The Bucs celebrate Jameis Winston’s one-yard touchdown run yesterday in the win over the Saints. (Photo courtesy of Buccaneers.com.)

Good morning, Bucs fans. It’s Victory Monday!

So how does today feel? Easier to get to work, right? Didn’t so much mind the traffic, did you? The sun is brighter, the air cooler, the hangover from Sunday football a little less onerous.

That’s what happens when a team that seemed to be listing and hopeless turns around its fortunes, shutting down a future Hall of Fame quarterback in his own house for the first win of the season.

It also is a proud morning for Bucs fans that America’s Quarterback, rookie Bucs signal-caller Jameis Winston, dueled Brees step for step and came out the victor.

It was one of the more opportune defensive efforts Joe has seen from the Bucs in quite a while. No, they did not suffocate the Saints. But when the defense needed to make a play, it did, whether it was one of four sacks of Brees, or forcing a fumble, or picking off Brees.

Props to the defense!

Savoring the Win

New Orleans has that effect on people. Ever been in a food coma? That’s what happens all too often in the various world class eateries in the Big Easy. You really have to work to have a bad meal in this city.

Anyway, when Joe walked into the Bucs’ defensive locker room (in the Superdome, teams have separate lockers; offense and defense), Joe noticed Gerald McCoy sitting at his locker in what looked to be a food coma. GMC was just sitting there, relaxed, staring ahead, savoring the win like Joe had never seen him before.

When Joe asked GMC is it was sort of a football coma, that he was basking in a hard-fought win, GMC laughed and said, “Naw, man. I just finished playing a game.” In other words, GMC left every ounce of energy on the field.

Joe has never seen GMC that drained. But it was his leadership that helped set the tone. Outraged and embarrassed in the season opener, GMC along with Lavonte David, held a players-only practice and film session. For every man Joe talked to on defense, it helped set up yesterday’s wi, and each person Joe spoke with gave GMC props for taking over like that. It seemed it was needed.

While Joe understands GMC spent every ounce of energy on the field, he also spent a lot of energy helping his defensive teammates prepare for yesterday’s gameplan.

GMC had every right to drink in such a proud moment for both himself and his team. He refused to take any credit for the win. Instead, GMC told Joe it was a “collective effort.”

Now that’s a leader.

Mike Evans May Be Hiding Injury

During preseason, when Bucs wide receiver Mike Evans blew a hamstring, Joe spoke with him in the Bucs locker room and asked if the hamstring was going to screw him up for the season opener. Evans broke out into an ear-to-ear smile and told Joe, “I’ll be fine.” In the week leading to the season opener, Evans professed himself good to go.

He was inactive.

Yesterday, Evans admitted he was on a pitch count but still professed to be “100 percent.” Yet he was a non-factor. He didn’t even catch a pass.

Interviewing Doug Martin after the tame, Joe noticed Evans was having a difficult time getting dressed in the locker next to Martin. When he stood up to pull up his pants, he grimaced like he was punched in the nads.

Oh, Evans said all the right things. Boasted he was fine. Just the way Joe saw him with his face wrinkled in pain for some reason, Joe has a hunch that hamstring is much worse than Evans is letting on. This is something that bears monitoring.

Give Him Time

You know what? For the most part yesterday, Jameis had time to throw and look what he did. The offensive line, not always, but more often than not, was doing its job. What a refreshing chance of circumstances.

It doesn’t get any easier next week. The Bucs travel to Houston to square off against J.J. Watt, Jadeveon Clowney and the Texans, which will be searching for their first win. Houston is 0-2 and starting the season 0-3 is pretty much a death knell for playoff hopes. This is a team that went 9-7 last year. Donovan Smith and Ali Marpet, who had good games yesterday, likely will face their stiffest test of the season.

Will the Defense Rise Again?

It will be interesting to see how the defense plays this week. Ryan Mallet is a stiff, let’s face it. Now the Bucs got embarrassed by rookie Marcus Mariota, and it sure smells like they just shamefully unprepared for him. The Bucs did a fine job with Brees. Now which Bucs defense will show up against the Texans? If it is the defense that showed up yesterday, then the Bucs should be in good shape next week.

Jameis Wins Round One

The decent game by Jameis reminded Joe of his Pro Day at Florida State. There, among the many NFL coaches scouting Jameis (and others), was Bad Santa Rob Ryan, the agitated, beer-swilling defensive coordinator of the Saints.

At the Pro Day, whenever Jameis made a decent throw, he would point to Ryan, as if to say, “I’m comin’ big fella. Prepare yourself.” After a couple of finger-pointing stunts, Ryan began to answer in his own way with a nod of the head as if he was chewing on something, as if to say, “Alright, bring it on kid, I’m ready.”

Yesterday, Jameis got the best of Bad Santa. He won Round One.

NFL Thoughts:

Broncos: Man, the Chiefs are simply snakebit by the Broncos. For decades, Denver has had that team’s number. With the exception of the Dick Vermeil days, Denver has owned the Chiefs for decades, from the John Elway through the final years of Peyton Manning’s career. The Chiefs totally choked away their best chance to beat Manning.

Patriots: Yada, yada, yada, Tom Brady…

Stinking Panthers: Cam Newton really is Superman the way he somersaulted into the end zone for a touchdown and did a Mary Lou Retton-like dismount nearly landing on both feet. Newton threw for two touchdowns against Houston and the Stinking Panthers are 2-0.

Cardinals: Carson Palmer threw for four touchdowns and Larry Fitzgerald reached back into the wayback machine for three of those scores. The Bears, this just in, are awful.

Bengals: All Andy Dalton does is win. He threw for three touchdowns to win a duel with Philip Rivers and the Chargers.

Browns: Johnny! Yes, Johnny Football, making a start for concussed Josh McClown, led the Browns with two touchdowns throws. The Titans and Marcus Mariota were no match.

Vikings: In the season opener, Adrian Peterson was a total non-factor for Minnesota. Yesterday, he was very much a factor by running for 134 yards. Teddy Bridgewater ran for a touchdown and threw for another. The Lions are 0-2.

Dixie Chicks: Matty Ice went off yesterday throwing for 363 yards and a touchdown to hand the Giants their second loss. Atlanta is 2-0.

Steelers: Big Ben was on fire throwing for 369 yards and three touchdowns. DeAngelo Williams also scored three touchdowns on the ground, clobbering the 49ers at Heinz Field.

Redskins: So much for that St. Louis juggernaut. Kirk Cousins – Kirk Cousins! – completed 23-of-27 for 203 yards and Matt Jones a pair of touchdowns on 213 yards rushing to derail the Rams’ bandwagon.

Jags: Blake Bortles threw for a pair of touchdowns and 273 yards passing. Can’t blame the Dolphins loss on Ryan Tannehill (but many will), as the Miami quarterback had a helluva game with 359 yards passing and a pair of touchdowns.

Raiders: Fairly big upset. Derek Carr had three touchdowns and 351 yards passing. His 12-yard pass to Seth Roberts late gave Oakland the win at home. The Crows are 0-2.

Cowboys: There is panic in the streets of Philly. Thought to be a Super Bowl contender, they are 0-2 and DeSean Jackson has been invisible. Meanwhile, the Cowboys might be looking for a quarterback and the Bucs have an unused backup. Hhhmmm?

Packers: Aaron Rodgers is the man. He threw two touchdowns and 249 yards passing against a damned good Seattle defense.

Non-NFL Thoughts:

* Props to former Bucs wide receiver and current BSPN talking head Joey Galloway for coming up with the best term Joe ever heard for bad tackling. Leonard Fournette, the closest thing Joe has seen to Herschel Walker, ran around, over and through the Auburn defense Saturday. Just beat them up physically. It was so bad, Auburn would-be tacklers even tried to dive through the air and take Fournette out by grabbing his helmet. The tackling was so bad and so desperate, Galloway said Auburn’s defense was “punch drunk.” That’s beautiful!

* Did anyone see the block FSU quarterback Everett Golson put on a Boston College lineman Friday night? Golson damn near knocked the guy out cold with a shoulder to the grill. The way college refs love to throw flags for targeting, it would have been hilarious if Golson, a quarterback no less, drew such a flag. The lineman, Kevin Kavalec, fell like a bowling pin.

* So, maybe Ohio State isn’t as invincible after all, huh?

* Joe can only guess how folks in Alabama are surfing Hemlock Society websites since Saturday. Both Alabama and Auburn suffered humiliating losses. Ole Miss simply toyed with Bama in one of the more entertaining games Joe has seen in a while. The crazy plays that Ole Miss was making, Joe wonders if destiny is on their side?

* Kentucky is still Kentucky. A football wannabe and Homecoming opponent.

* If Miami had completed its massive choke job Saturday and lost to Nebraska in overtime, would Al Golden still be employed today?

* UCLA sure ended the magic run of BYU, didn’t they? Still, BYU is one of the most fun teams to watch. UCLA, by the way, isn’t so bad, either.

* So Stanford upends USC? Stanford quarterback Kevin Hogan is starting to show the promise of being a big time quarterback and top NFL prospect.

* Speaking of NFL prospects, Connor Cook of Michigan State gets more and more impressive every week.

* Damnit, the Cardinals are choking. And now Yadier Molina may have a screwed up thumb. Beautiful. Pass Joe the bottle.

* So Jenna Lee of FOX News is upset folks like to gawk at hot news anchor babes? Seriously? Well, go ahead and ugly yourself up and watch what happens when your contract runs out with Roger Ailes, master’s degree in journalism from Columbia University or not.