Joe Jurevicius and Tim Wansley may be out for the season. Gruden says team must respond to adversity.
By RICK STROUD
Published December 2, 2003
TAMPA - It's a scene that has become familiar to Jon Gruden.
First, he tried to explain away a defeat by the world champions.
Then he described how a terrible season just got worse: Joe Jurevicius didn't feel well enough to start Sunday night's game at Jacksonville. Tim Wansley couldn't finish it.
Now Gruden says both are likely to be placed on injured reserve.
"This is not a bowl of cherries, I've said that from the very beginning," Gruden said Monday. "We've had our share of adversity this year and you've got to respond to it. You can't win a Super Bowl one year and have everything go your way all the time. It makes us appreciate what we did last season."
Jurevicius, who made a valiant return from a torn medial collateral ligament in his right knee, participated in one play during Sunday night's 17-10 loss to the Jaguars.
"It just wasn't up to par," Jurevicius said. "I tried. I did everything I could."
The Bucs receiver declined comment on whether he would finish the season on injured reserve. "I'm going to wait for the team to announce that," he said.
Wansley pulled a hamstring while yielding the winning, 48-yard touchdown pass to Jaguars receiver Jimmy Smith. He had an MRI exam Monday and also could be lost for the season.
Wansley's injury leaves the team particularly thin at cornerback. Wansley was starting for veteran Brian Kelly, who went on injured reserve Oct. 21 with a torn pectoral muscle. Rookie Torrie Cox (torn knee ligament) was placed on IR in the preseason.
"Yeah, we're worried about Wans and are real concerned, obviously, at the corner position," Gruden said. "Tim, we do believe, has a serious hamstring injury. Is it season-ending? It possibly is. All I can tell you is we'll further evaluate that."
With Wansley out, the Bucs might have to move safety Dwight Smith to cornerback and start second-year pro Jermaine Phillips at safety. That leaves nickel back Corey Ivy as the only available corner.
"Corners don't grow on trees," Gruden said. "We'll look hard to find someone who can come in and help us. That's all I can say."
The team is short-handed at receiver due to the Nov. 18 decision to deactivate Keyshawn Johnson for the remainder of the season.
A season that began with such promise ended with frustration for Jurevicius. After catching two touchdown passes in the season-opening win at Philadelphia, he tore his knee ligament in Week 2 against Carolina.
Jurevicius missed seven games and spent three weeks on the practice field before returning to play sparingly against Green Bay and the Giants. Although unable to practice the past two weeks with swelling on his knee that had to be drained, Jurevicius was cleared to play Sunday and was activated against the Jaguars.
"Obviously, this injury has been one that has not healed," Gruden said.
Meanwhile, the Bucs are left to cope with the prospect of missing the playoffs for the first time since 1998 and finishing with a losing record for the first time in seven years.
On Sunday night, the Bucs lost their sixth game in which they were leading or tied in the fourth quarter. Tampa Bay allowed Jaguars rookie quarterback Byron Leftwich to pass for 224 yards and two touchdowns; running back Fred Taylor rushed for 118 yards; and Smith caught 10 passes for 136 yards and a score.
"It's a combination of things," Gruden said. "A couple years ago, the four corners were (Donnie) Abraham, (Ronde) Barber, (Brian) Kelly and Dwight Smith. And right now, we've got one of the four left playing the position. Tim Wansley going out doesn't help us do a lot of things that we have done. In terms of blitzing and playing eight-man fronts, it's made things more difficult. ... But what can I say? I will not make excuses. I will just say that we're all disappointed."
The Bucs are not mathematically out of the NFC playoff race, but their chances are remote, at best. Gruden vows, however, to help his team finish strong.
"We've got four games left to play," Gruden said. "I realize the buzzards are flying around here and there are funeral arrangements being made. I won't tolerate that. We have what we have. We're just going to keep playing. We're going to keep playing with what we have, hopefully develop a young player here or there, and by God, we're going to do everything we've got to do, whether it be in free agency, the draft or just driving into somebody else's team and just stealing a player to continue to improve."
