“Men, why aren’t you prepared? Toes on the line!”

One knock on former Bucs commander Greg Schiano was that his teams went all turtle in the second half. It was as if Schiano’s teams thought games were 45 minutes-long.

Schiano’s teams, particularly the offense, went into hibernation in the second half. The best example was the overtime loss to the Seahawks when the Bucs had a 21-0 first half lead on the eventual Super Bowl champs, only to lose 27-24. The Bucs scored a grand total of one field goal in the second half. [read more]

Sitting in the near empty Georgia Dome press box last night, Joe watched the giant HD screen broadcasting Devin Hester’s postgame news conference where he emotionally chatted about his new NFL Record.

And Hester shed light on a historic Buccaneers personnel decision. [read more]

“My teams never gave up 50 points.”

Man, 56 points. Think about it: 56 points! And your head coach is a defensive guru. Not even Greg Schiano and his weird defensive line stunts got torched for that much.

That’s just what happened last night when Lovie Smith’s defense gagged up 56 points to Matty Ice and the Dixie Chicks before the entire nation. In prime time, no less. [read more]

Mark Barron scoops up a Dixie Chicks fumble last night. The rest of the game he spent chasing down receivers with the ball. Photo courtesy of Buccaneers.com.

Mark Barron was drafted seventh overall in 2012. It’s time to quit babying him. He’s not getting the job done at safety.

Oh, Barron can hit. And he can tackle. And he can play the run damned well. Defending the pass? He plays like he is lost.

Being drafted so high, a guy needs to be an impact player. Barron was drafted largely because he was supposed to be able to shut down Jimmy Graham. Joe isn’t sure Barron could guard Jimmy Page in pass coverage.

In case you haven’t noticed, Barron’s impact on the Bucs it is not exactly the kind teams covet. [read more]

“Hey Bill, what did I do to you for you to send me to NFL hell?”

In the span of a few weeks, longtime All-Pro guard Logan Mankins played for a jewel franchise of the NFL and then awakened one morning and found himself in the NFL dump.

It is hard to describe the Bucs right now as anything but a wayward franchise.

Two seasons in a row fans are in full-blown draft mode and it isn’t even Sept. 20. For the second friggin’ year in a row! [read more]

Back from Atlanta, Joe will discuss all phases of last night’s massacre on the popular Ron and Ian show on WDAE-AM 620. Always a fun time.

Did Bobby Rainey lose his starting job last night by losing two fumbles? Photo courtesy of Buccaneers.com.

Yes, Bobby Rainey fumbled twice last night. No, he did not cost the Bucs the game. The Bucs were whipped at every level and in no way had a prayer.

But Lovie loathes turnovers, hates them. The Bucs still had an uphill climb to get back in the game when Rainey went all Mrs. Butterworth. [read more]

Dashon “Hawk” Goldson weighs in

Excuses were not flowing through the Buccaneers locker room last night in the bowels of the Georgia Dome.

Words like “embarrassing” were commonplace. Dashon Goldson had a more colorful analysis. [read more]

Raheem Morris, move over. You did not have the worst-coached game in Joe’s Bucs-following memory. It just so happens to have been the work of Lovie Smith last night.

When milquetoast, velvety-voiced Jim Nantz drops the word “embarrassment” on you and it is not even the end of the third quarter, that takes the cake. [read more]

Josh McCown and his wrapped thumb was a lonely spectator through the second half of the Atlanta massacre

The Buccaneers’ starting quarterback had a lousy night, threw a pick-6 and busted up his thumb.

After the game, McCown talked about that thumb, which opened the second Mike Glennon era. [read more]

Kevin O’Dea’s special teams have been anything but special through three games.

No, Lovie Smith has not done a good job. Let’s not be naive or look at the world with pewter and red glasses.

Yes, the offense is a mess. Joe suggested this would happen when it was announced offensive coordinator Jeff Tedford was sick. Folks either mocked Joe or flamed him.

No, Leslie Frazier hasn’t done a good job either, but he is mostly carrying Lovie’s water. This is Lovie’s defense, make no mistake. [read more]

First Joe was aghast. Then he was angry. Then he was PO’ed.

Now, Joe is just spent. Emotionless. Nothing left in the tank.

Joe is a coach’s guy, both good and bad. The one thing Joe learned when he was a kid was that good coaches adjust to the talent on a roster. [read more]

The question absolutely must be asked.

Sorry, when a powerful, accomplished head coach takes over a new team, and the winless team doesn’t show up for a “must-win,” Week 3 game against a division opponent on national television, it’s fair to wonder aloud whether the head coach knows what he’s doing. [read more]

Pathetic. Pathetic. Pathetic.

This was the big stage, Thursday Night Football, against a division rival the Bucs prepared for all offseason. Lovie Smith even acknowledged earlier this week that he was glued to Hard Knocks to get every last possible edge on the Falcons.

And the Bucs didn’t show up. [read more]

This very well could be the crossroads of the Bucs season. Do the Dixie Chicks light them up with Matty Ice? Or do the Bucs shock the NFC South by upending the Dixie Chicks in their own nest, despite all the injuries to the Bucs defense and all the mistakes by Josh McCown?

The only way Joe can see the Bucs winning is to play perfect Lovieball. So far, that has not worked out so well, has it?

Bang it here with crazy Bucs fans with your comments and thoughts throughout the game. As always, go Bucs!

Michael Johnson was busy in pregame warmups and is active tonight. His ankle must be ready. Yes, Joe’s in the Georgia Dome.

Your Bucs inactives tonight in Atlanta are Doug Martin, Mason Foster, T Kevin Pamphile, G Johnson, G Edwards, TE Austin Seferian-Jenkins, DT Gerald McCoy.

Game 3

Tampa Bay at Dixie Chicks

Kickoff: 8:25 p.m. [read more]

If Josh McCown cannot stop making terrible mental mistakes, his benching is near, says Woody Cummings of the Tampa Tribune.

For the most part, Joe has been impressed with Josh McCown. He has a decent completion percentage and he is one helluva leader.

Then Joe watches McCown’s ghastly, boneheaded, Pop Warner-like mistakes and Joe not only has acid reflux, but bitter beerface.

Aside from that, how was the play, Mrs. Lincoln? [read more]

Josh McCown is one of a few things WTSP-TV Channel 10 sports anchor Dave Wirth says must get corrected soon.

Veteran sports anchor Dave Wirth of WTSP-TV, Channel 10 smells the same thing blowing in the wind that Bucs fans do. No, he hasn’t been by the stables of Tampa Bay Downs, but the scent isn’t much different.

Like many Bucs fans, Wirth smells a freefall if Tampa Bay somehow cannot manage to pull off an upset tonight at Atlanta. He shares his thoughts below. [read more]

The big-money free agent who replaced Darrelle Revis, Pro Bowler Alterraun Verner, has looked darn good in his first two Bucs games.

Verner can cover. He can tackle. And he’s 100 percent healthy after a late July hamstring pull. [read more]