Joe knows Bucs fans went wild over the personal foul called on Adrian Clayborn’s hit and sack on Drew Brees. The zebras believed Clayborn went for Brees’ head and the flag came out.

Bucs fans erupted both on Twitter and in the Stadium on Dale Mabry Highway. After the hour-long lightning delay where lubricated fans got more of a chance to fuel up, Joe was honeslty thinking there would be a disturbance of some sort the crowd grew so unruly.

It was like a power play at the Ice Palace when a penalty is called against the Lightning and the crowd boos throughout the whole penality. That’s what it was like at the Bucs game following that call.

However, former director of NFL officials and FOX NFL analyst Mike Pereira saw a far different result than what many Bucs fans saw.

@MikePereira: Correct call on the hit on Brees – though it’s very close. Lynch is right — err on the side of safety when you hit the QB high.

Bingo! It’s not how you blast a guy, it is where you blast a guy. Bucs coach Greg Schiano and his staff are going to have to teach their defenders to hit lower. Dashon Goldson, among others, has vowed to continue to be physical, and that’s good. Just drill their arses in the ribs, man.

Joe loves hard-hitting football. NFL warden commissioner Roger Goodell and the owners don’t.

Guess who wins? The owners, of course.

Joe used to holler and scream and throw things and call quarterbacks girls who wear panties for how the NFL protects them. Guess what? Joe had to adjust what he should expect from the NFL. It’s not the same league he grew up watching when the Steelers and Raiders would have virtual street brawls with chains and brass knuckles disguised at football games.

Those days are gone. They are never coming back. This, maybe, is why Joe seems to have a disconnect with so many fans. When quarterbacks get hit anywhere close to the head, Joe expects a flag. But many Bucs fans do not.

Bucs safety Dashon Goldson, who Joe likes a great deal because of his physicality, is a known headhunter. After the Bucs loss to the Saints, Goldson said he believes there is a chance the Bucs are a marked team by the NFL because of their physicality.

“We are just trying to play football,” Goldson said. “We are a football team. We play football.”

As for possibly being a marked or a targeted team?

“Oh sure, you have two hard-hitting safeties,” Goldson said. “You have a dominant defense. A physical defense. We could be a target.”

The above is why Joe didn’t freak out when Adrian Clayborn sacked Saints quarterback Drew Brees and was flagged for helmet-to-helmet contact and a personal foul. The way refs are encouraged to throw flags first and ask questions later, Joe expected a flag.

Just like Lavonte David last week, when he cost the Bucs a win by shoving Jets quarterback Geno Smith out of bounds, by Clayborn going high for a tackle/sack, he opened the door to allow a zebra to throw a flag. And that’s exactly what happened. Don’t give the refs a reason to throw a flag. It’s not that complex.

The Bucs are going to have to learn to target a player’s belt buckle, that way there is simply no way a mistake can be made that a Bucs defender went for the head.

Is it sad the way the NFL has morphed into flag football? You bet. But those who do not adjust get buried. Fortunately for the Bucs, Clayborn’s hit (and Goldson’s and Mark Barron’s) did not directly cost the Bucs a point, as the defense got off the field eventually.

The Bucs are 0-2, and per the Buccaneers Radio Network, teams that start 0-2 only make the playoffs 12 percent of the time in the modern era.

Throw in a brutally talented NFC this year, and the Bucs are in a darn tough spot.

Joe doesn’t know what the odds of postseason glory are for 0-3 teams. Joe’s afraid to ask Regardless, the Bucs are in a near must-win spot in New England next Sunday.

Greg Schiano talked about the tough topics on the Buccaneers Radio Network moments ago on WDAE-AM 620 following the agonizing loss to the Saints tonight. 

On the 3rd-and-6 call, where the Bucs needed a first down for the win deep in Saints territory but the Bucs ran the ball, Schiano said he and his staff was confident in their choice.

“We thought we’d get it the way they were playing the run,” Schiano said.

Did Schiano really believe running on 3rd-and-6 would get the first down? Apparently so.

On the Bucs’ 10 penalties, many of them sloppy pre-snap issues and illegal hits: “It’s my job to get us to do things the right way. With the help of my staff and a team that cares about each other, we’ll get this fixed,” Schiano said.

Joe hopes Schiano can get stuff “fixed” fast. But the problem is much of the sloppiness should be happening to begin with, not from a team whose head coach is a discipline-first guy.

The Bucs are playing Vincent Jackson about $11 million a season. He’s a manbeast that can’t be covered and, when he’s occasionally stopped, it’s likely Jackson’s own doing, or he’s stopped by another dumb Bucs penalty.

But Greg Schiano — twice this season, and late last season against the Saints — won’t let Jackson and Josh Freeman win a game for him.

Schiano obviously doesn’t trust Freeman, but he shouldn’t be quitting on Jackson. Joe’s wondering what the hell is going through Jackson’s mind. What does Jackson have to do to get a shot to close out a game? Isn’t that why they’re paying him? Is that why Jackson shoved aside his position coach on the sidelines late in the game, for fear (rightfully so) that he’d be ignored with the game on the line?

Against the Jets last week, Schiano needed one more first down to effectively ice the game to set up a short field goal with no ticks on the clock. But he didn’t go to Jackson, instead opting for three lifeless runs up the gut to Doug Martin.

Bucs lose.

Last year, Schiano ran against the Eagles on 3rd-and-long to set up a punt when he could have thrown to Jackson for the win.

Bucs lose.

Today, with a 3rd-and-6 deep in Saints territory, Schiano played not to lose. Rather than throw to Jackson, he went for the run to set up a long field goal.

Bucs fail. Drew Brees succeeds. Saints win.

Ironcially, Schiano’s core beliefs are Trust, Belief and Accountability. Somehow, playing not to lose doesn’t fit that mantra.

Again, Greg Schiano didn’t trust Josh Freeman. It was 3rd-and-6 and the Bucs had a chance to WIN the game with a first down deep in Saints territory, and Schiano took the ball out of Josh Freeman’s hands and called a toss to Doug Martin. No first down. Missed 43-yard field goal. Game over.

Schiano is more conservative than Alan Keyes.

Repeated dumb penalties — again — dropped passes and two Josh Freeman turnovers plagued the Bucs and the New Schiano Order today.

“Sloppy” and “undisciplined” are two adjectives that sadly suit the Bucs.

Tampa Bay lost its home opener to the division-rival Saints and fell to 0-2 — two things just can’t do in the NFL. Greg Schiano’s Buccaneer Men have now lost seven of eight dating back to last season.

The seemingly endless Bucs screwups outweighed outstanding stuff from the Tampa Bay defense, including a memorable goal line stand and a Mason Foster Pick-6 that will be talked about for a long time.

The Bucs sacked Brees four times and intercepted him twice and still lost. That can’t happen.

Saints tight end Jimmy Graham was too much to handle, to the tune of 10 catches for a whopping 179 yards and a touchdown. Drew Brees was slowed and took his share of hits, but he still lit up the Bucs’ secondary for 322 yards.

The Bucs’ playoff dreams are in trouble, and now it’s off to New England for a true must-win game.

Freeman, the franchise QB, finished 9-for-22 for only 125 yards and one touchdown, plus an interception, and a fumble after failing to get rid of the ball. Yes, Freeman’s stats were hurt by penalties off the ball, but the stats don’t lie. Freeman was his inconsistent self.

Welcome to the Bucs first home game of the 2013 regular season. Joe is geeked; the stands are full.

Joe encourages you to comment about the game in this here post. As always, you may share e-mails of links to illegally streamed broadcasts of the game, but if you post the URLs here, you will be subject to banishment.

The Bucs need a win. Drew Brees needs to be punished. The hour of redemption is here.

Enjoy the game and don’t forget after the game, Joe will bomb you with story after story after story.

Though free of his MRSA infection and healthy and practicing, the human armoire, Carl Nicks, will not make his 2013 debut today. Presumably, the Bucs want him to get into a little better shape first.

Joe’s no doctor, but Joe’s not quite sure how Nicks gets into game shape without playing some real football.

Here’s the Buccaneers official inactive list for today: QB Dan Orlovsky, CB Michael Adams, RB Peyton Hillis, G Carl Nicks, TE Tom Crabtree, DE William Gholston & DE Steven Means.

Last year, the Bucs faced off against the Cowboys and then Dallas defensive coordinator Rob Ryan’s confusing three-man fronts, and the Bucs had arguably their worst offensive performance of the season.

Josh Freeman was awful: 10-for-28 for 110 yards, with one touchdown and one interception. Doug Martin struggled, too.

Last week, Freeman and Martin also were stymied by Rex Ryan’s blitzing 3-4 defense at the Meadowlands, completing less than 50 percent of his passes.

Coincidence? No, Freeman said on his radio show Tuesday.

“You look at Rex Ryan and he’s known for pressuring and bringing a lot of blitzes. We played against Rob in Dallas last year, and he was mixing it up with the fronts, and you turn on the Saints film, and there are definitely similarities,” Freeman said.

Rob Ryan is now commander of the Saints’ defense, which is banged up and has less talent than what the Cowboys had. But the Saints shut down the high-flying Falcons last week.

The Saints clearly will present looks that are uncomfortable to offensive coordinator Mike Sullivan and Freeman. Hopefully, the third time is a charm.

Game 2

Saints at Bucs

Kickoff: 4:05 p.m.

TV: WTVT-TV, Channel 13 locally. Outside the Tampa Bay area, DirecTV Channel 714.

Radio: Buccaneers Radio Network (in Tampa WFUS-FM 103.5, and WDAE-AM 620); SiriusXM Channel 85.

Weather: Per WTSP-TV Channel 10 meteorologist Kate Wentzel, there is a 40 percent chance of thunderstorms during the game with a high of 92. Winds will be out of the east-southeast at 3-8 mph. In other words, a steamy day.

Odds: Per FootballLocks.com, Saints -3..

Outlook: Joe will start out with refreshing news for Bucs fans who are a step away from slitting their wrists they are so upset over how the season started. Per CBS Sports’ NFL guru and researcher Pat Kirwan, last year 16 teams that lost Week One, and 10 bounced back to win a game in Week Two. Now for the Bucs to do that, Saints quarterback Drew Brees simply must eat dirt.

It doesn’t matter if you have four Hall of Famers in the secondary. If you give Brees time to throw, he will slice a defense apart. Brees must be pressured; that’s all there is to it. Joe is starting to believe the cutesy stunts the Bucs run most of the time are a waste. How about going mano y mano and beating your man?

It would sure help if the Doug Martin got rolling. Not only will it help the Bucs’ offense, but a strong running game keeps the ball out of Brees’ hands. He can’t hurt you standing on the sidelines.

It would also help if Bucs franchise quarterback Josh Freeman had a complete performance. Last week he struggled most of the game, but to his credit, when the team needed him most, he drove the Bucs down late in the game for a go-ahead field goal.

The game plan can be and should be summed up in five words: Make Drew Brees eat grass.

Boy, this is going to get some run on the NFL morning pregame shows, especially on the Tiffany Network.

Per good guy Jason La Canfora (his wife was run over by a hit-and-run driver yesterday and he will not appear on TV today as a result) of CBS Sports, who is well plugged in with NFL sources, posted a story this morning that strongly suggests not only will Bucs franchise quarterback Josh Freeman request a trade before the trade deadline next month, but that Schiano’s job status is “perilous” and that he is trying to Pearl Harbor Bucs rock star general manager Mark Dominik.

Furthermore, several executives on other clubs believe Schiano’s refusal to ever really endorse Freeman is an attempt to undermine general manager Mark Dominik, who drafted Freeman in the first round prior to Schiano’s arrival from Rutgers and who has also worked diligently to add talent to that roster in recent years. Many around the league believe Schiano would like to have full roster control as well, viewing Freeman — who threw for over 4,000 yards and nearly 30 touchdowns last year — as a pawn in a would-be power struggle.

Tampa’s drafting of quarterback Mike Glennon in the third round this spring — Glennon is clearly seen as “Schiano’s guy” within the organization — is just another indication that Freeman’s future is elsewhere. In the final year of his rookie deal, with his value being undermined by the head coach, and with the Bucs making no attempts to extend him, a trade request by Freeman is one of few options available to the youngster.

Freeman, it should be noted, was not the problem in Tampa’s woeful Week 1 loss at the Jets. He actually rallied the team to take the lead in the fourth quarter, only for Schiano’s defense to once again display its issues with discipline as Lavonte David’s personal foul allowed the Jets to kick a game-winning field goal with time expiring. Four times last year Freeman rallied the Bucs late, only for that defense to hand the game away. The timing of Schiano’s remarks about the quarterback this week were seen as curious by several rival team officials. Officials perceived the remarks as a diversionary tactic to get the local media writing about the quarterback instead of about another collapse by Schiano’s defense. A defense reinforced this past offseason with the arrival of Pro Bowl corner Darrelle Revis and Pro Bowl safety Dashon Goldson.

Joe has to be honest. This has so many angles — without one quote, mind you — that Joe is hesitant to swallow this whole.

Schiano’s job in on thin ice? Really? That’s news to Joe after Week 1. Maybe if he goes 2-10, Joe could see that. But, geez, it’s Week Two of the season, people.

Schiano is trying to cut Dominik’s legs out from under him? That’s a new one too. From everything Joe has heard, both Dominik and Schiano have a very good working relationship.

As for Freeman requesting a trade, the three teams that La Canfora floated as trade targets are Minnesota, Tennessee and Oakland.

First, Vikings quarterback Christian Ponder has produced better results than Freeman. Has anyone seen Freeman take a snap in a playoff game yet? Second, why would Tennessee and Oakland, especially Oakland, waste draft picks on a guy who is going to be a free agent and they couldn’t necessarily sign him come next spring?

Further, if you are Freeman, the season is hardly over yet. Why bail now? Besides, as long as the Bucs don’t franchise him, he could pick his landing spot next season and have teams bid for his services. Why request a trade where he might be sent to a team/location he loathes when he could choose one in eight months?

There’s just way too much here for Joe to believe that everything is concrete that La Canfora wrote, and Joe likes the guy a lot.

Five-time Pro Bowl safety Darren Woodson delivers an excellent video (linked here) breaking down Dashon Goldson’s hit that attracted a $30,000 fine from the NFL, and Woodson dives into leaguewide changes at the safety position. Well done, BSPN.

Woodson makes you wonder whether the Bucs have the right philosophy at safety in the modern NFL. And Joe also wonders whether NFL officials, prodded by Roger Goodell, will be extra quick to give receivers the benefit of the doubt against the Bucs’ ferocious hitters, Goldson and Mark Barron.

The video is all Bucs and worth the few minutes.

Joe’s no expert on how the rules have changed on what you can and can’t carry into the Stadium on Dale Mabry Highway. However, Joe’s proud partners at WTSP-TV, Ch. 10 have studied the new stadium bag policy and lay it out cleanly in their video below.

There are no exceptions. This is in effect for this afternoon’s Bucs-Saints game.

Joe has no idea if track star and part-time football player Jeff Demps might be activated for the Bucs today when they face the Saints at 4 p.m. After talking with Demps this week, the former Gators star is doing whatever Bucs commander Greg Schiano asks him to do.

“It’s a lot of work,” Demps said of playing for the Bucs and getting in football shape. “I have a long way to go. It is exciting but at the same time it is draining. I am enjoying.”

Demps confessed it’s been so long since he played football (roughly a year) that he’s not even used to running with pads on. Yet.

“I know the body is going to be sore,” Demps said. “The best thing for me is to maintain my treatment. Take care of my legs.”

Demps admitted he doesn’t have the luxury of six weeks of training camp like most of his new teammates had.

“Tight window,” Demps said. “I just have to get my head in the playbook. I will do every thing I can to get back on the field. I’m not going to give a time limit.”

Demps admitted kick (punt?) returns are not the only thing he is working on. He has taken snaps at running back, albeit on the scout team.

“I am everywhere right now,” Demps said.

Now Joe wouldn’t mind seeing Demps, who was a running back with the Gators, take some snaps there. With his speed, all he needs is a crease block, and away we go.

While Joe wishes Demps the best, Joe has to wonder if he will have an impact. Schiano gushed in one of his press conferences earlier last week about how fast Demps is. But if the Bucs are waiting for a guy who hasn’t played football in a year to make an impact, a catalyst, a spark, then the team likely has bigger issues to address.

A prominent Bucs beat writer says the Josh Freeman era is on very thin ice

Tampa Bay Times Bucs beat writer Rick Stroud penned a blistering opinion piece yesterday, one that made a lot of bold claims, including that fans should count on a benching of Josh Freeman if the Bucs start 0-3.

Stroud painted a picture of a Greg Schiano on the brink, preparing to make the Mike Glennon Mob happy — in September.

It’s hard to imagine Schiano and Freeman with a future together. If the Bucs lose to the Saints today and at New England next week, look for Schiano to pull the rip cord on his starting quarterback.

Rookie Mike Glennon might not produce wins. But if he shows signs of progress, it could buy Schiano time. Like Freeman, Schiano had better start paying attention to the clock.

Stroud also questioned the legitimacy of the I-love-you/you-love-me comments of Freeman and Schiano last week, calling them “about as authentic as FieldTurf.”

Joe has serious questions about Stroud’s line of thinking.

First, Stroud’s claim of a move to Glennon if the Bucs are 0-3 makes no allowances for Freeman’s performance. A change at QB isn’t about the record, it’s about how well Freeman plays. Freeman’s status won’t change a bit if the offense is productive.

Secondly, Joe doesn’t buy the notion that Schiano could “buy time” by making a switch to Glennon. The only thing that “buys”  Schiano a long shelf life is wins, not Glennon. Team Glazer bought a star-laden, win-now — or at least improve-now — team. Schiano can’t throw in the towel on the season with Glennon and score brownie points.

Freeman, under Schiano, was good enough to lead the Bucs to seven wins with a garbage pass defense. He’s the best QB on the roster, and Schiano needs to show that he’s enough of a head coach to get his team to improve. The talent, along with a massive coaching staff, is in place.

Lovely meteorologist Kate Wentzel, of WTSP-TV, Ch. 10, steps up with an exclusive weather forecast for JoeBucsFan.com readers. It looks like the kickoff broil will be in full effect, and Wentzel breaks down the rain chances.

Darrelle Revis is a massive upgrade from anything the Bucs had at cornerback last season. (Ain’t that an understatement.)

Dashon Goldon also is a significant upgrade to Ronde Barber at safety.

And, per Greg Schiano, Mark Barron and Leonard Johnson are “better” players in 2013, so Schiano said this week.

“They’re better, yeah, considerably,” Schiano said of the secondary. “They got some great leadership and examples back there, too. So I think there’s a little kind of chemistry back there with that crew.”

That’s great to hear, and one would hope that “better” secondary is on display against the Saints on Sunday. It has to be, otherwise the Bucs will be 0-2.

In the Bucs-Saints game in Tampa last season, Eric Wright led the way with seven tackles and two passes defensed. But in New Orleans, the Bucs got creamed with only Anthony Gaitor as the only cornerback to register a pass defensed on the stat sheet.

Now if Schiano would just pass on the damn three-man rush against Drew Brees, then the Bucs could give Brees some fits.

Joe provides his weekly map, courtesy of the506.com, of where one can view the Saints-Bucs game in the comfort of their living room (sans DirecTV). Fans living in the yellow-shaded areas will receive the Saints-Bucs game on an over-the-air FOX affilate.

The table is set for the Bucs’ high-priced manbeasts

On paper, the Bucs should be able to manhandle the Saints in the trenches Sunday when Josh Freeman has the ball, even if the human armoire, Carl Nicks, doesn’t return at guard.

The Saints are that banged up at on their defensive line, per Katherine Terrell of Nola.com, and the Bucs’ O-line is supposed to be that good.

Whether the Saints’ defense can continue to exert that effort remains to be seen. The injury report hasn’t stopped growing, forcing New Orleans to re-sign outside linebacker Jay Richardson, who hasn’t played a regular-season snap since 2010.

The Saints will likely be starting rookie nose tackle John Jenkins in place of Brodrick Bunkley, who is out with a calf injury. The Saints were already facing paper-thin ranks at defensive line after injuries to Glenn Foster (ankle, questionable) and Tyrunn Walker, who’s out with a knee injury.

Things didn’t get better when Akiem Hicks (knee injury, questionable) and Tom Johnson (foot, questionable) popped up on the final injury report Friday.

With such attrition, the theory of easing young players into the game has stopped almost before it began. The Saints will likely rotate heavily between players, and between three and four down linemen fronts to compensate.

This, along with the return of Erik Lorig, bodes well for the Bucs establishing their running game, something they couldn’t do against the Jets. The Bucs’ odds of winning climb dramatically if Doug Martin can perform like the Pro Bowl talent he is.

Matt Millen had a lousy record leading the Lions’ front office, but he was one hell of a linebacker in his day, two All-Pro honors and four Super Bowl rings. So Joe thoroughly respects Millen’s assessment of linebacker play.

In this NFL Network video, Millen shines a positive spotlight on Bucs middle linebacker Mason Foster in a film breakdown. It’s some nice national love for Foster, who’s still just 24 years old.

Millen likes Foster’s patience, and calls him tough, reliable and durable.

Foster had two sacks and a forced fumble against the Jets. He got off to a great start last season, as well, and Greg Schiano raved about Foster’s progress this offseason. A consistent season — Foster tailed off in the second half last year — could very well have Foster eating pineapple in February. He has that kind of ability.

Darrelle Revis told cool stories during his inaugural Darrelle Revis Show on WDAE-AM 620 last night, and one was about his first NFL game.

Revis explained how he was stunned to learn he’d be covering Randy Moss in the Jets’ 2007 opener against the Patriots. ‘Who me? I’m the rookie cornerback here,’ was what Revis said his response was to the news. Jets head coach and defensive guru Eric Mangini didn’t want to ease Revis into anything.

Moss, en route to a historic season, lit up the Jets for nine catches for 183 yards and a touchdown.

Those rookie memories, Revis said, are a big part of why he takes such an active role tutoring young Bucs cornerbacks on film study and the nuances of man-to-man coverage.

Revis said he believes it’s necessary “payback” to the veterans that helped him, and part of his love for the game.

Look man, life is too short to get needlessly stuck in traffic going to a Bucs game. Why waste such precious beer-drinking, brats-eating minutes when you can avoid serious traffic hassles?

Tampa Bay’s princess of traffic, Holley Sinn of WTSP-TV Channel 10, has important traffic information for fans headed to the Saints-Bucs game, including road closures near the Stadium on Dale Mabry Highway, new exits for the stadium off I-275, and easy alternate routes. Enjoy’s Holley’s exclusive opening-day video below.

You can catch Holley daily with important Tampa Bay area traffic updates weekday mornings on WTSP-TV Channel 10, as well as on the station’s website, WTSP.com, and on Twitter, @10NewsTraffic.