| I’m going to go out on a limb and proclaim
Buccaneers LB Derrick Brooks the single-most important player of the NFL’s wild-card
round, for it is he who holds the key to his team’s success. Brooks, now a
four-time Pro Bowler, has a sprained right shoulder, which sidelined him for most of the
Bucs’ Week 17 loss to the Packers. However, Brooks said Wednesday that the injury
will not prevent him from playing in Sunday’s playoff game at Philadelphia.
"It feels better every day," Brooks said. "That’s all I can ask
for. It will be tough to keep me out. Not playing is not an option."
While that may be the case, a less-than-healthy Brooks isn’t ideal. Understand,
this isn’t some minor shoulder sprain. This is an injury of the pinched-nerve
variety, and it caused Brooks to loose strength in his arm. How’s the man supposed to
tackle with one arm?
Given the possibility of playing without Brooks, Buccaneers head coach Tony Dungy
offered this rationalization: "We’ve played without other guys. If you have to,
you have to. That’s professional football. You’ve still got to go out there and
win. If he’s not there, other guys have to step up."
Easier said than done, coach. No one can replace Brooks’ speed or instincts or
tackling ability (he’s led the Bucs in tackles three straight seasons). And this game
against the Eagles is a Derrick Brooks kind of game.
In the Eagles’ variation of the West Coast offense, QB Donovan McNabb often looks
to his tight ends or running backs out of the backfield. Not until recently has the
Eagles’ downfield passing game picked up, but games against the Bengals and Browns
will have that effect.
With a lot of traffic expected underneath, Brooks would be in prime position to make a
number of plays and possibly force some turnovers — if he plays.
"He has had (the injury) for several weeks and gone through most of the games
without getting it hit to the extent where he had to come out of the game." Dungy
said.
Brooks hasn’t missed a game in six seasons. That spans 100 games, including the
playoffs. DT Warren Sapp is expecting 101.
"You’ve got to know the nature of the beast," Sapp said. "I’m
going to have to shoot Brooks for him not to play."
Without Brooks, Don Davis would enter the LB rotation, which would also include backup
Jeff Gooch. Davis replaced Brooks last Sunday against the Packers and acquitted himself
well, making no glaring errors.
But that won’t do this Sunday when history again is against the Bucs. They’re
winless (0-19) when the game-time temperature is below 40, and they have yet to win a
playoff game on the road (0-4).
With a healthy Brooks in the game, both of those streaks come to an end. |
