Compressed schedule takes toll physically and mentally
By STEPHEN F. HOLDER
Published November 24, 2006
IRVING, Texas - When the NFL released its schedule this past summer, this was the stretch Jon Gruden circled in bold ink.
Three games. Eleven days. A Thanksgiving Day matchup on the road. Pretty much an impossible set of circumstances.
Now it's over.
After going 1-2 against Carolina, Washington and Dallas, the Bucs reflected on the physical and mental struggles that confronted them during a stretch unprecedented in franchise history.
"It's as much a mental toll as a physical toll," cornerback Ronde Barber said. "You take several days to decompress after a game. But for us, you go in there on your off day on Monday and you're already digging into game film when you're still trying to forget about the second quarter from the game before.
"It was mental. In fact, physically, I felt good Thursday."
The Bucs are just the fourth team since 1978 (the first 16-game season) to play three games in 11 days with two on the road. The others didn't fare well, either. Buffalo (1-2 in 1994), Washington (1-2 in 1990) and Seattle (0-3 in 1980) knew what the Bucs would learn: Playing that many games that close together is no small task.
And when a team is as battered as the Bucs, you can never have enough time between games. The injuries have piled up during the past several weeks, and some new ones occurred Thursday, including left guard Dan Buenning's potential season-ending right knee injury.
The Bucs say they're not making excuses, just pointing out facts.
"(Injuries) are a big factor given the number of players who were missing," coach Jon Gruden said. "It's a hard deal. But I thought our guys played hard in Carolina. They responded with a win (Sunday), and we came out of the chute (Thursday) with an impressive 80-yard drive."
But inevitably, the Bucs began to look like a team that didn't have much left.
"If we could have just found a way to sustain that first-quarter energy," tight end Anthony Becht said. "For us to start that well, it's really frustrating to finish like we did."
Some of the tougher challenges during this demanding stretch: playing on a Monday night at Carolina and arriving home in the early morning hours on Tuesday. During last week's preparation for Washington, coaches used the precious free moments to sneak peeks at the Cowboys even while trying to implement a game plan for Sunday.
And after defeating Washington, the work began immediately with coaches turning their full attention to the Cowboys by Sunday night.
About the only silver lining in having endured the stretch is the 10 days between Thursday's loss and the Dec. 3 game at Pittsburgh.
In the end, the Bucs failed to meet a significant challenge, one of many areas in which they have fallen short this season.
"That's the way the schedule was. You have to roll with the punches," safety Will Allen said. "Life is tough.
"But you have to face adversity and overcome it."
Stephen F. Holder can be reached at sholder@sptimes.com or (813) 226-3377.