TNTEICHER
11-05-2004, 08:11 AM
BUCS NOTEBOOK
Smith Wants To Make Bigger Impact
Published: Nov 5, 2004
TAMPA - The Bucs aren't about to divulge their strategy for defending Chiefs Pro Bowl TE Tony Gonzalez, but you get the feeling from listening to S Dwight Smith that he's not going to be heavily involved in the plan.
``That's why I'm walking around here today with my head down,'' a disgruntled Smith said. ``I was hoping they'd come to me. I mean, you move me to safety, so why don't you give me a chance to make plays?
``And who better to measure yourself against than a player like Tony Gonzalez? How else am I going to measure myself? How am I going to keep myself busy out there?''
Smith should be plenty busy come Sunday. Defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin said Smith will be asked to defend Gonzalez at times and also be responsible for run support and shutting down the Chiefs' wide receivers.
That's typical of Smith's responsibilities as the strong safety, but Smith suggested that he's growing displeased with his weekly assignments and would like to have a more demanding role.
``I've been bored the first seven weeks of the year,'' said Smith, who was added to the injury report as probable (knee). ``I mean, I'd like to earn the paycheck I'm getting each week. I play a lot of snaps, but my factor plays, my impact plays, they're few and far between.''
DEFENSE CONFIDENT: Yes, the Chiefs have rolled up stunning totals of 101 points and 69 first downs the past two weeks, and yes, the Bucs have noticed.
Tampa Bay players might be impressed, but they are hardly intimidated.
``It will be a bit different,'' Bucs DE Simeon Rice said, referring to Kansas City's challenge in Tampa after dismantling the Colts defense at Arrowhead. ``I'm not [Colts DE] Dwight [Freeney]. I'm not just going to run upfield every time. I think it's going to go down for us just for the simple fact that we need this one. It's going to be one of those games for the ages.''
S Jermaine Phillips could find himself matched up against Gonzalez downfield as the Chiefs (3-4) try to reach the .500 mark at the midseason point.
``We've got our work cut out, but we're up for the challenge,'' said Phillips, who leads the Bucs secondary with 56 tackles. ``Their system works for them. They don't do much, but what they do, they do well.''
What the Chiefs do best is run Priest Holmes behind a dominating offensive line. Holmes, who leads the league with 14 TDs, powers the NFL's No. 1 ground attack.
Gonzalez will require special attention and the Bucs have one of the league's most athletic linebacking corps.
Only the Raiders (399) in Week 3 have gained more than 324 yards on the Bucs heading into Sunday's matchup.
``We're facing a heck of an offensive team, but these guys here have earned the right to say they're a pretty good defensive team, too,'' Tampa Bay coach Jon Gruden said.
LIKE FATHER, LIKE SON: In his newly released book, ``Sunday Morning Quarterback,'' Phil Simms writes about raising Bucs QB Chris Simms and his younger brother, Matthew, a QB at Don Bosco Prep in Ramsey, N.J.
Chris Simms said he wasn't too concerned about his father airing any family dirty laundry.
``I'm not worried, because I feel like I had a pretty good childhood,'' Simms said.
In one excerpt from the book, the former Giants QB admits there were some advantages for Chris growing up.
``I could take him out in the backyard and show him how to throw - the little, technical points to help refine his mechanics,'' Phil Simms wrote.
``I probably told him a few things in high school that another father couldn't have told his son, such as how to recognize a blitz. During his sophomore year, he would bring the game films home on Mondays and we would watch it together.''
BUCS BITS: The Bucs are 28-5 over the past five years when outrushing the opposition. ... Opposing QBs are completing a league-low 51.3 percent of their pass attempts against Tampa Bay, well below the NFL average of 60.8 percent. ... Chiefs president Carl Peterson served as president of the USFL's Philadelphia Stars in 1983, when Bucs special-teams coach Rich Bisaccia was signed as a defensive back.
Roy Cummings, Ira Kaufman, Katherine Smith
Smith Wants To Make Bigger Impact
Published: Nov 5, 2004
TAMPA - The Bucs aren't about to divulge their strategy for defending Chiefs Pro Bowl TE Tony Gonzalez, but you get the feeling from listening to S Dwight Smith that he's not going to be heavily involved in the plan.
``That's why I'm walking around here today with my head down,'' a disgruntled Smith said. ``I was hoping they'd come to me. I mean, you move me to safety, so why don't you give me a chance to make plays?
``And who better to measure yourself against than a player like Tony Gonzalez? How else am I going to measure myself? How am I going to keep myself busy out there?''
Smith should be plenty busy come Sunday. Defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin said Smith will be asked to defend Gonzalez at times and also be responsible for run support and shutting down the Chiefs' wide receivers.
That's typical of Smith's responsibilities as the strong safety, but Smith suggested that he's growing displeased with his weekly assignments and would like to have a more demanding role.
``I've been bored the first seven weeks of the year,'' said Smith, who was added to the injury report as probable (knee). ``I mean, I'd like to earn the paycheck I'm getting each week. I play a lot of snaps, but my factor plays, my impact plays, they're few and far between.''
DEFENSE CONFIDENT: Yes, the Chiefs have rolled up stunning totals of 101 points and 69 first downs the past two weeks, and yes, the Bucs have noticed.
Tampa Bay players might be impressed, but they are hardly intimidated.
``It will be a bit different,'' Bucs DE Simeon Rice said, referring to Kansas City's challenge in Tampa after dismantling the Colts defense at Arrowhead. ``I'm not [Colts DE] Dwight [Freeney]. I'm not just going to run upfield every time. I think it's going to go down for us just for the simple fact that we need this one. It's going to be one of those games for the ages.''
S Jermaine Phillips could find himself matched up against Gonzalez downfield as the Chiefs (3-4) try to reach the .500 mark at the midseason point.
``We've got our work cut out, but we're up for the challenge,'' said Phillips, who leads the Bucs secondary with 56 tackles. ``Their system works for them. They don't do much, but what they do, they do well.''
What the Chiefs do best is run Priest Holmes behind a dominating offensive line. Holmes, who leads the league with 14 TDs, powers the NFL's No. 1 ground attack.
Gonzalez will require special attention and the Bucs have one of the league's most athletic linebacking corps.
Only the Raiders (399) in Week 3 have gained more than 324 yards on the Bucs heading into Sunday's matchup.
``We're facing a heck of an offensive team, but these guys here have earned the right to say they're a pretty good defensive team, too,'' Tampa Bay coach Jon Gruden said.
LIKE FATHER, LIKE SON: In his newly released book, ``Sunday Morning Quarterback,'' Phil Simms writes about raising Bucs QB Chris Simms and his younger brother, Matthew, a QB at Don Bosco Prep in Ramsey, N.J.
Chris Simms said he wasn't too concerned about his father airing any family dirty laundry.
``I'm not worried, because I feel like I had a pretty good childhood,'' Simms said.
In one excerpt from the book, the former Giants QB admits there were some advantages for Chris growing up.
``I could take him out in the backyard and show him how to throw - the little, technical points to help refine his mechanics,'' Phil Simms wrote.
``I probably told him a few things in high school that another father couldn't have told his son, such as how to recognize a blitz. During his sophomore year, he would bring the game films home on Mondays and we would watch it together.''
BUCS BITS: The Bucs are 28-5 over the past five years when outrushing the opposition. ... Opposing QBs are completing a league-low 51.3 percent of their pass attempts against Tampa Bay, well below the NFL average of 60.8 percent. ... Chiefs president Carl Peterson served as president of the USFL's Philadelphia Stars in 1983, when Bucs special-teams coach Rich Bisaccia was signed as a defensive back.
Roy Cummings, Ira Kaufman, Katherine Smith