Bucs fans know Ronde Barber should someday be in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. The career numbers he has racked up, and continues to rack up as a safety, are impressive.

Sadly, there is a major logjam of cornerbacks waiting to get to the Hall of Fame. That doesn’t help Barber’s case.

How impressive has Barber been? Even the ESPN types are turning heads. Consider Adam Schefter, who now has jumped on the bandwagon of Barber to the Hall of Fame.

3. Ronde’s résumé: As running back Tiki Barber racked up Pro Bowl appearances and enough yards to become the Giants’ all-time rushing leader, few would have thought twin brother Ronde would have the more distinguished NFL career. But into his 16th season, all with the Buccaneers, cornerback Ronde Barber is the one who has stood out as much for his ability as his durability. His interception return for a touchdown last Sunday was the 12th defensive touchdown of his career, tying Aeneas Williams and Charles Woodson and trailing Rod Woodson and Darren Sharper by one for the most in NFL history. Barber’s next start Sunday against New Orleans will be his 222nd, passing former linebacker Derrick Brooks for the most in Buccaneers history. Barber has more consecutive starts than any other cornerback in NFL history, more sacks than any other cornerback in NFL history and more interceptions than any other Buccaneer in history. As the interceptions, touchdowns, starts and records keep piling up, Barber’s case for a spot in Canton continues to be bolstered. It was hard to imagine that the Barber most likely to wind up in the Pro Football Hall of Fame would be Ronde. But all these years later, no one can argue.

But still there are jugheads who argue. How many times have your heard scribes claim Barber is a “system cornerback?” That’s one of the weakest sauce arguments Joe has ever heard.

So what if he was a system player, which Joe doesn’t buy, how did he do in the system he played? One could argue Joe Montana — who Joe worshiped — was a system quarterback. Would Montana have put up the numbers he did if he played for the Bills or the Saints and not for Bill Walsh in the original west coast offense?

Would Lawrence Taylor had been the complete terror he was if he had played in a 4-3 defense and not an outside linebacker in a 3-4 defense?

This “system” argument is pure nonsense, through and through.

If Barber doesn’t get into the Hall of Fame because of a logjam, well, OK. That happens. But if Barber doesn’t get in because voters have the notion he was a system cornerback, then that will be an absolute travesty.

Oh, the irony. Donovan McNabb of all people is spewing on NFL Network that Ronde Barber is the weak link in the Bucs secondary. Here’s the video.

McNabb breaks out game film and spits out a stat that says Barber has been targeted 18 times this season by opposing offenses and has been beaten 12-of-18 times for two touchdowns.

“Attack the old guy and you’ll be successful,” McNabb said of what the Saints need to do.

Something to watch for tomorrow. And somewhere the ultra-competitive Barber is seething.

The pride of Rutgers, Bucs center Jeremy Zuttah, reminisced last night on the Buccaneers Radio Network about his big moment on offense, the one and only time his number was called. Joe went to YouTube to find it, and thought it was worth sharing. Pretty cool play-call for sure.

Boomer Esiason took serious shots at Josh Freeman’s work ethic and reputation and implied that too much partying is affecting Freeman.

Yesterday, former NFL quarterback and current CBS talking head Boomer Esiason dropped in, via phone, for a visit with Justin Pawlowski and Gary Shelton, co-hosts of the “Gary and the Commish” show on WHFS-FM 98.7, to discuss all things Bucs.

Esiason had plenty to say about Bucs quarterback Josh Freeman and virtually all of Esiason’s comments were no less than explosive.

In short, Esiason claimed Freeman was “clubbing” and doesn’t take his job as the Bucs quarterback seriously, thus why he has struggled in the early weeks of the 2012 season.

“I hate to do this and I hate rumors and things of that nature. One of the reasons we say this is we have information on every single player in the league and what is going on and what is the thought process and what is the reputation and all that other stuff,” Esiason said. “Here is Josh’s reputation in the eyes of a lot of us that cover this league: tremendous talent, tremendous arm, tremendous football player. The sky is the limit for him and usually what makes people get to that next level is his commitment that he makes to his craft: the study in the playbook, understanding where you are in the offense and taking everything you do as a quarterback and taking it seriously and not hanging out on Friday nights and not hanging out on Tuesday nights and being above all the stuff that unfortunately a lot of young men find themselves in the midst of, and that is young men enjoying themselves when they are on their off time.

“I get all of that. We all went through that as players and that other stuff. But he if wants to be the next group of players, if he wants to be mentioned in same breath as Drew Brees, who you will see Sunday, or Tom Brady or Ben Roethlisberger, and even Ben Roethlisberger had some growing up to do, and I remember us challenging him to grow up as well, then he is going to have to take his craft a helluva lot more seriously.

“While I think he is a tremendous football player — he had a great game last week. Now I think we are starting to see the fruits of the Vincent Jackson signing and throwing the ball down the football field. This could be a really exciting football field if he gets plugged in and gets plugged in in a way that we all believe he should be in order to reach what we believe is a very, very high potential ceiling.”

Esiason was challenged on his comments by Shelton, who told the story of former Bucs offensive (keyword) coordinator Greg Olson telling Shelton that no quarterback he had worked with had a better work ethic.

Esiason responded by reinforcing his comments, throwing out the word “clubbing” in speaking of Freeman.

Later, after the interview, Shelton was taken aback. He openly wanted to know just what source Esiason was basing his Freeman comments on.

This is the very first Joe has heard of this as well, and given how dozens of people both inside and outside the walls of One Buc Palace rave about Freeman’s work ethic, Joe has to believe Esiason’s information is wrong, or a plant.

As regular readers of this here corner of the interwebs know, Joe is addicted to SiriusXM NFL Radio.  One of Freeman’s biggest supporters is former Super Bowl quarterback Rich Gannon, who has worked several of Freeman’s games, watched Freeman practice several times and has sat down with Freeman many times as well. Gannon gushes about Freeman’s work ethic, going so far as to say about Freeman, “He gets it.” And this is coming from a man who still harbors a touch of bitterness at the Bucs for jettisoning Chucky.

Pat Kirwan, one of Gannon’s colleagues at SiriusXM NFL Radio, is likeminded in his support of Freeman. Like Gannon, Kirwan has attended Bucs practices before and has had sit-downs with Freeman.

To be honest, Joe has no idea if Esiason has ever attended or watched a Bucs practice much less sat down and spoke with Freeman. As Joe stated before, he has to believe that Esiason’s source is either misguided or this data given to Esiason is simply a plant.

The entire interview with Esiason can be heard by clicking the link in the second paragraph of this post.

The task for the Bucs to slow down Drew Brees and the Saints just got a whole lot easier.

Mike Florio, the creator, curator and overall guru of ProFootballTalk.com is reporting that the Saints have left all-world tight end Jimmy Graham in New Orleans and he will not play against the Bucs Sunday.

A source with knowledge of the situation tells us that the team has decided to let Graham rest his injured ankle. He will not be traveling with his teammates to Tampa for Sunday’s game against the Buccaneers.

The absence of Graham, who injured the ankle but kept playing 13 days against against the Chargers, puts more pressure on the rest of the offense.

And on the defense. With the bye week to improve a unit that has been overmatched and underperforming, first-year coordinator Steve Spagnuolo could have a few surprises for the Fighting Schianos. (Or is it Schianoes?)

LOL Joe loves that: The Fightin’ Schianos.

It was going to be interesting to see stud Bucs rookie safety Mark Barron battle Graham. Now, thankfully, that matchup will have to wait.

For Joe’s money, there’s no better local media coverage of a team than what comes out of the Times-Picayune for the New Orleans Saints. Check it all out at Nola.com. In this video, a few Saints writers gather around to talk all things Saints and look at the Saints-Bucs game. These guys remind us that Marques Colston has absolutely torn it up the past two games, and the Saints are coming off the bye week with their season potentially on the line.

By JEFF CARLSON
JoeBucsFan.com analyst

Former Bucs quarterback Jeff Carlson (1990 & 1991) writes The QB Blast column here at JoeBucsFan.com. Joe loves when Carlson fires away. Carlson is often seen as a football color analyst on Bright House Sports Network, and he trains quarterbacks of all ages locally via his company,America’s Best Quarterback. Plus, he’s a really cool dude.

It was great to see the Bucs win going away Sunday and for the offense to put up some points, but while beating the Kansas City Chiefs with Brady Quinn at QB was nice and needed, there were certainly key takeaways that should be addressed if they want to start a winning streak tomorrow against the talented Saints!

The Bucs’ offensive gameplan followed the prescription I laid down following the Dallas Cowboys game, which included more deep balls, outside runs, moving Josh Freeman from the pocket and reducing his play-action passes that require him to fake to his left and spin around. In fact, I don’t remember one. And it had been a major staple of the offense through the first month.

While the results were stellar, especially on deep balls, there is a real troubling issue that needs to be addressed or it will cause many turnovers throughout the year. There were four specific passes in the game that I would like to address. 

The first was Freeman’s interception in the first quarter. I’ll give Mike Sullivan credit for a well-designed “rub” concept just outside the left tackle area, where Dallas Clark went in motion to the left side of the formation behind a close-aligned Mike Williams. Williams’ job was to “rub” or knock off the linebacker covering Clark as Clark broke into the flat. Williams didn’t get any redirection on the LB and that gave the defender the advantage on cutting in front of Freeman’s pass and thwarting a scoring chance. Freeman’s pass wasn’t perfect, but it would have been a completion if Williams had done his job.

The other three pass plays all went the Buccaneers’ way but could have turned the win into a potential loss and that certainly will happen against better defensive backs in the future. I would like to have been a fly on the wall during the film review session to hear what was said to Josh Freeman on his deep balls to Mike Williams, because without Williams’ super-human efforts on balls that were thrown too flat and too far inside, they would have been two more interceptions.

But Williams turned these poor throws into a TD and a long gain, respectively. Many times proper or constructive criticism goes by the wayside because of the positive outcome, but an opportunity to improve is missed. Freeman’s trajectory has to be improved on balls down the sideline, but his low and wide release point will make that difficult. 

Right now, he throws the ball with a trajectory like a golfer hitting a 2- or 3-iron, But when a receiver is running down the sideline hip-to-hip with a cornerback and no safety help over the top, the ball should be thrown with a trajectory more like an 8 iron. The two deep-ball completions to Williams will be intercepted, incomplete or an offensive pass interference penalty in the future. Properly thrown, however, they will either be completions or incompletions, but never turnovers.

The fourth throw was to Tiquan Underwood. The inaccurate pass was first touched by the Chiefs’ defender, but Underwood did a nice job of catching the rebound off the deflection for a big gainer. There isn’t really a coaching point for it, just another play that could have easily become an interception and needs better accuracy if they hope to keep from giving Drew Brees and company an extra possession.

On a very positive note, I’m not quite sure what Romeo Crennel’s secondary was doing leaving Vincent Jackson virtually uncovered multiple times, but Freeman’s throws to him were still good and accurate and hopefully confidence-builders to throw those in the slot when available.

Last Sunday’s 28-point margin of victory was a true team win, with big contributions from the kicking game and defense, just what Coach Schiano prescribed back in February. Sunday versus the Saints will require all of the above and better deep ball throws if the Bucs want to get to 3-3.

Southwest Florida Bucs fans are taking it on the chin

Joe reads the painful email cries tonight from his Bucs-fan brethren in southwest Florida and must speak up, as the NFL and FOX are royally screwing these fans for no apparent reason.

Officially part of the 62nd largest TV market in the country (504,240 households) per Nielsen, the Ft. Myers-Naples FOX affiliate is not airing the Bucs-Saints game Sunday. Instead, it will air the Packers-Rams at 1 p.m. The local affiliate, FOX 4, has made the announcement on the station website.

Green Bay @ St. Louis 1pm**PROGRAMMING ALERT: The Tampa Bay Buccaneers game will not be seen in our area, as decided by the FOX Network and the National Football League.

Downtown Fort Myers is only about 130 miles from Raymond James Stadium, and the northern reaches of the market TV signal extend to within about 80 miles of the game.

And the crazy irony here is that the Fort Myers market has been the only one consistently airing Bucs home games that have been blacked out, including all other home games this season. In fact, Joe’s defunct “Blackout Tour” used to bus fans from St. Pete to Lee Roy Selmon’s in Fort Myers (2010-2011), and Joe can attest there are plenty of Bucs fans in that neck of the woods.

The Buccaneers Radio Network even airs all games in the greater Fort Myers area.

Hell, three years ago the city of Fort Myers named a street “Earnest Graham Avenue” to honor local legend Earnest Graham.

To have this market get cut off from the Bucs this weekend in favor of the Rams and Packers is a travesty — Rams/Packers? — and Joe is calling on Roger Goodell to step in and help right this wrong. Joe’s hoping Team Glazer might make an appropriate phone call, as well.

Below shows where FOX NFL games will be broadcast in the early window Sunday. The areas shaded in yellow will carry the Saints-Bucs game. Joe is looking deeper into Bucs fans in the greater Ft. Myers market getting royally screwed. Map courtesy of the506.com.

Earlier this week, Bucs coach Greg Schiano dropped in for an appearance on “The Blitz,” co-hosted by popular sports talk show personality Adam Schein and former NFL quarterback Rich Gannon, heard exclusively on SiriusXM NFL Radio.

Naturally, Joe recorded the spot and typed out each and every word of the conversation.

Rich Gannon: Let’s start with the offense. You did some great things in that game. We talked about it Friday; you mentioned that Josh Freeman throws the deep ball so well and he gave guys like Vincent Jackson and Mike Williams and Tiquan Underwood some chances in the game, just some thoughts on your young quarterback.

Greg Schiano: Well, as we talked about Friday, he continues to improve. He understands he has some receivers that if you give them a chance to make a play, they are going to make most of them. I think that is undervalued by some. I think we threw one ball out of bounds because we couldn’t make the play. All the rest were in play and the receivers had a chance to go compete for the ball. That is a big improvement for us.

Adam Schein: I think that is a major improvement coach, without question, also, I thought the receivers did a helluva job. Not only Vincent Jackson — he’s a stud, he’s a beast — but I also thought Mie Williams stepped up and I think that is crucial for you guys to get some depth and some productivity out of somebody other than Vincent Jackson.

Schiano: Well, we agree. I think Mike has been really doing a good job this year. Here is a guy that has really, really good body control. I mean really good. If he just keeps doing what he is doing, you know, as we get better throwing that ball down the field, both of those guys will be really productive.

Gannon: And how about the running game coach? It seems like you continue to take the next step from what I saw with Doug Martin but it is also nice to bring in a fresh body like LeGarrette Blount late in the fourth quarter and let him bang it up there for 58 yards.

Schiano: Well, if you could write the script, that’s how you would like to do it. Throw the ball to score points but run the ball to win the game. That is what we were able to do. It’s nice when it comes off like that. Hopefully, we can get LeGarrette involved a little more, maybe get him involved a little earlier in the game. That can take a little bit off of Doug too and make him a little more productive.

Schein: Boy, Ronde Barber. So incredible, so impressive as he continues to carve out a Hall of Fame career. Coach can you explain to us just what he means to your program, not so much as a player but as a leader for your Buccaneers.

Schiano: I think you hit the nail on the head, Adam. I think he is playing really well at a new position at his age, that right itself is amazing. But what he brings is a maturity, sense of been-there, done-that. ‘Listen guys, this is what we need to get done.’ When he addresses the team — the funny thing about Ronde is, he is not a big talker, he’s a doer. So when he does address the team, all ears are alert. I can tell you personally he has been great to have here to bounce things off and get his feedback. We are fortunate to have him.

Gannon: Coach, the second half of last season, the last 10 games, was just awful on defense. The effort wasn’t there, they couldn’t stop the run. You and Bill Sheridan and the job you have done with the defense, I just saw in this game, you knew what the issues would be. You knew Jamaal Charles was one of the hottest backs in the league and you held him to just 40 yards rushing on 12 carries, just talk about the improvements you have made just on defense in terms of the run defense.

Schiano: I think you hit it on the head. Bill and the defensive staff have been doing a great job of communicating exactly what we need to do. And the players are really buying in and doing what we have asked to do. It is just like a lot of teams: “Just do your job, do your job.” They probably hear that in their sleep. But when all of the guys do that, the puzzle fits together pretty nicely and you can play good defense.

Schein: Greg, do you trust Aqib Talib when it comes to staying out of trouble?

Schiano: That has obviously been a talked about subject down here and where I am with it is he is suspended and I have commented on it and I would like to just sit and let the thing be until he gets back. But, I can say in the time I have been here, he has worked awfully hard. Yeah, he had a past, I know all of that. But I tried to come in here and give everybody a clean slate, a clean start. Again, I don’t want to stick my head in the sand. I know what has happened in the past. Since we have been here, this is the first thing that has been an issue. Hopefully, he will come back in great shape and we will be doing well at the time and we will see how it goes from there.

Gannon: Coach, it is never easy to lose players that late in the week, on a Friday, and all of a sudden you have a guy like E.J. Biggers who has played some snaps step in and really played well this game.

Schiano: He did. You know, a week ago, he came back from an injury and played in his first contest and got some limited work in. What we asked him to do, was play a sub-corner, he did very well. I think this guy is going to be a guy we can rely on — I know he is. The guy works his tail off doing what we ask him to do so he is a valuable member of our pass defense and we are going to need him.

Schein: You know Greg, it is interesting, I think that, the ending of the Giants game got a lot of conversation and scrutiny. There was a negative article written about you and the Buccaneers from Yahoo! Sports. I think frankly that the Buccaneers needed a win from the Kansas City Chiefs, whether that is media perception or whether that is fact, I thought you guys responded incredibly well in the game against Kansas City. What did you learn about the character and the toughness of your ball club over the weekend?

Schiano: The only concern we had from a coaches’ standpoint was, will we keep fighting? As long as we kept fighting the way we had in the first three weeks — we have had three losses by a total of 15 points and had an opportunity to win all three games and we didn’t do it — the guys never stopped fighting. To me, if you keep that attitude moving forward, we are just going to get better and better. They practice hard, they study tape, they are in the meeting room on their own. When you have that kind of environment you are going to be good as long as you keep fighting.

Gannon: I am sure you were up late last night watching film. You talked about your pass defense, they will be put to the test this weekend against Drew Brees and the Saints. What is the challenge from your perspective about going up against a quarterback like Drew Brees?

Schiano: Well, I have observed him from afar as a collegiate coach, it certainly is a challenge. When you watch the tape, and you watch some of the balls he gets in some of those windows, you sit there in amazement. When the play begins and as it plays out, you think to yourself, “There’s no way he can get that pass in there.” And he does. We will really have to be on our A-game and with our pass defense just to have an opportunity to win this game. You know, the thing that gets overlooked is, in doing that, you cannot neglect the run. Once they get you into that, they get you going both ways and that’s exactly what they want.

Schein: You know, it is interesting coach to hear you say that. I guess it would go for a lot of big-time quarterbacks and of course Drew Brees is certainly under that umbrella, and it is also part of the style of your offense: That if you have long sustained drives, run the ball with Doug Martin, run the ball with LeGarrette Blount, that is part of the defense here or the gameplan against a guy like Drew Brees.

Schiano: Certainly, the best way to defend that guy is to get him off the field. That, again, is playing good team football, both offense and defense and the special teams being the bridge between them. Certainly, when you are playing a team like the Saints you have to have it in all three phases of the game, there is no doubt about it.

Gannon: Coach you have a lot of young guys playing valuable snaps on defense, Lavonte David, your second round pick, and how about Mark Barron? I think he is a guy that stood out to me when I watched the game last week, your first round pick out of Alabama. Tell us about the impressions you have had from Mark the first six weeks of the season.

Schiano: I think Mark has been on a real steady climb. Each week, you can see how he is more comfortable with the scheme and his job within the scheme. Because of that, he is playing faster and faster each week. I agree with you, Sunday against the run where he was real physical and that is his calling card but against the pass he made some plays in the pass game, and that interception he was where he was supposed to be as a deep safety. I think he is getting better and better and we will need him to. He has the ability that can be overwhelming if he can get it flying on all cylinders.

Gannon: Hey coach, how valuable is it to have a guy like Ronde Barber back there who has played 16 years in the league, kind of a calming influence on a guy like Mark Barron I would assume?

Schiano: There is no doubt. They have a unique, kind of a special relationship. Ronde has all these years of experience in the National Football League that he can impart but Mark has all of this safety experience that Ronde doesn’t have. So it has been pretty cool to see those guys work together. I am really excited to see what these guys can do the rest of the season.

Schein: Can you gain any insight as far as gameplanning by talking to someone like Carl Nicks? Or is that an overrated storyline?

Schiano: Oh, we are definitely going to use some of his knowledge to help us. Again, does an offensive guard have an intimate knowledge of the downfield passing game? I doubt it (laughs).

Schein: Right (laughs).

Schiano: That one, [Nicks] is probably getting a burger at lunch (laughs). He is definitely a guy that we will talk with as we always do.

Gannon: Coach, last one from me. What have you learned about your staff? It’s staff that you put together, some guys I know that you had prior relationships with. You brought some folks from Rutgers with you, just your observations you have seen from your staff through the first six weeks this season?

Schiano: I think we have a great group of teachers and to me, that is what coaching is. We will continue to teach right through, which is something we pride ourselves on. I think the other thing is we have a good mix. We have some guys that came with me from Rutgers and some guys from the National Football League I knew, experienced guys like a Jimmy Raye and a Butch Davis, guys who I have known for a while, a guy like Steve Loney. Again we have some young guys and I like the mix, I really do. Above all, they are good people. When things get tough, it is always great to know you have guys you want to get in a foxhole with.

Schein: Coach, great stuff. Good luck on the win, good luck this weekend and we will talk again soon.

Schiano: OK fellas, take care.

Joe’s not jumping the gun and declaring a Bucs victory against the Saints on Sunday. But Joe can guarantee two things will come if the Bucs do win and move to 3-3.

First, the national media magically will rediscover that the Bucs actually play in the NFL. Second, much of their chatter will focus on the Bucs not having beaten a good team and therefore are lacking the proverbial “signature win” to be considered a contender. Carolina, Kansas City and New Orleans are a combined 3-13 right now and the Chiefs have a bye this weekend.

Joe endured all the “signature-win” baloney in 2010, when media and legions of Bucs fans were convinced the Bucs got to 10-6 with smoke and mirrors and lots of luck because they didn’t beat good teams. Even the Saints (11-4) waving the white flag in Week 17 trailing the Bucs in the fourth quarter at the SuperDome was not good enough for these critics.

Joe was never one to buy the “signature-win” mentality. You beat who’s in front of you and every team is dangerous. Chucky’s 9-7 Bucs teams had their share of signature Ws and it didn’t mean much at the end of the day.

This is just a warning from Joe. Prepare yourself for very loud doubters if the Bucs pull off a victory Sunday.

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Could it be possible for two rookies on the same team to share the same rookie award in the NFL?

If so, let’s just say that Charley Casserly would be upset. The former Redskins and Texans general manager and current NFL Network insider Casserly raved about the pair of Bucs defensive rookies and was insistent they should be up for some hardware after the seaso, while speaking with Tom Jones and Rick Stroud, co-hosts of “The Sports Page,” earlier this week on WDAE-AM 620.

“The two rookies, Mark Barron and Lavonte David, both of them have to get consideration for Defensive Rookie of the Year,” said Casserly, while discussing the Bucs defense.

And while the Bucs will face a stiff test facing Drew Brees and the offensive explosive Saints Sunday, Casserly didn’t think the Bucs will get lit up.

“With any quarterback, you will have to get some pressure on him,” Casserly said of battling Brees. “You have to get outside pressure to keep him inside and get a push inside. Gerald McCoy, who has had an excellent season, I think is a real key to get inside pressure on [Brees]. It’s a tough match-up, but not one [the Bucs] won’t be competitive in on defense.”

While limiting Brees is essential, Joe really believes it is on the shoulders of the Bucs offense to win this game. It’s going to be a shootout and to keep up with the Saints, the Bucs must put points on the board.

With Vincent Jackson and Mike Williams, the Bucs proved they can do this last week. And the Chiefs might be better defensively than the Saints.

To hear more of Casserly, click on the little button below.

One guy rarely talked about in the Bucs secondary is veteran Brandon McDonald, Tampa Bay’s nickel cornerback.

But he’s been in that position since opening day, after joining the Bucs very late in the preseason, getting released with the final roster cuts, and then getting picked up again a few days later. (Here’s an interview Joe did with McDonald weeks ago.)

“I’m impressed,” Greg Schiano said of McDonald yesterday. “His work ethic, his attention to detail. This guy’s a pro.”

Joe brings up McDonald now because the high-flying Saints coming to town Sunday might just be the exact opposite style of the run-first, run-second Chiefs. McDonald will be front-and-center roaming the field trying to keep pace with all that Drew Brees has to offer.

Behind McDonald on the depth chart is Myron Lews and green rookie Leonard Johnson. That’s pretty darn scary.

In no uncertain terms, McDonald needs a huge game Sunday.

One big catch phrase of the New Schiano Order regularly instructs players to “outprepare” themselves.

Joe’s heard the line before, but how pervasive “outprepare” is was really driven home this week when Joe heard Josh Freeman reference it during his radio show, as well as practice squad receiver Dale Moss saying it during a podcast for a South Dakota newspaper. (Yeah, Joe takes Bucs obsession to a ridiculous level.)

Joe likes the attitude.

As far as motivational language, the Raheem Morris regime focused more on how players should perform, versus how they should prepare. Yeah, it’s just semantics, but they set the tone.

Back for his weekly take on the upcoming Bucs game, Pat Kirwan peels the onion skin off to allow viewers the inside look in this CBSSports.com video.

Click on through below to learn more about Tilted Kilt, home of Joe’s blowout Thursday Night Football party next week.

The forgotten man of the Bucs’ receiving corps, Arrelious Benn, seems to be spiraling to depths unwanted for a high second-round draft pick in 2010, arguably the deepest draft of the modern era.

Benn has four catches for 26 yards this season and his kick return days may by numbered. Tiquan Underwood clearly has leap-frogged him on the depth chart. Even the Benn’d around wasn’t called against the Chiefs.

But hold on, says Josh Freeman. Benn is a beast lurking under the broiling sun of the practice field.

“A guy that honestly I think is going to come on huge for us, Arrelious Benn, you know, they’ve been mixing him in a little bit, but I’d look for a, down the road, big things from that kid. He’s tearing it up. He’s hungry,” Freeman said last night on WDAE-AM 620.

Freeman was unprompted when talking about Benn, but Joe’s not seeing how Benn is going to get much action barring an injury in the receiving corps.

When you add up the Bucs’ many offensive weapons, Benn just doesn’t rank that high.

Just looking at a computer screen (outfits still run news stories on objects made from trees?), Joe can pretty much guess the Saints-Bucs game will be an aerial circus, or at least should be.

The Saints, led by future Hall of Fame quarterback Drew Brees, have a defense that is as wretched as Courtney Love.

The Bucs, who proved against the Chiefs the team has the potential to short out a scoreboard, has at best a shaky pass defense, no thanks to Aqib Talib’s Adderall-popping. Even Bucs coach Greg Schiano said this week E.J. Biggers is not playing at 100 percent health.

So it would stand to reason the Saints-Bucs will torch each other’s secondaries. That’s what Josh Freeman believes, well, sort of (he’s not throwing his defensive teammates under a Greyhound).

Freeman came right out and told eye-RAH! Kaufman of The Tampa Tribune the Bucs cannot pretend to play a game like those old Michigan-Ohio State bloodbaths where there might be 17 points scored, total.

With Drew Brees under center, New Orleans boasts the league’s top-rated passing game and the Saints have not been held below 24 points during a 1-4 start. Connor Barth is one of the NFL’s most reliable kickers, but Freeman knows the path to victory against the Saints leads through the end zone.

“In this league, three points seldom gets it done,” Freeman said, “especially when you’re playing a quarterback and an offense as talented as Drew Brees and the New Orleans Saints.”

As Joe is wont to do, he listens to “Movin’ the Chains,” co-hosted by Pat Kirwan and Tim Ryan, heard exclusively on SiriusXM NFL Radio, and Kirwan for the past two weeks has all but been on his knees, begging Schiano to turn Freeman loose.

Kirwan claims the Bucs have shackled Freeman. The one time where Freeman was permitted to roam outside of his cage last week in the second half, Kirwan points out, the results were clear.

Kirwan also said with “dynamic” receivers like Vincent Jackson and Mike Williams, keeping Freeman under lock-and-key wastes those receivers’ talents.

It’s an interesting theory, and frankly, difficult for Joe to argue against.

Bucs defensive coordinator Bill Sheridan explains who sets the tone for the rib-crushing Bucs.

During the TV broadcast of the Bucs-Chiefs game, CBS put up a stat that showed Kansas City had helmets ripped of its players’ heads six times during the game. The Bucs had none.

It may not be widely appreciated by the national media, but anyone following the Bucs can see that the New Schiano Order defense is absolutely laying the wood consistently.

Mason Foster is clobbering nearly everything in his path. And Mark Barron sets the tone, said Bucs defensive coordinator Bill Sheridan said today.

“If nothing else, he’s put a bunch of deluxe hits on film for people to look at, and I think that’s very contagious on our defense,” Sheridan said of Barron. “I think Quincy Black the other day had a bunch, you know, really physical hits. People can’t help but notice that when they watch the film of us as try to prepare for us. And we try to promote that, all clean hard-hitting football.”

Yes, that was Quincy Black referenced by Sheridan. It was Black and Foster who sandwiched a Chiefs receiver on a short route Sunday that led to Barron’s first-half interception.

There is no denying how physical the Bucs defense has been. Heck, they sent three New York Giants looking for medical help. If the pass rush can kick up a notch — critical Sunday against the Saints — the defense might get downright scary.

Absolutely the place to be for next week’s Bucs-Vikings Thursday Night Football matchup is Tilted Kilt on U.S. Hwy. 19 in Clearwater.

Yes, there’s free WiFi. Yes, there’s the Kilt girls. Yes, there’s indoor and outdoor seating. Yes, you’ll be able to hear game audio. Yes, the food is excellent. Yes, Joe’s got prizes, a stack of jerseys and hats to giveaway. Yes, the energy and the beer will be flowing.