Weather | Sports | Forums | Comics | Classifieds | Calendar | Movies
Foot sprain sidelines the Bucs running back, who will be replaced by a committee.
By RICK STROUD
© St. Petersburg Times, published October 2, 2001
TAMPA -- He scored the Bucs' lone touchdown to give his team its only lead Sunday at Minnesota.
Warrick Dunn then limped to the sideline and didn't play the rest of the game. The Bucs offense could be crippled for a while longer.
Dunn, who has missed one game in his four-year career, will be out three to four weeks with a sprained right foot.
It's a severe blow to an offense that has scored two touchdowns in as many games.
With Dunn out for Sunday's home opener against division leader Green Bay, the Bucs will turn to a running back by committee approach.
Second-year pro Aaron Stecker, the NFL Europe MVP in 2000, likely will replace Dunn in the starting lineup. But the Bucs also plan to use Mike Alstott and Rabih Abdullah.
"We've got guys who can pick up the slack and do it and that's what you have to do in these situations," coach Tony Dungy said. "Mike (Alstott) will play a little bit more at halfback. Aaron Stecker and Rabih Abdullah will play and we expect to continue on and do the same things we've been doing. Hopefully, we'll improve in our execution."
Coincidentally, Alstott's sprained knee last season provided Dunn with an opportunity to become the Bucs' lead ballcarrier. Dunn responded with 520 yards rushing in four games.
"It's a situation where all the backs have to step up," said Alstott, who gained 24 yards on three carries Sunday. "Whatever the situation is at tailback, we have to take the load off as far as carrying the ball."
Dunn was effective against the Vikings, with 11 carries for 65 yards (a 5.9 average) and a touchdown. But the Bucs offense had only three possessions in the first half and 20 fewer plays than Minnesota.
"We'll probably just continue with the same way and see who handles it better, Aaron or Rabih," Dungy said. "But we won't change a whole lot."
Stecker has just 14 career carries in the NFL for 32 yards. He caught three passes for 33 yards against the Vikings.
"I feel good and bad. Me and Warrick are tremendous friends," Stecker said. "It's unfortunate it comes like this, but I always prepare myself like I'm going to get in there and make some plays. If I do get an opportunity to carry the ball more, I want to make the most of it. Just being in the NFL is not good enough."
It's appropriate that Stecker's first start could come against the Packers. He grew up in a house a mile and a half from Lambeau Field.
"I was talking to my wife about that today. Both times we played the Packers last year, I didn't get an opportunity to play against them," Stecker said. "Now I have an opportunity to maybe start and the first team I start against is the Green Bay Packers. I lived a mile and a half from the stadium and that was my team growing up. It's a storybook thing."
The Bucs may be better prepared to lose Dunn this season.
A year ago, Stecker was tired after coming off a full season with NFL Europe, and he was unfamiliar with the Bucs offense.
The Bucs are hopeful Dunn will be able to return in time for their rematch against Minnesota on Oct. 28. The injury is similar to the foot sprain that caused cornerback Dwight Smith to miss the season opener at Dallas.
"I feel he'll probably have the same rehab as Dwight has and see how fast he comes," Dungy said.
Dunn's injury only compounds the problems of the offense, which gained 331 yards but scored one touchdown.
"I don't know that the big plays are missing," Dungy said. "We've had some third-and-1's that we didn't make, which has been a stumbling block for us up there."