Just two days after suggesting his bruised back was still so sore that he could barely bend over and could not throw a football, Tampa Bay Buccaneers' quarterback Jeff Garcia returned to practice on a limited basis Friday, providing the team some hope that he might be able to play in Sunday's game at New Orleans. "I feel a lot better than I thought I would," Garcia told local reporters after practice. Because reporters cannot watch the "team" segments of practice, it remains unclear exactly how much Garcia participated in the workout. But the mere fact he was on the field was a sign of progress after several days of treatment. Garcia, 37, has started all 11 games for the first-place Bucs this season. He was injured on the first play of last Sunday's victory over the Washington Redskins. Garcia sat out most of the game and returned briefly in the fourth quarter but was ineffective.