Garcia's results outstrip all other measurements

By JOHN ROMANO
Published September 18, 2007

Bucs quarterback Jeff Garcia warms up before the game.
	[Brian Cassella | Times]

TAMPA - It is not just the arm. Every college reunion has some failed quarterback who, once upon a time, could throw the prettiest spiral you've ever seen.

It is not just the feet. If quickness and mobility were all it took to play quarterback, then Bobby Douglass would have been a star and Johnny Unitas a failure.

It is not just size or courage. It is not just smarts or daring. In the end, a quarterback must be the sum of all of those things, or he must be gravitating toward another choice in life.

Which brings us to Jeff Garcia, quarterback incognito.

Let's face it, the guy is not much to look at. A little short for the NFL, a little skinny for his own good. His arm is certainly adequate, probably a little better than you think. The feet are nimble, and the heart is oversized.

The beauty is in the way it all comes together.

In the three or four moments it takes Garcia to see, recognize, process and commit. In the split-second decision to challenge, flee or retreat. In the instant he lets a pass go.

"Doing it all with eight guys trying to rip his head off," quarterbacks coach Paul Hackett said.

It has been a while since a Tampa Bay quarterback played a game quite so well as Garcia did against the Saints on Sunday. Others have thrown for far more yards or twice as many touchdowns. Garcia set neither records nor the world ablaze.

Instead, he played with an efficiency you had forgotten was an option.

"We've got a quarterback who sees things other people don't see," receiver Ike Hilliard said.

That is, perhaps, the best way to explain the difference between Garcia and the wreck that was Tampa Bay's offense in 2006.

How many times did Jon Gruden suggest there were plays to be made last year? How often did he insinuate the Bucs were leaving points on the field because his quarterbacks were reluctant to pull the trigger?

Garcia, 37, does not have an arm as impressive as Chris Simms'. He does not have the size of Luke McCown or the youthfulness of Bruce Gradkowski. What he has is the ability to make plays.

Not just routine plays. Not just the dump to a back or a slant across the middle. Garcia has the ability, and the presence, to provide the Bucs with the kind of downfield passing attack not seen in these parts for a long, long time.

"He allows you to do a lot more," Gruden said. "He is a much better quarterback - no disrespect to anyone else we have had here - than we have played with. He just is a better player. He is more athletic, more instinctive. He's quicker, he plays fast, and he has tremendous experience. He allows you to do a lot of things."

Garcia has attempted 43 passes and has four completions of 40 yards or more. That is an astonishing ratio. It is twice as many deep completions as Peyton Manning has had with Marvin Harrison. Or Tony Romo with Terrell Owens. It is quadruple the number of bombs Tom Brady has thrown to Randy Moss.

Now some of that is because of circumstances the New Orleans secondary or good fortune (Joey Galloway taking a medium route 69 yards), and Garcia will surely not continue at a pace remotely similar.

But the impact already is evident. The Bucs have their first division victory since 2005 and the highest degree of optimism on the offense in at least that long. The deep passes opened up Tampa Bay's long-dormant running game in the second half Sunday when the Saints finally began worrying about receivers running through the secondary.

"The traditional way to do it is you run to set up the pass. But it's equally effective to make someone preoccupied about stopping the pass," Hackett said. "That's the beauty of Peyton Manning. Everyone is so worried about that passing game, (the Colts) can run the ball wonderfully. That can work for us, too."

Others will not be as accommodating as New Orleans. The Rams will probably challenge Tampa Bay's young offensive line with numerous blitzes. Defensive coordinators are not likely to leave cornerbacks on an island against Galloway.

The hope is that, as opponents adjust to the Bucs, Garcia will make adjustments of his own.

"Part of the reason he's still in the league is he has the moxie to know the situation and know when to take his shots," Hilliard said. "It's knowing the personnel on the field and knowing the defense. It's not just a question of going for broke but knowing when it makes sense. And you expect that from a guy who has played this much football."

There is a bit of a swashbuckler quality to Garcia. A confidence borne of his experience and ability to make plays on the run. At some point, he will gamble once too often, and the Bucs will wind up getting burned.

But that is a worry for some other day. A problem for down the line.

Today, the Bucs are willing to take their shots down the field.

And they finally have a quarterback capable of pulling the trigger.

John Romano can be reachedat romano@sptimes.com or(727) 893-8811.

[Last modified September 17, 2007, 23:35:44]