Game 4

Bucs at Steelers

Kickoff: 1 p.m. [read more]

Right move or wrong move?

It’s a Bucs road game this afternoon in Pittsburgh, and that means you can be confident Lovie Smith doesn’t want his offense on the field first.

It’s an intriguing philosophy that came to light shortly after the pre-Halloween horror show in Atlanta 10 days ago. [read more]

Has Joe been too harsh on Josh McCown?

Maybe. Or maybe not. That depends on how you interpret the words of Tampa Bay’s Super Bowl winning quarterback, Brad Johnson. [read more]

The pass defense of the Bucs has been Myron Lewis-bad through three weeks.

Damn, it is horrible to watch the Bucs’ pass defense. Pitiful, in fact. Don’t get Joe started on Mark Barron and tight ends. It is the whole lot of them.

Look, if a castaway like Derek Anderson can beat you; if a freaking walk-on at Southern Miss can beat you; if a stud quarterback like Matty Ice can slice you up like Edward Scissorhands, just imagine what a guy like Ben Roethlisberger can do? [read more]

Whether the Bucs like to admit it or not, the offense is now defined by Marcus Arroyo.

These are tough times for Bucs fans. Just look at the win-loss record. Sales of TUMS are up in the bay area, as is alcohol consumption.

So, what to make of what has been a miserable offense when Bucs fans were promised the “Dunkaneers?” Joe is wondering himself. [read more]

Bucs GM Jason Licht

Ahh, the Bucs life. Already talking draft in September. Not good.

But that’s what happens when you’re 0-3 and two of the “easy” home games against backup quarterbacks are in the rearview mirror. [read more]

Wow, Joe can’t remember the last time there were so many garbage college football games on a Saturday night. Duke at Miami looks like the “best” game. Woof.

Feel free to kvetch here about the Seminoles or the Bulls from earlier in the day. Bang it here.

Joe thinks one is better off just concentrating on drinking tonight.

How many points is Gerald McCoy’s return worth?

Atlanta torched the Bucs for eight touchdowns — eight — in less than three quarters last week. Joe even saw droves of Falcons fans leaving the Georgia Dome in the third quarter, apparently tired from all the celebrating at the Bucs’ expense.

The NFL Playbook video crew dove into Bucs Xs and Os and implies a Sunday return of Gerald McCoy could make a world of difference against Pittsburgh. [read more]

Lovie Smith substantially turned over the Tampa Bay roster since arriving in January. Just on offense alone, the turnover was Chucky-like.

The Bucs opened the season with seven new starters on offense. Yet the offense — or lack of an offense — has been truly offensive. But in some circles, despite all the new blood, there is a belief that Lovie still needs “his guys.” [read more]

Underwear football folly led a longtime Tampa Bay Buccaneers analyst to issue an apology to his readers yesterday.

This veteran of all things Bucs feels duped. [read more]

Each week, Joe brings you a map of where you can find local over-the-air-TV games on NFL football Sundays, specifically Bucs games, and the announcers for those games.

Well, as usual, unless you live in Florida or in a state near Pennsylvania, if not the Keystone State itself, Bucs fans will likely have to find a sports bar, or be content with their NFL Sunday Ticket. [read more]

Lovie reacts to Mike Tomlin

Early in the week, Steelers coach Mike Tomlin talked at length about the Bucs and said Lovie Smith is “energized” by an 0-3 start.

“Knowing Lovie Smith, I know he will be undeterred by the start. As a matter of fact, he is going to be energized by it.”

Well, Joe thought that was a strange word to use for any coach that begins a season 0-3. Joe can think of all sorts of words, but “energized” would not be one of them. It seemed strange to Lovie, too. [read more]

Coaches like to talk about how, if players do the little things right, bigger things will follow. And it is true.

Last week the Bucs turned the ball over. Those can be stopped. The Bucs had stupid penalties. Those can be stopped. Bad tackling? Freaking wrap up rather than going for a kill shot. Simple. [read more]

Gerald McCoy explains the Big Ben difference

Most of that movement in and out the pocket you see Ben Roethlisberger doing, it’s calculated and planned by the Steelers quarterback.

That’s the word from Tampa Bay manbeast defensive tackle Gerald McCoy, who served up a scouting report on Big Ben. [read more]

Joe got extra fired up for his weekly podcast with the smooth toned Ronnie Lane, of the Buccaneers Radio Network and WDAE-AM 620. [read more]

It sure would be nice if Bucs DE Michael Johnson (who?) could make a play or two Sunday.

Joe sometimes thinks the term “leaders” in sports is just gibberish used for filler. Gives people something to talk about.

At the end of the day, what truly matters is whether you can play. For example, Warren Sapp likes to jabber. It is in his DNA. If he wasn’t the Hall of Fame player he was, and instead a practice squad guy, all that woofing would just be hot air.

Take Josh McCown for example. [read more]

Joe’s got two names for you: Logan Mankins and Anthony Collins.

If the men protecting starter Mike Glennon’s blind side show up and earn their giant salaries in Pittsburgh on Sunday, then the Bucs should have a prayer.

[read more]

Lovie Smith raved about how quarterback Josh McCown is now “Coach McCown” in his new role supporting starter Mike Glennon.

Joe has questioned the value of McCown’s leadership. Do the Bucs look like a team with veteran leaders? [read more]

Joe saw at least 200 people lined up to get inside the new, giant Whole Foods Clearwater store yesterday. And the store already was full with shoppers. (Why so much excitement for organic lettuce, 37 varieties of hummus and stinky European cheeses?)

More people were probably there shopping than the number of folks who believe the Bucs can win Sunday, per Gerald McCoy. [read more]

Former Bucs QB Shaun King fingered two failures for the Bucs’ 2014 demise

Never pulling any punches, NBC Sports and Yahoo! Sports NFL analyst Shaun King is clear on why the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are at the bottom of the NFL. [read more]

The “Custodian of Canton,” eye-RAH! Kaufman of The Tampa Tribune, vows not to cut Lovie Smith any more “excuses” after last week’s debacle in Atlanta.

Joe knows Bucs players want to turn the page.

Joe knows some fans want to turn the page.

But when a team finds itself in a franchise-worst 56-point deficit — in the third quarter no less! — on national TV, staining the reputation of the franchise, neither the team nor the fans get to choose when the chatter about this game ends. [read more]