Today, old man Ronde Barber played his 200th game in the NFL, all with the Bucs. And the dude is still getting the job done.

Last week it was his fearless play at the line of scrimmage that helped contain Steven Jackson and help give the Bucs a win.

He was getting the job done today again when the Bucs secondary picked off four interceptions. Amazing.

Barber was giddy but seemed almost uncomfortable on the Bucs radio network talking about his career and the Bucs win.

“I relish being part of this team even more,” Barber said of the winning. It’s nice to be on a team like this. The guys appreciate what I have done. They give me grief but they respect what I’ve done and it’s mutual.

“We knew we would have an opportunity [to get interceptions] because [Arizona] struggles at quarterback. We didn’t think we would have four interceptions though, but we would have opportunities.

“[Aqib] Talib thought we would get three and that he would have two.”

The Bucs ran the ball exceptionally well and the pass blocking was top notch in today’s victory in Arizona. And they did thats all behind three inexperienced second-teamers along the offensive line: backup center Jeremy Zuttah (only his third start at the position) and rookie Ted Larsen and first time starter James Lee.

Amazing what a difference a real running back can make. The Cardinals had five sacks last week, and this crew kept Freeman clean — nearly spotless. Joe has to tip his cap to O-line coach Pete Mangurian.

Of Freeman’s two sacks, one was tight end John Gilmore’s fault and the other was because Freeman held on to the ball for an eternity.

Now what?

Word is Jeff Faine might be healthy for Sunday’s game in Atlanta. Jeremy Trueblood could be ready, too. And those guys are old timers on a super young roster that wants to play and develop young players.

As Joe wrote this morning, contract-year Trueblood might not get another start if Lee played well today. And despite two rather expected false start calls — it was his first start in a loud dome — Lee played got the job done nicely.

Darnell Dockett who?

Joe would love to see Raheem give this line another shot in Atlanta.

A lot of Bucs fans, rightly, are giddy over the play of LeGarrette Blount. The Bucs bruising running back will be the talk of the town around the break room tomorrow.

So should rookie wide receiver Arrelious Benn.

Some fans were kvetching that Benn is a wasted pick if you can imagine. Benn hasn’t made much of an impact his rookie year but that ended today.

His 53-yard catch, a bomb from Josh Freeman, was a near touchdown and set up Blount for a short score.

After the game speaking on the Bucs radio network, Freeman gave all the credit to Benn.

“I went to him because the safety got deep,” Freeman said. “The safety was flat-footing it and I cut it loose. [The safety] had no idea what hit him. Benn blew past him.”

With defenses more and more concerned with fellow rookie Mike Williams — and for good reason — and defensive coordinators always concerned with Kellen Winslow, and now defenses having to worry about getting run over by Blount, this should really open up things for Benn.

Joe has a hunch that the Bucs offense is on the cusp of blowing up like we’ve never seen a Bucs offense explode before.

Forget about Barrett Ruud’s incredible awareness to grab a fourth-quarter interception after Geno Hayes played Ray Lewis with a fierce hit over the middle today. Joe is remembering Ruud shedding a block on third down to drop a solo tackle on Beanie Wells at the Bucs 2 yard line.

Trailing 21-14, the Cardinals then failed on fourth down. (Arizona going for it there was perhaps one of the worst coaching decisions since Marvin Lewis stopped running in Cincinnati.)

Those were two huge plays in the Bucs 38-35 win.

Ruud finished with six tackles to lead the Bucs. It wasn’t an All-Pro day for Ruud, he’s still not a real physical presence, but he made impact plays, which is what he hasn’t been doing.

Ruud must become a difference maker for the Bucs to beat good teams.

Joe doesn’t think it’s a stretch to say LeGarrette Blount won the game for the Bucs.

Despite the Bucs getting four interceptions — four! — and two pick-sixes, the defense still gave up 27 points — to a couple of hacks like Max Hall and Derek Anderson of all people — which is absolutely mindblowing to Joe!

There is no way around it: Game ball to LeGarrette Blount.

The Bucs’ running game has been stagnant if not invisible with Cadillac Williams. But the more the Bucs have been given Blount the ball, the better the Bucs running game has become.

When’s the last time a Bucs running back has had such an impact in a win? It has been a while.

Damn, what a game Blount had. He had 22 carries on 120 yards and two touchdowns. Is there any doubt the Bucs would have won this game without him?

Joe doesn’t think so.

First there was that nifty move for a 15-yard touchdown. Dude looked really quick for a massively big guy. Then there was his game-clinching play.

Blount was running right, cut left, back right and decided to go all Renaldo Nehemiah on the Cardinals, hurdling a would-be tackler and racing 48 yards downfield.

Ballgame.

Damn, that was beautiful.

Joe has written this before and will write it again: Blount is your starting running back. Cadillac is nothing more than a third-down back to be used in passing situations only.

Blount put to rest tonight any doubt who your starting running back is.

Stylez White made his share of big plays today, including a late sack and a forced fumble that all but ended the Cardinals’ chance of overcoming the Bucs’ 38-35 lead.

And that was a sack, of course, his third of the season and the only one of the day for the Bucs.

Stylez also delivered strong pressure on at least a few occasions and made two good tackles, including one in the open field to get the Bucs off on third down.

Considering how Stylez was ballin’ a full 60 minutes, Joe has to wonder whether some intense inner motivational forces were in play. About midnight Friday, Stylez Twittered his disgust at the recreational options in Arizona.

@stylezwhite U can’t smoke in AZ and I mean cigars! WTF! This trip blows! Strip clubs too!

Joe knows one of the great frustrations in life is heading to a strip club or two with a pile of cash and not finding a decent woman to spend it on, especially on a business trip.

Joe suspects that the shameful talent Stylez was exposed to played a small part in that huge last-minute sack and forced fumble.

Joe’s not going to suggest every Bucs fan should track down Mark Dominik and Raheem Morris and kiss their feet for drafting Josh Freeman, but perhaps they should?

To think that Freeman would be 8-8 over his first 16 starts playing with plenty of inexperienced receivers and behind his share of second-string linemen is astounding.

The guy is money. The Bucs are 5-2 and he’s thrown only three interceptions. Yes, Joe already has a Freeman jersey.

Sure, Freeman took a foolish fourth-quarter sack for a 12-yard loss that could have cost the Bucs today’s thrilling 38-35 win in Arizona, but Joe is quite certain Freeman won’t pull such a bonehead move again. And that’s the thing with Freeman, the kid has learned and grown at such a fast pace that the maturation is evident nearly every week.

What’s he going to look like if LeGarrette Blount proves to be the real deal?

Teams, except in rare situations, don’t win without a good quarterback. And teams don’t lose much when they have a QB like Freeman.

Geno Hayes, Aqib Talib and Barrett Rudd kept the Bucs in the game with each making multiple huge plays. Josh Freeman proved yet again he’s on the verge of greatness with another fourth quarter comeback (minus taking an ugly sack). LeGarrette Blount keeps running people over — and leaping over them. And the rookie receivers had huge days.

The Bucs are 5-2!

Pour the freakin’ bubbly!

The “best team in the NFC” has won five in a row on the road and is going to Atlanta next Sunday for a division battle of 5-2 teams.

Miracles happen.

Joe tips his cap to Raheem Morris, Mark Dominik and the team. To win convincingly with this makeshift offensive line blocking spectacularly is a serious accomplishment.

Joe will have so much more through the night. Come back often.

Week 8
Bucs at Cardinals
Kickoff: 4:15 p.m.
TV: WTVT-TV Channel 13 locally. DirecTV Channel 714.
Radio: Buccaneers Radio Network (in Tampa WFUS-FM, 103.5 and WDAE-AM, 620); Sirius Channel 158.
Weather: The game will be played in a soulless dome, otherwise known as the Birdcage. For those going tailgaiting in Glendale, per Accuweather.com, hey, it’s the desert. Tailgating will start out in the high 60s and rapidly to the mid-70s by kickoff. No clouds. Low humidty.
Odds: Per Bodog.com, Cardinals -3.
Outlook: This game scares Joe. Yeah, on paper the Bucs should win. As Joe likes to write, games aren’t played on paper. Joe just cannot get past the fact teams run through the Bucs defense quicker than Joe can open his front door for Rachel Watson. The Bucs know it’s coming and they still can’t stop the run. Now Beanie Wells isn’t Earl Campbell but Chris Ivory isn’t exactly Barry Sanders either. How’d Ivory do against the Bucs? Throw in the fact the Bucs offensive line is currently a shambles, with Keydrick Vincent being cut, Jeff Faine and Jeremy Trueblood being hurt… this frightens Joe. Of course, if the Bucs could run the ball and control the clock and keep the ball out of the hands of Wells, that would go a great distance to calm Joe’s nerves. That, too, hasn’t happened for the Bucs much this year, has it? Joe is praying LeGarrette Blount gets more carries and gains some yards, but can much be expected from him behind a band-aid offensive line? Again, on paper, this should be the Bucs’ fifth win. Halfway to the race to 10. This game is played on grass, however.
Video: NFL Films has a preview of today’s game. … a video weather report from AccuWeather.com. … and Raheem Morris’ contract status from the gang at TBO.com.
Links: Gerald McCoy’s growth. … Ronde Barber’s milestone with the Bucs. … Arrelious Benn and his brother. … Trueblood’s streak is over. … Bucs need a faster start. … Josh Freeman’s rapid growth.
Fun facts: Mike Williams leads all NFL rookie wide receivers with 365 receiving yards. … Cardinals running back Tim Hightower averages 5.7 yards a carry.

The band-aid offensive line the Bucs will trot out today is quite a crew, sure to make any defensive coordinator drool.

From left to right: Donald Penn, Ted Larsen, Jeremy Zuttah, Davin Joseph and James Lee. …Ouch.

It’s third-year man Lee’s first start, one more than the rookie Larsen. Lee was on the field for the winning drive last week after Jeremy Trueblood left with a knee injury, and Lee got the job done pass blocking.

Starting, though, is another story. Lee’s got everything to prove. But Lee has been with the Bucs since September 2008, so at least he’s had veterans to learn from and a couple of O-line coaches.

Last week Donald Penn, in a chat with Joe, summed up his opportunity that emerged in 2007, after Luke Petitgout got hurt. “I got in the game. I never got out since,” said Penn, who makes his 51st consecutive start today.

Former Bucs defensive end Steve White has been a fan of Lee for a while, and White takes a look at Lee’s opportunity on his blog, including this take from Lee’s play in a preseason game.

I couldn’t give James Lee a good this week because he was beaten a couple of times on pass rush. But the more I see of the guy the more I like. He actually reminds me of Penn in that he has a nasty streak. You see him blocking guys all the way across the formation. Pass blocking that is. Other times you see him finishing guys off with pancake blocks. I have a feeling that we will see more of him in the years to come.

In Joe’s mind, Trueblood is undoubtedly a player the Bucs are considering replacing in 2011. He had a second-round tender placed on him in restricted free agency this year, and there were no takers outside the Bucs. Combine that with his penchant for stupid penalties and the Bucs’ sad running game, and he’s surely on the hot seat.

Joe would love to see Lee emerge as a viable replacement at right tackle. Heck, Ted Larsen apparently played so well last week the Bucs felt comfortable cutting their starting left guard, Keydrick Vincent.

Possibly, Bucs fans may have seen the last of Trueblood.

In advance, Joe wants to thank those who will comprise the roughly 20,000 actual visits to JoeBucsFan.com today and tomorrow.

That’s right about 20,000 visits to these here pages in 48 hours. Joe is so grateful for the hundreds of thousands who flock here every month.

If you’re a business owner, look around. You’ll see very reputable, successful companies advertising on JoeBucsFan.com. And you’ll see some new faces in November.

Joe can guarantee the advertising here is the most cost-effective on the Internet. Period. 

JoeBucsFan.com is a local small business interested in delivering results and building relationships, not ripping off businesses and moving on to the next victim.

If you want to jumpstart your phones and Internet traffic this week, e-mail Joe today for more information. joe@JoeBucsFan.com.

Joe just knew this was coming.

When Raheem Morris took the pulpit after the Bucs rallied with two second half touchdowns to beat the Rams, boasting loudly and proudly how the Bucs were the masters of the NFC, it was a calculated gamble.

Sure, the confidence Morris displayed before all to see and hear might give his young players more confidence to continue winning.

It also might be the verbal equivalent of kicking a sleeping dog.

It appears, the latter might be happening.

Cardinals defensive lineman Darnell Dockett, a man not shy about turning to Twitter, sounded off this evening about the Bucs and Morris’ self-proclaimed title he gave his team.

@ddockett I’m so excited to play against the “BEST TEAM IN THE NFC” tommorow! ITS ON!! *raise glass TOAST*

Gulp.

This is just what Joe feared, and fears for tomorrow. To say the Bucs have patchwork offensive line Sunday is being kind, with Keydrick Vincent cut, Jeff Faine and Jeremy Trueblood both on the mend. There are few better defensive linemen in the league than Dockett.

Just what the Bucs need, Dockett to be on a mission against guys who were practice squad players a few weeks ago.

Pat Kirwan is aghast that Raheem Morris would suggest the Bucs are the best team in the NFC. But Kirwan is very much driving the bus on the Josh Freeman bandwagon in this CBSSports.com video, co-hosted by Jason Horowitz.

Though NFL warden commissioner Roger Goodell is enjoying bad food and bad NFL teams in London this weekend, again making noise about an NFL franchise in Europe, Goodell’s deputies assistants continue to bring the hammer down on players back in the colonies.

Case in point, Randy Moss.

The all-world yet oft-gametime vacationing wide receiver with more baggage than Santa Claus got slapped by Goodell for $25,000 for blowing off the fourth estate, an issue that apparently traveled with Moss from New England to Minnesota.

Could Bucs cornerback Aqib Talib be far behind?

Now before anyone freaks, Joe has absolutely nothing against Talib. Nothing. Joe’s had one encounter with the guy and it was professional if not pleasant. But hear Joe out:

Talib was (correctly) outed by Rick Stroud of the St. Petersburg Times for being in a luxury box at the CITS — a luxury box Talib himself paid for out of his own pocket — during the Bucs season-opening win over Cleveland, as Talib was serving his one-game suspension for his cabbie-slugging incident last year.

Talib, innocently, wasn’t aware he couldn’t watch the game from a luxury box that he coughed up hard-earned cash for. Nope. NFL suits don’t allow that.

Stroud came across the information and, as a journalist should do with accurate information, reported Talib’s sighting. Don’t blame the messenger. But of course, reporting a truthful story often comes with repercussions, particularly if a story exposes someone, no matter how accurate said story may be.

Since, per Joe’s sources, Talib has frozen out the local fourth estate.

He has consistently refused any and all media requests to speak on the record, save one with BSPN. After games, Joe is told, Talib races out of the locker room as if an Ebola virus has broken out, thereby avoiding the fourth estate.

Joe has learned that, per NFL media guidelines, if requested by reporters, a player must be made available at least once a week. This could be after a practice or after a game.

Talib has not been available.

Now if Goodell is starting to go after player’s checkbooks for not talking to the press, as in the case of Moss, is Talib walking on thin ice shutting out local reporters?

Again, Joe has absolutely nothing against Talib. He was cooperative with Joe the lone time Joe spoke with him. Joe never asked about his off-field cabbie incident because Joe didn’t think it was relevant as Joe was writing a football story.

Joe can understand why Talib wouldn’t want to give Stroud the time of day. Stroud was hardly wrong in fingering Talib, but Joe can understand why Talib would be upset with Stroud.

But why punish reporters from other organizations, and in the abstract, Bucs fans?

Joe’s not alluding to the Bucs’ four-game road winning streak in the headline above.

No, Joe’s talking about an ugly Arizona Cardinals stat that Joe just can’t get out of his head.

Here it is detailed by Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic in a Bucs-Cards preview:

Cardinals key stat

25 – That’s how many possessions the Cardinals have had with Max Hall at quarterback. They have one touchdown in that time, a 2-yard fumble return by tackle Levi Brown. The Cardinals are ranked last in the NFL in four offensive categories and are tied for 30th in turnover ratio (minus 7). There are many other ways to tell how bad the offense has been but you get the idea. 

Amazing.

Joe is flabbergasted how pathetic the Cardinals’ offense has been with undrafted rookie Hall under center. That’s 25 possessions and they only punched in one score by a tackle picking up a fumble. Yet he’s still the Arizona starting quarterback.

The Bucs’ defense might expect a gift QB like this on Christmas, not Halloween.

Joe has to believe Raheem Morris is smart enough to find a way to stop the run Sunday, especially with a lame threat at quarterback and Beanie Wells, not Stephen Jackson, starting against him.

If the Cardinals run the ball down Bucs’ throat in the first half, Joe’s literally going to launch into a profanity-laced tirade rivaled only by those of the Jim Bates era.

The Bucs should be able to hold Arizona to 14 points or less and generate some turnovers.

Prior to last week’s Bucs win over the Rams, Joe had a chance to chat with Bernie Miklasz of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Miklasz has long been one of the most respected football writers in America, having covered the Baltimore Colts when the Mayflower trucks left the city. He is a former president of the Professional Football Writers of America, once was a beat writer for the Dallas Morning News covering the Cowboys and counts Michael Irvin, Jerry Jones and Gil Brandt among his many confidants.

Joe and Bernie go way back. Joe’s first experience covering the NFL was when he covered the training camp of the old St. Louis Cardinals under Gene Stallings. There, Miklasz was a beat writer covering the Cardinals. Joe was a punk kid. Observing Miklasz work and absorbing his advice was priceless for someone on their first beat. To this day, Joe still heeds Bernie’s advice, learned decades ago. Such as Joe is with Joe Henderson of the Tampa Tribune, Joe is eternally indebted to Bernie for the things he did for Joe, including his orientation to the joys of tequila. 

Currently, Miklasz is a busy guy. He’s the primary sports columnist for the Post-Dispatch, hosts a wildly popular midday sports radio show on WXOS-FM, Twitters proficiently, and is a regular analyst on the St. Louis Cardinals pregame and postgame shows on Fox Sports Midwest. Even Tony La Russa knows better than to tangle with Bernie.

JoeBucsFan: What is your perspective on Bucs general manager Mark Dominik. In a short time with the Bucs, he seems to be building a reputation as a draft sage.

Bernie Miklasz: I see the Bucs and the Rams as very similar. They both really had to rebuild their roster. The Bucs had a headstart. It wasn’t that long ago that the Bucs were in the playoffs. So, the cupboard wasn’t as bare as it was in St. Louis. The Bucs are clearly going about it the right way. They have a franchise quarterback. Josh Freeman’s going to be terrific. They have to go piece by piece. In the state they are in now, throwing a lot of humongous money at free agents is not the answer. You have to build your base first and I think the Bucs have done a nice job of that.

Joe: A couple of weeks ago, Joe spoke with Ed Bouchette and asked him if the Bucs wins this year were a fluke and he replied there are no such things as flukes in the NFL. You agree?

Bernie: We were just taking note of the fact earlier that the Chiefs and the Rams have been so awful. All of a sudden you look at the state of Missouri and there are two pretty good football teams. It happened quickly. In this league, the difference between the very best and the 32nd team — especially this year — seems to be a very relatively, minor difference. You don’t see a super team and even the bad teams are dangerous. I’m not surprised by any results — well, maybe a little. I would agree with what Ed said. I watch every NFL game — yeah, I do, I watch the Bucs — I think their wins were totally legit.

Joe: Now Peter King in the offseason told Joe he thought that Raheem Morris’ future with the Bucs was — his word — “dubious.” Again, this was before the season. With the Rams, Steve Spagnuolo had a track record as a solid defensive coordinator with the Giants when they won the Super Bowl. The guy has a track record. Morris was never a coordinator on the NFL level. Let’s say the Bucs’ season goes south for some reason. Do you think Morris could survive?

Bernie: I don’t have a good handle on him. I’m not sure whether he’s a good coach or not. I think the reasons [the Bucs] hired him were a little dubious. You know, promoting a young guy like that because you think he will be a great motivator. But he has a chance to grow into something. Granted, when you are hiring people who haven’t been head coaches before as a lot of NFL teams are doing, you are banking on their upside. [The Bucs] may have been taking a little bit too big of a leap at his upside. This isn’t to say I am writing the guy off. I don’t know enough yet. I haven’t seen enough yet to know one way or the other. Spags has shown, even last year, they were 1-15 and the team never stopped playing. He’s gotten the players to buy in and that is a huge step.

Joe: You said you’ve seen the Bucs games. What impresses you, what doesn’t?

Bernie: I love Freeman. Great competitor. Not always pretty but an absolute great competitor. He’ll make plays in the fourth quarter. The games that they’ve won, they’ve never stopped fighting. Great draft pick with [Michael] Williams in the fourth round. They were taking a chance on his upside and it was a minor gamble considering his upside and that one has paid off. Don’t like their offensive line. It seems like they do a good job picking up stunts, picking up gains up front. But as far as straight ahead run blocking, they don’t seem to be very physical. On the defensive side, I wonder who the pass rusher is? I don’t see one. It’s going to take a while for those young defensive tackles to develop. That’s a really tough position to learn. Linebackers are OK. Corners, they are gambling men. Gambling men are going to make plays and they are also going to get beat. If you look at the statistics, the Bucs’ safeties are terrible in pass coverage. If you play a Cover-2 and your safeties can’t get to the ball, you are vulnerable. That’s a general snapshot. I think that [Cadillac] Williams is tremendous cutback runner and a good receiver. Winslow, his pedigree is well-established.

Joe: Joe is of the mind that the offensive line is struggling because it’s a square peg/round hole debacle. These guys under Bill Muir were straight-ahead blocking and were on the cusp of something special. Then, with the change in coaches last year, the Bucs tried to force feed them zone blocking which is not what they were drafted for and the offensive line has never been the same since.

Bernie: That’s a good point. They were asked to do something that’s not their strength. I’d agree with that. I mean, I’m impressed with, against New Orleans, the Saints threw a lot of stunts and blitzes at them. They’re smart. They pick everything up. Just physically, they are not overwhelming anyone.

Derek “Old School” Fournier of WhatTheBuc.net has had it! He’s had it with Cadillac Williams slamming into offensive linemen’s backs. He’s had it with Williams not recognizing holes. He’s had it with the Bucs offense relying on Josh Freeman to bail out the invisible running game in the fourth quarter each and every week.

Pete Mangurian, Greg Olson, Derek is looking at you! If you two do not get a running game — now! — Derek is holding both of you responsible for Pearl Harboring a promising Bucs season. Derek explains in detail in this video.

(OK, Joe’s got other things to get fired up about now. There’s too much college football to watch and too much beer to drink. Can Sparty hold off Iowa? Can the Bulldogs bloody Urban Cryer’s arse? Can JoePa somehow slam the Malaise and Blue in Happy Valley? These issues Joe must monitor while awash in adult beverages.)

You’ve all read THE PESSIMIST, who spews his Bucs-related anger like no other. But Joe also wants you to know THE OPTIMIST. 

THE OPTIMIST is Nick Houllis, a Bucs fan and an accomplished writer whose steadfast allegiance to the team goes back to the 1970s. Houllis is the founder, creator and guru of BucStop.com, a place Joe goes to get lost in time via Houllis’ stunning video collection.

THE OPTIMIST will shine that positive light in your eyes. Some will love it. Some won’t.

Raheem Morris has told us the Bucs are “the best team in the NFC,” and who are we to argue? Well, we are football fans, and it’s in our very nature to argue.

Though I might one day win the ‘Greatest Homer on the Net’ award, even I do not think they are the Best in the NFC. I think New Orleans would have something to say about that wouldn’t they? They did win beat the Bucs by about 10 touchdowns, and even though the Saints lost to the Browns, which we beat in Week 1, the NFL doesn’t work that way.

No, Raheem was more than likely playing cheerleader, and in doing so he caught some national attention for his team, too, making the Jim Rome show, even getting top billing on the afternoon Rome Report. He was probably referring to his teams two losses that match an NFC low, and is trying to pump the kids up even higher than they may already be after a 4-2 start and a comeback win over the Rams.

So are the Bucs the best at anything they do? They have the 18th passing attack. Heck in Bucdom, that is almost as good as best isn’t it? Well no, because they are 23rd in total offense. What about defense, that’s the claim to fame for Tampa Bay right? Not when you’re 31st in the league in rush defense!

So where are the Bucs great?

The Bucs have given up only three rushing TDs; that’s good for 7th in the NFL. We’ve recovered four fumbles, that’s good for sixth.  A No. 8 spot holds the Bucs time of possession stat, with the Bucs’ defense on the field 28:55 minutes per game.

Clearly Tampa Bay is not best in any statistical category, but they do tend to fare well against the pass. The Bucs sit as the No. 6 defense, seventh in QB Completion percentage allowed at 55.6 %.

So its the good old wins and losses where the Bucs are ‘best’, and that will have to do.

With two losses, the Bucs are even with Atlanta, the Giants, and Seattle. Of course, the Falcons have a beef because they have five wins to the Bucs’ four, but the Bucs have a game to play, and after all, they are the best team in the NFC, so they will win that game!

The Bucs do sit strong with a 2-1 conference record and a 1-1 division mark. Atlanta has better marks in both, however. Still, should it come down to a (gulp) Wild Card, the Bucs could find themselves is a sweet position.

Wild Card, hmm, that’s not the best team either.

Shortly after the Bucs’ thrilling win against the Rams, Joe had a chance to hit up cornerback E.J. Biggers with some questions. Here’s what the Bucs’ second-year man had to say on the record.

JoeBucsFan.com: How do you feel your game has progressed? You’re a second-year guy, but you’re almost like a rookie after being hurt last year? How do you think you’re playing?

E.J. Biggers: I’m doing some good things, but I still have a ways to go to get up to the level of Ronde Barber. You know, that’s just a guy I look up to every day. He and Aqib Talib. I look up to those guys, for me two of the best corners in the NFL right now. Great guys to learn from. …Ronde’s just a premier guy, just a standup guy. I watch the things he does every day and try to grow from them.

Joe: Since the start of the season, how specifically have you improved?

Biggers: Just finishing plays. Definitely finishing plays all the time. Not just sometimes. All the time.

JoeBucsFan.com:  The Bucs have shutout three teams in the second half this season. What’s different in the second half?

Biggers: I don’t know, but you gotta play the full game all the time. Play 60 minutes. That’s what Coach Rah preaches before every game. We just finish it all the way through.

Joe: Did you see the Rams getting worn down?

Biggers: I can’t say. I can’t say that. We just stood up. We came into the locker room and Coach Rah told us we weren’t playing pretty and playing up to our expectations and we needed to live up to the things we do every day: core beliefs.

Joe: You guys are now 4-2. How does the team feel now? Are guys thinking playoffs at all and what this season could become?

Biggers: Looking at the next game. That’s what we’re looking at.

Now Joe is sure all his readers fly to Vegas to wager legally, versus placing bets with the guy whose cell number changes every week. 

Regardless of how or why you wager, Joe knows there are many aspiring handicappers reading. So to please the gambling crowd, Joe has turned to superpicker Bob Fox. A writer for various sports publications over the years, Fox flashed his stellar picking skills back in 2008 on JoeBucsFan.com, when Joe had a contest here among sports media members.

Fox will be here to give you a few games every week. He’s 18-10 for the season. 

By BOB FOX
JoeBucsFan.com analyst

Iowa Hawkeyes 24, Michigan State Spartans 20
 
The No. 5 Spartans come into this game undefeated at 8-0. Sparty got quite a scare last week on the road at Northwestern, trailing 17-0 before coming back to win 35-27. The No. 18 Hawkeyes, meanwhile, suffered a painful loss to Wisconsin at home 31-30, after the Badgers came back with the game-winning TD with just over a minute to go. That loss was the Hawks first in the Big Ten (2-1)  and second overall (5-2).  If the Spartans thought Evanston was a tough place to play, wait until they check out Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City. The Spartans are balanced, as they have rushed for almost 200 yards a game, while throwing for over 255 yards. Sparty is ranked 21st overall in offense and led by QB Kirk Cousins, who has thrown 14 TD passes to just four picks. MSU also has a great tandem at RB with Edwin Baker and Le’Veon Bell, who have combined for over 1,300 yards and 15 TDs. The big threats at WR for the Spartans are B.J. Cunningham and Mark Dell. The Hawkeyes have weapons offensively as well, with QB Ricky Stanzi, who has thrown 16 TD passes to just two INTs, along with RB Adam Robinson, who has 737 yards rushing and nine touchdowns. The receiving threat for Iowa is Derrell Johnson-Koulianis, who has eight TD receptions. The Hawks have the edge defensively, as they are ranked 13th in the country overall, and are led by DL Adrian Clayborn. The Spartans’ D is ranked 32nd, led by MLB Greg Jones. I see the Hawkeyes making more big plays when it counts as they will upset Sparty in Iowa City.

New York Jets 20, Green Bay Packers 17
 
The 5-1 Jets are coming off a bye week, while the 4-3 Packers are coming off an emotionally charged game as they beat Brett Favre and the Minnesota Vikings 28-24 at Lambeau Field Sunday night. In addition, LOLB Brad Jones was added to the list of Packers starters put on injured reserve, as he now joins RB Ryan Grant, TE Jermichael Finley, S Morgan Burnett and ILB Nick Barnett. I look for the Jets to try and run the ball against the diminished defense of the Packers, much like RB Adrian Peterson did last week. The Jets are second in the NFL running the rock. It starts with LaDainian Tomlinson (490 yards rushing, 5.3 yards a carry and 5 TDs), who is running the ball like he drank from the fountain of youth. Shonne Greene is the inside rusher in this tandem as he has also put up nice stats as well, with 323 yards rushing, 4.5 yards a carry and 1 TD.  QB Mark Sanchez has been very effective in the passing game as well, throwing 9 TD passes to just two picks for a 86.4 QB rating. If the Packers are to win, it will be behind the arm of QB Aaron Rogers, who has thrown 12 TD passes, but has also thrown nine picks for 89.0 QB rating. Rodgers can not afford to turn the ball over against the Jets, but he will get some mismatches at times, as the Jets play a very aggressive 3-4 defense that sometimes sends extra pass rushers via blitz packages. The Packers need to pressure Sanchez into mistakes as well, as he has only completed 55.4 % of his passes, plus can be flustered with pressure early and often, as the Baltimore Ravens showed in the opening week of the season.  Still, I see the Jets winning this game because of fewer mistakes, although the Pack will play them tough.

New England Patriots 27, Minnesota Vikings 20
 
The big question going into this game is whether or not Brett Favre of the Vikings will be able to go at QB, after having two bones broken in his foot (allegedly) in the game vs. the Packers, or will it instead be Tavaris Jackson behind center. At stake is Favre’s NFL-record streak of 291 consecutive starts, but more importantly the biggest game of the season for the Vikes, who are 2-4 after six games. We will also have the Randy Moss situation playing out, as the talented WR will be returning to New England to face his former team. Reports on Friday said that head coach Brad Childress was leaning towards starting Jackson at QB. Favre and Childress never had a great relationship, but after Childress’ pointed comments about Favre after the Packer game Sunday night, one could call the relationship frosty. The Pats meanwhile are 5-1 and are tied for the AFC East division lead with the Jets. The Patriots are middle-of-the-road statistically on offense, both running (14th) and passing (17th). Defensively, the Pats are ranked 30th. Still, head coach Bill Belichick has the Pats at 5-1. QB Tom Brady is a big reason why as he has thrown 11 TD passes to just four interceptions for a 96.0 QB rating. The Vikings are ranked 24th in the league on offense. Defensively, Minnesota is ranked 13th. Bottom line, one can see why Childress is leaning towards Jackson, as Favre has thrown 7 TD passes to 10 picks for a paltry QB rating of 68.0. With or without Favre, it won’t matter as I see Brady and the Pats sending the Vikes another loss.
 
Arizona Cardinals 16, Tampa Bay Bucs 13
 
Head coach Raheem Morris of the Bucs says Tampa Bay is the best team in the NFC. Only two losses says that they are certainly amongst the best in the watered down NFC. Meanwhile, if the four games the Bucs have won were a beauty contest, the Bucs would not be winning any crowns or getting any flowers. Still, the Bucs are 4-dash-2 in the NFC, and only a half-game off the pace of the Atlanta Falcons (5-2) in the NFC South. The 3-3 Arizona Cardinals have been up and down, with their high water mark the 30-20 victory over the world champion Saints, a Saints team that also buried the Bucs at the Ray Jay a couple weeks back 31-6.  Both teams are on the back end statistically, as the Bucs are ranked 23rd in total offense and 22nd in total defense, while the Cardinals are ranked 32nd in total offense and 27th in total defense. The Bucs appear to have a clear advantage at QB, as Josh Freeman has thrown 7 TD passes to just 3 interceptions for a 82.8 QB rating, while the Cardinals expect to start rookie QB Max Hall again this week, who is coming off a concussion. Hall has yet to throw a TD pass, while he has thrown three picks for a 43.7 QB rating.  If Hall can’t go, the Cards will be lead by veteran Derek Anderson, who has thrown three TD passes to five picks for a 60.2 QB rating. So, why would I pick the Cardinals over the Bucs?  The Cardinals are very tough at home, as they are 2-0 in 2010, plus the Cards still have the best player on the field in WR Larry Fitzgerald, if the Cardinal QBs can ever get him the ball. This game could come down to a field goal margin, and although Connor Barth has only missed two kicks all year (10-12), Jay Feely of the Cardinals has been even better, missing only one (7-8).  Either way, it will be a Grimm game one way or the other, with Hall of Famer Russ Grimm, assistant head coach of the Arizona Cardinals on one side and with his son S Cody Grimm on the other.

Alright you fantasy football types. You cannot intelligently select your starting lineup before you consult with “The Commissioner,” Justin Pawlowski, and his spider, in this WDAE-AM video. His award-winning show, “The Blitz,” airs today from noon to 1:30 p.m.