So the Bucs return to the left coast to face the 49ers, both with 3-1 records. Have at it boys and girls. Now behave. 🙂

Week 5
Bucs at 49ers
Kickoff: 4:05 p.m.
TV: WTVT Channel 13 in the Tampa Bay area, DirecTV 7112.
Radio: Buccaneers Radio Network (in Tampa WFUS-FM, 103.5 and WDAE-AM, 620); Sirius Channel 136.
Weather: Per Accuweather.com, chilly by Florida standards but great for football players. Temperature at kickoff is expected to be 65 under sunny skies. The temperature should remain steady through the game.
Odds: Per SportsBook.com, Bucs +3.
Outlook: Biggest game of the year for the Bucs. They actually have a shot of beating one of the surprise teams of the NFL this season that has some talent. But beating the Niners isn’t exactly rocket science. Though quarterback Alex Smith is playing better, he’s still Alex Smith. Take away Frank Gore and you are now putting the game in the small hands of Smith. If the Bucs can continue their strong defensive line play, and Smith has to win the game, where is your money going? This isn’t rocket science. It simply comes down to stopping the run. With the ball, the Bucs may be facing the best defense so far this year, at least up front. If Blount gets 100 yards, Joe will lay cash the Bucs win. Easier said than done. Could this be the game that Josh Freeman blows up for the first time this season?

If the Bucs had a former seventh-round pick known for his brute strength making his first start today, there would be loads of Bucs fans giddy about what could be the next Mark Dominik gem-in-waiting seizing his shot.  

Instead, though, it’s the 49ers with a manbeast nobody at nosetackle, Ricky Jean Francois, aka Freaky Jean, up against the well-paid veterans on the Bucs offensive line. So feel free to point fingers and believe Freaky Jean is a massive liability that is about to get a rude awakening.

Joe hopes this is the case, but who knows with an athletic third-year guy salivating for a chance? You can read more about Francois in a feature today in the Sacramento Bee, which leads us to believe Francois is a reformed partier. 

It’ll be interesting to see what kind of holes open around this guy.

If so, this truly is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity from Joe’s friends at Ed Morse Cadillac Tampa and Ed Morse Cadillac Brandon. Click the image below for registration information.

Joe sincerely hopes the lack of a sellout for the Bucs-Bears game in England later this month ends the stupidity of the NFL making teams head over to soccerland to play a real game.

What does it say that a once-a-year event can’t sell out? It says the market there sucks for football.

The dude in England that runs BucPower.com and the small Bucs fan club there — the Bucs slobber over this guy ridiculously — penned a story about the non-sellout recently. Joe figures if the guy knows anything, it’s about that game.

(Q. Why so hostile towards the England fan, Joe? A. Well, this guy wrote Joe a nasty hate note two years ago out of the blue, telling Joe he heard him on a radio interview spitting out an incorrect statistic about Luke McCown and Joe should be ashamed of himself and that Joe would never be a “serious commentator” if he continued to spread BS. Little did the guy know that the stat was accurate. Mr. Buc Power had assumed Joe was talking about regular season versus preseason. Joe wrote back and got no response.)

It should be clear that England has no business getting an NFL franchise, and all the NFL is doing is messing with the league schedule and making an insignificant amount of bucks out there.

Here’s an idea: If the NFL wants to market in Europe, perhaps they could just run a big contest and fly in 1,000 fans a week from England to fill seats in Tampa, Jacksonville, or Miami, or whereever else. Surely that would get massive attention, and the tourist bureaus and other companies wouldn’t mind kicking in for such an effort.

The vaunted Peter King and ProFootballTalk.com guru Mike Florio break down their allegedly five must-see games in the NFL this weekend. At about 3:45 of the video, they take on the Bucs-49ers. Surprisingly, there’s no love here for the Niners.

Breaking sports news video. MLB, NFL, NBA, NHL highlights and more.

Veteran Tampa Bay sportscaster Dave Wirth, of WTSP Ch. 10, reminds us what’s going well and what’s not going so well for the Bucs, complete with a Godfather II reference in this exclusive video for JoeBucsFan readers.

Sabby the Goat showed plenty of emotion when he played for the Bucs.

Joe admits he has a disconnect with some fans. Joe doesn’t do fantasy football and when he owned season tickets he rarely stood up during games. Why? If Joe stood up, did that mean there was a less of a chance Kenyatta Walker would hold a defensive player?

A fan recently wrote in to TBO.com’s Bucs Question-and-Answer feature wanting to know why players don’t dance through opponents’ warm-ups (an illegal act now by the way) and do all sorts of other nonsense to make it look like they are badasses.

Woody Cummings of the Tampa Tribune believed the Bucs do possess enough of an attitude.

Q: I have been to every home game so far this season, and I continue to notice a lack of attitude/anger in the Bucs players. It seems like they are more interested in shaking hands and smiling rather than taking the heads off the other team. I used to watch Sapp come out of the locker room and skip across the other teams practice just to let them know he was there. This type of attitude is what I feel needs to get back in Tampa. Do you think this is more of a coaching issue, or the individual players just lacking that type of attitude?

Tony Ulrich, Jr., Riverview

A: I don’t think it’s an issue at all. The line coaches on both sides of the ball are definitely encouraging their players to play with a mean streak. In fact, it’s demanded of them. And coach Raheem Morris has gone so far as to ask his players to be “violent” and to play a “border-line illegal” brand of football. As far as the results go, there was little question the Bucs played mean on the defensive side of the ball. And I’d say their 3-1 record is an indication that their approach, whatever it may be, is working.

– Roy Cummings

Joe believes all this is BS. When was the last time anyone saw Ronde Barber jump around like a banshee? He’s as professional as they get and should be a Hall of Famer.

Joe will end this discussion with one last example. In recent years, no Bucs player jumped around and showed emotion more than Sabby the Goat.

Yeah, it looks cool. But Joe’s more into results, not schtick.

Derek “Old School” Fournier of WhatTheBuc.net describes the challenge it will be for the Bucs to handle the 49ers’ defensive front seven.

It was sad for Joe to learn that Mr. Raider himself, Al Davis, passed.

He was in declining health for some time. When the Bucs played the Raiders in the Super Bowl in January 2003, Davis, walking out of his airplane, barely made it down the stairs. He had to walk backwards. There have been some photos of Davis using a walker in recent years.

Without trying to be crass, maybe fate today was better than suffering?

When Joe grew up, the Raiders, to use a phrase from former Raiders announcer Bill King, were “kings of the world.” Sort of.

The Raiders always seemed to be on TV for the late-afternoon games. Of course, they were on Monday Night Football a lot.

Davis was the only man in NFL history who was a scout, an assistant coach, a coordinator, a head coach, a general manager,, an owner and a commissioner (he was the last commissioner of the American Football League).

Davis built a team that was fun as hell to watch. Quick, long throws downfield, and on defense, his band of bloodthirsty misfits turned each game into a street alley brawl. If the old Raiders played today under Roger Goodell’s touch football rules, half of Davis’ defenders would be thrown out of the league.

(Joe was a kid in grade school and in American History, a particular nun was infatuated with the original California missions and we had to recite them from memory. When reciting the original California missions, Joe always said Oakland, mainly because of the Raiders and partly to hack off the nun, which it did, visibly so. Of course, Oakland is not a correct answer.)

But as much as Davis meant to football and the NFL, Davis played a big part in Bucs history. It was Davis who some say fleeced Team Glazer for first and second round draft picks in 2002, a first round pick in 2003 and a second round pick in 2004, plus cash.

In return the Bucs got Chucky. And what happened? Chucky got the Bucs over the hump and won a Super Bowl. Yeah, without those picks, it partly led to the Bucs dropping off the face of the map. But that is easy to swallow when you have a Super Bowl pelt on the wall.

Joe will never forget the press conference Davis had after that transaction. Davis claimed Joel Glazer called him in the middle of the night to offer a trade and Davis snapped at him saying, “I’m not talking to you. I will only talk to Rich McKay.” Davis claimed that Glazer informed him that he had fired McKay (which wasn’t accurate) and Davis and Glazer then talked turkey that led the Bucs to acquire Chucky.

Did Glazer do a deal with the devil? Perhaps. But it got the Bucs the Vince Lombardi trophy.

As Davis himself would say, “Just win baby.”

Jason Horowitz and Pat Kirwan of CBSSports.com peel the onion skins off the Bucs-49ers game.

Now coaching defensive linemen at USF, former Bucs defensive tackle Chris Hovan likes what he sees on the Bucs’ defensive line. Not known to gush over his ex-mates, Hovan didn’t hold back Friday.

Speaking on The Dan Sileo Show on WDAE-AM 620, Hovan seemed most impressed by Brian Price. “Everytime he’s in, he’s creating a new line of scrimmage,” Hovan said.

Hovan also wants to see the Bucs use two 3-techniques more often to rush the quarterback. “We used to call it the green package because it was the money package. That’s how you got sacks,” Hovan said, explaining that sacks were always part of contract incentives. 

Now rushing two 3-technique tackles creates a far different dimension than what the Bucs often do bringing up Dakoda Watson to rush outside or having Michael Bennett inside, for example, essentially forcing Gerald McCoy to be double-teamed.

It’s a point former Bucs defensive end Steve White brought up recently on radio, explaining that the old school Bucs used the double 3-technique effectively, often using Tayoka Jackson in that role. Essentially, that rush would free up McCoy more, which is what the Bucs should want.

Hovan praised McCoy, but said he wants to see a lot more consistency from him.

Oh, and Hovan also said he sees Josh Freeman as a league MVP in two years.

Joe has made it abundantly clear that he’s turned off by the numbers crowd when it comes to sports. They have done their best to ruin Joe’s enjoyment of baseball and thus far, fortunately, they have been unable to infest football.

Why does Joe hate the numbers crowd? Part of it has to do with nuns and rulers which Joe doesn’t want to get into right now. Part of it is something Joe learned in high school that someone can take numbers and statistics and twist them in such a manner that they could “prove” Hitler is in the White House Hank Williams, Jr. is a tolerant soul of a political analyst.

So it was with a bit of enjoyment that Joe heard a numbers guy call “The Opening Drive” yesterday morning with co-hosts Bob Papa and Ross Tucker, heard exclusively on SiriusXM NFL Radio. Audibly shaken in his belief that the Bucs have abandoned the deep pass, and armed with an array of statistics, this caller wanted to know if it’s the defenses the Bucs have faced that have taken away the long pass, or if Bucs offensive coordinator Greg Olson abandoned such plays.

Tucker, in short, wasn’t buying what the stat guy was selling.

“First, coaches don’t look at the game like you do. They look at each game as its own entity, like it’s own version of a little season. Second, if Arrelious Benn doesn’t step out of bounds Monday night, that skewers all of your numbers.

“Then you have to look at the defenses the Bucs played. Minnesota and Indianapolis play almost exclusively Tampa-2. Those teams shut off the long pass and give up the short passes. That’s why you saw the Bucs dump passes over the middle to Earnest Graham Monday night. Those plays were there all night.”

Tucker went on to say that the reasons the Bucs haven’t thrown much downfield is a combination of factors, including how Bucs quarterback Josh Freeman hasn’t been completely accurate in some games, how defenses have shut off the long pass for the most part, and how defenses are determined to lock up Mike Williams, thereby taking away the Bucs’ best deep threat.

Back for his weekly trip to the end zone of the NFL universe, popular sports radio personality Adam Schein travels through football space and time outs. Check out what Schein has to say about the Bucs this week. Consider yourself sucked in to the latest episode of Cosmic Schein!

<a href="http://msn.foxsports.com/video?vid=42220033-e999-4092-be78-f5bec82e1b19" target="_new" title="">Cosmic Schein: Week 5</a>

The latest injury/practice report below from NFL.com shows a pile of banged up Bucs. And, per a 10 a.m. Twittering from Anwar Richardson of The Tampa Tribune, Quincy Black remains off the practice field today.

Quincy Black LB Ankle Did Not Participate
Zach Diles LB Hamstring DNP
Devin Holland S Back DNP
James Lee T Knee DNP
Luke Stocker TE Knee  DNP
Sammie Stroughter WR Foot DNP
Aqib Talib CB Knee DNP
Earnest Graham RB Hamstring Limited Participation in Practice

For Joe, the loss of Stocker is significant in the running game. During his news conference yesterday, Raheem Morris mentioned Kellen Winslow possibly being called upon to take a bigger role. That’s not necessarily a good thing.

Also, per Anthony Gaitor’s Twitter account, look for him to get a helmet on for the first time. Joe assumes that would be in place of Devin Holland.

And finally, Earnest Graham’s hamstring injury is troublesome. Oft-injured old guy + bad hammy by Week 5 = a season-long issue.

Joe’s heard various analysts spit out a stat this week on how teams perform in road games following appearances on Monday Night Football. And, of course, that’s the Bucs’ situation as they’re in San Francisco for a 4 o’clock kickoff Sunday.

While Joe hasn’t seen any official number, Joe keeps hearing that teams only win in that scenario 11 percent of the time.

Ouch. That’s one telling stat.

However, Joe thinks the Bucs are such a bizarre, non-traditional team, that you can throw that ugly number out the window. The Bucs are too young to be tired, and it’s too early in the season for fatigue to effect a young team. Hell, LeGarrette Blount got Week 1 off. Plus, these Bucs seem to have no issues on the road.

Joe prefers to look at this game as another challenge to the defense to keep stuffing the run and handle a more physical offense. If the Bucs do that, Joe will take his chances against Niners quarterback Alex Smith, even if he has been hot.

As Derrick Brooks said on WDAE-AM 620 Wednesday, winning on the road usually means you got off the field on third down. That’s probably the key to this game, assuming the Bucs don’t waver from feeding Blount.

"Hey son, there's no dirt here and I can't find my clipboard. I need your shirt."

The man who chased down freshly defrocked Jim Bates at a local fast food joint, Rock Riley, (that move should have earned him an Emmy) has a pretty nifty 11 p.m. show on Bright House Sports Network.

Of course, Joe only watches snippets of the show at BHSN.com, as Joe doesn’t subscribe to the network that denies men the Man Channel, NFL Network, a gift dropped from heaven years ago.

As he does weekly, Riley sat down with former Bucs tight end Dave Moore to talk all things Bucs, and Moore took a few moments to disagree with Chucky’s assessment of what ails the Bucs offense and share his uncertainty as to why Josh Freeman isn’t throwing deep.

“We saw Josh Freeman last year take a number of big shots down the field. He hit Mike Williams a number of times. He hit Benn remember on a couple of touchdowns deep on double moves down the field. Most of them came through play-action. But still, he was able to throw the ball up and let his receivers go get it. These guys were covered, and he had a enough faith in these guys, same guys that are there now, to throw it up and let it rip. So I’m not sure why they’re calling the game the way they are, not taking the shots down the field,” Moore said. 

“It looks like Freeman’s trying to be a little more patient when he’s reading the defense, especially early in games. I think he’s trying maybe too much to make the right decision and make the perfect throw. … Freeman’s trying to throw to the open guy rather than throw a jump ball down the sideline like he did in a lot of situations.”

Perhaps it’s the double coverages rolled to Mike Williams? Maybe Arrelious Benn’s isn’t 100 percent when it comes to takng on a jump ball? Isn’t Dezmon Briscoe a giant with a massive vertical leap?

Joe, too, can’t put a finger on why the Bucs aren’t ripping off homerun balls downfield. But Joe also knows it won’t matter if LeGarrette Blount keeps chewing up yards and Freeman executes the safer throws.

There’s a big-time event at Raymond James Stadium on Saturday, and it’s not a football game. It’s the Whatever Women Want extravaganza presented by Ed Morse Cadillac Tampa.

Incredible speakers, free makeovers and massages, product and food sampling, fashion shows and much more. Guys, this is a fantastic suggestion to get your ladies out of the house so you can watch college football without interruption. Click on the image below to visit WhateverWomenWant.com. (And if you want a couple of free tickets, e-mail Joe this morning joe@joebucsfan.com and he’ll tell you how to get them while they last.)

Chucky was rather subdued Monday, but had plenty to say about LeGarrette Blount and Adrian ClayBURN. "Look, Jaws, you say Clayborn. I say ClayBURN, because the guy lights fuc*n fire under every damn defense he plays in. I'm not here to win any damn diction award."

Buccaneers Radio Network pregame and postgame host Justin “The Commish” Pawlowski talked to LeGarrette Blount today about catching more passes.

Blount responded saying he believes he’s shown coaches he can be a weapon in the passing game since the asinine lockout ended. Blount also points out he’s got as many catches this year as he had all last year.

Blount wants the ball thrown his way, and Chucky wants that, too. While calling Monday Night Football, Blount was one guy Chucky gushed about. He didn’t really love to many Buccaneers in his usual gushing style. In fact, Chucky was pretty subdued outside of slobbering over Adrian Clayborn, who he incessently and inaccurately called CLAY-BURN, and slobbering over Davin Joseph and Jeremy Trueblood.

Blount, though, was Chucky’s lovechild.

” I know you like your bubble screens, Jaws, but I like to see big bodies bang,” Chucky said. (Yeah, this from the guy that buried Mike Alstott on the bench.)

And Chucky told Bucs fans they need to buy a ticket to see Blount, and he read off Blount’s lopsided runs-to-catches ratio and told America in an annoyed tone, “That’s a strange distribution.”

Joe can’t disagree. Joe’s old enough to remember the days before Father Dungy and his band of horrendous offensive coordinators stopped tossing the ball to Mike Alstott in space, where he would proceed to steamroll defensive backs.

In Joe’s mind, this has to become part of the Bucs offense.

The veteran TBO.com crew of eye-RAH! Kaufman and Woody Cummings offer some insight into the Bucs fourth-quarter prowess, with stats and a take from Earnest Graham. Click the video below and give these guys a listen.

In what surely will be macho locker room jabber for another Bucs opponent later this season, Josh Freeman has shared his high opinion of the 49ers defensive line and linebackers.

He thinks they’re the best the Bucs will see in 2011. Freeman laid it out for the San Francisco media yesterday, as documented by Eric Branch of SFGate.com.

“Their front seven is the best we’re going to see all year,” Freeman said. “You look at it and it starts in the middle with Patrick Willis. Obviously Justin Smith is a stud who was giving us issues last year. They’re a very physical defense … all around, they’re studs.”

The Niners are ranked fourth in the NFL in rushing defense, and iconic Derrick Brooks said yesterday on The Steve Duemig Show that the Bucs should be prepared for a far more physical game than what the Colts had to offer Monday.

This will be a very interesting test for the Bucs offensive line and LeGarrette Blount. Brooks points out that the Niners are largely playing a 3-4 defense that the Bucs aren’t used to facing and have a short week to prepare for.

Frankly, Joe’s not worried about the Bucs’ offense as long as it doesn’t get too cute and the commitment to Blount continues. Joe likes the odds running behind Davin Joseph, and everytime Jeremy Zuttah pulls there seem to be gaping holes in which to run. 

Jim Bates?

Todd Wash?

Raheem Morris?

Who the hell didn’t like Michael Bennett and helped keep him buried on the Bucs’ bench while sackless Kyle Moore was gifted a starting job and others played before him?

Speaking today on The Ron and Ian Show on WDAE-AM 620, Bucs personnel man and former linebacker Shelton Quarles describes the Bucs being divided about Bennettt before this season.

“He’s a fun player to watch. We had a few coaches around in the past that didn’t really care for him very much. So he didn’t see the field as much as we thought he should have from our perspective, a front office perspective,” Quarles said. “But he’s coming on. He’s played well … playing the run really good, rushing the passer when he has the opportunity. He’s big enough to inside, an inside rusher on third down but also be outside as well. He’s playing really well for us.”

Joe’s glad the ship has been righted and the front office won out.