Columns

Backup QB job is as uncertain as ever

By GARY SHELTON, Times Columnist
Published August 31, 2007

Luke McCown has experience reading coach Jon Gruden's playbook, but hasn't taken a regular season snap since 2004 with the Browns. Although he has had a good preseason, would that performance translate to regular season success if No. 1 quarterback Jeff Garcia goes down?
	[Times photo: Brian Cassella]

ADVERTISEMENT [Times photo: Brian Cassella] Chris Simms' injury last season caused problems for the Bucs last season, so Jon Gruden kept Jeff Garcia (left) on the sidelines for the final preseason game as a precaution.

TAMPA - Think of Luke McCown as the Geico gecko. Think of Bruce Gradkowski as the Aflac duck. Think of Chris Simms as a freshly stuffed woodchuck ready to go on a shelf at a nearby Blue Cross and Blue Shield office.

Gee. Who should Jon Gruden pick as his insurance carrier?

If you watched the Bucs in their final play-pretend game of the preseason Thursday night, it was hard not to think about the unthinkable. In particular, if new starting quarterback Jeff Garcia were to go down with an injury, do the Bucs have another one who can keep the season from going down with him? When you look closely at the possible stand-ins, is there anyone who can stand up?

And when it comes down to it, which do you believe: The statistics of a preseason, or the resumes of previous seasons?

As questions go, the one about the backup quarterback is roughly the same size as the season ahead. Not that Garcia hasn't looked good, but if Tampa Bay has learned anything about quarterbacks over the years, it is this: sometimes, they break.

Gruden knows. He has spent much of the past three seasons sending in one quarterback for another, trying desperately to juggle injuries and inexperience and inconsistency. A relay race doesn't have as many performers.

Consider this: Of the Bucs' last 48 games, 35 have been quarterbacked by someone who did not open the season as a starter. Of Gruden's last 20 victories, 15 have come behind a passer who began the season on the bench.

In other words, Garcia was kept out of Thursday night's game only partially to keep him healthy. It was also to decide what to do in case he is not.

So who is next in line?

And really, do any of them make you feel safe?

If you could trust the preseason as a true indicator, you would probably feel pretty good about what you saw Thursday. McCown was terrific, hitting 15 of 20 passes for 203 yards and three touchdowns in a half. Yes, it was good enough to nail down the job as No.2 quarterback. Still, Gradkowski was good, too, hitting 13 of 20 for 141 yards and the winning touchdown. Final preseason ratings: McCown 113.3, Gradkowski 107.5.

On the other hand, this is August, and by now, Bucs fans should be aware that preseason statistics are fool's gold. Remember Randy Hedberg, who won the starting job in '77 with a terrific preseason? He lasted two games. Jerry Golsteyn, who wowed the coaches in '83? He lasted three. Remember Steve DeBerg, who seemed like the right choice in '93? He lasted into the third quarter of the opener. Remember, it was the preseason that birthed the legends of Scott Milanovich and, yes, Gradkowski.

In the interest of perspective, here are some numbers worth mixing into the equation. McCown has lost all four of his starts in the NFL. Gradkowski lost his last four starts a year ago. And if you count the postseason, Simms has lost his last four starts.

In the NFL, the right backup on the right team can still allow a team to win 10 games. The Bucs? Their three backups have won 10. Combined. Over their entire careers.

So why was Garcia standing on the sideline Thursday?

Why didn't someone pack him in bubble wrap and store him in a safe for his own protection?

Look, players do improve. Maybe that's the case with McCown, who has been around Gruden's playbook for a while now. However, he hasn't taken a snap since 2004 when he was with Cleveland. He finished that year completing only 49 percent of his passes and had a rating of 52.6

And, yes, players do mature. Maybe that has happened with Gradkowski. He seems older, calmer. On the other hand, it has only been a few months since the Bucs lost eight of his 11 starts.

"It's a compelling argument (inexperience vs. preseason performance)," McCown said. "Obviously, I'm going to tell you that if I was a Buc fan, I would feel very good about the situation. It doesn't matter what round you were drafted or what string you are, when it comes to experience, there is only one way to get it."

Still, the Bucs are a long way from the spring depth chart of Garcia, Jake Plummer and Simms, aren't they? Simms opted out of Thursday's game with a hip injury. Still, he says he doesn't want to go on injured reserve. "I really think I'm 10-14 days from being able to help this team," Simms said.

Maybe. But everyone thought Simms would be healthy before now, too. And keeping a wobbly quarterback on the active roster is like keeping a flat spare tire in the trunk.

For now, it looks like McCown and Gradkowski, As good as they have played, however, they remain a question the Bucs would prefer not to ask. At age 37 and a few months into town, Garcia's health is the most crucial of any Buc. An injury to him would be hard to overcome.

If it happens, someone has to perform better than history would suggest.

Otherwise, losing a starter could finish a season.

Gary Shelton can be reached at (727) 893-8805.

[Last modified August 31, 2007, 01:34:10]