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Bucs coach says McCoy didn't have dislocated kneecap

 
Gerald McCoy’s knee injury is not as bad as reported, Lovie Smith says. [JIM DAMASKE   |   Times]
Gerald McCoy’s knee injury is not as bad as reported, Lovie Smith says. [JIM DAMASKE | Times]
Published Dec. 9, 2014

TAMPA — Bucs coach Lovie Smith shot down an Internet report on a knee injury to star DT Gerald McCoy but didn't say much about the injury status of his other top player, LB Lavonte David.

Smith disputed a Pro Football Talk report that McCoy dislocated his kneecap in Sunday's loss at Detroit. Smith said McCoy bruised his knee.

"We would not put Gerald McCoy back into the game … if he could only play with one leg," Smith said. "That's not the case."

McCoy did not appear to be limping and was not wearing a brace when he walked through the locker room Monday afternoon.

David left Sunday's game in the second half after his head collided with the knee of Lions WR Calvin Johnson.

Smith said David is going through the NFL's concussion protocol and that the team will be cautious with the league's third-leading tackler.

"They will never get back out on the football field until we're all 100 percent certain that it's okay for them to come back out there," Smith said. "We won't take any chances with them. We never have, and we never will."

Run woes: Even against the NFL's No. 1 run defense, the Bucs had only 10 rushing plays by running backs in Sunday's loss to Detroit. Smith said the decision to focus so heavily on passing was prompted by the difficulty Tampa Bay had running early.

"That's a pretty good defense that played the run well," Smith said Monday after a 14-carry, 26-yard game. "We got a 9-yard run, but we never felt like we were in control running the football against them."

Starter Doug Martin ran for 9 yards on the first play of the second drive and didn't touch the ball again until the third quarter. Smith defended his heavy use of rookie Charles Sims, who played on 40 of the 64 offensive snaps, but finished with minus-4 yards on five carries.

"We did play Charles. We felt like his talents suited what we were doing at the time a little bit better, but it's no more than that," Smith said.

Transaction: The Bucs signed LB Jason Williams. The 2009 third-round pick was released by the Panthers this month. He takes the roster spot of LB Brandon Magee, who was put on injured reserve.

Contact Matt Baker at mbaker@tampabay.com or Greg Auman at gauman@tampabay.com.