It's halftime, and the Bucs are getting their asses handed to them by the 1-6 Chiefs, 24-13. In today's St. Pete Times, Stephen F. Holder confidently picked the Bucs to win 20-10. Oops. The Chiefs' offense has been very successful, running all over the Bucs' fifth-ranked defense. And to add insult to injury, they burned Tampa Bay's secondary for a touchdown out of the Wildcat formation. The Bucs were supposed to feast on QB Tyler Thigpen, who is making only his second straight start this year, but he's getting the job done and showing considerable poise.
Meanwhile, Tampa Bay's offense has looked shaky, and Jeff Garcia has already thrown a pick. On the bright side, Clifton Smith returned a kickoff 97 yards for a touchdown and Matt Bryant added a field goal just before the end of the half. Will it be enough to spark a comeback? Stay tuned…
This article appears in Oct 29 – Nov 4, 2008.