defensive end Simeon Rice said of the preseason. "Bring on the (regular) season. The '03 officially starts. We're all excited about it. We all worked hard for this. This is what I worked all summer for, this is why we had the offseason camps, minicamps, the training camps, the preseason. It all comes down to the big one. This is the kickoff. This is the jumpoff to the new year. So it's a beautiful thing."

As expected, quarterback Brad Johnson and the starting offense barely broke a sweat Thursday. After handing off four times and completing a screen pass to Michael Pittman, Johnson provided the only truly scary moment of the preseason when he was sacked for a 10-yard loss on third down.

Shortly after Johnson reached the sideline, he had to make room for the first-team defense. Talk about three and out - of the game.

On the first series, Texans quarterback David Carr was pressured and driven to the turf by Warren Sapp as his third-down pass fell incomplete.

"On our first series, we went out on third down and we had a mental error," Carr said. "When a guy comes unblocked, especially No.99 (Sapp), he's going to break a play. We want to put this behind us because it didn't count."

But in more than 1,000 hours of training camp, you learn who you can count on.

Take Shaun King, for example. The Bucs' No.2 quarterback capped an outstanding preseason, directing three first-half touchdown drives and completing 13 of 17 passes for 146 yards and a touchdown. Nine players caught passes in the first half.

"You never feel like you get enough done. We did get better," coach Jon Gruden said. "I feel like we did improve. Shaun King, I think, had a great preseason. The young left-hander (Chris Simms) is off to a great start. We got to evaluate a lot of men. We worked hard on our camaraderie and unity on this team, and of that I'm proud. At the same time we have issues that we need to resolve, and that's why we're going back to work."

The Bucs have until 4 p.m. Sunday to trim the roster to 53 players. A few decisions will be tough, but it won't be for lack of time to evaluate players.

"A lot of men played in all these games and we have to announce the final cutdown here shortly. But it's a great bunch of guys we have in our locker room. From the beginning of the offseason program until tonight, they gave it everything they had."

During the time that Lou Piniella turned 60 and Gruden turned 40, the Bucs learned they have upgraded a rushing attack that ranked 27th in the league a year ago.

If Pittman is tackled by his legal troubles, the Bucs can lean on Thomas Jones and Aaron Stecker running behind an improving offensive line.

The Bucs dominated the Texans, holding a huge edge in total yards (334-128), first downs (24-9) and rushing yards (169-62).

"Thomas Jones came in here and I think he exploded onto the scene," Gruden said. "He really had a great training camp. Aaron Stecker was a solid player. The offensive line is a work in progress. That's everybody's situation this time of year. But John Wade is a good football player, (Jason) Whittle showed he has some physicalness to him, Kenyatta Walker is getting better, as is (Cosey) Coleman. And Roman Oben, we know we've got a pro."

In fact, with Jenkins shuffled to left tackle and Coleman at left guard, Stecker had escorts to the end zone on his touchdown runs of 3 and 25 yards. And after being called for 39 penalties in the first four preseason games, the Bucs did not draw a flag Thursday.

In the time it took for Pete Sampras to retire and Gary Coleman to run for governor, the Bucs reinforced that their defense will be a force again. Thursday's win was the second straight dominant effort since they allowed 26 points to the Rams three games ago.

"Monte (Kiffin) scares me. With all this time, man, he'll dig up a play from 10 years ago," linebacker Derrick Brooks said of the long break before the opener. "In all seriousness, you can't get too prepared. There's some things that are going to win the game for us and that's our base calls. It's not going to be no trick defense they come up with or trick plays."

There still are things for the Bucs to decide between now and when they head to Philadelphia. Gruden has to settle on five offensive linemen and a fifth receiver after the battle between Charles Lee, Reggie Barlow and Fabian Davis was a virtual dead heat Thursday.

But there is only one thing to say about the preseason. It's finally over.

"It was a lot of days," cornerback Ronde Barber said. "We're used to that 32-day camp. We got about 20 extra days or whatever. It was a long time. It's good to feel the real thing around the corner."

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