Sports: Scouting goes retro this week

Scouting goes retro this week

By RICK STROUD

TAMPA -- Sunday, only the VCRs will be working at One Buc Place.

Because of last week's terrorist attacks, NFL teams do not expect to get their usual allotment of videotape from their next opponent's most recent game until Tuesday or Wednesday. The major airlines will not transport cargo, so the Bucs will have to assess the Minnesota Vikings the old-fashioned way. All network feeds of NFL games will be recorded by the Bucs' video staff and given to coaches Monday morning.

"It will affect (preparation) to a certain extent," coach Tony Dungy said. "I'll probably end up taping some because now we're not sure if we're going to get the game (films) flown to us. So we may end up taping the games here. We may not get them until Tuesday or Wednesday."

Although the tapes will not be up to the usual quality, they will give the Bucs a detailed glimpse of their opponent.

"That'll give you a chance to just look at it," Dungy said. "You won't get it as clearly, but at least you'll see if there's anything different that you wouldn't know until Tuesday."

PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT: The 21 days between games actually came at a good time for the special teams, horrendous at Dallas in the season opener.

Not only did the Bucs allow Reggie Swinton's 77-yard kickoff return, they failed to recover an onside kick and missed a field goal.

"It's been good, obviously, when you can get three (or) four practices where you're not working on Philadelphia's returns, but things in general you've got to be good at," Dungy said. "That helps. It's almost like another week and a half of training camp, which should benefit a lot of those guys."

Early in every season, Dungy said, teams give up big plays on special teams because of new players.

"The first six weeks of the season, you have a lot of big plays on special teams. You have a lot of blocked kicks," Dungy said. "It just happens. And as those guys get used to playing, you get less and less as the season goes on. Those guys have to learn how fast it goes and that it's not like preseason. It's close. Preseason simulates it. But they don't have any idea of the tempo and how fast things are going to go on opening day."

WHO'S OUT: Center Jeff Christy is back, Todd Washington is his backup and someone might be headed back to the practice squad.

The most likely candidate is Florida center/guard Leon Hires, who was signed from the practice squad to provide depth behind Washington.

"It's hard to say. We'll look at that when we come back," Dungy said. "With Jeff being healthy, you look at your team and say, 'What's the best group we can put together?' Right now, I don't know if there's anybody we'd like to move up from the practice squad or that there's anybody we'd like to sign. It'll be kind of business as usual, and we'll see what happens. Right now, (Hires) is the third center."

Another possibility for the practice squad is receiver Milton Wynn, who was claimed off waivers from the Rams before the season opener.

"Milton Wynn is a big guy. He can go get the deep ball. He's got some natural receiving skills," Dungy said. "But the NFL and our scheme is all brand new to him. We liked him coming out in the draft, and hopefully, he'll just continue to develop.

"If we don't have anybody else get hurt, there's a good chance he could stay (on the active roster). But right now, he'd be the least ready to go into a game and play for us."