As Joe kills time before Raheem Morris’ 4 p.m. news conference, Joe thought he’d let readers know how the renowned annual JoeBucsFan.com pick-against-the-spread pool is going.

At this point, Joe is tied for 26th place out of a field of 49 allegedly intelligent JoeBucsFan.com readers. Joe’s not going to cry about that. There’s a load of games left and the pack is pretty tight.

Unfortunatlely, Joe sits at 49.2 percent, which means a farm animal putting his paw on a helmet would probably fare just as well.

Former Buccaneer defensive end Steve White is tied for fifth place, seven games up on Joe and with a very respectable 53.5 percent winning percentage.

Joe fully expects to be his best self and win the season-long pool.

Bucs fans have rapped their empty beer bottles on the table over this, screamed at sports radio show hosts, mocked Peter King and Adam Schein and fired off angry e-mails to no one in particular in cyberspace:

Why won’t “The Media” (read: Park Ave.) give us attention?!

Well, ya got it now!

The NFL has moved the Dixie Chicks-Bucs game on Dec. 5 to 4:15. Not, 4 p.m., not 4:05 p.m., but 4:15 p.m.

That means a national TV audience on Fox.

So everyone across the country will be able to see the Bucs without the need of the godsend known as NFL Sunday Ticket.

This new kickoff time is great for tailgating. Noon games you have to get up early on a Sunday morning and rush. Night games, well, you enjoy it too much and it makes for a rough Monday morning. For tailgating, 4:15 p.m. is perfect. No rush. Plenty of time to get well-lubricated and plenty of time to sleep it off.

As Joe asked before, however, will the locals get to see it as well?

Joe saw the headlines across every Tampa Bay newspaper Friday touting a solid drop in the unemployment rate across every county in the region in the month of October.

It even represented a year-over-year improvement, so wrote Michael Sasso of The Tampa Tribune.

The Tampa area’s unemployment rate fell to 11.8 percent in October from 12.4 percent in September. The rate had been 11.9 percent in October 2009, according to the Florida Agency for Workforce Innovation. The agency includes Hillsborough, Pinellas, Pasco and Hernando counties in the Tampa area.

The drop in the jobless rate here is significant because it puts the region roughly even with the state overall. Previously, the region suffered from a higher unemployment level than Florida.

Sure, unemployment is still painfully high, but improvement is a lot better than the alternative.

And Joe’s read the headlines touting how tourist season is and will be quite strong in these parts with Euros and Canadians dropping their cash in town because the U.S. dollar has plummeted, and Americans seeking a less expensive warm vacation are seeking out Florida but not towns near the oil spill.

The Bucs are 7-3, and their throwback-uniform game against Atlanta in Tampa on Dec. 5 is sure to be huge. It’ll be a massive game between two good teams with major playoff implications. A real event, too, with John McKay landing in the Ring of Honor.

Joe’s quite curious to see the community’s response at the box office.

Joe knows people without cash can’t print it and go to the game. But what about the legions of people who do have cash and call themselves Bucs fans? We all know the guy or family that ditched a pricey season ticket bill, or fell off the bandwagon last year, but wouldn’t break a financial sweat going to the next Bucs game.

How many hundreds of thousands of football fans fall into that category?

The Raiders managed a sellout two Sundays ago with the help of an improved team and a radio station promotion offering half price tickets. The Jaguars are selling out in a small Florida market. And suffering Detroit has put a few games on the tube this year. San Diego got it done for tonight’s game and looks like it will sell out a couple of more, per reports last week in the Union-Tribune.

Joe would love nothing better than to cancel The Blackout Tour for the Falcons game.

Attendance for the Bucs-Panthers game was about 44,000, up around 10 percent from the Bucs-Rams game earlier. Something made that number jump.

Joe knows the community has the means to get that number a heck of a lot higher for one game. One big game.

Yes, it’s still November. Six weeks remain in the season. The playoffs start in January.

A lot can happen in the final weeks of the season, just ask Chucky.

But if one is a betting man, odds are good the Bucs are playoff bound. That’s the word from eye-RAH! Kaufman of the Tampa Tribune who broke down the percentages of the Bucs chances of a playoff berth.

Buccaneer players may be reluctant to use the P-word, but NFL history suggests they now have a good chance to keep playing beyond the Jan. 2 regular-season finale at New Orleans.

Since the NFL re-aligned in 2002 to eight four-team divisions, 28 of the 36 clubs (78 percent) that opened 7-3 advanced to postseason play.

“It’s still early,” Faine said, “and the veteran leaders of this team know you can be 9-3 and still not make the playoffs. As for the younger guys, they don’t know any better. We just tell them to keep focusing on the next game.”

Just a crazy, crazy year for the Bucs. Joe is confident no sober football fan would have said in August the Bucs would have won seven games by Thanksgiving.

The Bucs’ improbable shutout of the 49ers prompted Bucs chatter on “The Opening Drive” this morning, co-hosted by Bob Papa and Solomon Wilcots, heard exclusively on Sirius NFL Radio.

A Bucs fan called and wondered aloud if he should be getting excited about a potential Bucs playoff game. Both Papa and Wilcots seemed to agree it is a very real possibility.

Solomon Wilcots: I’m going to give it up for the Bucs. Their rookie defensive tackles, McCoy and Price, are phenomenal. They deserve more credit. Their secondary is phenomenal. Ronde Barber keeps everybody steady. I think they are playing good defense. They had six sacks and that’s six sacks on Troy Smith. That is huge! He’s a mobile quarterback. When you get six sacks on a guy like that, that’s incredible.

Bob Papa: It boils down to who are you a fan of? If you are a Bucs fan they played great. I’m sure in San Francisco this morning, people are waking up, “Oh my God, our offense stinks.” But hey, enjoy it. You are a Bucs fan.

You have six games to worry about. Everybody gets all crazy about Peter King’s Monday Morning Quarterback and ESPN’s power rankings about where teams are put. You guys are in the equation. Don’t worry about getting 10 wins and not getting in. Who is to say you won’t get 11 or 12 wins? Who knows how the last six games will play out?

Wilcots: You are one game behind Atlanta. That’s the difference between a one seed and a seventh seed. One game. Don’t worry. Just look forward. Don’t look in the rear-view mirror. Don’t look beside you. Look forward. You have six games to win. Go win them.

Though Joe firmly believes 10 wins is very reachable, it’s not out of the question that 11 wins is within reach. Wilcots is right: Just win games.

Jim Basquil and Eric Allen break down the Bucs improbable road shut out yesterday in this BSPN video.

Apparently satisfied with his bowl of oatmeal and hot cup of coffee, Peter King of SI.com banged out his weekly must-read Monday Morning Quarterback.

In this week’s awards, he pats Bucs coach Raheem Morris on the back, suggesting the Bucs energetic leader was this week’s Coach of the Week.

Coach of the Week
Raheem Morris, head coach, Tampa Bay.

The Bucs had a tough decision to make Friday — where to draw the line for sudden party-guy Mike Williams, an absolutely vital cog to their offense, when he was stopped for driving-while-impaired in Tampa early Friday morning. Because Williams didn’t test over the legal limit for being drunk, Morris and GM Mark Dominik took deep breaths and let Williams play, hoping it wouldn’t set a bad precedent. We’ll see if it does. But again, everything Morris touches turns to gold. The Bucs shut out San Francisco 21-0, and they’re a stunning 7-3.

Absolutely Raheem should be coach of the week. Joe is simply stunned how that soft Bucs rush defense and defensive front not only shut down Frank Gore but also racked up a half-dozen sacks on a mobile quarterback — that’s two short of the team’s season total prior to yesterday!

Joe simply cannot remember the last time a Bucs coach came up with a gameplan to completely shock the sober football world like yesterday. Maybe Chucky when he helped craft a lock up of Rich Gannon in the Super Bowl was the last time a Bucs coach game up with just a brilliant gameplan?

Joe’s not throwing out hyperbole either. It was that impressive.

Joe also doesn’t know how Mike Singletary survived the night. Forget Brad Childress losing to the Packers. Singletary having a team get shut out and give up six sacks and having one of the NFL’s best backs held to 23 yards by the likes of Adam Hayward, Alex Magee and Cody Grimm at home is unconscionable.

Joe expects the non-believers to still be out there in full force today, rallying behind the collective won-loss record of the teams the Bucs have beaten. That would be the stunning mark of 17-53.

Now while Joe is thoroughly impressed and amazed by the Bucs’ accomplishments in 2010, that 17-53 won-loss record is so ugly that Joe had to take pause.

The Bucs really haven’t beaten a good team.

Sure, Joe gets that it makes no difference. Joe knows all the arguments. Every team is dangerous in the NFL, good teams beat bad teams, you play the hand your dealt, etc.

But still, that 17 victories (Joe’s counting Carolina’s 1-9 record twice) means the Bucs still need to beat a winner to get a lot of people piling on the bandwagon.

The Bucs’ back-from-the-dead run defense in San Francisco was Sunday’s big shock for sure.

Joe is convinced the 49ers were literally flabbergasted by Frank Gore getting stuffed at the line of scrimmage. The Niners’ had watched the tape. They were sure they could run the ball.

But Cody Grimm nailed Gore on the Niners’ first play from scrimmage for no gain. Grimm stuck him later in the first half, as did Geno Hayes.

It was like the Bucs knew what was coming, even in the passing game, when the defensive lineman collectively looked extraordinarily quick off the ball.

Per a note from San Francisco Chronicle writer Kevin Lynch, the Bucs were making all the right pre-snap reads.

Bucs linebacker Niko Koutouvides said he knew when the 49ers were going to pass and when Troy Smith was going to roll out by tells given away by the offensive and Frank Gore.

If true to a great extent, Joe thinks it’s awesome that the Bucs’ coaching staff was that sharp and that the defense’s communication on the field has improved.

But Joe can’t help but worry that the defense won’t get such an edge in Baltimore and will look more like the group that hadn’t stopped the run since 2008.

Lost amid the giddy Bucs beat down of the 49ers yesterday was one of the coolest quotes Joe can think of coming from a Tampa Bay sports figure in some time.

After Bucs wide receiver Mike Williams was arrested and charged with a DUI despite blowing a breath test that showed he was well within the legal limit of alcohol in his body, some neo-Prohibitionists pounded their canes on the sidewalk demanding the Bucs bench Williams, or worse.

After studying the details of the arrest, Bucs general manager Mark Dominik shot back at the critics and moralists, having Williams’ back with the quote of 2010 when he told Rick Stroud of the St. Petersburg Times, “We’re not going to sit a player for speeding.”

The Bucs don’t excuse Williams’ decision to be out late when he had to report to the team facility for practice at 8 a.m. Friday. But his playing status was never really in doubt.

“We’re not going to sit a player for speeding,” general manager Mark Dominik said Saturday. “And it looks to us as though that’s really the only law he broke here.”

Dominik also had to consider the precedent around the NFL. Jets receiver Braylon Edwards was arrested on DUI charges in September after he blew a 0.16 on a Breathalyzer. He played the next game at Miami but didn’t start.

Broncos linebacker D.J. Williams had a second drunken-driving arrest since 2004 last week but still played against the Chiefs. The Broncos stripped him of being a team captain, and he did not start.

Once again Joe believes the absolute only way one can “lump” Williams, Aqib Talib, Jerramy Stevens and Tanard Jackson together is that each wore the same uniform when training camp broke.

Williams, to date, has not broken any laws. None. Stevens was caught red-handed with so much contraband, he was slapped with a felony charge. Jackson failed multiple banned substance tests. Talib’s misdeeds in the summer of 2009 are well-documented and undisputed.

The greatest “crime” Williams seems to have committed is the heinous black-man-driving-a-nice-car-after-dark law. At least it smells that way to Joe. It’s simply irresponsible to connect Williams with the other four Bucs/former Bucs aside from the fact they are/were all teammates.

Joe’s bringing you loads of highlights from the improbably Bucs shutout win in San Francisco today, all courtesy of the good people of the NFL Network.

The Bucs get a sack!

And another one!

And another one!

And another!

And yet another!

Cadillac Williams rumbles for 26 yards.

Ronde Barber grabs his 40th career interception.

Donald Penn becomes a hero.

The Bucs force the 49ers off the field on fourth down.

The 49ers again can’t get the job done on fourth down against the Bucs.

Mike Williams hauls in a touchdown pass as he wrestles with a defender.

LeGarrette Blount runs for 16 yards.

Big gain as Josh Freeman hooks up with Williams.

Cadillac Williams scores his second touchdown in as many games.

Adam Hayward recovers a fumble.

More Donald Penn jocularity.

All the Bucs highlights in one video.

More highlights from Ronde Barber, Mike Wiliams, Mike Williams, Cadillac and another look at Hayward’s fumble recovery.

Raheem Morris’ postgame press conference.

Bucs cornerback Ronde Barber continues to build a Hall of Fame resume grabbing his 40th interception earlier today, yet another milestone in his brilliant career. He also has 26 sacks. No other NFL player with that many interceptions has that many sacks.

He spoke on the Bucs radio network after the game and reflected on one of the more impressive Bucs wins in years.

“The win is huge. Much was made about us not being able to win out here. It was a game we should have won. We had Troy [Smith] in trouble all day and later we were able to finish it off. It was a banner day for our defensive line. We had eight sacks coming in and we had six today. That’s huge for us. It sets the tone for the rest of the season. It feels good. It’s a really fun victory for us.

“That interception was one of the easiest of my career. [Smith tried] to fit one down the sideline. If I don’t make that pick I’m not doing my job. It put the nail in this deal and set up Donald Penn’s [laughs] touchdown catch.”

On winning on the road:

“We find ways on the road. Rah has handled this team in a very mature way. he is not babysitting. He treats us like adults. Nothing this team cannot accomplish.

“It was a dominating performance. We stopped the run and there wasn’t much of an option in the passing game. Troy didn’t have as good of a game as he did last week.”

There are many future Hall of Famers who played on the Bucs defense that past decade. Derrick Brooks is a lock. So too should be Warren Sapp. John Lynch, probably. Simeon Rice, maybe. So too should Ronde Barber.

It just drives Joe wild when he hears naysayers spout that Barber is a system cornerback. No s[p]it Sherlock. Barber nor any NFL player gets to choose what type of a “system” they play in when they are drafted. It’s how they play which is what matters. Joe Montana was a system quarterback. Lawrence Taylor was a system linebacker.

Only a colossal hater of the first order would keep Barber out of the Pro Football Hall of Fame for being a “system” cornerback.

Barber played the position as well as could be played over many, many, many seasons. Why punish him?

Geno Hayes set the tone for the Bucs defense with a violent, ball-jarring hit on the Niners' first drive.

To avoid getting clotheslined by good teams on their Race to 10 — think Baltimore, not San Francisco — the Bucs and Greg Olson are going to have to figure out how to get the offense going early in games.

Today wasn’t their day in that regard — again.

The Bucs’ opening drive in San Francisco delivered 16 yards and a first down, followed by what should have been two 3-and-outs, except the Bucs decided to make the bonehead call of the day with an ill-disguised fake punt that saw Micheal Spurlock rollout on 4th-and-2 and attempt a throw to a covered Earnest Graham.

The defense bailed out the Bucs early, forcing a turnover on a crushing hit by Geno Hayes on the 49ers first possession. Then Micheal Bennett’s sack led to a 3-and-out the next time the stymied Niners got the ball. And a sack by Al Woods and a tackle for a loss by Roy Miller got it done on the third possession.

Game balls to the entire defensive line. Joe can’t say that enough. It was as if the Niners were in shock because they couldn’t run the ball.

Joe knows the pounding early running by Blount sets up a lot offensively later in the game, but it seems like the Bucs are ripe to fall behind early against quality opponents, or at the very least lose the critical field position battle.

Joe remembers the Bucs falling behind 14-0 in Atlanta, and a similar start in frigid Baltimore will take a miracle to overcome. Frankly, Joe’s not sure what the solution is other than the defense continuing to make plays.

Joe feels compelled to call Kurt Warner one of the worst color analysts in the history of the NFL.

Goodness, the guy was completely monotone today, called the Bucs offense boring and unimaginative numerous times, and it seemed like he hadn’t done his homework on the Bucs’ roster.

Before the game on the Buccaneers Radio Network, Bucs insider TJ Rives said Warner approached him at Candlestick Park today and asked him why the Bucs are scoring so many points.

Joe nearly drove off the road.

Why would Warner ask Rives such a question?

Did Warner not watch game film of the Bucs’ last few games before collecting a fat check from FOX to call today’s action?

After today’s performance, Joe’s especially glad Derrick Brooks stepped out of his politically correct persona to speak out on the radio last week to blast whoever ranked Warner ahead of Brooks on the top-100 players of all-time.

Want to know what was the most surprising thing about the Bucs win other than recording a shutout on the road, across the country?

That Donald Penn can catch better than Michael Clayton.

Who knew that when Bucs general manager Mark Dominik re-signed Penn he would become a secret weapon in the passing game?

Penn showed some nimble hands when he caught a Josh Freeman pass that pretty much put the game away in the second half, helping the Bucs to their seventh win of the season.

Apparently the play was a long-time coming, so said Bucs quarterback Josh Freeman on the Bucs radio network after the game.

“We had that play in since Week 1,” Freeman said.

Freeman went on to say that the Bucs had worked on that play so often each week, that Penn himself finally lost his patience and in recent days was lobbying hard and heavy to have his number called.

“We have had that in the playbook since Week 1 and we’ve been running it in practice and running it in practice and running it in practice and Donald was finally saying, ‘Man, you gotta call that play!” Freeman said. “There was no real pressure, just throw a strike. He has some hands for a big guy. He’s an athlete. He used to play basketball. He’s very coordinated.

“It was awesome to see him get the touchdown in his home state.”

“I had a whole section [of family],” Penn said.

“That put the nail in it,” Ronde Barber said, laughing at Penn’s touchdown, which Barber himself set up with an interception. “Everybody stood up on the sideline because we knew it was coming. It was a K2 kind of a catch.

“Now we have to spend five hours in the air listening to him.”

“Yeah, I was in [Freeman’s] ear,” Penn said of begging for the play. “During the timeout I said, ‘Oh, it’s time to call it. I will catch it.’

“I have the third-best hands on the team. K2 has the best,” Penn added. “We play catch all the time before practice. This is just exciting man, just exciting.”

So exciting for Penn that he launched the ball in the stands, hoping it landed in the section where his family sat at Candlestick Park.

That pass by Penn didn’t make it there. It was one of the few plays that didn’t work for the Bucs today.

Mike Williams swerved all over the field — in a good way — on the biggest play of the game that led to the Bucs’ second touchdown, which broke today’s game open.

Showing great awareness and effort, Williams fought through two defenders to come back to the ball downfield and catch an underthrown Josh Freeman bomb for a 33 yard strike.

Four plays later, Williams would not be denied in the end zone, despite drawing a pass interference call on the play.

From the hole to the house in less than 72 hours. Not too shabby.

Joe hopes Williams is cleared in his DUI case and lives happily ever after.

Joe’s very impressed that the kid shook off what likely was the worst experience of his life to stay focused and make a few big catches in the Bucs win.

He didn’t let anyone down today. 

Joe wonders whether Williams’ teammates will insist he get sloppy drunk on the plane ride home, or punish him by making him stay sober, wear a skirt and serve drinks to his teammates from the aisle.

It’s a safe conclusion at this point that the Bucs’ past problems running the ball had little to do with the offensive line and everything to do with Cadillac Williams in a role beyond his ability.

LeGarrette Blount arrived and now the Bucs run the ball with attitude. Unfortunately, Blount went for -8 yards on a late carry and had some short kill-the-clock runs to finish with just 82 yards on 26 carries, but the guy is the freakin’ straw that stirs the drink in the offense.

He’s pounding, punishing, leaping — again — improvising. Unbelievable. He doesn’t catch the ball or do much blocking, but it makes no difference. His presence has made Cadillac more effective, as well as Josh Freeman. The Bucs are a playoff contender because of Blount.

Jerremy Zuttah stepped in at left guard to replace Ted Larsen midway through the game, which was a bit odd. (Was Larsen hurt?) And perhaps this is the last Bucs fans have seen of Jeremy Trueblood.

Regardless, the Bucs have a deep O-line gaining confidence every week. Heck, they even got a hog scoring touchdowns.

The way the Bucs defense had played all year, Joe was convinced the only way the Bucs would have a prayer of a playoff chance was to go Air Coryell, play pinball football, arena football, go crazy folks with the football.

But Joe never, ever dreamed the Bucs defense could shut out a college team much less than an NFL team. Rachel Watson waiting for Joe in his bedroom was a significant higher degree of a possibility.

But then the Bucs do just that: pitch a shutout. On the road no less! It was the Bucs first shutout on the road since blanking Philthydelphia in 2003.

Yes, it was Troy Smith. But the 49ers still had bruising back Frank Gore. Still had Michael Crabtree. As veteran NFL beat writer Ed Bouchette told Joe earlier this year, there are no flukes in the NFL.

Of all the things that the Bucs have pulled off this season, surprising season that it has been, this is easily the most spectacular, the most impressive, the most stunning.

It wasn’t just a shutout. The Bucs, inept in pressuring the quarterback with a league-low eight sacks entering the game, put Smith on the ground not once, not twice but six times. Six!

Old man Ronde Barber came through yet again, picking off a pass (Smith’s first in the NFL) and setting up Donald Penn’s touchdown reception.

No, that last sentence is not a typo of any sort.

It was such a mind-blowing performance, Joe wonders if 49ers coach Mike Singletary will still have a job come midnight?

Joe is sitting at his computer stunned, speechless. Joe cannot believe what he just saw.

Maybe Joe should clean himself up. Rachel Watson just might be knocking on his door shortly.

It has been that much of an unbelievable day.

Unreal!

Donuts for Donald Penn. Beers for Mike Williams. And a game ball for everyone on the defensive line.

Finally, finally, finally, the Bucs figured out how to stop the run en route to a shutout win in San Francisco. Frank Gore with 12 carries for 23 yards?  Who could have imagined? Joe still can’t believe it.

The thought of Raheem Morris pitching a shutout with his defense in a big November road game with sacks from Adam Heyward, Michael Bennett, Al Woods and Alex Magee, plus two from Stylez White, is nothing short of amazing. Give Raheem a game ball, too.

It was a near perfect game for the Bucs.

Tampa Bay is 7-3!!!!!!

The Race to 10 might not be enough Ws to get them to the playoffs, but it certainly looks like they should hit the 10 mark now.

Joe will have so much more through the evening. Check back to JoeBucsFan.com often.

Week 11
49ers at Bucs
Kickoff: 4 p.m.
TV: WTVT-TV Channel 13 locally, DirecTV 715
Radio: Buccaneers Radio Network (in Tampa WFUS-FM, 103.5 and WDAE-AM, 620); Sirius Channel 90.
Weather: Per Accuweather.com, not all that great of a day in NoCal. Temperatures in the low 50s prior to kickoff with an expected temperature of 55 at kickoff which will remain steady. Late-morning rain is expected which may linger past the start of the game. The sun may break through near the end of the game.
Odds: PerBodog.com, 49ers -3.
Outlook: Scary game. Just about any game is scary for the Bucs when they can’t stop the run against scrubs. When Frank Gore is in the backfield, gulp. Since Troy Smith took over at quarterback the 49ers have suddenly become the playoff contender many expected Mike Singletary’s team to be prior to the season. Joe doesn’t think this is a coincidence given the fact Smith has yet to throw an interception. Would be nice if Ronde Barber and/or Aqib Talib break up that streak. As Joe has stated several times already, the best thing for the Bucs is to get into a shootout. The Bucs have the weapons now to do it and if the 49ers are running chunks of real estate, good, it eats up the clock. Hard to win a shootout with a run-oriented attack. As Joe has stated previously on WDAE-AM 620, if the Bucs don’t win this game, playoffs are a pipe dream.
Video: NFL Films preview of the Bucs-49ers. … NFL Network’s Solomon Wilcots, Brian Baldinger and Michael Lombardi break down LeGarrette Bount’s talents. … Rick Stroud and good guy Stephen Holder share their thoughts on the game. … Video star Anwar Richardson and Woody Cummings talk about how the Bucs are West Coast “killaz.” … Pam Oliver of FoxSports talks to Josh Freeman.
Fun facts: Talib likes to play road games. He has four pickoffs in his last four road appearances. … No one has more rushing yards the past three seasons than Gore. … San Francisco sackmeister Justin Smith has a history of devouring Bucs quarterbacks with three sacks in three games against the Bucs.

Derek “Old School” Fournier of WhatTheBuc.net has his weekly breakdown of the Bucs game. He does some solid research and, among other things in this video, he seems impressed with 49ers quarterback Troy Smith’s smarts.