Bucs 13, Patriots 10

It's pre-season. But pre-season NFL football is a million times better than no football at all.

The Bucs showed some good things with the running game, and late-round draft pick Kenneth Darby out of Alabama made the most of his opportunities. Darby hit the line quickly and did a nice job of finding running room--recalling Cadillac Williams' rookie form apart from the fact that Williams has virtually no history of playing in the first pre-season game.

New starting QB Jeff Garcia missed two third-down passes and failed to generate a first down.

Right tackle Jeremy Trueblood struggled a bit in pass protection.

On defense, the Bucs continue to labor to bring pressure on the opposing quarterback. That must improve or the Bucs have little chance to eclipse the 8-8 mark. The defense registered a few QB pressures, but failed to generate a turnover.

Getting the win was satisfying, even though it's pre-season, but some of the weaknesses of last year's team continue to show.

One big difference on offense: Both Garcia and second-stringer Luke McCown have the ability to throw the ball deep. I'm not saying either one is great at it. I'm saying that the defense will need to take that threat into account. That fear was pretty much absent last year after opposing defenses got a look at Bruce Gradkowski's film. Gradkowski continues to struggle to throw the ball accurately downfield. Thanks to Kenneth Darby, that didn't cost the Bucs the game.

The threat of the deep pass, along with improvement along the offensive line, means a rejuvenated rushing attack from the Bucs. If the rush from the defensive front four improves as much, the Bucs have a shot at the playoffs. That's a tall order, from what the team showed tonight.