Monday, Sep. 29, 2008

BUCS NOTES: Run D was difference

Outside of turnovers, the biggest factor in the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' 30-21 victory against the Green Bay Packers on Sunday was Tampa Bay's defense against the run.

On Green Bay's first series, which culminated in a 25-yard touchdown pass from Aaron Rodgers to Greg Jennings, the Packers rushed for 18 yards on six carries.

Tampa Bay held the Packers to 10 yards on 12 carries the rest of the game. Green Bay was averaging 115 rushing yards a game, and the Bucs had allowed an average of 121 rushing yards before Sunday.

Through the first four games, Tampa Bay has not allowed a rushing touchdown and has not surrendered a 100-yard performance by an opposing back.

"The No. 1 things always is to stop the run," said Bucs linebacker Barrett Ruud. "You want to make their offense one-dimensional."

"It wasn't pretty all the time, but we got it done, and we'll take it," said defensive end Greg White. "Great win today for the entire team."

Graham clinches victory

Tampa Bay running back Earnest Graham sewed up the victory with a 1-yard touchdown run with 1:56 remaining.

Graham, who gained 111 rushing yards on 20 carries, set up the score with a 47-yard burst through a tiring Packers defense on the previous play. The former Florida star has run for 334 yards this season and is averaging 5.9 yards a carry.

Warrick Dunn added 63 yards on 16 carries as the Bucs gained 178 yards on the ground. Tampa Bay's offensive line was the impetus.

"I think we came out here and tried to be physical," said right tackle Jeremy Trueblood. "They're a great defensive front, and we just tried to come out here and do our job to the best of our ability."

Ruud treatment

Ruud notched his second interception of the season and the fourth of his career in the second quarter, setting up a short scoring drive that ended with a 36-yard field goal by Matt Bryant and gave the Bucs a 13-7 halftime lead.

Ruud picked off an Aaron Rodgers pass and returned it 10 yards to the Packers' 45-yard line. Ruud later added the first sack of his career, getting to Rodgers for a 9-yard loss. "We had a blitz on, and (the Packers) kind of slid everything to Ronde (Barber)," Ruud said. "They kind of missed me."

The Bucs are 4-0 in games when Ruud makes an interception. He finished the game with five tackles.

Defensive end Gaines Adams also made his second interception of the season.

Griese: Ups and downs

It wouldn't be entirely fair to say the Bucs won in spite of Brian Griese, but head coach Jon Gruden will be looking for a stronger performance from his quarterback Sunday at Denver.

Griese, who benefited from excellent field position because of turnovers, completed 15 of 30 passes for 149 yards and a touchdown but threw three interceptions.

The pickoff that Charles Woodson - Griese's teammate on Michigan's 1997 national championship team - returned 62 yards for a touchdown early in the fourth quarter wasn't Griese's fault. He hit Dunn in the flat, but Woodson swooped in to steal the football from Dunn and scored for a short-lived 21-20 Green Bay lead.

Bucs bits

Barber played his 165th game in a Bucs uniform Sunday, moving ahead of former teammate John Lynch into fourth place all-time. . . . Josh Bidwell's 64-yard punt in the first quarter was his longest since a 68-yarder for the Packers in 2001. It was the fifth-longest in team history and Tampa Bay's longest since a 64-yarder by Tom Tupa in 2002. . . . Tight end Alex Smith recorded his first touchdown catch of 2008 on a 9-yard toss from Griese in the second quarter. . . . Wide receiver Dexter Jackson opened the second half with a 45-yard kickoff return, the longest of his career. . . . Bucs defensive end Kevin Carter recorded his second quarterback sack of the season and is second among active players with 102.5 sacks.