TAMPA - They are not yet panicking at One Buc Place.
Which may be a tribute to the quality of their painkillers.
Heaven knows otherwise, the Bucs might look at their current predicament and see disaster is making a move on prosperity.
The hour is early and yet the moment is critical. The Bucs are two games behind Carolina in the NFC South, three if you count the tiebreaker. Tampa Bay's injury list is long and this week's preparation will be short.
If you are inclined, you might point out there is plenty of time remaining in the season. But, at this moment, it can be difficult to tell whether that's comforting or worrisome.
Mike Alstott is out for the season. Rickey Dudley, too. Brian Kelly might not be returning real soon and Joe Jurevicius also could be gone a spell. Receivers are at a premium and the secondary is stretched thin.
"We talked about circling the wagons," general manager Rich McKay said. "But enough people have jumped off, it might just be circling the wagon."
Okay, so maybe this is a good time for perspective. To take a deep breath and remember the Bucs merely have lost two overtime games against undefeated teams. To close your eyes and recall they were 2-2 or 3-3 in three consecutive seasons from 1999-2001 and never missed the playoffs.
To recognize the defense still will stifle most teams and the offense appears more efficient than at the same time last season.
To know Tim Wansley never again will be near Marvin Harrison, not that Wansley ever got that close to him in the first place.
Yes, it's helpful to crack wise about Tampa Bay's shortcomings against the Colts Monday night since the alternative is to consider whether the same weaknesses will show up Sunday against the Redskins.
Because, you have to admit, the possibility does exist. Do you suppose Steve Spurrier might have a game plan if the Bucs arrive with no pass rush and an obvious weak link in the secondary?
"We are 2-2, we have a lot of men hurt and it's hard to overcome that," coach Jon Gruden said. "It impacts special teams, it impacts the morale and the chemistry on the field. And some of these injuries are dramatic."
This is the worst news to come out of the Monday night meltdown. Not just that the Bucs lost, but that they limped away.
Four running backs left the game and two receivers also were sidelined. Kelly was the only defensive back hurt, but that was enough considering Tampa Bay has little experienced depth in the secondary.
"We're third in the league in offense, we're fifth in the league in defense. That's probably the best we've ever been statistically in the history of the franchise," McKay said. "We lost two overtime games we should have ended in regulation. So I think we're more disappointed than anything else.
"If there's a concern, it's that we're banged up. Probably the most we've been in a couple of years. It's hard, but we have to deal with that."
Still, there are other disturbing signs. The special teams appear hopelessly broken. The stars who routinely made game-saving plays last season were noticeably absent in the clutch against the Panthers and Colts.
Perhaps, worst of all, was the shock of seeing the defense collapse Monday night. Wansley makes a convenient target, but the fault was not his alone.
Knowing the Colts likely were passing on every down, the defensive line still was unable to put pressure on Peyton Manning. He attempted 40 passes in the second half and overtime and was put on the ground once.
Four games into the season, Warren Sapp, Anthony McFarland and Greg Spires have combined for zero sacks. That's three-fourths of what is supposed to be the most feared defensive line in the league.
Though the defense has been dominant at times, it also has shown holes against both the run and pass. The Bucs have allowed a quarterback to throw for 386 yards. They've let a running back rush for 142 yards. The last time the defense gave up those kind of numbers in the same season was 1984.
"This business," defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin said as he eased into a chair in a meeting room, "can really knock you down."
At first, Kiffin's voice is soft and low. It is a voice of knowledge. Of reason. To listen to Kiffin is to hear comfort dressed in adjectives.
He tells you the defense has not slipped. He says talent and pride eventually will prevail. As he talks, Kiffin gets more animated. His voice rises.
"It was a tough week on our head coach," Kiffin said. "It seemed all anyone talked about was (Tony Dungy). Oh, Jon Gruden didn't win a Super Bowl? We got this ring for one reason. We got it because of one guy. Jon Gruden.
"Tony got us started, but Jon got us there. Don't anybody forget that."
