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QB Jeff Garcia, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

HT: 6-1, WT: 195, Born: 2-24-1970, College: San Jose State, Drafted: ---

2008 Projections

Best Case

Garcia was extremely effective as the Tampa starter last year, leading the team to a NFC South championship with solid decision-making and virtually no turnovers (209/327 for 2440 yards, 13 TDs and 4 interceptions). He has a good rapport with Joey Galloway and Ike Hilliard, and was able to bring out their best during 2007. Assuming all the old veterans have enough gas in their tank for another season, Garcia could improve on his 2007 numbers now that he's had a year to absorb coach Gruden's offense and get comfortable with his team mates in Tampa. Garcia could crack 3400 yards passing and toss 20+ TDs in his second year as the Buccaneer's starter.

Worst Case

If Galloway and Hilliard hit the wall this season, there is little in the way of proven depth behind the two. Michael Clayton looks like a disappointment, Antonio Bryant is in his last-gasp chance to play at the NFL level, and Dexter Jackson is a raw rookie. It would only take a few key losses for the Tampa Bay offense to go down in flames, taking Garcia down with the rest of the wreckage. Garcia didn't play a full slate of games last season - at his age, if he gets banged up early on in the season, he could be in and out of the lineup all year long (if he got back at all).

Outlook

Garcia isn't asked to win games all by himself - his job is to run an effective-but-not-spectacular offense, as the passing statistics from last year demonstrate. He'll likely be around 200 yards passing with a TD or 2 most weeks. He'll likely be a borderline fantasy QB2 during 2008, with an occasional big game.

2007 Game Summaries

Week 1 - Garcia was accurate, completing 19 of 27 passes, but totaled just 201 yards and zero scores. He looked comfortable early on, rolling out of the pocket and completing some passes on the move. When Seattle forced him to stay in the pocket, he struggled to find open passing lanes over the active Seahawks front seven. Garcia got his bell rung in the third quarter on a scramble play and went to the locker room for evaluation. He returned later and led Tampa Bay on a nice drive that unfortunately ended in a lost fumble by RB Earnest Graham.

Week 2 - Garcia was in a zone against the Saints, completing ten of 16 pass attempts for 243 yards, including touchdown strikes to WR Joey Galloway from 69 and 24 yards out. Garcia was accurate and efficient, and showed great poise in the pocket. He was not sacked in the game, and had a nice scramble play that led to a Tampa Bay scoring opportunity. Garcia played with some of the emotion and fire he showed last year with Philadelphia, pumping his fist on big plays and refusing to slide on a few of his scrambles in an effort to gain first downs.

Week 3 - Garcia was efficient in leading the Buccaneers to victory over the Rams. He completed 14 of 22 passes for 151 yards, and while he did not register a score through the air, he did what he had to do to keep drives alive. Garcia has shown the leadership skills and command in the huddle the Buccaneers hoped for when they signed him, and his play on the field has paid dividends. For the second week in a row, Garcia showed aggressiveness on plays where he's flushed out of the pocket, refusing to slide and reaching for the extra yard on almost every scramble play. He also threw a nasty block on a busted run play that Cadillac Williams was forced to take across field, and that block helped Williams turn nothing into a marginal gain for Tampa Bay.

Week 4 - Garcia has seemed to make a big difference in the Tampa Bay offense. He is able to move the team down the field with both his arm and legs. On the opening drive of the game, Garcia passed for 47 yards and then scored a touchdown on a three yard run. He completed 60% of his passes going 15 for 25 for 176 yards and no interceptions. Garcia's only touchdown of the game was on his three yard run.

Week 5 - Garcia was unable to consistently move the chains. Five of the first six Buccaneers possessions were three and out. He did have two touchdown passes to Alex Smith in the red zone, but failed to find people much more than five yards off of the scrimmage.

Week 6 - Jeff Garcia had another efficient game for Tampa Bay, completing 20 of 31 passes for 274 yards, one touchdown and no interceptions. He made play after play on the move, flushing out of the pocket and connecting with his receivers downfield. The touchdown pass came on a 69 yard connection with WR Joey Galloway and Garcia's play late in the fourth quarter was just as important for the Buccaneers. He orchestrated a seven play, 55 yard drive with less than two minutes to play to get the team into field goal range, where K Matt Bryant made good from 43 yards out for the win.

Week 7 - Garcia's afternoon started off very auspiciously, as he was saved from what should have been an early fumble recovered by Detroit. The Buccaneers challenged the call, and the play was ruled an incomplete pass (despite the fact that if Garcia was actually throwing the ball, it would've been a lateral attempt to the halfback in the flat). Regardless, that saved him from one turnover -- but it couldn't save him from the rest. He fumbled a handoff exchange on one play, and then fumbled the snap at the most critical of junctures at the two yard line with Tampa driving for a potential touchdown. Those two turnovers turned out to be probably the two biggest plays of the game, and certainly the two biggest mishaps. Those two plays notwithstanding, Garcia actually was extremely efficient and looked good all game. He was under a lot of pressure from the Detroit defensive front, but he was able to buy a lot of time with his feet and looked good throwing on the run. At one point, he completed 18 passes in a row to tie the Tampa Bay team record. Most of those passes were short dump-offs over the middle, and for awhile it appeared as if Tampa was almost too conservative with their passing attack. Still, they managed to move the ball enough for Garcia to throw two touchdown passes. Unfortunately for him, when the Lions needed to clamp down defensively, they usually did. Late in the game, it seemed as if Garcia was flipping the ball away sideways and underhanded more often than not in a futile attempt to avoid taking the sack.

Week 8 - Garcia was under pressure throughout the game and although he played gamely and did an admirable job of trying to keep plays alive, he was inaccurate with several of his throws thanks to Jacksonville's pass defenders. Garcia targeted Joey Galloway the most, but as with a lot of his throws, missed Galloway at times when he was open. When given time, Garcia proved comfortable attempting a variety of passes, from short to deep ones. He led his team to a lead with 20 unanswered points during part of the game, but was undone at the end by his interceptions, which were his first of the season.

Week 9 - Garcia had his usual workmanlike game passing for 196 yards and one touchdown. He was not sacked in the game, and often avoided the Cardinal pass rush with efficient scrambles when needed. Garcia had no turnovers in the game. He connected on a37 yard touchdown to Joey Galloway in the first quarter, and did the things necessary to win this game.

Week 11 - Garcia did not post huge numbers against Atlanta, but he made plays when he had to and seemed to make the right decision every time. He finished ten of 20 for 159 yards, two touchdowns and zero turnovers. The first score came on a 44 yard strike to WR Joey Galloway that gave Tampa Bay an early 7-0 lead, and Garcia followed that score with a 21 yard touchdown to TE Alex Smith. With those two touchdowns and the help the Buccaneers received from their defense, Garcia was able to watch the fourth quarter from the sideline.

Week 12 - Jeff Garcia was hurt on the first drive and left the game with a back injury. He went into the locker room and had the injury x-rayed, put a heating pad on it and came back out to the sideline. He remained on the sideline until the fourth quarter, and returned to try to give the offense a much needed spark. Garcia didn't fare much better than Gradkowski, and couldn't muster up anything but two three and out drives in the fourth quarter, putting the pressure on the Tampa Bay defense to hold on for the win. Luckily for Garcia and the Buccaneers, they were able to do just that. His final stat line read two of four passing for nine yards, no scores and no interceptions.

Week 15 - Jeff Garcia returned from injury, and the results of plays early on in the game allowed Tampa Bay to turn to a conservative game plan that was focused on shortening the game. Garcia was 15 of 25 for 109 yards, with one touchdown and one interception. The touchdown pass came on a one yard connection with TE Anthony Becht in the fourth quarter. With the big lead late in the game, Garcia was allowed to watch the rest of the game from the sidelines.

Week 16 - Garcia played the first half for Tampa Bay, and totaled 196 yards and a score on 12 of 20 passing before heading to the sidelines for the second half. Garcia connected with TE Jerramy Stevens on a 24 yard touchdown pass and looked like his sharp, efficient self before leaving the game.

Week 18 - Jeff Garcia had a rough outing against the Giants, as he threw for just 207 yards and one touchdown, but was picked off two times and faced constant pressure from the New York front seven. He completed 23 of 39 attempts, but threw a costly interception in the end zone that was intended for WR Joey Galloway, and killed a promising drive. Garcia's touchdown came on a six yard connection with TE Alex Smith in the fourth quarter, but it ended up being too little, too late for the Buccaneers.