Bucs At Jets, Live Chat

September 8th, 2013

So the Bucs begin their 2013 season wearing home red jerseys and pewter pants in the warmth of MetLife Stadium in the New Jersey Swamplands.

Joe is up here in Jersey and some puffy clouds have invaded the otherwise pristine day, the day of Darrelle Revis’ debut with the Bucs.

As Joe touched on before, there are so many questions about the Bucs that have gone unawnswered that should at least in part be answered today.

Feel free to discuss the game here. As always, you may not post a URL of an illegally streamed broadcast of the game, but you may e-mail the link among yourselves. Posting said illegal link will get you run from the premises.

Have fun. Welcome to Week One. Football, glorious football.

Today’s Inactive Buccaneers

September 8th, 2013

No big surprises on today’s inactive list for the Bucs’ 2013 opener against the Jets.

Injuries/illness have sidelined TE Tom Crabtree (ankle),  G Carl Nicks (MRSA/Foot), CB Rashaan Melvin (hamstring), FB Erik Lorig (calf), and rookie defensive linemen William Gholston and Chris Jones will join third quarterback Dan Orlovsky on the sidelines.

For those looking for former captain of the inactive list Michael Smith, he’s out for the year on injured reserve.

Gameday Tampa Bay

September 8th, 2013

jenn sterger

Game 1

Bucs at Jets

Kickoff: 1 p.m.

TV: WTVT-TV, Channel 13 locally. Outside the Tampa Bay area, DirecTV Channel 713.

Radio: Buccaneers Radio Network (in Tampa WFUS-FM 103.5, and WDAE-AM 620); SiriusXM Channel 139.

Weather: Per Accuweather.com, the New York-New Jersey metropolitan area has been experiencing weather kissed by the gods recently. Today should be no different. Expect a temperature of 77 degrees at kickoff under crystal clear skies and humidity at 45 percent. Towards the end of the game the temperature should rise to 83.

Odds: Per FootballLocks.com, Bucs -3.5.

Outlook: Joe doesn’t know where to begin. There are so, so many question marks with the Bucs that were not even remotely answered in the preseason. Can Darrelle Revis play? Can the Bucs get heat on the quarterback? Has the Bucs secondary improved? Has Josh Freeman improved? How or will the Bucs get any production from tight end? Can Davin Joseph return to form? This is why many Bucs fans have so much doubt. How can fans wrap their arms around a team with confidence when there are still so many issues unanswered?

But here is what Joe knows: The Jets start a second-round draft pick at quarterback. That alone should be the difference in the game. If Joe were Bucs commander Greg Schiano, he would throw just about every exotic look at Geno Smith that Schiano can concoct while he lies awake in the middle of the night. The more Smith is confused, the more he is likely to run (well hello, Lavonte David) and get confused and panic and throw into a crowd.

To Joe, look no further than this. If the Bucs cannot handle a rookie quarterback making his first start, then there are massive issues on the Bucs roster.

It really doesn’t (shouldn’t?) matter what Doug Martin, Mike Williams, Vincent Jackson and/or Freeman do. It is what the Bucs defense does against Smith. It really isn’t any more complex than that.

UPDATE: Inactives for the Bucs are Dan Orlovsky, QB; Rashaan Melvin, CB; Erik Lorig, FB; Carl Nicks, OG; Tom Crabtree, TE; William Gholston, DE; Chris Jones, DE.

Buccaneers: Division Champs

September 8th, 2013

Beat writer eye-RAH! Kaufman has high expectations

Tampa Bay’s “Custodian of Canton,” the outspoken veteran scribe eye-RAH! Kaufman of The Tampa Tribune, is bullish on the Bucs.

Kaufman has studied and studied and studied the NFC and Bucs relentlessly, and he joins Jon Gruden in predicting the Bucs will win the NFC South.

NFC SOUTH: Bucs

No team has repeated as division champion and this year will continue the pattern. The Falcons won a lot of close games last year and have major question marks in the trenches that will undermine all that firepower. The Saints haven’t done much to improve the league’s most porous defense and Carolina needs more weapons around QB Cam Newton. The Bucs have the talent to post double-digit wins and reward a fan base looking for a reason to believe.

Joe, based on chats with Kaufman, knows he sees the Bucs’ eight Pro Bowlers 30 and younger, plus emerging studs like Mike Williams and Lavonte David, and first-round talents like Josh Freeman and Adrian Clayborn, and the second year of the New Schiano Order with a huge, experienced coaching staff. There’s just too much talent for the Bucs to fizzle, Kaufman believes.

The bar is set high for many Bucs fans. Kaufman is hardly shocking the world here with this prediction. (If you missed it, you can read Joe’s season prediction here.)

Let the games begin.

Expect Gabe Carimi At Left Guard

September 8th, 2013

Barring something incredibly unforeseen overnight (Joe is typing this at 1 a.m. Sunday), Joe would be shocked if All-Pro guard Carl Nicks takes the field for the Bucs today against the Jets.

Nicks, as we all know, is dealing with a nasty turf toe that he said he will have to deal with the rest of his life. Then throw in a bout of MRSA, an antibiotic-resistant infection, and Joe just cannot believe Nicks would be in football shape to take any snaps under any circumstances.

Nicks did not take any snaps in practice this week, but Bucs commander Greg Schiano took part in a bit of (futile) gamesmanship Friday discussing who may play left guard when the NFL season kicks off this afternoon.

“[Carimi has] the most reps [at left guard],” Schiano said. “There are others guys that could [start at left guard]. So we’ll kind of play that one by ear, still. I want to meet with the staff today and make a – we said at the beginning of the week that we would make a final decision on Friday. I want to watch the tape from today and have a good discussion about that, because plenty of guys got good reps at that left guard spot, but he got the most so that’s where we’re leaning. We just want to see and make sure.”

Again, Joe just cannot take Schiano seriously when he even attempts to float the notion Nicks may play. That’s virtually impossible, especially since he hasn’t practiced. The thing with Carimi though, in preseason and training camp, he has blocked on running plays pretty well. On pass plays, not so well.

This will be something to monitor today, how well the pass protection is for Bucs franchise quarterback Josh Freeman’s blind side.

Blitzes, Blitzes And More Blitzes

September 8th, 2013

The NFL Network Playbook crew took a deep Xs and Os look at today’s Jets-Bucs matchup. Video here. It’s their usual great stuff.

Among other things, they outline how Jets rookie QB Geno Smith struggled mightily against various blitzes in preseason. The consensus is that Greg Schiano will dial up all kinds of blitz looks — more variety than volume — the kind Smith never saw at West Virginia.

Joe can’t disagree. And Joe also expects the Bucs’ run blitzes to come all day long to force passing downs on young Smith.

It’s going to be a very busy day for Jets tight end DJ Toes One The Line Kellen Winslow and whatever cornerback the Bucs put opposite Darrelle Revis.

Lorig Stays Home

September 7th, 2013

The Bucs revealed tonight that starting fullback Erik Lorig continues to battle his calf injury and didn’t make the trip to New Jersey for the season-opener against the Jets.

Lorig’s been battling the injury for more than a month. He was limited in practice this week, but apparently didn’t improve enough.

As Joe wrote earlier this week, Lorig’s situation presents a huge opportunity for Peyton Hillis. Brian Leonard and rookie Mike James are not fullbacks. Even though Leonard played there in college, he’s dropped significant weight since then and isn’t expected to do anything more than backup Doug Martin and serve as a third-down back intermittently.

What To Expect On Gameday

September 7th, 2013

New readers are always coming to Joe’s Bucs-obsessed home on the Internet. So Joe just wants to give a heads-up on what to expect tomorrow and on game days.

First off, Joe will continue churning out all kinds of stuff tonight and tomorrow morning, but look for Joe’s game-chat thread to appear shortly before kickoff of the Bucs-Jets game. That’s a fun place for fans to go back and forth during the game.

After the final whistle, no media outlet in the free world will deliver more Bucs content than Joe.

You’ll get plenty from the Bucs locker room — yes, Joe is in Jersey for the game — along with all kinds of analysis from Joe and other media from various sources, including the Buccaneers Radio Network and more. Go Bucs!

Big Secondary Spenders

September 7th, 2013

Joe can’t stand BSPN, but Joe knows many Bucs fans love their BSPN. Love it!

In the BSPN stats geek video below, some Bucs-Jets numbers are rolled out while Mike Sando talks about how the Bucs will win tomorrow. Interestingly, Sando lets us know the Bucs have spent the most salary cap dollars on cornerbacks and the third most on safeties. Joe surely hopes that translates into at least an average secondary.

“Josh Is A Leader”

September 7th, 2013

josh freeman 0701

A lot of Bucs fans seemed to try to connect dots that did not exist between the Bucs players not voting franchise quarterback Josh Freeman as a captain and Freeman’s status both with his team and his teammates.

No need to go there, Bucs commander Greg Schiano said yesterday in his daily press conference. There are no dots to connect. Freeman is the team’s leader, he said.

“I know one thing: Josh is going to lead,’ Schiano said. “Josh is a leader, so I’m not concerned about that. If you look the last two years, Davin didn’t play last year, so, when we voted, Davin was out for the year. The year before, Vincent wasn’t on the team. Those two guys are strong leaders and it just so happens that Josh is on a team with other strong leaders. But I wouldn’t read to that that Josh isn’t a leader. I’ll tell you, to a man, I think every offensive player will say ‘we follow No. 5.’ So I think it’s a good thing. I guess it all depends how you look at it, but I’m fine with it.”

Joe thinks captains, at least in the NFL, are terribly overblown. You are dealing with men here, not high school kids or college guys.

Joe thinks Schiano is dead-on. Freeman is the leader of the offense. That simple. He’s the guy that has the ball in his hands each and every snap. He controls the offense and huddle, hence he is a leader.

Fearing Geno’s Instincts; Rattling Freeman

September 7th, 2013

This Daily News roundtable video dives into spirited debate on what the Jets and rookie QB Geno Smith need to do to beat the Bucs.

Joe finds all the angst in New York comical. What would be fun is if young Smith targets DJ Toes on the Line Kellen Winslow over and over and over again while the Bucs blitz repeatedly. That could make for good Tampa Bay fun.

All-In On Mike Glennon

September 7th, 2013

Despite a woeful final preseason game by Bucs backup quarterback Mike Glennon, the Mike Glennon Mob is alive and well.

Their outcries for Glennon to take over as Bucs quarterback may have quieted, but they’re only pushed back into the shadows, not gone.

Joe knows the don of the Mike Glennon Mob is Dave the Producer at WFLA-TV, Channel 8. So if Dave the Producer is the don, then popular radio and television sports personality Adam Schein is certainly a made man if not a capo.

Schein, once a believer in Bucs franchise quarterback Josh Freeman, has given up on Freeman and in not quite the past year, has made no secret of how he feels about Freeman as a starting quarterback in the NFL. Schein recently has all but claimed Glennon would start before the end of the season and now, in his weekly NFL.com column, Schein has gone all-in on Glennon claiming it will be Glennon — not Freeman — who will save the Bucs season and is one of the nine NFL rookies to watch this year.

9) Mike Glennon, QB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Yes, you read that correctly: Mike Glennon. And yes, I know he’s not the Bucs’ starter. However, consider that Greg Schiano and Mark Dominik have built a team that’s ready to dance at every position but one: quarterback. There’s a reason they have yet to give Josh Freeman an extension: They aren’t convinced and need to see more.

If the offensive line is healthy and Freeman struggles, Glennon will play. And he should. He has a rocket for an arm and a ton of confidence. With Doug Martin in the backfield, Tampa’s going to run it 25 times per game anyway. The Bucs need someone to stretch the field and make better decisions.

In his Rutgers coaching days, Schiano liked to say that it’s better to put in the young quarterback “a day late rather than a day early.” But he had no problem reshuffling the depth chart when trouble hit. I just don’t see the coach allowing the season to slip away with Freeman. Plus, I like Glennon in the system put together by Schiano and offensive coordinator Mike Sullivan.

Now let Joe be very much upfront here: If Freeman struggles, the season is done. If Freeman is benched, he must be playing horribly, as in 2011 bad. If Freeman struggles, then it’s time to worry about the draft.

Schein does make a couple of salient points. The Bucs are built to win now (which is why Joe believes Freeman is the man, or Dominik trades for a veteran next winter). The thing Schein points out that bears monitoring is his claim of Schiano being afraid to juggle quarterbacks at Rutgers.

What exactly does Schiano do if Freeman struggles and the Mike Glennon Mob grows angrier and loud?

“That’s A Bad Football Team”

September 7th, 2013

Are the Bucs making progress? What’s longtime WTST-TV, Ch. 10 sportscaster Dave Wirth talking about when he says, “that’s a bad football team?”

Wirth dives into his Sunday prediction and his 2013 season prediction in this exclusive video for JoeBucsFan.com. Enjoy.

Revis Already In Jets Receivers’ Heads

September 7th, 2013

Who did opposing quarterbacks worry about in the Bucs’ secondary last year?

Nobody. The fearsome foursome only tortured the souls of Bucs fans.

But now Darrelle Revis is here and supposedly healthy. And he’s already been injected into the heads of Jets receivers by Jets coaches. Rich Cimini, Jets beat writer for ESPN.com, explains that New York receivers have been advised that sloppy route-running won’t cut it this week.

3. Club Dread, an island adventure: Head coach Rex Ryan says the Jets won’t make a concerted effort to attack Revis even though he’s playing for the first time after major knee surgery. Do we believe him? Revis might not be Revis — not yet, anyway — but you get the impression the Jets still are deathly afraid of their former star. The receivers were told to place an extra emphasis on not tipping routes. If there’s a tell, Revis will jump the route, and then you’re looking at a potential interception. 

What the Jets should do is test Revis against the run. Unlike many cornerbacks, he’s always been aggressive in run support. Will he be tentative because of his surgically repaired knee? Don’t be surprised if they call a power sweep on the first series. 

All the attention on Revis is fun, but Joe doesn’t expect Revis or Bucs cornerbacks to be a huge factor in Sunday’s game.

The Bucs should — key word “should” — have no problem outscoring the Jets and Geno Smith. The Jets will take a ton of chances on defense, and the Bucs have the talent to make them pay.

“I Think Josh Is A Tremendous Quarterback”

September 7th, 2013

Bucs Super Bowl winning quarterback Brad Johnson sees the Josh Freeman cup as half full. In fact, Johnson thinks Freeman is a great player, so he told Woody Cummings of The Tampa Tribune.

Johnson’s got a different perspective than most. In addition to 17 years in the NFL, Johnson didn’t become his starter until his fifth season at 28 years old.

“It seems to me like they’re always playing from behind a lot,’’ said Johnson, who watches the Bucs regularly in retirement. “As a quarterback, that can be tough, because no matter who you are, you need help. You need your defense to get you turnovers and you need your kick and punt returners to get you a short field now. And then and it really helps if you can just be able to play with a lead.

 “After a while, if you’re playing even or from behind, the game will catch up to you. And if you’re not surrounded by a great team, you’re just not going to win that much. But I think Josh is a tremendous quarterback.’’

Joe’s pleased to hear the endorsement from Johnson, but it’s moot is Freeman doesn’t win games. Johnson finished his regular-season career 72-53 as a starter.

“Too Talented To Lose”

September 7th, 2013

Is anyone anywhere picking the Jets to beat the Bucs tomorrow? Joe sure isn’t.

In this Yahoo Sports video, former Bucs beat writer Anwar Richardson and Shaun King call the Bucs game and the rest of the NFL slate. King, one of three QBs to lead the Bucs to the NFL title game, says the Bucs are “too talented to lose” Sunday.

The Bucs Are Corona

September 6th, 2013

Yeah, this is a silly little time-waster as we all drink beer, watch college football, if not high school football, and count the minutes until the Bucs and Jets kick off Sunday.

It seems like craft-beer loving Mike Tanier, of SportsOnEarth.com, has beer in mind as well. Tanier, a good guy Joe chatted with at the combine last winter, decided to compare each NFL team to a beer.

For the Pewter Pirates, Tanier writes the Bucs are Corona.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Corona

Most fans only pay attention to the Buccaneers when they fly down to watch them host a Northeast corridor team when the weather gets cold. (Eagles at Bucs October 14th, visit Uncle Carlo in Clearwater while you’re there! Bills at Bucs December 8th; no one will blame you if you don’t book a return flight!) The half-frozen Baltimore-to-Bostonian emerges from the plane, sees palm trees, hears the words “Gulf of Mexico,” and thinks, “say, what is that flavorless watery nonsense they always serve at silly luau parties and Cinco de Mayo night at Tipsy McStereotypes? The stuff with a edge of lime in it to give it some taste and smell? Corona! Give us a bucket of those!” When the Yankee arrives home sunburnt and hung over, his only memories are of a pirate ship, two or three interceptions, and conch fritter barf.

Joe isn’t quite sure what “conch fritter barf” is like, and to be honest, Joe really doesn’t want to find out.

Joe does know one thing: Fruit and beer do not mix. Not ever. No way, no how. Just the thought of a Bud Light Limarita makes Joe’s stomach turn. Yick!

Maybe that nasty taste of lime juice in a bad beer is what interceptions are supposed to taste like?

“Not Going To Be Too Vanilla”

September 6th, 2013

The pride of Jersey City, linebacker Jonathan Casillas, a guy who chose to play for the rigorous New Schiano Order versus other opportunities after four seasons with the Saints, is one of the more personable guys in the Bucs’ locker room.

Greg Schiano has talked about how Casillas is a ferocious hitter, and he and Dekoda Watson are expected to share duties at strong side linebacker.

In this WDAE-AM 620 locker room interview today, Casillas says Jets rookie QB Geno Smith doesn’t yet look like a second-round pick on film and explains that the Bucs will look to confuse him. The defense is “not going to be too vanilla.” Catch the entire interview below.

Keeping It Simple For Geno Smith

September 6th, 2013

The SNY-TV Jets crew is at it again breaking down what the Jets need to do to try and get a victory against the Bucs with shaky rookie Geno Smith under center. Enjoy.

Peyton Hillis Could Be Busy Sunday

September 6th, 2013

Greg Schiano revealed today that starting fullback Erik Lorig is very much questionable for Sunday’s game.

So in Joe’s mind that means it’s likely Peyton Hillis will earn a helmet on Sunday and see meaningful action against the Jets.

Rookie Mike James is not a fullback, and veteran running back Brian Leonard readily admits he hasn’t been fullback-sized since blocking for Ray Rice in college.

Hillis told Joe this week that he’s been getting work at fullback and is healthy and ready to go. Hillis, a superstar with the Browns in 2010, is brimming with confidence. Joe had to ask Hillis if he was surprised to make the final Bucs roster, and Hillis was adamant that he’s not in Tampa as a hanger-on. Hillis said he believes he proved as much as the other backup running backs through training camp and preseason.

Fullback was Hillis’ college position, and he’s played the position in the pros and he definitely has the size. He’s also got proven NFL hands out of the backfield.

Yes, the Bucs lined up with tight ends in the backfield in preseason — that’s how Tom Crabtree got hurt (he’s out for Sunday) — but keep in mind that’s preseason, which doesn’t mean much.

Hillis might get quite an opportunity to revive his career and inject a surprise spark into the Bucs offense Sunday. If the Bucs play to their capabilities against a crappy Jets team, then it would be great to see Leonard and Hillis close out the game on the ground in the fourth quarter with Doug Martin getting valuable rest.

“Extremely Relaxed”

September 6th, 2013

So how do you feel, Josh Freeman? Are you jacked up? It’s opening day of your fifth season with stud talent around you, and you’re damn talented yourself.

“Extremely relaxed” is how Freeman described his demeanor yesterday.

Media types prodded Freeman a little more about seemingly fishing to find out if Freeman is fired up for opening day, and Freeman wanted no part of that. Freeman repeated that he’s “relaxed” and confident, essentially his typical cool, mellow self. You can watch what that looks like here, via Buccaneers.com.

Much like many Bucs fans screamed and hollered about how Father Dungy wouldn’t scream and holler on the sidelines, there are many fans who don’t like their franchise quarterback to be so relaxed. These fans want a fiery leader, a veteran QB who’s voted captain by his teammates, but that’s not Freeman.

And that’s perfectly OK, as long as the Ws come more often than the Ls.