Doug Martin had a scant eight yards of offense in his return from an injury-shortened season

As Joe tried to drink away last night’s memory of one of the most horrid NFL offensive line displays ever witnessed, Joe nearly wiped out the memory of the return the Muscle Hamster himself, stud running back Doug Martin.

Aside from the fact it was Martin’s first game back after a season-ending injury, when he lost half of 2013 with a ripped up shoulder, it was a forgettable night. The Bucs lost and Martin had but six yards on three carries and caught one pass for a paltry two yards. [read more]

Lovie’s defense seemed to trouble him tonight as much as the offensive line

The smile in Lovie Smith’s voice disappeared tonight.

Yeah, it’s just a preseason game, but the leader of Lovieball doesn’t like to lose and his tone was clear on the Buccaneers Radio Network after the game. [read more]

Did running back Charles Sims make any rookie mistakes tonight?

Did he look like a rookie?

Joe suspects Bucs fans are shaking their heads side to side. [read more]

Bucs DT Da’Quan Bowers buries Jags RB Storm Johnson for a loss Friday. Photo courtesy of Buccaneers.com.

Yes, Joe knows Bucs defensive end Da’Quan Bowers has been a major disappointment, now entering his fourth season (and maybe last) with Tampa Bay.

What few good plays Bowers has made — you could count them on one hand — have been largely forgotten amid allegations by coaches (of two different staffs) of him being out of shape, and by him being spotted kneeling on one knee in practice more than participating. [read more]

Former Bucs tight end Dave Moore, an astute analyst on the Buccaneers Radio Network, said after tonight’s loss to Jacksonville that starting quarterback Josh McCown should not be judged by his performance.

Moore said the offensive line was so porous, so troubled, that an honest read on McCown couldn’t be had. [read more]

One of the many craters on the Bucs’ first-team offensive line tonight was at a surprising position: left tackle.

That’s where veteran, big-money, free agent Anthony Collins is trying to anchor the shaky unit. Tonight, he failed miserably. [read more]

Bucs DT Gerald McCoy (93) gets his teammates fired up before the preseason opener at Jacksonville. Photo courtesy of Buccaneers.com.

For fans grappling tonight for their car keys to race to the Sunshine Skyway Bridge after watching that screen door on a submarine of an offensive line display, Joe has something more smoothing than Crown Royal on the rocks.

Gerald McCoy was unblockable tonight (no, smart alecks, GMC was not playing against the Bucs’ offensive line). In the first appearance by the defense this preseason, GMC was everywhere. If he wasn’t putting pressure on the quarterback, then he was blowing up a run play in the backfield or chasing down running backs from behind. [read more]

Joe knew the Bucs’ offensive line would have question marks. Never did Joe think the Bucs offensive line would be found guilty in an assault and battery.

Poor Bucs quarterback Josh McCown. In his first start in the pewter and red, McCown got jostled, mocked and robbed. He was beaten, pummeled and bruised. [read more]

Defense! Defense! Dee-Fence!

“Ugly” is the word of the night for the Bucs’ first-team offense, and the second-team offense. At least the blend of second- and third-teamers was effective. [read more]

Joe offers his greetings from Jacksonville as the Bucs open the 2014 preseason against the Jags. You should check Joe’s Instagram account. All in crystal clear HD.

So there are all sorts of questions for Bucs fans. Too many to list, on both offense and defense. It should be an interesting game if for no other reason than the newness of the Lovie Smith regime. [read more]

Preseason Game 1

Bucs at Jags

Kickoff: 7:30 p.m.

TV: WFLA-TV, Channel 8, locally. Game will be rebroadcast on NFL Network at 7 a.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. Monday.

Radio: Buccaneers Radio Network (in Tampa WFUS-FM 103.5, and WDAE-AM 620); SiriusXM Channel 108.

[read more]

There’ll be all kinds of things to pay attention to when the Bucs kick off the 2014 preseason in Jacksonville this evening.

Here are 10 things Joe will keep his eyes on: [read more]

Watching how the defense plays tonight is something Bucs fans will want to monitor.

No, the Bucs don’t run a Cover-2 defense all the time. But it very much is key component into Lovie Smith’s defense. As Warren Sapp and Derrick Brooks have said since Lovie was hired, it’s not a defense that can be picked up overnight.

Joe knows Bucs fans both near Tampa and far from the Tampa Bay area would love to see a return to when the Bucs punished opponents on a weekly basis like the old days. [read more]

In case you missed Joe’s appearance on the Ron and Ian show this morning on WDAE-AM 620, Joe’s got it all for you right here.

The rapid-fire segments hit on plenty of Bucs issues of the day. [read more]

To make the squad, Bucs FB Jorvorskie Lane has to continue to catch the ball and play special teams. Photo courtesy of Buccaneers.com.

Every once in a while Joe will get asked about fullback Jorvorskie Lane: “Will he or won’t he make the team? Why won’t the Bucs keep a fullback?”

Having dealt with the oppressive heat and humidity of a Tampa summer day more than a few times at Bucs training camp, Lane, if he is kept on the 53-man roster, would be the lone fullback. [read more]

This video is a must watch.

Florida Gators great and Bucs wide receiver Louis Murphy has had a decent pro career.

Now on his fourth team in his sixth NFL season, Murphy has 121 career catches, but the end zone has been a sour hangout for him. [read more]

We know Bucs tickets have been a tough sell in recent years to the legions of Tampa Bay fans in our midst.

But, per the Tampa Bay Business Journal, it seems fans of other teams aren’t eager to watch Bucs football, either. [read more]

Bucs fans are wearing out their F5 buttons hoping for word about a new guard.

Joe knows Bucs fans are refreshing their browsers multiple times a day hoping that Tampa Bay picks up a guard, somehow, somewhere. They moan to themselves, “Oneil Cousins?” when their supervisor is not hovering over their shoulder.

It’s gotten to the point where innkeepers no longer want some fans to down pints in their establishments because they are tired of the non-stop grousing over a lack of guard. There seems to be, however, a similar malaise across the NFL. [read more]

Aaron Rodgers delivered quite a text to the Bucs’ offensive coordinator

Remember when Chucky, who was dubbed a quarterback genius and professed to love every QB who threw a football, had a chance to draft Aaron Rodgers but didn’t? Yeah, one wonders what could have been. (Cadillac Williams wasn’t a shabby pick, though)

However, if the Bucs return to their glory days under Lovie Smith, a big reason could be Rodgers, the Packers future Hall of Famer. For it was Rodgers who played matchmaker for Lovie and hooked him up with his old college coach, Jeff Tedford, explains Jim Corbett of USA Today. [read more]