Bears will have to get past Tampa's veterans

The Bears will be traveling a familiar path Sunday against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and starting quarterback Brian Griese.

Back in 1994, the Bears gave up on another former Michigan quarterback, Jim Harbaugh. They had no choice, really. Harbaugh just wasn't getting enough done during the 1.1 seconds of "standing upright" time he was given before being pummeled by the Minnesota Vikings pass rush.

Two seasons after leaving the Bears, Harbaugh led the NFL in passer rating, acquired a snappy nickname ("Captain Comeback") and came within a stomach cradle of leading the Colts to the Super Bowl.

The Bears moved on and had the opportunity to meet a few dozen other quarterback candidates in the years since Harbaugh left.

Griese was one of many to step into the job. During six starts for the Bears last season, Griese was surprisingly good a couple of times, really bad in two games and ultimately expendable. To Tampa Bay coach Jon Gruden, Griese was an ideal alternative to 38-year-old Jeff Garcia, who led the Bucs to the playoffs last season, but has struggled with nagging injuries this year.

Here's a closer look at the team Griese will lead onto Soldier Field for the Bears' home opener:

Age-old question: The official mascot of the Buccaneers should be Graybeard the Pirate, since so many elder statesmen occupy the roster.

Linebacker Derrick Brooks and defensive end Kevin Carter are 35, Griese, cornerback Ronde Barber and running back Warrick Dunn are 33, while top receiver Ike Hilliard is 32. That doesn't even include two ancient players who probably won't see action against the Bears, Garcia (38) and receiver Joey Galloway (37).

Young blood seeps in: To balance the senior citizens on defense, the Bucs are hoping to develop a couple of second-year rising stars in defensive end Gaines Adams and safety Tanard Jackson. Adams was the NFL's rookie sacks leader with six and added two more last week, while Gruden believes Jackson is on his way to becoming one of the league's best safeties.

Politics of pressure: The Bucs believe a major difference between their Week 1 loss at New Orleans and last Sunday's 24-9 win over Atlanta was the pass rush. They sacked Falcons rookie Matt Ryan four times and knocked him down four other times. So beware, Kyle Orton.

According to Tampa Bay media relations, Barber is the NFL's all-time leader in sacks by a cornerback with 21. Just something to keep in mind.

Bucs on the run: Through two weeks, Tampa leads the NFL in yards per carry (6.5) and ranks seventh in rushing yards per game (155). Dunn is back in the Bay after six seasons with the Falcons, but the Bucs' leading rusher is 5-foot-9, 225-pound Earnest Graham, who broke off a 68-yard touchdown run last week.

Graham didn't exactly take the express lane to success. Undrafted out of Florida in 2003, he was cut twice by the Bucs and spent just one week on their practice squad as a rookie. Then he barely carried the ball for three seasons before coming alive with 898 yards in only 10 starts last year.

Ex-Bear factor: Tight end John Gilmore signed with Tampa Bay as a free agent last winter after six years with the Bears and has been a surprise. Last week against Atlanta, he had a career-long 36-yard catch and also hauled in a 5-yard touchdown.

On the receiving end: With Galloway out due to a sprained right foot, the Bucs will keep a close eye on potential replacement Michael Clayton. Since recording 80 catches as a rookie in 2004, Clayton has been a big disappointment and was inactive for the opener against the Saints.

Words of warning: After running for 220 yards in the opener against Detroit, Atlanta's Michael Turner managed just 42 yards against Tampa Bay, though overall the Bucs rank just 15th in the league in run defense.

Mark it off: Gruden has complained about his team piling up 18 penalties for 160 yards in the first two games, which he says can take Tampa Bay away from its offensive strength, the running game.

Down one on defense: Bucs rookie cornerback Elbert Mack will serve a one-game suspension this week for a helmet-to-helmet hit on Atlanta quarterback Matt Ryan. The egregious collision occurred during a fumble return.

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