King says a Bucs victory should be assured Sunday but the Bucs don’t have what it takes to win out

Yes, the Bucs should pound the Eagles on Sunday. If the Bucs can’t beat a team on an eight-game losing streak with a rookie third-round-pick quarterback, well, then the New Schiano Order isn’t where we think it is.

Former Bucs quarterback Shaun King, a member of the 2002 Super Bowl team to be honored Sunday, really drove home the point during an interview on WDAE-AM 620 this morning. King likened to the Eagles last year’s NFL train wreck.

“The Eagles are the 2011 Bucs,” King said. “They know they’re playing for a lame duck coach. … If we’ve really made the next step, this is a game we should dominate from start to finish.”

(Even in national interviews with his employer, NBC Sports Network, King refers to his beloved Bucs as “we.”)

While King says count on a win Sunday, he’s not on board with the Bucs running the table en route to the playoffs.

“I don’t think we can go 4-0 through this stretch,” said King, who went on to say the Bucs aren’t a “complete enough” team.

Joe disagrees. Obviously, the odds are against the Bucs running table. But they have enough talent in place to beat the Eagles, Saints, Rams and a Falcons team that likely will be resting starts in the season finale.

Let’s face it, the Bucs have three losing teams remaining on their schedule, plus an unmotivated Falcons team. That’s as good as it gets when you need to step up and prove you’re a playoff team.

As Joe pointed out yesterday, how ironic the Bucs chose the Eagles game to honor the 2002 Super Bowl champions, because the Bucs got to their lone Super Bowl by upsetting the Eagles in the final game held at Veterans Stadium.

For former Bucs reciever Joe Jurevicius, that game marked the highest of highs and the lowest of lows. In a powerful, emotional interview Jurevicius gave Booger McFarland and Rich Herrera yesterday, co-hosts of the “Booger and Rich Show,” heard on WHFS-FM 98.7, Jurevicius gave eye-opening details about how he was torn with no easy answer.

Jurevicius’ infant son lay dying in a hospital yet his teammates also needed his services badly in the NFC Championship.

Missing virtually all practices leading up to the game to be with his son and having scant information on the gameplan, Jurevicius came off the bench and made a play that not only turned around the game, but may have launched the Bucs into the Super Bowl (Ronde Barber’s pick-six late in the game nailed the Eagles’ coffin shut).

Jurevicius spoke openly about how that week, his Bucs teammates became his family and Jurevicius notes how if it was not for the help of a specific Bucs teammate (that may shock some Bucs fans), Jurevicius, looking back, isn’t sure if he could have suited up that day.

Fresh from Arizona in the Pac-12 last season, rookie quarterback Nick Foles will start for the Eagles against the Bucs on Sunday. Mike Vick is out.

The Super Bowl Buccaneers, who will be honored during the game, used to eat young quarterbacks for lunch and leave them bruised and humiliated and dying to get out of town. Hopefully, the New Schiano Order will have similar success.

Foles was the losing quarterback in Dallas on Sunday night, but he didn’t play like a loser, going 22-for-34 for 251 yards and a touchdown and no interceptions. If you watch this video from the Eagles website, you’ll see — and hear — a big (6-6), poised quarterback who can make all the throws. But accuracy has been an issue with Foles during his time this season, despite the strong outing in Dallas.

Joe has to imagine the Bucs will blitz at least as often as they have all season, and likely much more. In Dallas, Foles had the luxury of flashy rookie Bryce Brown rushing for 169 yards and two touchdowns to help keep him comfortable in the pocket. The Bucs’ diet of blitzes and No. 1 ranked run defense should be enough to force Foles into a rookie-like performance, which hopefully translates into interceptions.

Ira Kaufman

Now Joe reported earlier this week to expect the Eagles-Bucs game Sunday to be televised locally.

Of course, we won’t know for sure until 1 p.m. today, the NFL-imposed deadline to sell 85 percent of non-premium seats at the Stadium on Dale Mabry Highway.

But plugged-in Bucs beat writer eye-RAH! Kaufman had no hesitation that the game will be televised locally when he boldly stated as such while making his weekly appearance on “Mad Dog Radio,” hosted by the one and only Chris “Mad Dog’ Russo, heard exclusively on SiriusXM Radio.

On a segment called “Kaufman’s Korner,” Russo and Kaufman were discussing how many swaths of empty seats can be found at many NFL stadia each week, not just in Tampa Bay. Russo was adamant that more and more football fans prefer the at-home experience of the NFL as opposed to the all-day hassle of the in-stadium experience. Kaufman concurred.

(Joe has written this very premise countless times over the past few months and is happy that prominent sports voices like Kaufman and Russo are now seeing the light.)

Then, Kaufman went a step further. Boasting that he was calling from the “Blackout Capital of the NFL,” Kaufman shouted that the Eagles-Bucs game “will NOT be blacked out” Sunday.

We will find out in just a few hours.

Gerald McCoy says today’s practice at One Buc Palace went in a different yet familiar direction

The leader of the New Schiano Order must be trying to freshen his team’s mentality and refocus them on their core duties on the field — sort of a new start for the stretch run to a potential playoff berth.

Per Gerald McCoy, speaking on the Buccaneers Radio Network tonight, Greg Schiano spent much of today’s practice engaged in his favorite pastime, fundamentals and details.

“Things went well. We got back to the basics. I think we slipped a little bit, got away from the basics and our training. So Coach took us back old school; we got after it. But it was good. It felt good,” McCoy said.

“In your individual [training] periods, you know, later in the season things start to change. You start to, not go through the motions, but you don’t pound away at the fundamentals like you do at training camp and in the spring and early on in the season. Well, today, everybody’s individual drills were just like the basics, fundamentals. You know, foot placement, hand placement, bending your knees, ankles, football fundamentals.”

Joe’s loving hearing about Schiano taking the team back to Pop Warner roots. Joe thoroughly enjoyed watching the Bucs go through all the ball security and tackling circuits — remember, Schiano taught McCoy how to tackle — and the most basic of fundamentals at all positions this spring.

And, frankly, the Bucs’ tackling was a bit sloppy the past two weeks, so this surely can’t hurt.

This also feels like a great psychological tactic by Schiano. The Bucs should beat the Eagles Sunday, fundamental drills or not. So why not take the opportunity to drill the basics and let your team believe that focus returned them to victory.

Joe’s always game for writing about Geno Hayes, especially when it’s so close to the two-year anniversary of what arguably was the most memorable moment of the Raheem Morris era — when Hayes played nightclub tough guy and got tased by Tampa cops but the volts didn’t take him down.

Word out of Chicago today has Hayes now stepping in to replace injured Brian Urlacher in the Bears lineup, so reports Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune.

“This is not my first time around, this is not my first rodeo,” Hayes said Wednesday before practice at Halas Hall. “It was great getting the good experience in preseason and get accustomed to the defense and accustomed to the guys I was out there playing ball with day in and day out. It’s a great opportunity. Any time you get the opportunity to step on the field and make plays, it’s big.”

Amazingly, Hayes, one of Bruce Almighty’s last draft picks in 2008, is still just 25 years old.

Joe wishes Hayes well.

Doug Martin lit up the NFL recently when he went all Gale Sayers on the Minnesota Vikings and the Oakland Raiders.

Since, specifically in games against Atlanta and Denver, two of the best teams in the NFL, Martin wasn’t much of a factor, certainly not to the extent as a one-man gang against Minnesota and Oakland.

Joe has touched upon this before and so too has Bucs coach Greg Schiano. The notorious rookie wall may be dragging down Martin. But don’t tell that to the adorable Muscle Hamster, who mentioned to Woody Cummings of the Tampa Tribune he’s good to go Sunday and beyond, so Cummings Twittered.

@RCummingsTBO: Bucs RB Doug Martin: “It’s been a rough couple of weeks but I don’t feel that (rookie wall) at all. My body feels good; my mind is clear.”

This is good to read. Joe believes Martin didn’t have huge games against the Dixie Chicks and the Broncos because the Bucs believed the only way to beat those teams was with an air race, and Martin, unless the Bucs had the lead late, would not be used that much.

Hopefully, Martin will be able to get back on his wheel Sunday.

First, Joe has good news for Bucs fans as this seemed to be a popular question this week:

Joining the 2002 Super Bowl champs reunion this weekend — with the team to be honored Sunday before and during the Bucs game with the Eagles — is former Bucs defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin.

Kiffin joins Keyshawn Johnson, Chucky and a veritable Who’s Who of former Bucs from that glorious season.

Schiano didn’t try to hide his enthusiasm for having a chance to see — and perhaps chat with — that 2002 squad. Perhaps the biggest reason Schiano worshipped that team was Kiffin.

Schiano didn’t try to hide his enthusiasm for having a chance to see — and perhaps chat with — that 2002 squad. Perhaps the biggest reason Schiano worshipped that team was Kiffin.

“I am excited. These are guys for me, as a younger coach — I told your guys many times — we studied the Tampa defense wherever I have been whether it was Miami or at Rutgers. And I mean obsessed with the Tampa defense. Studied every tape they had and put on our system. Things like that. To see those players — I see one every day, Ronde — but to see those players and the rest of them and the coaches that will be around, that will be good.

“We have a job to do. The worst thing we could do on the commemorative weekend for those guys is for us to go out and not do our job. We want to make our alumni proud of how we coach and how we play. That is just another piece of the goal this weekend to go out there and get our win.”

Now there are rumors that Schiano consiliere Butch Davis is in the running to fill the head coach opening at Florida International University. Schiano wouldn’t confirm or deny this report from SI.com on Davis and FIU. But given how much Schiano respects and admires Kiffin, and given how Kiffin, since resigning as defensive coordinator at USC, wants to return to the NFL likely in a consultant capacity, would the Pinellas County resident be interested in working with Schiano in the same manner as Davis does?

Bucs offensive coordinator Mike Sullivan reacts to a report he pursued the Boston College head coaching gig

Bucs offensive coordinator Mike Sullivan quashed the notion that he reached out to throw his name in the ring for the now filled Boston College head coaching job. Today at One Buc Palace, it was Sullivan’s first time before local media to comment on Sunday’s report from ESPN.

Sullivan explained that all his attention and energy “has been and will continue to be on the Buccaneers offense.” He said before he would pursue another job would be to talk to Greg Schiano, then Mark Dominik, and then Team Glazer. “None of those conversations occurred.”

Now Joe’s a cynical guy. Joe’s not questioning the Sullivan’s integrity, but surely Sullivan’s agent could have tossed his client’s name in the mix at Boston College. It’s a common tactic this time of year to guage interest in the marketplace, college and professional.

All kinds of Rays roster moves are popping as baseball’s winter meetings are in full swing. And Joe is on top of all things Rays on JoeRaysFan.com, aka RaysIndex.com. Call it what you want, but you should be there daily.

The Bucs’ No. 1 kick returner, LeQuan Lewis, a member of the famous Fearsome Foursome, “E.J., Leonard, Danny and LeQuan,” went down on the field against Denver with a knee injury. But his prognosis is better than expected, so Greg Schiano said today.

Schiano said Lewis may not be ready for Sunday against Philadelphia, but he should be back soon after that.

The Lewis injury likely means another Lewis might sniff the field in key third-down situations. That would be Myron Lewis.

It’s unclear whether Michael Smith will finally come off the inactive list, aka the Michael Smith list. The Bucs might opt for Roscoe Parris to return kicks or wide receiver Chris Owusu, even though Smith is listed on the depth chart as the backup return man.

The irony is so rich, Joe cannot believe this wasn’t a planned stunt.

When the Bucs announced they were to honor the lone Bucs squad to win a Super Bowl, the 2002 team, and chose a home game against the Eagles, Joe couldn’t wipe the smile from his grill. Still can’t.

For those who maybe weren’t aware or are just crawling from under a rock, the Bucs beat the Eagles in the final game played at Veteran’s Stadium in the NFC championship to advance to the Super Bowl.

Beleaguered Eagles coach Andy Reid was at the helm that day, and with the Eagles freefalling this season, it may be his last in the town wrongly believed to be the City of Brotherly Love.

Reid spoke about his harrowing memories of the Bucs dancing on the Eagles home turf in celebration.

“I can’t say I am looking forward to that group again,” said Reid, whose Eagles lost four of five NFC title games including three in a row. The Bucs “were a great football team. Beat us fair and square. Wish it wouldn’t have happened but nice to see them honor that group.”

Joe hopes with the presence of so many Bucs greats from that historic win over the Eagles, that the current Bucs are inspiring to spank the Eagles once again.

Could a potential Davis departure open the door for Monte Kiffin to return to the Bucs?

It was a bit of a surprise to hear word of Bucs offensive coordinator Mike Sullivan interested in the now filled Boston College head coaching job. But it’s no surprise that Bucs’ covert defensive analyst/quarterback scout Butch Davis is a target of a college program.

Sports Illustrated’s Pete Thamel is reporting today that Davis is the prime target for the head job at Florida International University.

Whether FIU has the cash it would take to hire Davis, and whether he’d want to coach in the shadow of his old stomping grounds in Coral Gables, is a mystery.

Joe wonders whether a Davis departure could open the door for Monte Kiffin’s return to the Bucs in a similar capacity as a defensive advisor.

Greg Schiano has talked numerous times about how he used to attend Bucs training camp practices and took detailed notes on how Kiffin ran his defense. Schiano is open about his admiration for Kiffin, and given that Kiffin remains a Pinellas County resident, they might be a great fit.

Lost a bit in the Bucs’ loss to the Broncos was Vincent Jackson busting the 1,000-yard mark on the season.

Jackson leads the NFL with 20.3 yards per reception, and he has a total of 50 catches for 1,014 yards. Barring an injury or a complete collapse, statistically this will be the best season of Jackson’s eight-year career.

And none of that factors in Jackson opening up the offense for others and being a strong mentor for Mike Williams.

At 718 receiving yards, Williams has 1,000 yards in reach. Joe’s too lazy to check the statistical history right now, but Joe doesn’t recall the Bucs ever having two 1,000-yard receivers in the same season.

Jackson deserves a tip of the hat. Joe gives him an “A” in his transition to the Bucs and his performance. It would be an A+ if he didn’t get caught at the goal line against New Orleans.

Joe’s been enjoying all the glory-years reminiscing this week, as the Bucs prepare for their 10-year Super Bowl anniversary celebration Sunday. However, what’s blown Joe’s mind is all the fabricated memories from fans heard on sports radio.

From who was on the team to who Chucky brought in when he arrived in 2002, 10 years has wiped out the brain cells of many a fan. And it seems Chucky himself might fall into that group.

Venerable Tampa Tribune bucs beat writer eye-RAH! Kaufman caught up to the man with the 100-pound playbook and Chucky belted out some strange line about Brad Johnson excelling with a bunch of strangers.

“We had a really good defense — we all knew it,” said Gruden, “but a defense doesn’t become great until you have an offense that can capitalize on that success. You have to play complementary football, and I really feel Brad was our MVP that year.

“I know Derrick played great, but for Brad Johnson to lead the NFC in passing efficiency with a bunch of guys he’d never met, including me, and then accomplish what he did in the playoffs was sensational.”

Huh? “A bunch of guys” Johnson “never met?” It was a somewhat bizzare line from Chucky, considering Johnson was here in 2001, when he tossed 106 balls to Keyshawn Johnson and worked in the backfield with Mike Alstott. And what is “passing efficiency?”

But Chucky’s call of Brad Johnson as the team MVP seemed more off the mark. The Bucs defense allowed only 12, TWELVE, points a game that season. Joe surely would have picked an MVP from that side of the ball.

Count former Bucs great safety John Lynch as one of Mark Barron’s biggest fans.

Joe believes it was preseason when Bucs safety Mark Barron made his presence felt with some rib-rattling hits on running backs. After the game, Joe mentioned to Barron that the way he was hitting running backs, he looked like a young version of John Lynch.

Barron just smiled and responded, “John Lynch, huh?”

Barron has continued to blow up opponents, most notably when he bodyslammed Robert Griffin III to the turf of thesStadium on Dale Mabry Highway, and was sadly flagged for the hit due to the powderpuff mentality of NFL warden commissioner Roger Goodell and his henchmen.

Lynch, the former Bucs great who is a semifinalist looking to make the final ballot for this winter’s Pro Football Hall of Fame vote, believes Barron has growing to do as an NFL player but raved about the rookie from Alabama recently during a phone call to the Booger and Rich show, co-hosted by one of Lynch’s ex-teammates Booger McFarland on WHFS-FM 98.7.

“I think early on he was exactly what I thought he would be: a difference-making player. This was early on in the season and I think he has a hit a little bit of that rookie wall, not so much physically but mentally,” Lynch said. “You aren’t seeing him make that many impact plays. But I think Tampa fans can rest assured the Bucs have a special player on their hands. This is just a natural process that players go through in this league. He has all the physical tools. I think when they learn how to learn how to use him more effectively, and he continues to grow in his understanding of the game, this guy is a difference-making safety. He has everything you would want in the safety position and safeties are hard to find. A lot of people thought it was a reach taking him that high but I would say finding a safety is hard to find, especially a safety who can do all of those things and they have one in Mark Barron. I think he is going to be a very good football player for a long, long time.”

If Barron continues to grow, Joe believes he could be the next Ed Reed. Remember when Lynch was a young Bucs player? No one would have dreamed he would be up for induction into the Hall of Fame, especially the way Barry Sanders used to fake Lynch out of his jock too many times twice a year.

Let’s just say the way Barron hits, opposing wide receivers have his No. 24 in the back of their minds when they are running crossing patterns.

Big name Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco, who’s been to the playoffs repeatedly and won about 70 percent of his regular season games, is playing in the final year of his contract.

Joe’s been of the mind that whatever deal 27-year-old Flacco may land in Baltimore — if they don’t slap the franchise tag on him for 2013 — would very much be a key mark for a potential Josh Freeman contract extension with the Bucs.

But what’s interesting is that there’s a lot of chatter out of Baltimore that Flacco might have more to prove before Baltimore commits to him for the future. Joe Fortenbaugh, a former agent who writes for NationalFootballPost.com, delved into that in a strong piece yesterday.

So it was a bit of an eye-opener when former Bucs defensive tackle Booger McFarland said today that Freeman is sure to get a contract extension from the Bucs this offseason in the neighborhood of “six years and $60 million.”

 “The next four games are not going to change anything,” McFarland said on 98.7 FM, during the Booger and Rich show.

Joe can’t agree that the next four games are meaningless for Freeman. If anything, they’re critical to his negotiating power and to making the Bucs sure of their plans for Freeman’s future. Freeman rising to this December challenge, or wilting under the pressure, will have an impact.

Of course, this assumes the Bucs even want to talk extension before the final season of Freeman’s rookie contract in 2013.

Joe has no doubt that in the coming years, Mark Barron will be a force at safety. He already is a bone-crushing tackler, just as RGIII.

And Bucs fans, and the NFL in general, go into a tizzy when “The Muscle Hamster,” Doug Martin, gets on his wheel.

Right now, however, Joe’s of the mind that the Bucs’ best rookie was the team’s second round draft pick, Lavonte David. We all know how David is a monster at tackles for a loss. We all know how David is a sideline-to-sideline warrior. Sunday, he showed he can pick off a pass, too.

But the numbers crunchers at ProFootballFocus.com suggest Sunday, David showed he may be the Bucs’ best pass rusher, claims Cole Schultz.

What’s the Rush?

Keeping two safeties deep whenever the Broncos weren’t in the red zone, Tampa forced Peyton Manning to beat them without many opportunities for the deep ball. And though they were successful in that regard (Manning attempted two passes over 20 yards in the air), the result was a short but methodical passing attack that left the Bucs’ defensive line little time to apply any pressure. Over half of Tampa Bay’s QB disruptions came from rookie Lavonte David (four hurries), but two of those occurred when he was unblocked. Neither Michael Bennett (-2.8 pass rush) nor Gerald McCoy (-1.3 pass rush) helped out the secondary as they generated one hurry apiece. A disappointing return considering their capabilities.

Now remember folks, David is going wilding each Sunday afternoon as a rookie — a rookie! Imagine what this guy will be able to do in the next few years when he has a better read on what NFL offenses are showing?

What a steal this David has turned out to be. Joe’s just glad he was the first media type in the Tampa Bay area to point him out to Bucs fans.

Count on the Bucs-Eagles game being televised locally Sunday.

The game should mark the second time fans in the Tampa and Orlando markets will get to see a 2012 Bucs home game live on television without connecting computers to their TVs for unlawful game feeds loaded with European cyber-viruses.

Unless the Bucs have been having ongoing major issues with TicketMaster (and there’s no reason to think they are) the Bucs are approaching a sell out of Sunday’s game right now. And that would mean the Bucs comfortably would break the 85 percent threshold of “non-premium” tickets sold to avoid the NFL blacking out the game from local TV.

According to TicketMaster.com, only one section at Raymond James Stadium has anything better than “only single seats available,” and numerous sections are sold out.

There are three major factors at play: the 10-year reunion ceremony of the 2002 Super Bowl champs, a preseason fan poll on Buccaneers.com showed this game to be the most anticipated by Bucs fans, and too many stinkin’ Eagles fans have gobbled up tickets.

Lesser variables would include the Bucs’ playoff hunt and extra millions of sports entertainment dollars in the Tampa Bay market thanks to the ongoing NHL lockout.

Joe’s happy for Bucs fans, and pleased that the Super Bowl champs will get their just applause, minus Keyshawn Johnson.

“

Joe’s not a big stats guy, and Joe’s idea of fantasy football only involves Rachel Watson and assorted other cheerleading icons. However, Joe does consume statistical data is always happy to share something interesting.

Today, Joe learned that the Bucs lead the NFL this season in field goal attempts from 40 yards or longer. They’ve attempted 19 and kicker Connor Barth has nailed a stunning 90 percent from 40-49 yards, and a strong 67 percent (6-of-9) from 50+ yards.

So what the hell does this say about the Bucs’ offense and playcalling?

Well, that’s what makes the stat rather interesting. There is no clear answer and opinions can vary widly. The only sure take is that Barth is worth the fat contract the Bucs dropped on him this offseason.

“Oh, God, yes. I bet you any amount of money the stadium erupts in boos when my name is called,” Keyshawn Johnson said last night.

The Bucs’ big 10-year Super Bowl anniversary celebration Sunday seems to be attracting all the big names, and the unexpected ones.

Chucky’s return was announced last week, and Chucky’s old pal, Keyshawn Johnson, has gotten a hall pass from his BSPN NFL analyst duties for the weekend to join the fun in Tampa.

In typical Meshawn fashion last night on the Buccaneers Radio Network, Johnson explained that “a lot of the guys are looking forward to me being there.”

However, Johnson knows Bucs fans will be against him when his name and number is called at halftime of the Bucs-Eagles game. “I’m expecting to get really loud boos,” Johnson said. “So I’m looking forward to it. I think it’ll be fun.”

Host TJ Rives followed up, “You think the Bucs fans are going to boo you?” And Johnson was clear the negative response to him will rock the house.

“Oh, God, yes. I bet you any amount of money the stadium erupts in boos when my name is called,” Johnson said. “And that’s ok, though. I had fun down there. Everybody has their own opinion about the way the marriage ended, but at the same time, hey,  I won a Super Bowl down there. I still have really good friends down there and I’m excited to go.”

Joe agrees that Keyshawn will get his share of jeers, but it won’t be as significant as he thinks. It’s not like Johnson was a bust on the field, and Joe knows fans appreciate what he meant to the title run before Chucky sent him home with pay halfway through the 2003 season.