TAMPA, Fla. (Aug. 10, 2007) -- Tom Brady spent most of the night on the sideline. Randy Moss didn't play at all.
New England opened the preseason with a 13-10 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Friday night, however it will be a bit longer before the Patriots get a chance to see their new passing tandem together in a game.
Brady started and was in for 13 plays, while Moss, obtained in a draft day trade with Oakland, sat out as expected with a sore hamstring that's slowed him during training camp.
Jeff Garcia worked two 3-and-out series in his debut at quarterback for Tampa Bay, which won on Matt Bryant's 32-yard field goal as time expired.
Luke McCown, who didn't play in 2006 after undergoing knee surgery and spending the first seven weeks of the season on the physically-unable-to-perform list, played in a game for the first time since the 2005 preseason and completed all seven of his passes for 68 yards and one touchdown for the Bucs.
The fourth-year pro's 11-yard scoring throw to Paris Warren gave the Bucs a 10-7 lead after McCown's first drive of the night - a 13-play, 62-yard march against New England's starting defense - produced Matt Bryant's 36-yard field goal.
Sammy Morris, who had nine first-half carries with starting running back Laurence Maroney sitting out the game, scored on a 2-yard run that finished a long drive led by Brady's backup, Matt Cassel.
Cassel completed four passes during the 13-play, 65-yard drive that kept most of Tampa Bay's defensive starters on the field for nearly nine minutes.
Brady played two series, going 5-of-7 for 34 yards and producing three first downs - all on New England's second possession. The good-looking drive stalled at the Tampa Bay 39 when Gaines Adams - the Bucs' No. 1 draft pick - pressured the quarterback and deflected a third-down pass.
Garcia, who played six plays, signed with the Bucs as a free agent in March and finally gives coach Jon Gruden a quarterback he feels is an ideal fit for his version of the West Coast offense.
The 37-year-old, three-time Pro Bowl selection, who was 6-1 as a starter with Philadelphia last season, was 1-of-4 for 4 yards.
Fullback Mike Alstott, out for the season with a neck injury that may end his career, was introduced with Tampa Bay's offensive starters and received a big ovation when he jogged onto the field wearing a baseball cap, blue jeans and his No. 40 jersey.
