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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]
Manbeast rookie tight end Austin Seferian-Jenkins was a major letdown last Sunday.
Joe can’t sugarcoat it. The young “Dunkaneer” had Michael Clayton hands but was no blocking icon. [read more]
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers will be without their leader today. Lovie Smith is not with the team and will be attending his father-in-law’s funeral.
Joe wishes for strength for the Smith family during this difficult time.
The spreadsheeters at Pro Football Focus don’t rank the Bucs to have the worst offensive line
It has become fashionable to lay all the blame on the rushing attack on the still-new Bucs’ offensive line. You know, God forbid Doug Martin should take a shred of blame for not yet even running for 50 yards in a game this season.
Offensive linemen, if not coaches, will say a new offensive line needs time to play to its peak. It takes many practices. It takes games. Everyone on the Bucs’ offensive line is new to each other. Shoot, Logan Mankins didn’t play a preseason game for Tampa Bay. [read more]
An experienced former NFL quarterback studied film of Mike Glennon and has weighed in with an assessment of Sunday’s effort in New Orleans. [read more]
The Bucs’ miserable, 30-plus-points-a-game defense still has its pair of standouts in Gerald McCoy and Lavonte David.
Man, Joe feels for those two. [read more]
The Bucs’ starting quarterback discusses his sneaky feet
A lot of the Mike Glennon haters claim Glennon is not a mobile quarterback, not even by the most liberal sense of the term. Therefore, he cannot be good.
(Joe finds some Bucs fans funny. When you discuss Glennon, these types howl how he is immobile. Yet when you bring up Johnny Football, they cringe as if they have to pass gas in church and bellyache how Johnny Football ran too much. Make up your minds!) [read more]
Bizarre contradiction alert!
Lovie Smith turned out-of-character terse on Monday right after Tampa Tribune Bucs beat writer Roy Cummings asked the head coach to detail problems in the running game. Keep in mind Cummings’ question came moments after Lovie said the rushing attack wasn’t up to speed. But Lovie sang a very different tune on Wednesday. [read more]
