This is probably the last thing this fan base wants to debate: Who should play Quarterback for the Buccaneers. At this point I'd rather trot Sabby Piscitelli out there, because he's proven he can play about any other position on the field (Safety, Special Teams, Back-up Kicker), comes from a winning faction of the team (the defense), and it would at the very least be entertaining. Since that's obviously not a realistic option, let's see what is:
Brian Griese is (3-1) as a starter this season and . . . that's about as sexy as his stat line and performance gets. He has six interceptions to four touchdowns, a 64.6 passer rating (yikes), and lulls the fan base to sleep with his dinky/dunky offense. He consistently over throws wide open receivers. With that said, up until the Broncos game, he was resilient, had the cajones to step up in the pocket, and despite his mistakes, he found a way to win. He injured his elbow against the Broncos and suffered a deep bruise. The doctors said there is no structural damage however. No word on whether he will be cleared for Sunday. Next up...
He went from being the hands down unanimous starter, to being the third string Quarterback, to now possibly becoming the starter once again. Throw last season's performance out the window, which was pretty piss poor after week 13 anyway, he struggled mightily in week 1 against the Saints, so much so, he was immediately pulled for Griese the following week. Whether it be an attitude issue or an injury (story of his life), he was horrible against the Saints. In his four or five series against the Broncos he was serviceable. Granted it was his first game action in three weeks and Gruden immediately threw him into fray by passing on his first opportunity, but he didnt bring anything to the table. He would scramble from the pocket (the ankle looked good) to only connect on a three to four yard reception. Garcia will have to step his game up considerably if he's to lead this team to the Playoffs once again.
So there you have it. If it were me, I would have started Garcia from the get go, seen if he could have rebounded in Week 2 against the Falcons, apparently he was injured though. I would give Garcia his second chance this weekend against the Panthers. #1 it lets Griese get much needed rest, #2 you see what you have in Garcia, if he chokes, cut ties immediately and let Griese finish the season out... What do you think?