McCown might be front, under center

The former third-string quarterback gets most snaps ahead of Gradkowski as the team roots for Garcia to heal.

By RICK STROUD, Times Staff Writer
Published November 29, 2007

ADVERTISEMENT [Brendan Fitterer | Times] Luke McCown, turning to make a handoff in the opener against Seattle, has completed one pass this season for 9 yards. He was sacked twice.

TAMPA - So much for the quarterback sneak.

The Bucs tried to keep their choice of signal-callers for Sunday's game at New Orleans quiet, but the clues tumbled like a pair of sneakers in the clothes dryer.

Injured starter Jeff Garcia said Wednesday that his bruised back is too sore for him to practice.

Luke McCown took the vast majority of reps with the first-team offense. And quarterbacks coach Paul Hackett said Bruce Gradkowski missed a half-dozen plays he should've made in his relief appearance against the Redskins.

When reminded he had said one quarterback would get nearly 100 percent of the reps this week, Bucs coach Jon Gruden admitted the obvious.

"We might not want everybody to know what we're doing," he said.

Of course, the Bucs have made no secret that they hope Garcia will be able to play against the Saints.

Unfortunately, Garcia said his mobility is so limited that he can't function without putting his team and his health in jeopardy. A final decision will come later in the week, and he didn't rule out playing Sunday even if he's unable to practice this week.

"I don't think (practicing) would be a smart move on my behalf as far as needing to get to where I need to be in order to play in a game," Garcia said. "If I don't feel I can be who I need to be as a player, then I can't afford to put myself in that sort of position for this team, because I don't think I'm helping this team in any sort of way."

The odd man out would appear to be Gradkowski, the second-year pro who made 11 starts as a rookie last season but struggled in his relief appearance Sunday against the Redskins. Although he didn't commit a turnover, Gradkowski failed to produce touchdowns on three of the four fumbles inside the Redskins 35-yard line, completed 9-of-19 passes for 100 yards, and failed to lead the Bucs to a first down in the second half.

"I was happy when you look at the overall performance and doing what we had to do," Hackett said of Gradkowski. "But my goodness gracious, there were half a dozen plays that you would love to think that at this stage, he would make those plays. And I think that was the disappointing thing.

"When you get those turnovers, you've got to score touchdowns, you've got to slam the door. And if you don't slam the door, then you're suspect."

Both McCown and Gradkowski were coy before practice regarding their possible role in Sunday's game if Garcia is unable to play. "You just have to hop on the roller coaster and just whatever happens happens; go with the flow," Gradkowski said.

But Hackett admitted Wednesday that McCown took most of the first-team reps. He has been the inactive third quarterback since going 1-for-4 at Seattle in the season opener.

"I think we'll just go with what we think we probably need to do, and I think probably Luke gets a little more (reps) than Bruce because Bruce has been getting a little more than Luke to this point."

The biggest concern for the Bucs is Garcia returning too soon and aggravating an injury that could force him to miss several more games.

"I mean, this is not a game of non-contact," Garcia said. "Obviously, you're putting yourself in a position every single down to make matters worse. And that's important we don't put ourselves in that situation."

Saints coach Sean Payton said his team will prepare for the Bucs offense first and worry about who's running it second.

"You're dealing with guys who can make plays with their feet, guys who can extend plays," he said. "They have a good handle on what they're doing. I think they're very well-coached. So that's the challenge for our defense, whether it's Garcia, whether it's Gradkowski or whether it's any one of those other guys. You're going to have to be prepared to defend that offense."

[Last modified November 29, 2007, 00:48:38]