Joe has been pounded with questions about when rookie running back Charles Sims would be activated. If you have today in your pool (why else would anyone be so concerned Sims would be activated so long as he was by kickoff?), you are a lucky person.

Per NFL.com’s insider Ian Rapoport, it is expected Sims will return to the roster today, so Rapoport Twittered. [read more]

That quote from Lovie Smith this week brought a lot of chuckles — and tears — to media types and fans.

And considering it’s Nov. 1, Joe thought it was fitting to mention it this afternoon. [read more]

The Bucs are 25 hours away from kickoff at the famed Factory of Sadness, home of the Cleveland Browns. However, said factory is not so sad these days as the Brownies actually have a winning record, which should gall Bucs fans.

The Browns are getting decent quarterback play. Their defense is playing sound football. But the offensive line is a bit banged up. How should the Bucs battle the Browns? [read more]

No more excuses for D-linemen not named “McCoy.”

The Bucs’ defense is the worst in the NFL. They’ve allowed the most points and the most yards.

So either the garbage Browns third-down offense will be a tonic for Tampa Bay, or the Bucs’ ineptitude will be what ails Cleveland. [read more]

As usual on Saturdays, Joe brings Bucs fans the map that shares where they can watch Bucs games free.

This week, unless you live in Florida or Ohio, there are scant areas to watch the Bucs-Browns game on a local over-the-air FOX affiliate and, thus, Bucs fans must use NFL Sunday Ticket or head to the bar.

In the map below, areas shaded yellow will have the Bucs-Browns to begin the month of November in the comfort of their own home, in their boxers if they so choose. Hey, it’s your castle, man. As always, map is courtesy of 506Sports.com.

Last week, per Gerald McCoy, your beloved Bucs headed to practice and “highly and overly emphasized” generating takeaways.

Sadly, they didn’t get one against the Vikings. Never fear. This week there was a new focus in practice. [read more]

Bucs C Evan Dietrich-Smith and his fellow offensive linemen need to get their act together.

In some ways, Joe believes the offensive line is the scapegoat for some of the offense’s ills.

It’s lazy to blame the offensive line on Doug Martin being a shell of his former self. When are fans going to hold the guy with the ball responsible for not making anyone miss? Why does Martin think he is all of a sudden Mike Alstott? [read more]

Bucs coach Lovie Smith is an even-keeled guy. Patient, you might say. He doesn’t get too worked up over much, unless you ask him about an unsourced report. That usually gets him ticked off.

Apparently, another thing that ticks off Lovie is when a former player mocks his defense. After showing to be a failure here, former Bucs first round draft pick Mark Barron told the throng of St. Louis media upon arrival in the Gateway City that Lovie’s defense wasn’t for him because it was too “passive.” [read more]

Last week, the Bucs were all jacked up about their new, accomplished, plucked-off-the-street returner, Trindon Holliday.

Now he’s gone. [read more]

Clinton McDonald

The Bucs had five sacks in the first half against Pittsburgh. Awesome!

The Bucs have five sacks throughout the 13 other halves of football they’ve played. Ugly! [read more]

Doug Martin was in the dreaded walking boot on Wednesday and he hasn’t practiced all week. Consider him out for Sunday.

This provides yet another huge opportunity for the guy averaging 1.7 yards more per carry than Martin. [read more]

Bucs icon John Lynch was a ferocious hitter on the field, and he channeled his old ways during an interview yesterday. [read more]

Joe’s asking for your help

Perhaps trying to spare Bucs fans a Halloween weekend horror in Cleveland, officials at the FOX affiliate in the Fort Myers-Naples TV market will not air the Bucs-Browns game Sunday.

Despite legions of Tampa Bay faithful in their audience — the northern edge of their signal is just south of Sarasota — they have opted to show the Cardinals-Cowboys game instead.

What a travesty this is for Bucs fans in the area, and Joe is asking for your help. [read more]

Crab-legs-stealing, BB-gun-shooting, obscenity-hollering, Heisman-Trophy-winning, national champion James Winston, the pride of Florida State University, continues to look like a much better quarterback prospect than Mike Glennon and Josh McCown.

Perhaps that’s why the Bucs sent their top-dog talent evaluator to Louisville for last night’s big Seminoles-Cardinals clash. [read more]

There’s a big reason Browns fans aren’t screaming their lungs out for Johnny Football to replace Brian Hoyer at starting quarterback.

Hoyer has been dominant through four Cleveland home games. [read more]

Was Jonathan Casillas happy to be traded from the Bucs?

Remember when Casillas, this year, said how much he missed playing for the Saints? [read more]

Lavonte David and the Bucs defense had a good outing Sunday. However, several Bucs say there is a long road to travel to become a good defense.

Yes, Joe thought it was a kick in the nuts the way Tampa Bay lost to the Vikings. A rookie quarterback drives his team down the field for a game-tying field goal to get into overtime, where the Bucs coughed up the ball, and the game.

A decent defense does not let a rookie quarterback do such a thing. Still, holding an opponent to a mere 13 points in regulation more often than not will win you a game. [read more]

The mythical home-field, hot-weather, Tampa advantage doesn’t help the Buccaneers, so Joe’s not going to be one bit pessimistic about Sunday’s weather forecast in Cleveland. [read more]

When Joe was a kid, before he knew what a two-hole was or even how to hold a football properly, Joe learned something about football from his old man that was as true then as it is in 2014. “It’s hard for a quarterback to throw the ball when he’s on his arse.”

There have been strange calls from former Bucs who make a living in the TV industry, those who have called for Tampa Bay starting quarterback Mike Glennon, the Bucs’ quarterback of the future, to be benched for turnover machine Josh McCown. [read more]

Joe’s scrapping the traditional “Jameis Watch” in favor of an open thread to chat all things Winston and NFL Draft during tonight’s Florida State at Louisville game.

Kickoff is 7:30 p.m. from Cardinal Stadium. BSPN has the broadcast.

Bang it here tonight with all your thoughts on crab-legs-stealing, BB-gun-shooting, obscenity-hollering, Heisman-Trophy-winning, national champion Winston, the pride of FSU and a likely Tampa Bay prize in the post-McCown era. (Tomorrow, the Jameis Watch continues when another former Buccaneer weighs in.)

The anticipated debut of rookie running back Charles Sims could come Sunday.

Coming off ankle surgery, Sims talked to media today. [read more]