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Derrick Brooks has a knack for knocking around the Falcons, and he won't let an injury block him today.

By RICK STROUD
Published November 20, 2005

At 32 and having been to eight Pro Bowls, Derrick Brooks is in search of new measuring sticks.

That's why the Bucs linebacker looks forward each season to playing against the guy who can gauge his greatness.

Falcons quarterback Michael Vick.

"It's the ultimate challenge in terms of a one-man weapon," Brooks said. "His ability to make plays, from his decisionmaking to athletic ability, is unmatched by any other one player in this game. I just think that matchup, to me, I accept that challenge because I feel pretty good about the game I have."

But lately Brooks and the Bucs defense have struggled. For the first time since 1994, Tampa Bay (6-3) has surrendered at least 34 points in back-to-back games. After going the first six weeks without allowing a ball carrier to gain 100 yards rushing, it happened twice in the past three games.

By his standards, Brooks can play better. Although he finished with 12 tackles last weekend against the Redskins, there were a couple of plays he appeared limited by a hamstring strain, an injury that was revealed when he missed a practice three weeks ago before the 49ers game.

Running back Ladell Betts beat Brooks one-on-one before catching a 17-yard touchdown pass to give the Redskins their first lead. And Brooks appeared to overrun a play that resulted in a 31-yard run by Clinton Portis, who finished with 144 yards on 23 carries.

"I mentioned earlier last week, Derrick Brooks, it doesn't look like he can play at full speed," Fox analyst Troy Aikman said during the broadcast of the Redskins game, referring to Brooks' performance in the Bucs' 34-14 loss to Carolina. "He did not have the burst. He did not make the plays he usually makes."

But Bucs linebackers coach Joe Barry says Brooks' condition and play are improving.

"You can see it," Barry said. "But I don't want to fall into that because you show me one linebacker right now that's played 600-plus snaps this season that isn't banged up, that isn't sore. So I don't want to use that as an excuse.

"There were a couple plays - it wasn't a lack of burst or anything like that - it's just a situation where he got out of position a couple times. ... We've got to get this thing going. I'm not a gambling man, but if I was to bet I'd always put my money on 55, no doubt about it."

Asked if the hamstring injury is a factor, Brooks shakes his head. "Nah," he said. "I have to try to get better as a player. The past couple weeks have been off a little bit in terms of my pursuit angles. In evaluating myself, and nobody evaluates me harder than myself and Joe Barry, he said I've been pressing to make too many plays and I just need to come back into the flow of the game. I normally make those plays. It's just two or three a game, but it's big to me."

It's no surprise that Brooks would refuse to acknowledge an injury. He has not missed a game in his NFL career, a streak of 169 that includes 153 consecutive starts - the most among active defensive players.

The closest he came to missing a game was in 2001, when the Bucs lost at Tennessee 31-28 in overtime. Brooks had a severely sprained left foot and finished with a season-low four tackles. He did manage to intercept a pass but made a cut and was unable to manage much of a return.

After that game defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin said Brooks should not have played. But nobody is suggesting now that Brooks come off the field for a single play.

This time, Brooks insists he is completely healthy.

"Two overruns in a game is not that big a deal to some people," Brooks said. "To me it is. Again, just me being hard on myself and really trusting my coach that he knows what he's talking about. Throttling my game back down and quit pressing - the same thing I've preached to other guys, make sure I preach it to myself."

One player who sings Brooks' praises is Vick, who is 2-3 against the Bucs and has been sacked 14 times by them, the most by any team, while averaging just more than 100 yards passing. The 6-foot, 215-pound quarterback in his fifth season out of Virginia Tech was knocked out of a game after a tackle by Simeon Rice in '02 and has been knocked around in the others.

"He's the heart and soul of that football team," Vick, 25, said of Brooks. "He's one of the best linebackers in the game. I've been playing against him for the past four years, and it's not easy. I take my hat off to him. I have to give him respect. He's one of the best, and he will be until he retires."

That will be a happy day for Vick. In a 27-0 win over the Falcons last season, the 6-foot, 235-pound Brooks had 13 tackles, two sacks and forced Vick to fumble twice. He also left a tennis ball-sized welt on Vick's forehead.

"I was hot," Brooks said. "In some games, great players do it. Most people relate it to basketball when they get in that zone and they can't miss a bucket or a pass. I think that was a moment for me last year at that point in that ballgame. I was hitting on all cylinders, and that just ignited our defense."

But after giving up 69 points in the past two games, the Bucs defense is coming under scrutiny. So is its leader.

"We don't feel comfortable giving up 30-some points a ballgame, believe me," Brooks said. "It's something we've addressed."

If the past is prologue, the only one who should be worried about the Bucs defense is Vick.

"I never worry about No. 55 in games like this," Barry said. "The one thing that I have learned, when people have started to doubt him and people have started to question him, that's when he comes back and hits you right in the mouth."

[Last modified November 20, 2005, 00:54:20]