“I Don’t Understand Football Anymore”
October 5th, 2011
Sure the Bucs were better than the Colts, but the Bucs also got a couple of big breaks Monday.
Josh Freeman tossed a nearly identical bad pass in the endzone to the one that got intercepted against the Falcons, but this time against Indianapolis it was dropped. And the other was the non-fumble call on Earnest Graham in the second quarter. Replays showed Graham caught the ball, made a football move and was stripped. But the pass was ruled incomplete.
Chucky saw the replay and of the non-fumble-call said, “I don’t understand football anymore” during the Monday Night Football broadcast,
What Joe understands is that Graham has a fumbling problem that Joe prays is quickly rectified. Graham also coughed up the ball against Minnesota and on opening day, both at critical times.
As the season moves on, Joe expects to see more of Blount and Kregg Lumpkin eating Graham’s third down appearances, regardless.
October 5th, 2011 at 8:51 am
Joe, looked to me like he was still trying to bring teh ball in and it was still bobbling around in his hands…..i thought it was the right call. Either war, he is not the EG that exploded several years ago when the other backs were injured. Why did we let Caddy go again?
October 5th, 2011 at 9:26 am
I don’t like the fumbles…and yes it was a fumble. But the run he made that got called back on the Parker penalty was the most explosive run by the Bucs that I’ve seen all year. I’m not saying the best run…if you didn’t DVR it you won’t see it again, but it was like Caddy ’05. Since it got called back it never made the highlight reel. He is our second best back….and leading reciever, and leading 3rd down contributor. So I like Graham…he IS productive.
October 5th, 2011 at 9:40 am
mikeck
Sorry dude, not even close, that was a fumble, the Bucs caught a break.
Graham also bobbled a couple of others that he hung onto when they dumped it to him over the middle.
I expect to see more and more of Lumpkin and Blount as well. Blount will provide great playaction and Lumpkin seems to have a burst Graham and Blount does not.
October 5th, 2011 at 9:46 am
We were not the only ones who caught a break. How about the Garcon touchdown were Ronde was blocked from the back. That touchdown should have been called back.
October 5th, 2011 at 9:55 am
It was incomplete. Graham couldn’t reel it it. It was still trying to be secured in his fingers. It is similar to the Calvin Johnson rule.
October 5th, 2011 at 10:14 am
We got lucky they didn’t challenge, it was a fumble. As for the Ronde block, it was more shoulder/side than the back. Graham is productive, but agree with Joe, he has had a bit of fumble-idis the last few games at critical times. He needs correct it!
October 5th, 2011 at 10:34 am
Graham is a liability outside of the quick check down pass (which I think Blount could do), he fumbles more now and cant block as well so I am not sure why he is in that much…. Lumpkin showed some explosion when on the field and when Blount had that quick check down pass he made a big play, there is no reason I can see Graham being in the game
October 5th, 2011 at 10:40 am
Dave, it is was so clearly a fumble, why was it called incomplete?…and then not even challenged by the Colts. if they thought it was clear, they would have thrown the red flag.
October 5th, 2011 at 11:00 am
This is Caldwell were talking about, not Dungy. He should have, hence, “we got lucky”. Even, the annoucers were baffled at the non-challenge.
BTW Caldwell still looks lost as a headcoach, to me.
October 5th, 2011 at 11:47 am
He is our leading receiver.
Lupkin looked good. I think he will be a good change of pace back.
that was a fumble…
October 5th, 2011 at 12:19 pm
Looked like a fumble to me but the Preston Parker block did NOT look like unnecessary roughness. WR puts a shoulder on a 300+ lineman and it’s unnecessary roughness?? Good run by Graham that should have stood.
October 5th, 2011 at 12:30 pm
wasn’t a fumble and yes, that is a penalty on parker. a stupid one at that. you cant do that kind of crap that far away from the play.
October 5th, 2011 at 12:35 pm
It was not a fumble, that was the ruling on the field. Case closed. Bottom line we got some lucky breaks and Indy got some lucky breaks, but last I checked we won the game and San Fran is the next team up. As for Graham, He does do some good things, but he is beginning to become a liabilty. Blount should be featured more on 3rd downs.
October 5th, 2011 at 2:34 pm
@gotbucs,
So I guess you feel Sapp should have gotten a personal foul on Chad Clifton too? But guess what, there was none. Why? Because it’s not a penalty. Was the lineman not chasing after the ball? What if he caught up to the runner? Or does he have to tell the lineman he is about to attempt to block him? Is there a certain distance away from the ball a player has to be before you can block him? If you are chasing the ball, then keep your head on a swivel. That is taught from pop warner. If that truly was the call, then it was absolutely ridiculous! My goodness, the lineman has over 100 pounds on him, so it’s not like we hit the punter!
October 5th, 2011 at 4:34 pm
That parker call was ridiculous. If you don’t want to get blocked, stop running.
October 5th, 2011 at 4:34 pm
It was incomplete. He never had it.
October 6th, 2011 at 12:26 am
I hate to say it (because Graham is one of my favorite players), but I think that was a fumble. It was pretty close, but the Dolts should definitely have challenged it. I was screaming for us to snap the ball on the next play (a punt) before they could throw the challenge flag. We caught a break on that one IMO.