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These Injuries Might Douse Big Parade

By MARTIN FENNELLY

Published: Oct 2, 2007

TAMPA - "That's a big blow."

Jon Gruden wasn't blowing smoke.

The Bucs' walk in the clouds is on crutches.

Cadillac Williams and left tackle Luke Petitgout are lost to season-ending knee injuries. And that's before Peyton Manning breaks out his scalpel in Indianapolis.

Maybe it was too good to be true - the 20-7 win against Carolina, the 3-1 start, the resurgent defense, the greatest Garcia since Jerry.

Monday's news was large. Sooner or later, it will matter.

Donald Penn, the new left tackle, has Dwight Freeney on the brain.

"I've been thinking about that ever since the game ended," Penn said.

So has Freeney. And he's wearing a lobster bib.

Ask The Eagles

Like the G Man said, it's a big blow. You just don't lose your featured running back and left tackle in this league and roll happily along.

The Eagles tried it Sunday against the Giants without Brian Westbrook and William (Tra) Thomas. The Eagles scored three points. Donovan McNabb was sacked 12 times.

Grudes: "Watching Philadelphia yesterday play without their left tackle and without their running back, you know it's not an easy thing to overcome."

Some Bucs fans, in Bucs-are-back euphoria, think this isn't Caddy-strophic, it won't put a dent in the run game, what with Michael Pittman and Earnest Graham. Mikey Pitt could have been Super Bowl MVP five years ago and Graham is suddenly Mr. Touchdown.

We remind those people that the Caddy looked great Sunday before going down after an 18-yard run.

And that Caddy might have been the central reason why the Bucs made the playoffs when they last made the playoffs.

And that Caddy was drafted, for a reason, while Pittman and Graham were already Bucs.

And there's Donald Penn.

It's hard for the Bucs not to suck in tiny air bubbles over all this. Gruden has had more than his share of injured players. All coaches do.

Word out of Indy is that Colts receiver Marvin Harrison might miss the game with an injury. Upon hearing this, the Bucs re-signed Tim Wansley.

Big Week Anyway

Just kidding.

But this season was going so well.

Well …

"Sometimes you hear the old Wally Pipp story," Gruden said. "You know, a guy fills in and becomes a great performer for a long time. And sometimes teams struggle for years on end trying to replace a guy who departs or gets injured. This story will be told here in the coming weeks."

Sunday should be quite the story all by itself. Who thought this would be a big game before the season? It looked like a day of intense pain for Gruden and the lads.

But now the surprising Bucs are playing the 4-0 defending Super Bowl champs. Gruden-Tony Dungy stories seem slightly forced, though you know Gruden would love to do unto Dungy as Dungy did unto him in 2003, when the Colts came to Tampa and stunned the defending champ Bucs 38-35. A lot has happened since then. It seems like it's more about the teams this time.

"Coach Dungy is a legend here, in this country as a football coach," Gruden said. "God bless him."

God bless us all, everyone.

Didn't Jonny G. win a Super Bowl, too? What does that make Gruden?

Gruden: "I'll be lucky to drive down the freeway without my hat on sideways."

We have no idea what that means.

"I don't know who the hell I am," Gruden said.

He's the man who just lost his featured back and left tackle.

As injuries go, these are pips.

Or is it Pipps?