TAMPA, Fla.— The Tampa Bay Buccaneers benched quarterbackJosh Freeman on Wednesday and replaced him with rookieMike Glennon.
The move came two days after coachGreg Schiano insisted Freeman remained the starter because he gave the team the best chance to win.
Schiano changed his mind after meeting Tuesday with general managerMark Dominik and later discussed the switch with ownership.
"This is a performance- based decision," Schiano said Wednesday. "We're not getting the job done on the field."
The winless Bucs have lost their first three games, two on field goals in the closing seconds. Freeman has completed just 45.7 percent of his passes for 571 yards, two touchdowns and three interceptions. Dating to last season, they've dropped eight and nine games, and the offense hasn't played well throughout the stretch.
"There are a lot of reasons for it. It's not just one guy," Schiano said of Freeman, who is in the final year of the contract he signed as a rookie. "But that's a critical piece of it."
Glennon was drafted in the third round out of N.C. State, where he spent part of his college career as a backup toRussell Wilson. Fie will make his first pro start Sunday at home against Arizona. The younger brother of former Virginia Tech quarterbackSean Glennon was a standout at Westfield Fligh in Fairfax County.
"This is what I prepared my whole life for. Fm excited about it. Can't wait," Glennon said. "I've prepared ever since I can remember. Growing up, this is what I dreamed of doing, this is what I worked for".
ALLEN PARK, Mich. —Reggie Bush gave Detroit a dose of good news.
The speedy running back said he will play against NFC North-lead- ing Chicago on Sunday, a week after missing a game with a banged-up knee.
Bush made it through practice Wednesday.
Detroit (2-1) can move into a first-place tie in the division if it can hand the Bears (3-0) their first loss on Sunday at Ford Field.
Bush didn't practice last week until Friday, when he participated on a limited basis, and he was inactive for Sunday's win at Washington.
Bush was hurt in a Week 2 loss against the Arizona Cardinals after accounting for 191 yards of offense in his Detroit debut to help the Lions beat the Minnesota Vikings.
As for the Bears, corner- backCharles Tillman, who is dealing with a groin injury, didn't practice Wednesday. CoachMarc Trestman said his status is day to day.
BROWNS: QuarterbackBrian Hoyer will make his second straight start this week against Cincinnati. Filling in for an injuredBrandon Weeden, Hoyer led the Browns to a win on Sunday at Minnesota. Hoyer, who began the season as Cleveland's third- string quarterback, threw three touchdown passes and three interceptions in his second career start.
JETS: Rookie corner- backDee Milliner injured a hamstring at practice and his status for the team's game at Tennessee on Sunday was uncertain. Defensive tackleSheldon Richardson sat out practice with a bruised shoulder. Running backChris Ivory (hamstring) and tackleOday Aboushi (knee) were also out.
COWBOYS: ReceiverDez Bryant was fined $7,875 by the NFL for a throat-slashing gesture that resulted in an unsports- manlike-conduct penalty last week against St. Louis. Bryant made the gesture while celebrating a 2-yard TD catch fromTony Romo for the first Dallas score in a victory against the Rams on Sunday.
TEXANS: Outside linebackerWhitney Mercilus
was fined $15,000 for a hit on Baltimore quarterbackJoe Flacco. Mercilus was fined for a play where his helmet hit the chin of Flacco. Mercilus was penalized for roughing the passer.
GIANTS: The team signed former Jets fullbackJohn Conner three days after fullbackHenry Hy- noski fractured his shoulder in a loss to Carolina. Hynoski was placed on injured reserve Wednesday.
VIKINGS: QuarterbackChristian Ponder expects to start against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday in London despite a rib injury. Ponder, injured early in last Sunday's 31-27 loss to the Cleveland Browns, emerged from the Vikings' first practice in the U.K. on Wednesday confident that he will play at Wembley Stadium.
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