The inability of the Bucs to convert this Gerald McCoy fumble recovery into a touchdown loomed large.

Here’s why Joe is going to need several brews to fall asleep tonight (and no, it has nothing to do with a lonely Bucs cheerleader wanting comfort on a chilly night). The Bucs all but gave this game away to the Dixie Chicks.

First there was the near-touchdown on the Mike Williams bomb to Vincent Jackson. The play seemed to be in slow motion Jackson was so open. Williams eventually got the ball to Jackson who was tackled at the three-yard line after juking out a would-be tackler.

Then the Bucs, for reasons unknown, couldn’t put the ball in the end zone. That was four points right there. Joe couldn’t help but think of the bomb Jackson caught against New Orleans but was caught from behind and the Bucs too failed to get six and lost to the Saints in a tight contest.

In the irony of ironies, Dixie Chicks coach Mike Smith this week spoke in glowing details about how the Bucs were so good at turning turnovers into points. When E.J. Biggers flattened Matty Ice forcing a fumble recovered by Gerald McCoy, the Bucs couldn’t muster a first down and had to, again, settle for three.

The Bucs lost by one, after leaving as many as eight points on the field.

Ahmad Black’s positioning on Julio Jones prevented a touchdown in the third quarter, but Black wasn’t so fortunate later in the game.

Let’s just say Ahmad Black and the zebras don’t see eye-to-eye.

With 8:06 left in the game and the Bucs leading 23-17, the Dixie Chicks were marching, as they often did today in what turned out to be one of the poorer performaces by the Bucs defense this season.

But suddenly it appeared the Bucs rose up and stopped the Dixie Chicks. On third down from the Bucs-5, Ryan appeared to want to go to Harry Douglas short who was covered by Black near the goal line. With other receivers covered (!), Ryan threw the ball well out of bounds way over Douglas’ head.

But just as soon as the ball hit the ground, so too did a yellow rag from one of the refs. Black, who did make contact with Douglas on the play, was whistled for holding.

That gave the Dixie Chicks first-and-goal from the Bucs-3 where the Dixie Chicks promptly scored. Ballgame.

Black was unapologetic after the game and downright angry about the call.

“I think the ball was thrown out of bounds,” Black said. “There was no possible way — even if I didn’t touch him at all — that he was going to catch that ball! What am I supposed to do, stand there and just look at him the whole time?”

What left Black more rankled about the flag wasn’t so much that the Dixie Chicks got new life from it, but that Black hinted that call let his teammates down on what would have been a fantastic goal line stand.

“Great, great effort by the guys on first down and second down and then on third down when we needed a play, we force the quarterback to check down and then throw the ball away and unfortunately, we get a holding call,” Black said.

Ronde Barber’s second-quarter interception was a stunner, just a pure read of Matt Ryan from a savvy veteran underplaying his assignment and jumping a route back to the middle of the field. (Here’s the video)

It was Barber’s team-leading fourth pick of the season.

But as Barber marches toward the Hall of Fame, he isn’t playing out the string physically, mentally or emotionally.

Barber, for the first time Joe can remember, didn’t hang out to talk to media following the loss. Barber usually is one of the last out of the locker room but was a quick exit today.

Sure, Barber might have had a postgame commitment, but that would be a unique exception. It’s far more likely that Barber was overcome with emotion by this loss. The game was that big, especially considering the Vikings and Seahawks lost today and the Bucs could have given themselves a one-game lead for the final Wild Card spot. The Bucs also effectively have lost their shot at the NFC South crown.

For a guy like Barber who yearns to get another crack at the big stage and knows he has limited time, Joe can understand why he wasn’t around to talk. In some ways it’s a good thing. It shows Barber still has a burning fire, perhaps enough to get him to return in 2013.

Joe just knows there were Bucs fans who left their watering hole screaming obscenities to no one in particular.

Joe knows that there were Bucs fans (outside the Tampa/Orlando TV markets) who cussed up such a storm after the game that the family dog cowered under a couch in fear of its own safety.

Well Bucs fans, Donald Penn feels your pain. Because he was one PO’ed dude.

Though Joe didn’t get a chance to speak with Penn after the game, let’s just say he wasn’t in a talking mood, Joe clearly heard Penn’s words after the gut-punching loss to the Dixie Chicks this afternoon. Penn, as he left the field and entered the bowels of the Stadium on Dale Mabry Highway, could be heard as his words bounced off the concrete walls, an F-bomb here, an S-grenade there.

Penn was not a happy camper.

Yeah, these guys get paid good money to play something most of us played for free in high school or as tykes. Yeah, some (including Penn) get paid seven-figures a year to play this game.

And yet many, like Penn, will be unable to sleep tonight because they let a win slip through their fingers.

Again today the Bucs paid a bitter price for not being able to punch in a touchdown from first-and-goal about three yards from the end zone.

New Orleans flashback anyone?

After a gadget play that saw Mike Williams complete a pass to Vincent Jackson, the Bucs were poised take a 14-10 lead with a touchdown from that great first-and-goal opportunity.

On first down Doug Martin banged out a couple of yards. But then Josh Freeman threw incomplete on second down, (Where was the QB sneak?), followed by a pitch left to Doug Martin that was snuffed out for a 1 1/2-yard loss. Connor Barth then tied the game at 10.

The Bucs have been a statistically strong red zone team all season, but there are issues when they need inches, and Mike Sullivan doesn’t seem willing to pound the QB sneak.

Joe’s not sure what the fix is. But this might rank high on the offseason to-do list.

The Falcons’ huge first-down slant pass late to all but ice the game came with Bucs cornerback Danny Gorrer (that’s right, who?) covering Roddy White.

Painful stuff.

All the predictable elements were in place. The Bucs’ straight pass rush was weak, and the secondary was roasted and toasted like campfire marshmallows, but scored big a couple of big plays. The Bucs’ run defense was stout, and the Tampa Bay offense reeled off explosive plays, with Vincent Jackson carving up the Falcons defense.

Matty Ice was just too much. And Doug Martin never got going. That’s the surprise of the game for Joe, the Falcons run defense, their Achilles heal, coming to play.

The Falcons aren’t much better than the Bucs, but they’re still better.

Stick with Joe for much more out of this game through the day.

OK Bucs fans, have at it. Dixie Chicks vs. Bucs in the most important game for the Bucs in some time.

As always, posting a URL of a site that carries pirated, illegal video feeds of the game is illegal but you are encouraged to share the links via e-mail.

Have fun boys and girls.

Frankly, this game scares Joe in that the Bucs are looking at backup on the NFL’s worst pass defense now starting, and the very real possibility that Myron Lewis will play in nickel packages.

If Myron Lewis is on the field, Joe trusts all his readers have ample amounts of alcoholic beverages at home at hand’s reach.

In what Joe is going to start to call the Bucs’ Michael Smith list, because the guy cannot catch a break, Bucs cornerback Eric Wright highlights the Bucs inactives today. Here is the complete list:

CB Eric Wright

RB Michael Smith

S Cody Grimm

LB Najee Goode

C Cody Wallace

WR David Douglas

DT Matthew Masifilo.

Inactives for the Falcons are:

QB Dominique Davis

WR Tim Toone

S Charles Mitchell

G Phillipkeith Manley

DE Lawrence Sidbury

DT Peria Jerry

G Harland Gunn

Week 12
Dixie Chicks at Bucs
Kickoff: 1 p.m.
TV: Blacked out in the Tampa and Orlando TV markets. Outside of those markets, the game can be seen on Locally, WTVT-TV Channel 13. DirecTV Channel 706.
Radio: Buccaneers Radio Network (in Tampa WFUS-FM, 103.5 and WDAE-AM, 620); SiriusXM Channel 139.
Weather: Per AccuWeather.com, it will be a bit nippy, but otherwise a glorious day. The entire game will be played under a sun-splashed sky with a kickoff temperature of 68. The temperature will edge just a bit higher but the game is expected to end right where it kicked off: 68 degrees.
Odds: Per Sportsbook.com, Bucs +1.5
Outlook: Quite simply, this comes down to Matty Ice and the Bucs secondary. As of late Saturday night, it seemed dicey at best if dinged up Bucs cornerback Eric Wright would start. So your Bucs starting corners will be a rotation of E.J. Biggers, Leonard Johnson and LeQuan Lewis with — Joe hopes you are sitting down — Myron Lewis as the nickel back. Thus far this season Matty Ice has been shredding opposing secondaries, and the Bucs just happen to have a league-worst pass defense. Matty Ice is a statue behind the line of scrimmage so getting heat on him with the defensive line sure would help. It may be too much to ask for the Bucs to control Julio Jones and Tony Gonzalez. Joe does know that safety Mark Barron has to start to show improvement in pass protection and turning that corner with Gonzalez roaming the field will be a task. There really is no other element of the Dixie Chicks that the Bucs should struggle to handle. The Dixie Chicks run game will be taken care of by the Bucs and the Dixie Chicks defense isn’t scaring Joe. Matty Ice is scaring Joe.

Here are some quotes Joe cobbled together from both Matty Ice and Dixie Chicks coach Mike Smith during their conference call earlier this week with the Tampa Bay pen and mic club.

Matty Ice

On how the Dixie Chicks offense has changed from a running offense to a passing offense:

Been the way games have shaken out that it has worked out that way. Still capable of being a running football team. One of those years we felt we needed to throw it a bit more.

On Bucs pass defense:

I think, statistics are sometimes misleading. I think it is a good defense that plays with effort and they have a very a good pressure package. I think it is a defense you have to be prepared for and respect. They have talent they have on that side of the ball.

On scoring off turnovers:

The Bucs have done that better than anybody. I think they have 11 touchdowns off of turnovers which is the best in the league. This is a huge game for us because it is the next game on the schedule and a division game.

On winning so many close games:

That is the nature of the NFL. There will be close games and you have to find a way to win. Some games offensively we have done it and sometimes defensively we have done it.

On playing the Bucs:

This is definitely a rivalry. Games in your division carry extra weight and with Tampa, our games have come down to the fourth quarter. In these kind of games, you just know coming into it is going to be a battle. It will come down to a handful of plays that will determine the outcome.

On Michael Bennett:

He has played awesome, he really has. Been relentless in both the run and the pass. He is leading the Bucs in sacks which shows he has had a really, really good year. His effort is as good as anyone I have seen this year. He plays really physical.

On secondary:

It is different. Different guys, some in different spots. Ronde Barber is still that savvy guy that knows coverages as well as anybody in the NFL. I think they have talent and have done a pretty good job. They’ve won a lot of games.

Dixie Chicks coach Mike Smith

On Dixie Chicks linebacker Sean Weatherspoon returning to the lineup:

He is obviously one of the better players on our football team and we have missed him. He is a three-down linebacker that has earned the role of being the leader of our defense and has ascended to be our signal-caller. Will be good to see him out there playing again.

On differences with Greg Schiano:

They are playing very confidently and they are a very well-coached team in all three phrases. Been impressed with ability to stop the run. That talks about a mentality. And they have run the football extremely well. I have been impressed with the new parts they have added at running back. Doug Martin is a guy with very good vision and it will take multiple pads to get him down. And Josh Freeman has returned to playing at what I felt was a Pro Bowl level two years ago and I think he is now playing at a Pro Bowl level as of right now, doing a great job of running the offense.

On rivalry with the Bucs:

Been a lot of close games. Said this many times, I think the NFL South has been the most competitive division year in and year out since I have been there. I think a lot of that has to do with the proximity of the teams geographically. Always been hard-fought games and anticipate another hard-fought game and it does not matter where the games are played.

On the Bucs offense:

This is a very potent offense and I think you can see that statistically. They are very good. Top 10 in a number of critical factors. Scoring at a very high rate and doing it both running and throwing the football and that is something that will create issues. No. 2 scoring team in the NFL the last four games. Their numbers are very impressive. They are very good.

How the Bucs are able to win games despite being last in pass defense in a pass-happy league:

Well, the way you have to look at it is, they are No. 1 in run defense and they are very opportunistic in their turnovers. They are doing a very good job offensively of not turning the ball over and when they have taken the ball away, they have done a very good job of scoring touchdowns. Very opportunistic. No. 1 in the league in scoring off of turnovers. When you look at wins and losses the most important statistic is turnovers. That’s the most important. Everything else is empty yards, fluff yards. It is all about points and being able to possess the football.

On Dallas Clark:

I see a very efficient player at the tight end position. The thing about Dallas, he creates matchup issues. He can align in-line meaning right next to the offensive tackle and he is a guy that can be flexed out and create matchup issues for safeties and linebackers. The last four games, you have seen his production spike. I think Coach [Bucs offensive coordinator Mike] Sullivan done a very good job in distributing the ball to their playmakers.

On Michael Bennett:

He has had an outstanding year not just rushing the passer but on the run. What we see is an explosive pass rushers coming off the left side. Not just an effort guy, he has strength. He can push the tackle back to suppress the pocket but he also has athletic skills to create some mismatches with the right tackle.

On Mark Barron:

Wow, I think that Mark is an impact player. He is a guy you can put close to the line of scrimmage and he can feel comfortable but at the same time, he can matchup up with displaced tight ends. There are a number of young players on that roster who have stepped up. The young man at linebacker, [Lavonte] David has had an exceptional year as well. I think the Bucs have some guys we will face for a long time and will be good players.

On his team being among the bottom in the NFL in both rushing offense and rushing defense:

Well, it’s not where we would like to be statistically. I think each and every year and each and every game there is a different dynamic in how you are going to attack people. I think we are very transparent in the process, saying Michael Turner was not going to have 300 rushing attempts like he has had in the past. Makeup of your team changes from year to year but we have to improve on running the football and on defense, we have given up way too many explosive runs. And that skews your rush per attempt and total yards giving up the run.

On working in the past with Bucs offensive coordinator Mike Sullivan:

Mike is one of the most intelligent guys and has an incredible work ethic. As you know he has West Point connections and you can’t say enough about a guy who has spent time there. He started as a defensive coach in this league and flipped over to the offense. He worked with Eli Manning and I don’t think there is any doubt that he was going to be a very successful coach. He has a great mind in how to attack people. He does a very good job taking advantage of the strength of his team and his players and getting them to make plays.

For Joe, there is really only one area of the Dixie Chicks that the Bucs need to concern themselves with, and that is Matty Ice.

The signal-caller of the Dixie Chicks can be lethal. The Bucs secondary is lethal — that is lethal to watch. It is ugly beyond words, an NFL-worst outfit. Throw in Eric Wright’s status is very much in doubt for today’s showdown, and there will be a lot of pressure on the Bucs defense to find a way to somehow, someway, throw Matty Ice off of his game.

One would think somehow limiting Matty Ice opportunities to burn the Bucs secondary would be a goal. But alas, it is not, Bucs defensive end Da’Quan Bowers told Joe.

“We want to get him to throw the ball as much as possible,” Bowers said.

This was simply shocking to Joe but Bowers explained it and it is actually smart. Bucs defensive coordinator Bill Sheridan is all about stopping the run and making an opposing offense one-dimensional, in other words, predictable. So, Bowers said, to get Matty Ice to throw the ball virtually every down means the Bucs would have accomplished two of Sheridan’s tenets of defensive football.

Bowers noted that Matty Ice’s release, though very good, is not his greatest asset.

“It’s his pocket presence, knowing where everybody is and knowing where his pocket protection is,” Bowers said. “He’s smart. We have to get pressure on him and get him to the ground.”

Bowers’ defensive line teammate Michael Bennett still is impressed by Ryan’s quick release.

“Matt Ryan gets the ball out pretty quick,” Bennett said. “He has a little bit of everything. He is a vet and he knows where all of his players are. You can stop him but they have other weapons like Michael Turner and Tony Gonzalez, Roddy White and Julio Jones.

“They are passing more.”

Bucs cornerback Leonard Johnson is very impressed.

“He’s just like all the other quarterbacks in this league, he’s very consistent and he has good decision-making skills,” Johnson said. “He has all the attributes that you look for in an NFL quarterback but he is definitely one of the premiere quarterbacks in this league. That’s why he is playing on the level he is playing.”

Two weeks ago when the Bucs beat the Chargers, Mason Foster got a key tackle for a loss and did a celebration afterwards.

On Twitter, Joe wrote that Foster was doing a Clay Matthews dance and a number of Joe’s followers were outraged, claiming Foster was pulling off a Ric Flair move.

Joe later learned from a media relations staffer that it was indeed a move to honor Flair, better known as “The Nature Boy,” as Foster is a huge Flair fan.

So this week, Joe asked Foster about Flair. Foster made no secrets how Flair is his favorite wrestler.

“I am a big wrestling fan myself, I mean the classic wrestlers,” Foster said. “And [Flair] is my favorite old school wrestler.

“I was actually at home once watching an old wresting match on Nexflix and [Flair’s] movie popped up. I think after football, that is my next profession.”

Foster late told Joe that, yes, his celebration against the Chargers was his salute to Flair.

“Yeah, that was my tribute to Ric Flair, the “Nature Boy Strut.”

As a public service, here’s a clip of Flair in his prime.

Former NFL coach and personnel executive Pat Kirwan, a host on SiriusXM NFL Radio and a CBS-TV analyst, goes deep into the Bucs and Falcons matchup in this CBS Sports video.

Kirwan shares some of his recent conversation with John Abraham and why Matt Ryan’s five-interception day last Sunday won’t affect him. Of course, Kirwan details his prediction seen in the headline. Enjoy!

Bucs safety Mark Barron is much more concerned about facing Matty Ice than he is about facing his old Alabama college teammate, Julio Jones.

When the Bucs host the Dixie Chicks Sunday, an interesting element underneath the surface will be how two high first-round draft picks reunite on the field.

Dixie Chicks wide receiver Julio Jones and Bucs safety Mark Barron were teammates on Alabama’s first national title team under coach Nick Saban.

Joe asked Barron about potentially meeting up in the heat of battle with Jones, and Barron’s reaction was almost as if he forgot Jones played for the Dixie Chicks.

“It’s just another game,” Barron said after laughing when Joe brought up Jones. “I’m telling you, it will be fun, but it’s just another game. It’s not like I want to fight him. Just another game. I have to go out there and do my job.”

Rather, Barron was concerned with Matty Ice when Joe brought the Dixie Chicks’ quarterback up for discussion.

“Matt Ryan is a very disciplined quarterback. Whoever coached him when he was young did a great job,” Barron said. “He does what a quarterback is supposed to do when they get certain coverages. He is a disciplined guy and does what he is supposed to do with different coverages.”

Definitely take advantage of this great discount from Joe’s friends at Brandon Automall Fiat. The Ed Morse family of dealerships are always supporting community events. … And Joe definitely recommends these “Cirque” shows, too. Great entertainment without annoying challenge flags.

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Check out the excellent interview below with Bucs backup quarterback Dan Orlovsky from WWCN-AM 770 in Fort Myers.

Highlights from the eight-year veteran included the following:

*Orlovsky says Greg Schiano is very much a Gary Kubiak clone and Schiano preaches “prepare through the event not to the event.” Orlovsky said Schiano is “very old school and old fashioned like me.”

*He also said he hasn’t taken a snap with the starters since training camp.

Enjoy!

He’s WDAE-AM 620’s Bucs inside man at One Buc Palace you hear giving Bucs reports and typing insight on the station’s website.

Well, this morning, Tom Krasniqi, known in some circles as “TKras,” will man the microphone from the studios of the “Sports Animal” for a show that will deal heavily with the Bucs, and oh yes, TKras’ passion, fantasy football.

TKras can be heard on WDAE-AM 620 from 9 a.m.-noon.

Being at every Bucs practice and every Bucs interview and locker room session means TKras can and will bring you Bucs insight like few in local radio. TKras is expected to have Bucs offensive guard Davin Joseph call, there may even be a call-in from Steve White, the former Bucs defensive lineman who breaks down X’s and O’s like few can.

For those chained to a computer, you can listen via iHeart’s various smartphone apps, or from the station’s website.

Earlier this week, Bucs rock star general manager Mark Dominik dropped in for a visit with Pat Kirwan and Tim Ryan, co-hosts of “Movin’ the Chains,” heard exclusively on SiriusXM NFL Radio. Dominik talked all things Bucs, from drafting Doug Martin to the play of Lavonte David and how well Greg Schiano and his staff have turned around the franchise into a playoff contender.

Tim Ryan: Let’s have a conversation with the general manager of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, coming off of four straight wins, big division game coming up; Mark Dominik joins us on the program. Hey Mark.

Mark Dominik: Tim, how are doing? Pat, how are you guys doing?

Pat Kirwan: I’m doing well Mark, we get a couple of visits from you a year and it is terrific. Congratulations on the start of the season and the foundation of personnel, you must be pleased how the young guys are coming along.

Dominik: Yeah, I am really, really excited about the development of the team in general and the leadership of Greg Schiano and what he has done. I heard you what you were talking about, the disappointments of having Carl Nicks and Davin Joseph on the injured reserve, that’s $30 million dollars on the injured reserve. But the coaching staff we have here is able to get guys prepared to play on both offense and defense. It is a team effort here and guys are playing hard and it is fun to watch.

Ryan: It was fun to watch the game and call the game the other night [at Carolina]. Josh Freeman, down the stretch, Mark, just talk about them because, Mike Sullivan, what he has been able to do with the offense, obviously, Ron Turner the quarterback coach, Freeman standing tall in the pocket and staying tight. Hitching up and finding those throwing lanes. When the game got in his hand the other day, end of the fourth quarter, he had to drive the length of the field and into overtime, that is when he is at his best.

Dominik: I think what you were able to see, and a lot of others have been able to see, is that Josh has the ability to make special plays and special throws and has done a very good job for us again in the fourth quarter this year. He is top 10 in quarterback rating in the fourth quarter and top 10 in throwing percentages. Right now Josh is just playing in a good groove and believing in the players around him to make plays and that gives him confidence to go out there and throw the ball around and let guys like Vincent Jackson and Mike Williams and Dallas Clark make the plays like they did Sunday and then get the ball down to Doug Martin and all of that is tied together and is why our offense is clicking. That is why he is putting up some stats and I believe he is fourth in touchdowns.

Ryan: My God, has Doug Martin caught fire since the bye week? You traded up to draft him at the end of round one. Did you ever anticipate this kind of a rookie year for him? Because I am telling you, we stacked the numbers against some of the best in their rookie years, and what I like to call him, Martin Scorsese is right up there with them.

Dominik: (laughs) He has been what we wanted. You know, when you study guys and see them on tape and start salivating, you begin to wonder, “When is the best time to get him?” That’s why it made sense — we could have waited until the second round but that’s why we traded up to get him because we really love this player. We tried to make a concentrated effort to trade up and get him and thankfully we were able to find a trade partner late in the first round to go up and get him so people wouldn’t change their mind overnight. He was one of those players where you had to hold your cards and try to figure out where he was going to go and we got fortunate enough to find a trade partner and pull the trigger and, Doug, guys he is a phenomenal player on the field but off the field, I got a chance to meet his parents, they are unbelievable parents and he is a special kid.

Kirwan: He is and he is special and I am jumping into your next pick. In the world we live in today and the way the game is played today, with the spreads and the formations, Lavonte David is like the perfect fit, your second round pick. That guy can do it all. He never has to leave the field.

Dominik: Yeah. He has been impressive for a rookie to be able to put the green dot on him and stay on the field and play all three downs. What impresses me about Lavonte is what you were talking about Pat, is his quickness and his speed. He is able to cover a lot of ground and he is such a consistent tackler for us, has made quite a lot of tackles for losses and is one of the tops in the league for total tackles. He is at such a productive position. As we all know here in Buccaneerland, No. 55 took that position and made it the WILL linebacker. Lavonte has stepped into some big shoes and has filled those shoes quite well. I’ve been impressed. He has certainly been a big part of our rush defense.

Ryan: I said this the other day, those splash plays are going to happen for him. As much as he plays you are going to start seeing interceptions and fumbles and some sacks here or there. Those things will happen for Lavonte David. He can’t weigh 225 pound right now, Mark.

Dominik: That’s pretty close to what he is. He is trying to stay around the 230 mark but he is so athletic that he burns those calories off. He works with our strength and conditioning coach to keep the weight on him because he plays so much. He is productive and another fantastic kid. He works hard but is so quiet off the field, he’s the kind of guy you would love to have in your locker room for your team.

Ryan: You have a lot of character on your team. There is not a guy on your roster that I am more happy for than Gerald McCoy. I know his injuries first couple of years, watching him this year, hey, I don’t have a problem saying it: He is playing better than Ndamukong Suh. Period. It’s not like you had an opportunity to draft Suh because Detroit grabbed him before you could and how the picks lined up. Gerald McCoy was on the board when you picked and you grabbed him. I love the way he is playing, Mark. Am I off base in what I am seeing in McCoy because he looks fantastic?

Dominik: He has been everything we wanted him to be. He was clearly the guy we were going to take at the third spot and he has been productive but, through no fault of his own, had biceps injuries. Disappointing for Gerald as much as it has been for the fans and the Buccaneer organization. He is so critical for the defense and he helps not only the run defense and the tackles for loss but I think he has three sacks now. He creates opportunities for others to make plays and that is such an important aspect. Gerald has done a good job, I still consider him a young player because he is only in the third year of his contract. He has been voted captain so he is going in the right way in his career.

Ryan: Hey, Greg Schiano, let’s talk about him. I call him the patriarch because I was talking to your players and I know it was hard for some of your players when he first got there but this team is a tight knit family, bro, that comes together more every week.

Dominik: Yeah, he started the first day when he stood at that podium and talked about what type of a football team he wanted to build. I just walked away even more sure of the man we hired to be the coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The players have bought in and that is so important — you know this Tim as well as anybody — the players want to respond to a guy who they know will make them better. They want to play this game for as long as they can for all the right reasons and Greg Schiano does that with our players. He is in all phases, offense, defense, special teams. He had so much experience at the head coach position and been in the NFL, he had a lot of checks in the boxes that made sense to us and he had so many players come out of Rutgers that were pro-ready. He ran a good program and he made a lot of sense to us and he is our coach and we are now 6-4 and we have a lot of work to do, and I think we are heading in the right direction.

Ryan: Man I know perception is not reality but I perceive him and just looking at him, he just looks like a football coach, bro. There is something about him on the sidelines.

Dominik: (laughs) He does, he has that square jaw and that serious look on his face but he is passionate about football. He loves it, lives it. And he finds players and we work together to get this thing going. I think one of the things that speaks to how well he works is we were worst in the league in run defense last year and we are now No. 1. We move Ronde Barber from corner to safety and now he is playing at a Pro Bowl level at safety. It shows our coaches are doing everything they can to get the most out of our players. They are giving it everything they’ve got.

Kirwan: Another thing I’d like to talk about is the communication level between you and Schiano. It has to be brilliant because guys you are bringing in fit right away. What I try to tell our listeners is, the coach needs to do a great job of explaining what he needs and what he is looking for from the character to the talent to the scheme. To me, you hit a home run right away in that area. The guys you brought in and plugged in there look like they have been there for 10 years.

Dominik: I think you are exactly right. It is so important, communication with the front office. Greg and I sit down multiple times every day and get together and talk about who we should bring in for a workout and whether we sign them or not, who we want on the practice squad. It’s always constant communication so that both of us are on the same page. We don’t always agree but we work together so well to make sure what is the best decision for our organization. That’s the way we look at it. That’s the way we started back in January and that’s the direction we will continue to go.

Ryan: Hey mark, how is Eric Wright with the Achilles?

Dominik: He is struggling and it is frustrating for him. He just hasn’t been able to get his body right. It will be close this week to see if he can go. It is frustrating for him but he is doing everything he can to get ready and healthy and we can use his ability on the field. It will be a game-time possibility.

Ryan: Last one from me. He will never get talked about, no one will ever notice him. No. 41, Erik Lorig, the fullback, is a big part of what you are doing, playing about 50 percent of the snaps.

Dominik: Tim, I appreciate you bringing his name up. I think he is playing phenomenal and is continuing to step up. Doug Martin is putting up some big numbers and a lot of that is straight talent but the guys up front are making it happen for him. That offensive line, but then Erik Lorig has been able to get production from that position. He is a true fullback in this league. Maybe we can send them both to Hawaii this February? They have done a great job of working off of each other. Erik has soft hands and can catch it coming out of the backfield and he is a threat out of the backfield but has some toughness because he was a defensive player. He can get that crease for Doug when we need a big one.

Kirwan: Now get some rest Mark because I am looking at your schedule and you’ve got Matt Ryan, Peyton Manning and Drew Brees the next month.

Dominik: Yeah (laughs), you know, it never gets easy. You walk into the stadium in Carolina and you look across the field and see Steve Smith and you think about what he can do and Luke Kuechly and what he can do and Cam Newton, it is never easy. It is so hard to win in this league, that’s why the coaches preach a week at a time and this is the Atlanta season.

Kirwan: What is your schedule, are you getting out to the colleges on weekdays, are you getting to any of the college games on Saturdays? What is your schedule like?

Dominik: You know Pat, I don’t do that very much. I have a great staff of college scouts, eight others I really trust so I just sit in the building and watch tape. I let the scouts go get their information go get their first opinions and I sit here a lot of times and watch tape of guys they tell me I should look at, guys that they like from these schools. So I stay in the office. I guess this is from my old days of pro personnel…

Kirwan: No, that is definitely your pro personnel background.

Dominik: … that is right. I love evaluating practice squads, I love looking at the waiver wire, trying to find guys off the street. It is working well for us and I am kind of excited about where we are going but it is one game at a time so let’s go.

Ryan: We are happy for you bro, four consecutive wins, best of luck against Atlanta.

Dominik: Guys, thanks for having me with you.

In an SBNation video, Vincent Jackson shows off his cool south Tampa crib and his two pups. Joe’s kind of digging how Jackson transformed his attic into a mancave.

Today Greg Schiano shook off a reporter’s question that asked whether it was fair to consider D.J. Ware the Bucs’ No. 2 running back given LeGarrette Blount’s lack of work.

Blount didn’t get a carry against Carolina, but Schiano says that — and one carry against the Chargers — is just coincidence and reflects the flow of those games.

“I wouldn’t read too much into the last two weeks,” Schiano said of Blount’s workload. “That’s just kind of the way the games played out. He’ll have a role. And he’ll do fine. I’m confident that he’ll do fine.”

Schiano and players continue to talk about the constant evolution and steadily-enhanced rollout of the Bucs offense making the team more dangerous each week.

If the Bucs are to become more of complete attack, it stands to reason that they’ll find just the right use for Blount, which likely, as Schiano says, is more than one carry in two weeks.

Here is the national TV map for the FOX broadcasts in the 1 p.m. window and where fans can watch the Dixie Chicks-Bucs game. Looks like Tallahassee and Fort Myers lucked out this week. Map courtesy of the506.com.