Raheem Abandoned His Core Beliefs

September 13th, 2010

raheemsmileEvery hardcore Bucs fan has heard Raheem Morris deliver his one-liner philosophies.

  • Be your best self.
  • Be true to your core beliefs.
  • Be violent.
  • Establishing men is about taking off your underwear and putting your face on people.

So Joe’s wondering who replaced Morris with a sissy when the Bucs had the ball with 39 seconds left, a 4th-and-1 situation on the Browns 5 yard line leading 17-14?

After a timeout, the Bucs came out and showed they have no identity and no confidence in their goal line offense. Josh Freeman dropped back to pass, looked to his right, didn’t like his chances and took a six-yard sack.

Where were the core beliefs? Where was all of Raheem’s desire to be like the Giants, Steelers and all the other violent teams he loves?

The Bucs have a veteran offensive line and veteran running backs. They brought in Keydrick Vincent to move a pile. Heck, they even have a giant of a quarterback who could hammer into the line for a yard. 

Instead of taking their underwear off, Greg Olson and Raheem decided to put a skirt on.

A team better than the Browns could have made them pay dearly.

60 Responses to “Raheem Abandoned His Core Beliefs”

  1. BamBamBuc Says:

    Ok, so no link to another article by someone else, so this is all Joe being negative. Nice.

    First off, I thought they should kick the FG to make the Brownies go for the TD instead, so didn’t matter what the play call was. I know the D had been shutting down Delhomme, but a FG is much easier to get than a TD.

    Second, a naked bootleg in a situation like that with a 250 pound QB that can move is not a bad play call. Usually everyone stacks the middle and that play can go for a score. Freeman talked about it after the game and said he didn’t feel confident in making the throw to Gillmore (not Stevens), so he took the sack. Nothing against Gillmore, just that when you’re out on the edge like that, any mistake will go the other way for 6. He would have had to put the ball over the defender to get it to him, meaning he’d have to float it, giving the Browns a shot at a pick. He made the right choice.

    My thought, with a young team like this, is when you have a chance to put points on the board, you take it. Period. Get the 3. It was a gutsy, but not the smartest, play call. Regardless, it all worked out in the end, so ease up on Morris.

  2. Justin Says:

    Seriously? Joe you have better stuff than this. Sure a sour opinion can rile up people, make them talk about your site and dial up some internet traffic, but lay off. Since when is calling a play action pass at the goal line on 4th and 1 a bad decision? How many times has a defense been caught with their pants down trying to stuff the run up the middle? Bucs won. It wasn’t a pretty win, but for a young team that doesn’t have any moxy or an identity yet, I’ll take it.

  3. jaytek74 Says:

    Why do we need pessimistic nagativity about this game after a win. We may not get too many of them so can we just have some happiness for a change. We are all going to physically die and while we are physically alive we are all going to be forced to pay taxes. So let that be your doom and gloom. The Bucs won so be happy and for everyone who have spiritual life, be even happier.

  4. lightningbuc Says:

    For those not at the game, from the 2 minute warning on it was raining, with intermittent HEAVY rain. They had already fumbled just a few minutes eariler. A field goal was not a given with a slippery ball and you risk it getting blocked, and if they had made it they have to kick off to one of the best returners in the NFL. Doing what Rah did forced the Browns to have to go a long distance in the rain, and oh yeah, the Browns were into a pretty decent wind in the fourth quarter as well. If Freeman would have passed it for a wide open touchdown everyone would be saying what a great play call. Damn, I’m one of the most pessimistic posters on here usually, but the Monday morning armchair coaching today is hilarious.

  5. Derek 'OldSchool' Fournier Says:

    Crap call by Olson. I knew it was going to happen, just a matter of 3rd or 4th down. I like the call of going for it especially with how the defense had been playing in the second half. I cannot fathom how an offense can have so little heart in short yardage.

  6. sensiblefan Says:

    C’mon Joe! Rah showed HUGE balls by going for the win! It was a smart play considering the circumstances. It was a win-win situation. The play call was perfect. Free had an option to run, throw it, or eat it and leave it to Delhomme to drive 90+ yards in 39 seconds to win the game. So what if the Browns sniffed it out? I can’t fault for going for the win. After all, you play to the game Joe!

  7. NegativeExpectations Says:

    Raheem is the worst.

    We get a lucky win against the lowly Browns, despite Raheem trying to let the Browns back into the game.

    All in all, Raheem has to go!

  8. Steve From Oregon Says:

    Bam Bam…totally agree with you, if you watch the play, the fake was perfect….Josh could have run in or passed to Gilmore, it looks like he panicked a little bit and decided to eat it.

    You can’t put that on Rah or Olsen…thats more the growing pains of a still young QB.

  9. Pete Dutcher Says:

    Good lord, Joe…negative much? One has nothing to do with the other.

    Freeman as much as said that play was his fault because he panicked. He had someone open, but he was thinking “run first” to get away from the rush.

    You know…the turn of negativity on this site has become apparent the last few weeks. We got a win, and that’s a GOOD thing. And by negativity, I mean always trying to find fault instead of trying to find the good things. Leading up to this game, all we heard was how the Bucs could not beat Jake.

    It’s one thing to hear that crap from national and local media, but you’re supposed to be one of us, Joe…not one of the naysayers.

    All I’m saying is that maybe you need to take a step back and consider if you are letting the views of other, more negative people influence your own views. Because lately, it’s becoming harder to find the Bucs “Fan” in Joe Bucs Fan.

    I discovered this site when the Bucs forums went down, after trying out multiple other sites. I chose this one because it seemed I had found a place where true fans hung out. I really hope I wasn’t wrong about that.

  10. sensiblefan Says:

    @Negative

    C’mon bro. Admit it. You’re loving yourself some Rah right now. Unless, of course, you don’t like forcing turnovers and second half shutouts!

  11. Pete Dutcher Says:

    (the open person was Gilmore)

  12. NegativeExpectations Says:

    Watch the first TD pass… Freeman threw it into the Browns defenders open hands… so hard that it bounced up and turned into a birthday present for the Bucs WR.

    Freeman almost threw 2 INTs in 2 passes.

    Talk about lucky.

  13. Joe Says:

    Pete Dutcher:

    It’s one thing to hear that crap from national and local media, but you’re supposed to be one of us, Joe…not one of the naysayers.

    Joe is not Rachel Watson. Joe is not a cheerleader nor is he under the employ of Team Glazer. Joe writes what he sees, positive or negative.

  14. Apple Roof Cleaning Says:

    So much for us being a “Power Running Team”
    The Browns taught us otherwise.
    I Hope Legarrett Blount or Lumpkin turn out to be the Violent Backs we hoped for ?
    From what I saw at the game, our O Line just ain’t opening up the holes our backs need, on a consistent basis. But we won, that’s the important thing.

  15. Ash Says:

    Joe is turning into the Eric’s, Radio Mushmouth’s and NegativeExpectations of this site.

  16. d-money Says:

    Lets see you go for the touchdown and at worst the other team has to go 95 yards to win. The defense hadn’t given up anything in the second half.

    If you kick the field goal you have to kick off to Cribbs and you risk the chance of one of the best returners in the league bringing one back on you. I’d much rather take my chances with the ball in Delhommes hands than in Cribbs.

    And the play call wasn’t bad. He probably could have completed it but he wasn’t totally comfortable with it so he took the sack rather than risk the INT which would have gone the other way for 6.

    Stop being so freaking negative. This is a team that most people predict won’t win 6 games this year. We knew they wouldn’t look great. How about we try and focus on what they did well?

  17. Capt.Tim Says:

    What, Joe , you post that just so that loser Zero intelligence could get happy about something? Laaaammmmeeee! Your franchise Qb has a broken thumb tip, it’s raining like he’ll. Not much time on the clock, and I don’t, DON’T wanna kick off to Joshua Cribbs on a slippery field- it would be like catching butter! Plus your defense has held the Brownies without a first down this half. What would you do? qB sneak looks like a good play ta me!!” lightning Buc-l

  18. bucfanjeff Says:

    “Joe writes what he sees, positive or negative.”
    Usually negative. Even if you write a positive entry, it can be laced with negative tones.

    I know there is two of you, for the most part, so your either both negative or that’s the sites M.O. – too bad.

  19. admin Says:

    Joe is amazed how many of you are mis-reading what’s here.

    The play there was to run the ball and get a yard, and the game is over. That’s the team that the head coach is trying to build. That’s the identity that he wants. ….That’s not negativity. …That’s what football fans do; they debate play calls.

  20. DRB Says:

    This website has definately taken a turn for the worse…..

    Steve White is pretty much the ONLY reason for a REAL bucs fan to visit this site.

    We watch and support our Bucs to be entertained and have fun. We want them to win…….

    There is so much negativity on this site, that it looks like a site of another team that we are about to play…..TONS of people talking sh#t about the Bucs

    I don’t get it?……….they won thier home opener, by coming back from a 14-3 deficit, and the defense dominated in the second half……….

    I still don’t get it……..

    Screw it…….. GO BUCS GO BUCS GO BUCS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  21. BucFan South Tampa Says:

    Agree. This site sounds like it is being written by a bunch former Tampa Tribune Sport Writers..oh yeah, it is. I know you are not a cheerleader, no one is. But this site is called JOEBUCSFAN, not JOEBUCSSPORTWRITERSBLOG. Joe, you should have lifted up “YOUR SKIRT” and gone to the game rather than making money off of people driving them to Yeehaw Junction to watch the game on a black and white 13 in TV. If you had listened to Freeman’s news conference while you were on HWY 60, you would have heard Freeman say he missed seeing Gilmore, and that it was his fault for not throwing to an open receiver. You sound disappointed the Bucs won. At least Pewter Report (whose writers were at the game), sounds happy the Bucs won. Be a Fan Joe, dont be a Sports Writer..be Happy when your…er..our team wins.
    See you at the Bucs/Steelers Game. I hope it is over a 100 again followed by thunderstorms in the second half, just like yesterday..my wife and I loved it..real football..Tampa Style

  22. lightningbuc Says:

    Joe says:

    “The play there was to run the ball and get a yard”

    That was the play when Graham ran it and see how that turned out!

  23. Michael Says:

    That’s right, Joe. Hold Coach Ra accounatable for his cliches.

    Of course, the real reason for the play call was that’s his favorite play in Madden 2010. Gilmore is open every time and in the video game Freeman doesn’t lock up and take the sack. It’s one of those Madden money plays.

  24. troxell8t8 Says:

    I agree with Derek and Joe, it was a crap call by Olson. I would not even had a problem with them being stopped at 4th and 1 with an off tackle run by Caddy. Olson tried to trick them, which was not the right call at the time. I don’t have a problem with Olson’s play calling generally, but he likes to try and “outsmart” the opposition in situations like what happened yesterday. The right play would have been to “dummy” it down and just run Caddy into the line.

    I think later in the year, we will see Blount be the short yardage.

  25. admin Says:

    Joe here,

    For you negative folks out there. Right now on this page, you’ll see two posts with some negativity, and the rest positive about the Bucs.

    We see what we want us to see.

    Mr. SouthTampa, feel free to go away if you don’t like what’s here. JoeBucsFan.com has mulitiple writers, one was with a group of real hardcore, dedicated fans in Fort Myers, the other was at the Bucs games. Perhaps Joe will link to that Joe’s feature on Kareem Huggins that he worked on yesterday for an out-of-town publication.

    DRB – You’re just not being honest with yourself about what’s here on JoeBucsFan.com. Grabe a pencil and look at the last two pages of posts. Make your own scorecard and see if you change your tune.

    Don’t tell Joe how to love the Buccaneers.

  26. sgw94 Says:

    I no way shape or form do I agree with this post. It was the right call and Gilmore was wide open. In point of fact it took more balls than most have to call it on fourth down. Ill leave it at that for now.

  27. eric Says:

    I dunno about that one, but Freeman (although he played well) was very fortunate not to have a couple of more picks. A couple were thrown right to Brown defenders and they dropped them.

    Not being negative cause they won, just sayin still needs work on just throwing the ball away when play isn’t there. And the other comment was right about the first TD which could have been a pick.

    Hopefuly he learned about how NOT to play watching Jake, who totally ruined the game for the Browns.

    Hey no Matt Moore this week? 2 dash 0 is there for the taking!

    I am looking forward to Mr. White’s take, cause Rah did something to shut down that up the gut run which was hurting us in the first half. Looked like the DE was getting around the tackle quicker somehow.

  28. NegativeExpectations Says:

    What happened to all the ‘fans’ who ran Jon Gruden out of town even though he won???

    The medicine doesn’t taste too good now does it?

    Raheem has a LOOOOOOONNNGGG way to go to even hold Jon’s nuts on his chin.

    1 win against the Browns. Whoo hooo!

    Getting a lucky win doesn’t deviate from the fact that Raheem is a joke.

    The Bucs are terrible and that is only because Raheem has no clue. They have young talent, but Raheem tried to lose that game.

  29. Bobby Fenton Says:

    1) Is Morris calling the plays?

    2) The play they had called was a fantastic call. Everyone on defense took the cheese on the dive fake, and the flat was WIDE OPEN for a touchdown and Freeman failed to get the ball there.

    Nothing wrong with how they handled that situation except the execution.

  30. lightningbuc Says:

    troxell8t8 Says

    “but he likes to try and “outsmart” the opposition”

    Um, isn’t that what good offensive coordinators are supposed to do?

  31. trguy12 Says:

    I for one just get tired of how much Raheem Morris gets bashed by people. The guy has a ton to learn as a head coach but maybe the ownership saw something in this guy and is not just looking for an excuse to not spend money on a big name head coach. I remember Ronde Barber talking about how special a coach Morris was back when he left for K State. I know being a secondary coach is quite a ways from being a head coach but there is something to how the players feel about the guy.
    Give the guy a chance and he might just become a very good head coach.

  32. Horice Says:

    As an avid reader of Joe Buc, I feel we should celebrate any victory that this young team can put up. Everybody in Tampa Bay Press had them losing, and they won. So as fans it seems very “DIFFICULT” to say that the Coach is abandoning his Core mentality when the team won. Sometimes in Tampa Bay, we refuse to be satisfied with anything, I see it with the Rays too. A Coach here is damed if they do, and damed if they don’t. If Raheem would have lost, he would have been crucified een though he was predicted to lose. So he wins and we still have got to get some negtivev blows in there on him. This is not Philly, its Florida! And yes I was born and raised here so I can speak on the fans here!

  33. NegativeExpectations Says:

    Oh my GOD!!!! Somebody said something baaaad about the head coach of a football team. OMG!!!!!!!!!!

    Guess what, I think I will burn a Koran after I tell you how much of a joke Raheem is. You super-sensitive liberals trying to control the message. Boo hooo. Guess what, Raheem sucks. DEAL WITH IT!

  34. DieHard Bob Says:

    @ Joe and Negative . . . SCOREBOARD! Next topic.

  35. jdouble Says:

    While Ran would have had to give the ok to go for it on 4th down, wouldn’t be Olsen that called the stupid play?

  36. jdouble Says:

    Rah*

  37. Ash Says:

    Can we get an official list of Pro Raheem people and the Raheem haters? I want them to have to EAT it big time when they ask back on the bandwagon.

    Ash = Pro Raheem

  38. trguy12 Says:

    Hey Negative Expectations….it’s got nothing to do with being a liberal to say you think the head coach may be a good one and don’t agree with a lot of the bashing….do we have to agree with your negative bs to not be a liberal schmuck?

  39. TheBucfather Says:

    Joe, how do I say this….you’re dumb. That was an excellent play call. You need to blame Freeman on that play b/c the playaction fooled all the linebackers and secondary and he had 2 guys wide open for touchdowns. Instead Freeman took a sack b/c he is still a young QB.

    I think Raheems decision affirms his core beliefs. We play to win baby!!! If we score a TD there (which we should have), we end the game. I like that call…go for the jugular.

  40. BucFan South Tampa Says:

    Joe, Im not going anywhere. Just like the Bucs, Im here through the good years and the bad years. We were supposed to lose this game, and do worse this year than last. Maybe this will be our only win. But we won, thats what feels so good. We can analyze this, question calls, call Raheem an indiot, but we won. Tied for first place in NFC South.
    Peter King just wrote the below comment this morning….
    ////
    9. I think I was wrong about a lot of things in my predictions, as usual, and one of those might have been picking Tampa Bay to win two games. I like what I saw out of Mike Williams on Sunday. The fourth-round rookie from Syracuse is an athletic, physical receiver who looks to have tremendous confidence in himself.
    ////

    I think what was surprising Joe, is that we had a full dose of Buc hate during the off season and pre season. Then after we won, there was no joy, you immediately went into the negativity. Fans like to celebrate at least a little, then we can pick things apart.

  41. MOBucs Says:

    For truly objective information about the Bucs, Pewter Report is the site! Joe has always put a negative and sarcastic spin on other peoples articles. Sure it can be humorous, but Steve White’s articles are really the saving grace for this site. As long as his posts are here (and Carlson’s for that matter), I’ll be coming back.

  42. Phil Z. Says:

    Frankly, I find Joe like most fans, all over the place emotionally. That’s what being a fan is always about.

    This site gives it all — good and bad. The only balanced voice for Bucs fans.

  43. gotbbucs Says:

    it’s so easy to 2nd guess a play call after the fact. somehow after an unsuccessful play everybody turns into a offensive play calling genius. it’s amazing how that always works out.

  44. troxell8t8 Says:

    @ lightningbuc

    My point about “dummying” it down is that in the last 5 minutes the Bucs were making decent gains on the ground. I thought the Browns defense was really fatigued. My opinion at that moment was Olson should have maintained status quo and kept running the ball to Caddy. I thought not kicking the field goal was the right play because even if the Bucs do get stopped on 4th and 1 the defense really shut down the Browns in the second half.

    Also, you may have noticed that I wrote I generally don’t have a problem with Olson’s play calling.

  45. Jonny Says:

    My spontaneous reaction to the call was, wtf why not kick a FG and make them score a TD?

    But then I realised they had the best returner of the game in kicks. IMO, even if it is a 1 yard run, it is a tough one to convert when the opponents are totally expecting it. We went with the more unexpected yet risky play which was highly rewarding had it worked, we just could not convert it.

  46. Seriously? Says:

    What a BS post. He put a skirt on? Are you joking? This is a play where he WENT FOR IT ON FOURTH DOWN. The play didn’t work….it happens. We ran the ball in short yardage situations several times yesterday…some worked, and some didn’t.

  47. Steve From Oregon Says:

    I think people don’t understand what Joe is doing here. Questioning his commitment as a fan of the team is silly. Understand he is not employed by the BUCS, he is giving his opinions good and bad and leaving it up to us to decide whether or not we agree or disagree. I watched the game yesterday and saw good and bad things, he is simply pointing them out and being crucified for it, I don’t think that is fair.

    Joe…I may not always agree with you, but I respect the fact that you give your opinion.

    I enjoy reading your articles, keep them coming!

  48. Dave C Says:

    What a bunch of oversensitive ninnies here. So Joe says Rah was soft not running the ball up the gut and half of you freak out like he called your momma a pig.

    Go Bucs.

  49. New Era Bucs Says:

    I agree with Mr.White as usual. Can’t wait to read your “Knowledgeable” break down of the bucs game in the next few days.

  50. McBuc Says:

    Yep, if Freeman made the throw or broke one for the first down or TD we would not be having this discusion. I believe both the Bucs and the Browns may surprise many this year.

    Joe, I for one love the site. You sometimes put a dig in at the end of an article, or you write somethinig like this one, but I come here for Bucs info presented in an entertaining way. I also like all the comments, and these type articles bring everyone out to comment.

    Nrgative or Zero or whatever, this is a football blog, not a poli sci messgae board.

  51. SkookumSmitty Says:

    This site is EXACTLY as it should be. There is precedent and history, here…

    Do any of you remember when the Tampa Tribune became a media partner of the Bucs? How did that work out for us, the fans, as far as OBJECTIVE reporting on Buc related issues?

    Were we well served as readers by that cozy relationship?

    ANY media outlet should hold to it’s freedom to report at the expense of access and money. Few do.

    I learned from Joe yesterday that the media guy for the Bucs was a Washington media relations expert…And how the Bucs like to have reporters/bloggers/etc., ‘under the tent’ smacks of the military ‘imbed’ process. Say good things, or you don’t get to go to war.

    It’s a LOUSY way to do things…This site deserves your support and respect for that if nothing else.

  52. McBuc Says:

    I am with Smitty, keep it coming Joe…like I said the other day, the formula is working.

  53. Horice Says:

    NegativeExpectations, grow the hell up! You probably never played a down of football, or Coached the game or any game for that matter. We need to celebrate victories around here, that is the justs of these posts. Now as for Pewter Report- Grow the hell up! been there, done that, burned the hell out of the t-shirt (literally). Joe does have a decent site, and in my view the best next to the Teams site. That being said, if he drifts away a little, his faithful viewers have the right to challenge that train of thought. I agree with Ash and BucFan South Tampa just to name a few. But all that hate Raheem, pull up a chair, because he will be here for a while. And stay that way when the wins pile up.

  54. Dave Says:

    I am all for being positive affter a win for a very young team and with a alot of the young players playing ver well……. but, got to agree with Joe.

    1. Do NOT kick the FG.
    a. It could get blocked and returned
    b. Then you have to kick to Cribbs

    2. Do NOT pass, to many things could go wrong (sack/fumble or int) and it sends the wrong message.

    Just line up with ROY MILLER at FB and give the ball to EG running behind Davin Joseph.

  55. Rican Says:

    Joe your not posting what you see your posting what your telling yourself about what your seeing. There’s a little thing called telling yourself the truth, you should try it sometime. Despite what your telling yourself now most of what you post on this site has a negative light. Whether it’s against morris or a player.

  56. BigMacAttack Says:

    Our defense was totally kicking their a$$ at the time, over and over again, so it really didn’t matter what happened on offense. The Browns were toast and yes, our young D line continued to administer the pain and punishment.

    The Browns did not score a point in the second half. They were beaten up time and again. It was awesome, and I give Coach Raheem a solid “A” for that defensive performance, and being cool under pressure.

  57. BigMacAttack Says:

    You guys ought to lay off Joe and all this negativity crap, or else get a tutor for your reading. If you think Joe is negative on the Bucs, you must be reading on a 1’st grade level.

  58. Pete Dutcher Says:

    Joe, I apologize. I had no intent to start a chain reaction.

    I think the thing to understand here is that we have, as fans, heard so much negativity in the past year that seeing a headline like “Raheem Abandoned His Core Beliefs” immediately after a win was disheartening.

  59. Capt.Tim Says:

    While that post was worded a bit strongly, Joe has proven himself to be a dedicated Bucs fan. He deserves more respect than he’s being shown here- eaze up! Where would we be with out Joe? Oh , zero intelligence, you have been proven wrong on everything you’ve ever posted here. You are a whinny Lil idiot! Raheem’s team was well coached and well prepared yesterday. He definately out coached Eric Mangini!! The Browns are a decent team, and we beat them, with a much younger team. Sooo, the only reason a little gag like you would still be crying about the Coach, is if said little Fag had another motive. You are probably a piece of crap racist like Rahdom. Actually, you probably are another identity for RahDom, as that fool has to change ID’s a lot! Because he’s a coward. Either way- shut up.we aren’t interested in the puss opinion of the day!!

  60. Irony Says:

    Yes, yes that’s right it’s a realists point of view lol