Can Houston DT J.J. Watt be slowed down?

It’s hard to discuss Sunday’s game and not talk about Houston’s monster defensive tackle J.J. Watt. After all, he is Houston’s best player and perhaps the best all-around player in the NFL. [read more]

Bucs right tackle Gosder Cherilus will try to break a trend Sunday.

The numbers on Bucs right tackle Gosder Cherilus facing Texans defensive lineman J.J. Watt don’t look pretty. [read more]

Gerald McCoy is yearning to play offense, and the Bucs’ three-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle said Lovie Smith has promised him that opportunity if a certain goal is reached — a goal McCoy is on pace to hit. [read more]

Stat geeks detail Johnthan Banks is off to another fine season.

Mike Jenkins? Joe’s foot!

Though it hasn’t been seen recently — Joe just might have to prod Lovie Smith to see if he will still take the bait — for the most of Lovie’s tenure with the Bucs, the head coach has had a full-blown bromance over cornerback Mike Jenkins.

Joe doesn’t understand the attraction, but Lovie cannot hide his feelings, especially if you dare bring up the name “Johnthan Banks.” [read more]

Remember that players-only film and practice session Gerald McCoy and Lavonte David held before last Sunday’s game?

David talked a little more about it and its aftermath. [read more]

Chris Conte drills home an important point, as well as a Saints ball carrier.

In four seasons with the Bears, new Bucs safety Chris Conte only played on one losing team. His four college years at “Cal” were the same way.

So Conte knows well the difference between a losing mentality and a winning mindset. [read more]

Houston sackmeister J.J. Watt discussed facing America’s Quarterback.

The drama — and don’t tell Joe you hate drama — is the J.J. Watt/Amercia’s Quarterback storyline that began this summer.

When Jameis Winston was at an NFLPA function, he was asked who he looked forward to playing against. Jameis replied, “J.J. Watt.” [read more]

“Push.”

Lovie Smith adores using that word when he talks about his interior defensive line. [read more]

Texans stud WR DeAndre Hopkins missed practiced yesterday.

First, the Texans must rely on sloppy quarterback Ryan Mallett.

Then they may not have running back Arian Foster because he has yet to recover from a torn groin in August. [read more]

Jameis is getting drilled too much.

A lot of accolades and roses were tossed towards the offensive line of the Bucs this past week for protecting America’s Quarterback, Bucs signal-caller Jameis Winston, keeping his jersey clean and giving him time to throw. [read more]

Texans DT J.J. Watt referred to America’s Quarterback as “smart.”

When America’s Quarterback, Bucs signal-caller Jameis Winston, noted in the offseason he was looking forward to playing J.J. Watt more than any NFL player this season, a lot of Bucs fans moaned and thought the last thing Jameis should do is rile up the best defensive player in the NFL and a true quarterback killer. [read more]

Former Bucs coach passed away today.

Former Bucs coach Richard Williamson, who presided over some of the darkest days of the Bucs’ franchise, passed away today, the team announced.

Williamson was the fourth head coach in team history and succumbed after a brief illness, per the Buccaneers. [read more]

The lone critical weapon of the Texans, RB Arian Foster, may not play Sunday.

The only real weapon the Texans have on offense — Joe hopes you are not naive enough to consider sloppy Ryan Mallett a “weapon” — is running back Arian Foster.

Thing is, Foster is banged up. [read more]

“WOO!”

Remember how former Bucs middle linebacker Mason Foster used to worship rasslin’ superstar Ric Flair? How Foster used to do his Ric Flair “WOOO!” after a sack or a turnover?

Well, Foster may have nothing on America’s Quarterback, Bucs signal-caller Jameis Winston. In a promotional video for Bleacher Report, Jameis goes full blown Ric Flair and Joe thinks it is funny as hell. [read more]

Anerica’s Quarterback gets excited talking about facing J.J. Watt this Sunday.

There is a common saying out there in non-sports land, “Don’t poke the bear.”

In other words, don’t provoke a feared animal into attacking you. [read more]

Bucs guard Ali Marpet talks about how the Texans seem to be using all-world defensive tackle J.J. Watt differently this year.

Joe enjoys reading the musings of Andy Benoit of theMMQB.com, as he breaks down the tape of a handful of NFL games each week, and often posts his findings on Twitter while watching tape.

Conveniently for Joe, Benoit monitored tape of the Texans-Stinking Panthers game and had a nugget on all-world defensive tackle J.J. Watt. [read more]

Soon, you too may be able to buy liquor at Bucs games, without needing a luxury box seat.

The way the Bucs have played in recent years at the Den of Depression, many a Bucs fan wanted to turn a bottle of Jack upside down and see how much they could pour down their gullet. [read more]

Houston sackmeister J.J. Watt will be a good gauge to see just how far the Bucs offensive line has developed.

It seems, just from last week, the offensive line, even with two rookies starting and a couple of guys on their last legs in the NFL, had a nice game against the Saints.

How good? J.P. Peterson of WDAE-AM 620 dug up what the stat geeks had to say about the front wall of the Bucs last Sunday. [read more]

An NFL analyst seems to think the best way to defend the Texans is to let Houston QB Ryan Mallett throw early and often.

A common theme among defensive coordinators is that they want to turn an offense into a one-dimensional force.

That way, it is predictable.

But when you turn an offense into a one-trick pony, and that pony really has no tricks, you’ve shut down an offense. [read more]

BSPN impressed with Jameis last week.

Joe remembers talking with a trusted Bucs source over the summer and mentioning that if America’s Quarterback, Bucs signal-caller Jameis Winston, could be among the top-third tier of quarterbacks in the NFL, the Bucs would come out bandits.

Said Bucs type just smiled and replied, “Oh, home run!” [read more]

Trent Dilfer talks about offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter and Jameis Winston

Yes, Tampa Bay went all turtle late in the game against the Saints.

But the Bucs really weren’t playing scared of Jameis Winston and what he might do with the ball, says former Bucs and Super Bowl quarterback Trent Dilfer. [read more]