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QB Luke McCown, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

HT: 6-3, WT: 212, Born: 7-12-1981, College: Louisiana Tech, Drafted: Round 4

2008 Projections

Best Case

McCown made five appearances for the Buccaneers last season, and played fairly well. If he gets a chance to play again this year, he might be able to stake his claim as the permanent starter.

Worst Case

Tampa Bay has five QBs on the roster, so McCown could very well be without a team by the time regular season rolls around.

Outlook

McCown's best bet may be with another team. We'll see how things shake out for the Buccaneers during training camp.

Relevant Articles

2008 Schedule

2007 Game Summaries

Week 1 - McCown entered in relief of Garcia, completing one of four passes for nine yards.

Week 13 - McCown got the start for the injured Jeff Garcia, who missed the game with a back injury, and shined for Tampa Bay. At one point early in the game, McCown was 15 for 15 passing and finished the first half 18 of 21 for 230 yards and a one yard touchdown pass to TE Anthony Becht. McCown continued his strong play in the second half and finished 29 of 37 for 313 yards, two touchdowns and added 34 yards rushing on the ground. His second score came with fourteen seconds left, where McCown connected with TE Jerramy Stevens from four yards out on third down for the game winning touchdown. He showed great leadership and play making ability throughout the game, but did make a mistake on an interception New Orleans returned for a touchdown. On the play, McCown changed the play at the line and WR Joey Galloway misread the hot route with a blitz coming and DB Mike McKenzie returned the miscue 53 yards for a touchdown. In the fourth quarter, McCown made another inexperienced mistake on a drive that started inside their own five yard line, he was sacked in the end zone for a safety. On the play, McCown was flushed out of the pocket and tried to make a play using his athleticism instead of throwing the ball away, and was brought down for the safety. He made everyone forget the two mistakes on the late touchdown pass to Stevens that won the game.

Week 14 - Luke McCown could not replicate the success he had last week, as he finished 25 of 38 for 266 yards, zero scores and a lost fumble. He looked comfortable in the pocket, but the Texans pressure forced McCown outside the tackles, where McCown could not find any open receivers downfield. He looked comfortable on the run, and showed some athletic ability, but just could not get into a rhythm with his receivers. He had his chances downfield, and missed Joey Galloway on a sure touchdown on an overthrown ball.

Week 16 - McCown entered the game in the second half and finished the game out for the Buccaneers. He finished 18 of 32 for 185 yards and one touchdown, but had two costly turnovers that each led to San Francisco touchdowns. McCown showed some grit, shrugging off his mistakes and leading a fourth quarter scoring drive that almost tied up the ball game. He connected with TE Jerramy Stevens from 24 yards out to cut the lead to 21-19, but his connection with WR Michael Clayton on the conversion attempt failed when Clayton's feet came down out of bounds.

Week 17 - McCown got the start for the Buccaneers and while he was productive and efficient, could not do enough with a limited supporting cast to fend off the Panthers. He finished 21 of 28 for 236 yards passing, including touchdown passes to Jerramy Stevens and Michael Bennett. However, one of McCown's few mistakes for the game came in the fourth quarter with Tampa Bay down eight, as he was intercepted on an under thrown pass that could have resulted in a touchdown. He was flushed out of the pocket and was unable to plant and throw, and the ball fell short of a wide open Buccaneer receiver. Tampa Bay had one last shot with under two minutes left, but turned the ball over near midfield after four plays.