Lovie Smith reacts

The number of wounded Buccaneers is dropping.

Only three missed practice today: Josh McCown, Michael Johnson (who?) and Mason Foster. [read more]

Gerald McCoy blamed players for not practicing what Lovie Smith teaches during the seal-clubbing in Atlanta.

You think you wanted to toss your dinner all over the bathroom last week with the way the Bucs shat the bed in Atlanta? You are not alone.

The unquestioned leader of the Bucs defense, who was not a part of that debacle against the Dixie Chicks, fingered his teammates for a lousy effort while holding court in front of his locker today. [read more]

“The Dini,” as Gerald McCoy calls himself, looks ready to play with his healing broken hand Sunday. [read more]

The Bucs offense will take a page from Vladimir Lenin in the post-Jeff Tedford era.

De facto Bucs offensive coordinator Marcus Arroyo wanted to make it clear to all Bucs followers out there: The offense, for better or worse this season, will dabble in Leninism. It is all about the collective, not the individual.

Arroyo (nee: Bucs quarterback coach 2014), has been foisted to spokesman of the offense in the absence of Jeff Tedford, though he insisted the offense will be run by a “collective effort” twice during the first two questions of today’s weekly coordinator news conference. [read more]

The Mike Glennon Mob is euphoric.

Unless Lovie Smith is playing quite a chess game, the Bucs trotted out Glennon for the weekly starting quarterback press conference today. [read more]

Lovie Smith got passionate

Laid back Lovie Smith does get passionate occasionally.

Talking about bouncing back Sunday against the Steelers, following the beating of the century last week, that got the Bucs head coach sounding like a man on a mission. [read more]

Josh McCown supporters are dwindling outside of One Buc Palace

It’s not just Joe who sees zero point to continuing the Josh McCown Experience.

Hired primarily to be a leader, protect the football, and make smart decisions while maximizing his talent, McCown has failed on all fronts. And, more important, the Bucs are 0-3 and the season is lost. [read more]

As Joe wrote yesterday, the Bucs shouldn’t just roll over and play dead and absorb the loss of offensive coordinator Jeff Tedford without adding a new offensive mind and body to the staff ASAP. Especially with a defensive minded head coach and a very inexperienced playcaller in Marcus Arroyo. [read more]

Peter King of theMMQB.com suggests one reason for the horrid Bucs defense is that the roster built around S Mark Barron isn’t good enough.

Many national media types who hyped up the Bucs as potential playoff contenders are now grasping for reasons why the Bucs have been so godawful.

From a hand-picked quarterback who displays ghastly ball security, to injured and fumbling running back,s to a high-priced free agent defensive end as invisible as a ghost, to a secondary that couldn’t cover themselves with a blanket, to the failed health of the offensive coordinator, this season has unfolded in a nightmarish way that few if any could have predicted. [read more]

While Joe is ready for Lovie Smith to do the smart thing and declare Mike Glennon starting quarterback for the rest of 2014, that hasn’t happened yet.

And now Josh McCown is talking about preparing his wounded thumb for Sunday’s visit to Heinz Field in Pittsburgh. [read more]

Steelers coach Mike Tomlin believes Lovie Smith is “energized” by the 0-3 start from the Bucs

Steelers coach Mike Tomlin may not have coached with Lovie Smith, but if anyone knows Lovie who hasn’t coached him, it would be Tomlin.

After all, Lovie and Tomlin come from the same branch of the Father Dungy tree. Both were college coaches when Father Dungy plucked them to work as his defensive assistants; Lovie a linebackers coach, Tomlin a secondary coach. [read more]

It was the heated matchup many were awaiting. This evening, Joe sat down with the dean of Tampa Bay sports radio, Steve Duemig of WDAE-AM 620.

Duemig was very unhappy with Joe moving all-in on Mike Glennon immediately — and permanently — replacing Josh McCown as the Bucs’ starting quarterback. [read more]

In a surprise move today, the Bucs cut wide receiver/kick returner Chris Owusu and re-signed Louis Murphy, who was cut before the season after suffering a back injury from a nasty preseason hit.

Joe believes this doesn’t bode well for the immediate future of Vincent Jackson. [read more]

Yes, Joe is tired of beating a dead horse of a dead horse. There is no question the Bucs played like horse manure last week in Atlanta.

It makes Joe wonder what was going on in Lovie Smith’s infamous suburban Chicago basement. He had hoped to have Jeff Tedford come in and run a multi-faceted offense, leaning on the run, but equally able to throw when needed to multiple targets all over the field in what they bragged was an “up-tempo” offense. [read more]

It’s gets pretty high energy when notorious chatty former offensive-minded head coaches Brian Billick and Steve Mariucci join forces for their podcast on NFL.com.

One of their topics today referenced Josh McCown, among other notorious backups who went on to flop when handed their own team. [read more]

Given how rotten the Bucs’ secondary has been, Ben Roethlisberger may have a field day Sunday.

The strength of a Tampa-2 defense is, when played correctly, taking away the pass. Well, it’s clear the Bucs are not playing that defense properly, as the secondary has been getting roasted.

The embers are still smoldering from last Thursday’s debacle in Atlanta.

And that was without Dixie Chicks stud wide receiver Roddy White. [read more]

A Steelers beat writer believes 5-9 cornerback Antwon Blake is ripe for targeting

Coined the second night of the draft, Bucs general manager Jason Licht boasted how the new Bucs receiving corps, Vincent Jackson, Mike Evans and Austin Seferian-Jenkins, all tall receivers, were going to turn the Bucs into an NBA team.

“The Dunkaneers!,” Licht chuckled.

Fans have been waiting ever since for those balls to be tossed as helpless small corners just watched in frustration, much like Jay Cutler did last night for the Bears. [read more]

NFL Network is reporting the Buccaneers’ offensive coordinator will leave the team.

[read more]

In the search for positives about this depressing Tampa Bay Buccaneers season, Joe keeps coming back to the trade for Pro Bowl guard Logan Mankins.

Bucs general manager Jason Licht tapped his old contacts, worked the angles, and brought in a reasonably-paid veteran who can play, and make those around him better. [read more]

So many fans love numbers. Take the “19-and-9” crowd, aka the early members of the Mike Glennon Mob.

These people yelled all around town this offseason about how Glennon was the second coming of Peyton Manning. “With a touchdown-to-interception ratio like that in his rookie season, how could Glennon be anything less than an emerging superstar?” they bellowed. [read more]