Last year against Carolina, Greg Schiano preached “contain, contain, contain,” but the Bucs failed miserably. Newton got the edges and more and ran free.

Former Jets personnel man and linebackers coach under Monte Kiffin, the esteemed Pat Kirwan, says he’s gone to the film room on Lavonte David and believes David can not only contain Newton on Sunday but confuse the Panthers with his versatility in all phases of linebacker play. [read more]

Bucs godfather Derrick Brooks likes the recent Tampa Bay trade for Pro Bowl guard Logan Mankins, whose arrival instantly turned the Bucs’ offensive line from a horror show into a riveting drama.

In fact, Brooks explained that he got a very Keenan McCardell vibe from the whole transaction. [read more]

One reason Joe isn’t quite sold on Bucs left tackle Anthony Collins is his abbreviated resumé. Joe means abbreviated in that Collins has never been a full-time starter and the most starts he’s had in a season is seven.

Joe is pretty lousy at math without a calculator but even Joe can piece together that Collins has never started half a season in the NFL. [read more]

Leslie Frazier isn’t buying injury reports about Stinking Panthers QB Cam Newton.

Yes, yesterday Stinking Panthers quarterback Cam Newton was limited (again) in practice due to his cracked ribs. Speaking to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, Newton admitted he is not (yet) locked in to start Sunday’s season opener against the Bucs in the Stadium on Dale Mabry Highway.

It seems Bucs defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier has smelled a rouse before in football and he’s not biting on the bait. [read more]

Vincent Jackson wasn’t talking about any kind of learning curve for the Bucs’ first-round draft pick today. [read more]

One of the most amazing feats in recent Bucs history was performed by bong-friendly Tanard Jackson, and it seems the current Bucs regime is hoping cornerback Mike Jenkins can duplicate it.

Back in 2011, the Bucs were 3-2 and taking on the mighty Saints and Drew Brees at home.  [read more]

Stinking Panthers QB Cam Newton misses practice Thursday. Again.

Yesterday, it was widely reported that Stinking Panthers quarterback Cam Newton did not fully participate in practice because of his cracked ribs. Bad news for Newton and the Stinking Panthers fans, good news for Bucs fans.

Well, for the second straight day, per Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, not only did Newton not practice, but the Stinking Panthers’ franchise quarterback hinted he is not 100 percent certain he will start Sunday in the season-opener at the Stadium on Dale Mabry Highway. [read more]

Bucs DT Akeem Spence explained, from a defensive lineman’s perspective, the Bucs may be catching the Stinking Panthers at the right time.

Just like it is a new look for the Bucs offensive line, so too will it be a new look for the Stinking Panthers offensive line. The biggest difference will be the void of Jordan Gross, the stud left tackle who retired.

To fill that void, the Stinking Panthers moved over starting right tackle Byron Bell. Nate Chandler, a converted defensive lineman, is penciled in to start at right tackle Sunday. [read more]

The mean, nasty veteran in the Tampa Bay locker room, Pro Bowl guard Logan Mankins, is a soft spoken guy off the field

Mellow. Confident. But after the trade that sent him to Tampa last week, Mankins seemed in stunned disbelief, literally a state of shock. [read more]

Bucs QB coach Marcus Arroyo

It looks like the voice in the ear of Josh McCown on Sunday will be one younger than his.

Addressing media today at One Buc Palace, tight ends coach Jon Embree talked about how things would work without offensive coordinator Jeff Tedford. [read more]

Lovie Smith’s philosophy is being ignored often

Imagine if the Bucs were returning the NFL’s ferocious No. 2-ranked defense, a true franchise quarterback, a quality backfield, and a stud tight end. Fans throughout the Tampa Bay area would be pounding their chests and talking playoffs.

This is why Joe finds all the national Panthers doom and gloom to be ludicrous. [read more]

Joe knew this would happen. When Bucs stud linebacker Lavonte David shoved Geno Smith out of bounds in the final seconds of the gnawing loss to the Jets in New Jersey to start last season, and was flagged for a late hit setting up the Jets’ game-winning field goal, Joe just knew that would hound David for a long time.

The game was played in Gotham, the media capital of the world. [read more]

Stinking Panthers QB Cam Newton was held out of practice due to his sore ribs.

It wasn’t long ago that Joe and all Bucs fans learned Stinking Panthers franchise quarterback Cam Newton has a hairline fracture in his ribs. This is a downright painfully injury. Joe only had bruised ribs once and just taking a deep breath or coughing was an adventure.

It seems Newton’s rib may be bothering him more than expected. [read more]

The Bucs haven’t seen the playoffs since 2007. And we all know how Tampa Bay has been mired in a playoff winless streak since Chucky hoisted the Vince Lombardi Trophy. An ugly rut.

There, however, is a line of thinking out there that the Bucs could snap that streak this year. Fresh with a proven head coach and a totally revamped lineup, Bucs fans are on their edges of their seats, like experiencing an unexpected appearance by Rachel Watson. [read more]

The loss of All-Pro guard Logan Mankins to the Bucs is still a tough subject for the Patriots head coach

The Bucs have All-Pro guard Logan Mankins. The Patriots don’t.

Joe was listening to Tom Brady and Bill Belicheat talk on Boston sports radio about the subject Tuesday, and Joe’s got fresh audio of Belicheat sighing and sounding like a man who just turned his faithful Labrador over to the Humane Society. [read more]

The eyes of the “Custodian of Canton” are focused on Bucs DE Michael Johnson.

There is a lot of pressure on Bucs defensive end Michael Johnson. Tampa Bay dropped a whole lot of cash on him for one thing and one thing only: to dirty opposing quarterbacks’ jerseys.

(Yet, again, Joe was Twittered by a loyal reader insisting on invoking the name of Simeon Rice in discussing Johnson. Can we stop this idiotic trend? Joe doesn’t give a damn how much cash Johnson earns. Does anyone really believe he is a borderline Hall of Famer? How about let Johnson become the next Michael Bennett — who former Bucs rock star general manager Mark Dominik let walk away for no good reason — before we begin comparing Johnson to Rice, which almost made Warren Sapp throwup this summer. It’s not only stupid, but unfair to Johnson and a slap in the face to Rice.) [read more]

New Hall of Famer Derrick Brooks got his weekly football season show off to a fun start today with the dean of Tampa Bay sports radio, Steve Duemig of WDAE-AM 620.

Joe was out there on Clearwater Beach to soak in the program and talk to Brooks. [read more]

Josh McCown admitted the illness of Jeff Tedford has not been a positive for the offense.

The Bucs are trying their best to downplay the loss of Bucs offensive coordinator Jeff Tedford to an unknown medical condition.

Joe doesn’t expect them to come running out of One Buc Palace in a full-blown panic, screaming to traffic on Martin Luther King Blvd. “FOLLOW ME. FOLLOW ME TO FREEDOM!”

Of course the Bucs are going to put their best spin on Tedford’s absence. Lovie must be a fan of Jack Bauer and 24 the way he embraces secrecy and espionage. [read more]

Joe’s got an update on the absent offensive coordinator

The Bucs have been excited to roll out the real Jeff Tedford mystery offense for several months.

Sunday was/is going to be the day, but Tedford has been out sick/recovering after some sort of significant medical procedure about 10 days ago. [read more]

Who knew Lovie Smith was a Panthers fan during all those hours in his Chicago basement last year?

The Bucs head coach explained this afternoon, though there’s no word on whether Lovie does that Cam Newton Superman celebration when nobody is watching. [read more]

Early reviews are stunning for the new beast on the Bucs’ offensive line

Tom Brady has cried about the loss of his All-Pro left guard Logan Mankins.

Poor Brady. Josh McCown understands his pain. [read more]