Yesterday Gruden pulled Gradkowski after his 3rd Q fumble turned the game around and swung momentum to Atlanta. Here's some ink on it from the Buc's website..........
Rarely will one witness a better example of a sudden momentum change than the one that defined the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ 17-6 loss to the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday.
The moment is simple to pinpoint: Five minutes into the third quarter, Bucs leading 6-0, Gradkowski dropping back to pass on third-and-four. The rookie passer may have held the ball a bit longer than was wise and the end result was a sack from behind by DE John Abraham, a fumble and seven points for the Falcons. Cue the shift of momentum and a second-half Falcon runaway.
Before it was over, the Falcons had scored 17 unanswered points and rushed for 139 yards despite injuries to both tailbacks, Bruce Gradkowski had taken a seat on the bench and Atlanta CB DeAngelo Hall had entertained himself with a series of celebratory backflips in the Bucs’ backfield. Worse yet, the 3-10 Bucs had finished up their first winless run through the NFC South, going 0-6 against Atlanta, Carolina and New Orleans.
"It’s hard to swallow that one," said Gruden of the loss. "Defensively, I thought we did a very good job for the most part. Offensively we started good. The turnover to start the second half and a couple missed opportunities in the passing game hurt us. We’re just not playing very good offensive football right now, running the ball, pass-protecting and throwing."
Before Abraham’s sack, the Bucs had the game’s only two scores, were leading in total yardage, 163 to 149, had the game’s only takeaway, had held Atlanta’s potent rushing attack to 60 yards and were just on the fringes of scoring territory again.
Post-fumble, the Bucs struggled mightily to move the ball, gaining just one more first down on the next three drives before Gradkowski (13 of 24 for 121 yards) was pulled for veteran reserve Tim Rattay. After the game, Gruden declined to indicate whether the switch to Rattay would extend into next Sunday’s game at Chicago.
"We will address that in the next couple days," said Gruden, who did rule out the possibility of going with the team’s other reserve, Luke McCown. "I just think there were a couple situations where [Gradkowski] looked tentative, a little bit unsure, out of rhythm. There were a couple of plays there he’s good enough to make and he’s got to make to beat the Atlanta Falcons. I thought a change in quarterbacks could possibly give us a spark."
Seeing his first regular-season playing time as a Buccaneer, Rattay completed nine of 13 passes for 83 yards and led a last-minute drive that reached Atlanta’s two-yard line before time expired. Unfortunately, Rattay’s first drive at the helm ended in a Cadillac Williams fumble that led to Morten Andersen’s game-clinching 23-yard field goal. The Falcons had built a 14-6 lead in the third quarter with their only extended scoring drive of the game, a 71-yard march that ended in Justin Griffith’s 21-yard touchdown run.
Jon Gruden called it "The Great Debate," and he arrived at his press conference Monday morning ready to weigh in on it.
Would playing Tim Rattay at quarterback next Sunday give the Tampa Bay Buccaneers a better chance of beating the Chicago Bears? Or would sticking with rookie Bruce Gradkowski under center make more sense for the team now and in the long haul?
In short, would the Bucs be making their first non-injury related quarterback switch since 2004?
Gruden and his staff spent Sunday evening mulling over the various elements that factored into that decision and, as he revealed on Monday, chose to stay the course with Gradkowski. The Bucs will, however, increase Rattay’s practice-field workload this week in order to keep the veteran option open for Sunday’s game as well.
"We’re going to get both guys ready to play," said Gruden. "We expect Bruce to start the game and we’ll get Tim Rattay some more work this week and get both guys prepared to play. We’ve just got to perform better, there’s no question about it."
Rattay replaced Gradkowski for the Bucs’ final two drives against Atlanta on Sunday after the Falcons had taken a 17-6 lead. Cadillac Williams’ fumble killed the first of those two drives on just the second play, but the second one traveled most of the length of the field. Rattay’s hurried fourth-down keeper from the two-yard line didn’t crack the end zone, but he finished with nine completions in 13 attempts for 83 yards.
"We’ve had a good look at Tim throughout training camp and in the preseason," said Gruden of the former San Francisco starter who was acquired via trade in October of 2005. "I thought he moved our team down the field and put us in a position to score. He made some good throws, threw the ball with some anticipation. I think he’s a good football player. We’re going to get him ready to perform, if needed, this Sunday in Chicago."
After the game, Gruden declined to immediately name his starter for the following weekend. He made his decision later, however, and was swayed by the potential he still sees in the admittedly struggling rookie passer.
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Originally Posted by Rickeydad
