Bucs/NFL

He'll 'come back raring'

What Bucs coach Jon Gruden is saying now about quarterback Chris Simms.

By RICK STROUD
Published September 19, 2006

Did you misjudge Chris Simms' level of experience?

"Well, you know, you have to take responsibility for that. So, obviously the results that we want right now are not at the standards that we want. But, I am going to say this: I'm not going to throw in the towel. We're going to get back to work today, Carolina comes in here 0-2, and they're not feeling real good about themselves either. We are very young into the season. I know Chris' first two starts last year didn't go by design, to say the least, and I am hoping that his play picks up significantly. There were some opportunities to make big plays (Sunday) and we've got to make them. And until we do, we are going to struggle against good football teams."

Are you worried about Simms' confidence?

"I worry about everyone's confidence when things don't go good. We've got to do a great job of rallying around him, as a staff. I know our football team will do that. He's got to take responsibility to get better, and I know he will. But I do worry about everyone's confidence certainly in a skid like this. At the same time, I have a lot of respect for him and his resolve. I expect him to come back raring and ready to go this week."

Would you make a change if you had more confidence in the quarterbacks behind Simms?

"We don't have a lot of experience. I don't see any experience showing up here on the horizon, so some of these negative experiences you've just got to swallow and you've got to move on. Hopefully, he can improve."

[Last modified September 19, 2006, 00:50:43]