奎因·格雷（Quinn Gray）在他的首场NFL首发比赛之前睡得相当好，当他发现杰克逊维尔美洲虎的四分卫教练迈克·舒拉（Mike Shula）同样如此之后，他的感觉更好了。

　　格雷是一位很少上场的替补球员，他说：“如果教练前一天完全没怎么入睡，我可能会觉得，‘啊，我们要上场了’。”在周日的比赛中，格雷帮助美洲虎以24-23逆转坦帕湾海盗。

　　由于格雷顶替受伤的大卫·杰拉德（David Garrard）出场，美洲虎进行了更多的跑动进攻，并把获胜的希望寄托到他们强大的防守上。防守组全场3次抢到球权，并完成了1次达阵，有效帮助了一个欠缺经验的四分卫。

　　虽然美洲虎的计划并没有完美实现，但是这样的结果也足以让他们确信，即使杰拉德因为左踝扭伤要缺阵一个月，格雷也可以帮助球队保持较好的成绩。这位四年级生在比赛的大部分时间给几位接球手的传球都过长，不过当球队最需要他们的时候，他完成了几次非常关键的传球，其中包括一记给马特·琼斯（Matt Jones）的8码传球达阵，帮助美洲虎在比赛还剩11分37秒的时候反超比分锁定胜局。

　　格雷16次传球成功7次，总传球100码，不过没有传球被截。他最重要的进攻发生在第三节，他在本队端区掉球，不过他又很快抢到了球，并回到一码线，避免了对方安防得分。

　　海盗四分卫杰夫·加西亚（Jeff Garcia）给队友乔伊·加勒威（Joey Galloway）送出一记58码的传球达阵，帮助3-17落后的海盗追近了比分。然后迈克尔·班尼特（Michael Bennett）的19码冲球达阵帮助海盗以20-17反超比分，马特·布赖恩特（Matt Bryant）的第3粒点球使得海盗将领先优势扩大为23-17.不过接着，格雷领导了一轮推荐53码的8档进攻，这次进攻以琼斯在端区角落的单手接球达阵为终结。

　　加西亚在海盗的前7场比赛中都没有传球被截，在连续217次无抄截传球之后，他在第二节给端线附近的加洛威的传球被亚伦·格伦（Aaron Glenn）拦截，后者回攻28码完成达阵。

　　格雷的缺乏经验在上周一美洲虎7-29负于超级碗冠军小马的比赛中就已经表现出来了，他在比赛中替换杰拉德上场，有2次传球被截，仅传球56码。不过，球队仍然相信他在五天之后对阵海盗时会有更好的表现。

　　在防守教练蒙特·基芬（Monte Kiffin）带领的12个赛季里，海盗的防守组有过多次款待对方年轻四分卫的历史，其中包括多诺万·麦克纳布（Donovan McNabb）、迈克尔·维克（Michael Vick）、当特·卡皮普（Daunte Culpepper）和J.P.罗斯曼（J.P. Losman）。

　　格雷今年28岁，但是在本周日之前，他4年职业生涯只打过5场比赛。美洲虎为了减轻他的压力，把更多的进攻重任放到了跑卫弗雷德·泰勒（Fred Taylor）、拉布兰登·托菲尔德（LaBrandon Toefield）和莫里斯·琼斯·德鲁（Maurice Jones-Drew）身上。其中，琼斯·德鲁在上周对阵小马时左膝受伤，整整一周训练都受到限制。

原文 

TAMPA, Fla. —— Quinn Gray slept well the night before his first NFL start. When he found out Jacksonville quarterback coach Mike Shula did the same, he felt even better.

"If he didn't get any sleep, I probably would have been like: 'Oh, here we go,"' the seldom-used backup said after helping the Jaguars rebound from a tough loss and beat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 24-23 on Sunday.

"For some reason I was able to be comfortable. First of all, I knew we were going to run the ball a lot. That was comforting. But at the same time, when my number was called, I was able to deliver a little bit."

With Gray replacing injured David Garrard, the Jaguars put their trust in a vibrant running game and sturdy defense that forced three turnovers and scored a touchdown to help the inexperienced quarterback.

Although the plan didn't work to perfection, it was effective enough to bolster the Jaguars' belief that Gray can help the team stay afloat while Garrard is sidelined up to a month with a sprained left ankle.

"Obviously we did things to minimize the burden that was going to be placed on him, knew that we wanted to play to our defense and run the ball," Jacksonville coach Jack Del Rio said, adding that the best thing about Gray's performance is "he's 1-0."

The fourth-year pro overthrew open receivers most of the game, but made several key completions when his team needed them most, including an 8-yard touchdown throw to Matt Jones that put the Jaguars (5-2) ahead for good with 11:37 to go.

The Jacksonville defense, which ended Jeff Garcia's long streak of consecutive passing attempts without an interception, made the slender lead stand by forcing two punts and intercepting Garcia for a third time the rest of the way.

Gray was 7-of-16 for 100 yards, but did not throw an interception. One of his biggest plays came in the third quarter when he fumbled in his own end zone, but recovered and crawled out to the 1-yard line to avoid a safety.

"They don't trust their quarterback to throw the football. We knew that," Bucs cornerback Ronde Barber said.

Jacksonville scored three touchdowns. All of them were rung up by players who had not yet hit the end zone this season:

"It was on us to stop the run. Those were going to be our big plays. At times it was good enough, at times it wasn't. Two drives in particular, they just ran it down our throat, and that's what we can't do in a situation like this."

Garcia threw a 58-yard TD pass to Joey Galloway to help Tampa Bay (4-4) overcome a 17-3 deficit. Michael Bennett's 19-yard TD run put the Bucs ahead 20-17, and Matt Bryant's third field goal made it 23-17 before Gray led an eight-play, 53-yard drive that Jones finished with a one-handed catch in the corner of the end zone.

Garcia, who had not thrown an interception in Tampa Bay's first seven games, had a streak of 217 consecutive passes without a pick stopped when Aaron Glenn stepped in front of a sideline throw intended for Galloway. He returned it 28 yards for a second-quarter TD.

Gray's inexperience showed when he replaced Garrard during last Monday night's 29-7 loss to Super Bowl champion Indianapolis. He threw two interceptions and was limited to 56 yards passing, however the Jaguars were confident he would play better with five days to prepare for Tampa Bay.

The Bucs defense has a history of feasting on young quarterbacks, a group that's included Donovan McNabb, Michael Vick, Daunte Culpepper and J.P. Losman among others over the past 12 seasons under defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin.

Gray is 28 years old, but before Sunday had only gotten into five games over four NFL seasons.

The Jaguars opened the game by running on 15 of their first 16 offensive plays, the lone pass a middle screen that Jones-Drew turned into a 15-yard gain to the Tampa Bay 1. Toefield scored on the next play for a 7-3 lead.

John Carney's 41-yard field goal made it 10-3 midway through the second quarter, and it looked like Jacksonville's game plan had a real good chance of succeeding when Glenn made an excellent break on his interception and raced to the end zone untouched to put the Jaguars up by two touchdowns.