Will Bucs' mistakes finally take toll against Broncos?

Oct. 5--DENVER

The unbeaten Denver Broncos took their explosive offense, led by rising star quarterback Jay Cutler, to Kansas City last week to face the winless Chiefs, a team struggling for anything positive to happen, especially when they had the ball.

The Chiefs rolled up 370 yards in a lopsided 33-19 beatdown, including 213 on the ground of which Larry Johnson accounted for 198 and two touchdowns.

Think Earnest Graham noticed?

"I'm sure they know everybody in the league watched that game and thinks they can go in and run the ball against them," said Graham, the Tampa Bay tailback who should figure prominently today when the Buccaneers (3-1) face the Broncos (3-1) in a rare trip to the Mile High City. "That doesn't have anything to do with us."

If anything, the Bucs ought to be able to relate to the Broncos' confounding one-sided success early in the season after winning the last three games despite quarterback Brian Griese's seven turnovers, lowlighted by six interceptions the last two weeks.

"We could say the same thing, with all the interceptions we've thrown," backup running back Warrick Dunn said. "They've given up some yards and some points, but if you're 3-1 the defense must be doing something right."

Wideout Ike Hilliard put it much more succinctly: "Stats don't matter."

Bucs Coach Jon Gruden echoed as much -- a bunch of times -- in backing his mistake-prone quarterback last week. And, yes, it's true, Griese is 3-0 since taking over for the benched Jeff Garcia, but bad play leads to bad plays.

They tend to catch up to a team.

Take the Broncos, for example: What good was that high-powered offense last week when it was offset by a low-powered defense? At the season's quarter-turn, Denver is surrendering more than 400 yards and nearly 30 points per game?

"Like anything, it starts with stopping the run," Broncos Coach Mike Shanahan said. "If you can't do that, you're going to be in for a long day."