And the broadcasters are …

Bucs fans who don’t live on the west coast of Florida, or within a 60-mile or so radius of Baltimore, very likely will have to find a sports bar to watch the Sunday, unless you have NFL Sunday Ticket.

The CBS telecast, (WTSP-TV Channel 10, locally), is deemed so low down the totem pole by the Tiffany Network, that roughly 96 percent of the nation won’t have access via their local over-the-air CBS affiliate. [read more]

Derrick Brooks weighs in

The worst defense in the NFL last season belonged to Monte Kiffin, Rod Marinelli and the Dallas Cowboys, a nearly identical defense to the Bucs’.

But this season, the Cowboys are making big plays defensively, forcing turnovers and are sitting with a 4-1 record. [read more]

Lovie Smith explains

The Bucs offense was horrible the first three games. The Bucs pass defense has been miserable. And aside from one game, quarterbacks had as much time to themselves as if they were in a confessional to throw the ball.

Just last week against the Saints, Drew Brees went back to throw 57 times and not once did Brees hit the ground. Granted, Brees is Houdini-like in his ability to escape, but geez. [read more]

Even though the Bucs are 1-4, a virtual lost season, there are things to look forward to. Sunday may be one of them.

The Baltimore Crows aren’t as strong as they once were, but are dangerous. Still, WTSP-TV Channel 10 sports anchor David Wirth thinks the Bucs can learn from the Saints loss last week, and give the Crows a run for their money Sunday, if…  [read more]

Johnthan Banks (27) believes if he can play with the MRSA, he can play with a sore neck.

One of the walking wounded in practice this week has been starting corner Johnthan Banks. The second-year pro hurt his neck in the loss to the Saints.

A neck injury is nothing to fool with. Those can be dangerous and, in some cases, have ending playing careers. Banks doesn’t seem concerned. [read more]

Don’t look for Johnthan Banks on Sunday

The Sunday prognosis for Johnthan Banks is not good.

Banks “hasn’t been able to do much this week,” Lovie Smith said today. [read more]

Crows quarterback Joe Flacco is sneaky good.

When NFL talking heads discuss about the top quarterbacks, rarely is Joe Flacco mentioned. For reasons Joe cannot figure out, Flacco is the NFL’s version of Rodney Dangerfield. No respect.

In Flacco’s now seven years (including this season), he has guided the Crows to the playoffs five times and a Super Bowl title. Yet Flacco is all but dismissed by experts. [read more]

Joe sure hopes Sunday’s game against Baltimore ends with fans evoking comparisons of Michael Johnson to Simeon Rice, rather than a bowl of black beans and rice.

Starting at left tackle for the Ravens is undrafted rookie James Hurst. [read more]

It’s the JoeBucsFan weekly podcast! Joe joins with the smooth-toned pipes of Buccaneers Radio Network and WDAE-AM 620 voice Ronnie Lane.

A bunch of topics are touched on in advance of Sunday’s Bucs-Ravens game. [read more]

In these unsettled times of devastating Bucs losses, constant change and growing pains, Joe thought it would be wise to bring back THE OPTIMIST.

THE OPTIMIST is Nick Houllis, a Bucs fan and an accomplished writer whose steadfast allegiance to the Buccaneers 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. … Of course, THE OPTIMIST’s opinions are his alone and are not influenced by Joe. [read more]

The Bucs have taken fans through one hell of a rollercoaster ride this season.

Tampa Bay has found stunning ways to lose, from record blowouts to fourth-quarter choke jobs and more. And their one win? A shocking upset with a fourth-quarter comeback. [read more]

It’s the video sweeping the nation and inspiring hope among Bucs fans.

It’s Charles Sims cutting on the fields of One Buc Palace and looking good while he continues rehabbing his repaired ankle. [read more]

Bucs OLB Danny Lansanah dives over the goal line with his pick-six last week in New Orleans, his second in three games.

One of the few Bucs bright spots is the play of outside linebacker Danny Lansanah. The former reserve got a chance to play for injured starter Jonathan Casillas against Atlanta and had a pick-six.

Most Bucs fans didn’t see that because it came in the fourth quarter of one of the worst debacles in franchise history. By that time, Bucs fans had shut the game off and already were drinking heavily.

Lansanah’s play has been so good, he has replaced Casillas as a starter. [read more]

Cornerback Alterraun Verner is ready for his duel with Crows WR Steve Smith, both physical and verbal.

One of the classiest guys in the Bucs locker room is Alterraun Verner. If you ever saw and spoke with Verner outside of football, you’d have no idea he was an NFL Pro Bowl corner. He doesn’t look like an NFL player, almost smallish. He looks and speaks more like a college professor or a church youth counselor. [read more]

NFL Films analyst Greg Cosell identified a change in Bucs RB Doug Martin

Joe doesn’t know who is more peeved at the lack of a running game, Bucs fans or Lovie Smith.

This week, Lovie was asked about the run game and he went oily Drew Rosenhaus in his press conference, blurting “Next question,” like the time Rosenhaus conducted a press conference for his client, Terrell Owens, who was doing sit-ups in his driveway in the background. [read more]

One could argue the Buccaneers’ pass rush only showed up for one strong half of football this season — the first 30 minutes in Pittsburgh, when Tampa Bay recorded five of its nine sacks this year.

That’s a little harsh, but Gerald McCoy might agree. [read more]

Props to CBS-TV for an extensive feature on the team behind the Buccaneers, the equipment and operations crew, and how they plan, prepare and execute a Bucs road game.

Among the interesting nuggets is Lovie Smith insisting all linemen travel in first class. [read more]

The Baltimore Crows now regret cutting Bobby Rainey

Last year, Bobby Rainey was a virtual unheard of running back. Buried on the Crows’ depth chart, few outside his family knew about him.

The Crows parted ways with Rainey in the 2013 preseason. After spending time on the Browns practice squad, he was cut and then-Bucs rock star general manager Mark Dominik, with the Bucs beat up at running back, swooped in and snagged Rainey off the street. [read more]

Interesting facts out of Baltimore

When Josh McCown was the starting quarterback, the offense was brutal, among the worst in the NFL. Numbers don’t lie.

Whether fans want to rag on the offensive line or Doug Martin, or a little of both, for the paltry rushing attack, McCown also dragged down the offense. [read more]

Passionate as ever for his beloved Buccaneers, Hall of Famer Derrick Brooks delivered plenty of passionate Mike Glennon talk with Steve Duemig on WDAE-AM 620 yesterday.

The Mike Glennon Mob will want to take note. [read more]

The young veteran Tampa Bay didn’t think would be a better right guard than Jamon Meredith, Oneil Cousins, Patrick Omameh and, apparently, Bucs newcomers Rishaw Johnson and Garrett Gilkey?

His name is Jeremy Zuttah, starter of the Baltimore Ravens, who face the Bucs in Tampa on Sunday. [read more]