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Derrick Ward, who blamed his lackluster 2009 season on a variety of factors, but not himself, was at it again last Saturday night in Miami. It rained and he complained about the lack of traction. He also complained about the play calls, those cutback runs the Buccaneers asked him to make.
That's not good.
Ward fumbled twice in Miami. He had 20 yards on 12 carries.
Meanwhile, an undrafted running back, Kareem Huggins, ran for 55 yards on eight carries. Huggins wants more than a roster spot; he wants carries in a game.
"I was disappointed in his body language,'' Tampa Bay coach Raheem Morris was quoted as saying about Ward in the St. Petersburg Times. "That's the mental demons you've got to fight as a player. Those are the things you've got to be ready to deal with. You've got to have a mentally tough attitude. I've got to be a mentally tough coach. I didn't have time to go cry about the fumbles. It was my job to try to stop them and get the ball back for our offense and give them another opportunity.
"As a man, Derrick was disappointed in himself. He came to me. He came to (general manager) Mark Dominik. He came to his coaching staff. He was disappointed in his body language and his attitude and all those things and subsequently wants to improve that this week. He'll get chance to.''
It must be unsettling to Dominik, who made Ward a free agent prize in 2009. This is Dominik's second year on the job. Ward was/is his guy. It's something people will tie around your neck if the season goes south.
In Tuesday's post-practice press conference, Morris said of Ward, "You're talking about a guy who is a resilient pro. He knows he has to show up this week."
►It is certain that Mike Williams, the rookie from Syracuse, has earned himself a starting spot as wide receiver. Now, what about the No. 2 receiver.
Is it Maurice Stovall or Sammie Stroughter? And what about Reggie Brown?
It sounds like Stroughter.
In his Tuesday press conference, Morris said, "In the preseason, we kind of know what we've got in Sammie," Morris said. "And Sammie probably can give you more. We want to see about Reggie a little bit. We want to see about some of these guys we don't know as well, Arrelious Benn and some of those people. . . You don't want to play Sammie too much."
Buccaneers Ready to See Derrick Ward Step Up
Aug 18, 2010 – 12:50 PM
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