It looks like a beautiful day today in Tampa Bay, but as we all know, the weather locally can change in a snap. WTSP-TV Channel 10 meteorologist Kate Wentzel brings news of what Bucs fans can expect.

Greg Schiano told everyone that would listen prior to Wednesday that Josh Freeman was just a small piece of the Bucs’ offensive troubles in 2013. Schiano even defended Freeman on Monday. But then Freeman got the axe, without any other apparent changes to the offense.

Joe wondered whether Freeman taking the fall would mean other players felt guilty about letting their signal caller down. Wide receiver Kevin Ogletree acknowledged his slippery-fingers role and reminded Joe of the cutthroat business of the NFL.

JoeBucsFan.com: From Doug Martin to yourself and other receivers, there have been a lot of dropped passes this season. Is there any kind of feeling in the locker room of, ‘hey, we let Josh down.’

Kevin Ogletree: Yeah. You know, of course. But at the same time we’re all working our hardest. Collectively we haven’t gotten it done. So we’re just going to go about it with a workers mentality committing to getting better every day and finding out how we can improve.  That’ll be taken on by the receivers and the running backs. Obviously, things haven’t gone like we wanted them. There have been too many plays that we want to have back. I’m sure Josh understands, just like any other big time quarterback in the NFL. You know, it is a business. That’s all.

Joe’s glad Ogletree mentioned the “business” side of the Freeman move. It’s often forgotten.

Joe was told by someone of extreme importance this week that it is accurate to equate the Freeman defrocking with the trade of Aqib Talib last season. Talib, per Bucs officials at the time, became expendable because the team had decided he would not return under any circumstances in 2013. So while Freeman’s performance was at the core of the change to Mike Glennon, his contract status played a role.

But make no mistake, Joe remains sure that Freeman would still be the Bucs’ starting QB today if Tampa Bay was 1-2, versus 0-3. 

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Three-time Super Bowl winning quarterback Troy Aikman, appearing on FOX Football Daily, gives his take on the benching of Bucs franchise quarterback Josh Freeman in this video.

There is too much beer to swill to get stuck in traffic going to the Cardinals-Bucs game Sunday. So let award-winning traffic reporter Holley Sinn of WTSP-TV Channel 10 guide you through the mess. Holley even gives up her shortcut to the Stadium on Dale Mabry Highway.

Leave to the excellent Playbook crew and their NFL Network video team to document seven drops that victimized Josh Freeman in New England on Sunday.

Here’s the video. (Two drops not analyzed were ones Joe mentioned earlier by Doug Martin.) It’s former Pro Bowl center Shaun O’Hara who says he didn’t know that Josh stands for “just off somebody’s hands.

If the Bucs caught, say, four of those seven, Sunday’s scoreboard and Freeman’s stats likely look significantly different.

This could be great news for Bucs fans!

The offensive gurus of the New Schiano Order studied this film and determined Mike Glennon still gives the Bucs the best chance to win Sunday.

Supposedly, a strength of the Bucs is the offensive line. That hasn’t been the case. Had the Bucs had better blocking in the first game against the Jets, not one Bucs fan would be yelling the empty words “game-planning” or “play-calling” as crutches for why the team lost.

The plays (that franchise quarterback Josh Freeman could hear in his helemt) were just fine. The blocking wasn’t.

Part of the trouble is former Pro Bowler is and all around good guy David Joseph isn’t quite 100 percent ready after his knee surgery last year, documents Woody Cummings of the Tampa Tribune.

Pro Bowl RG Davin Joseph has been back in the lineup for close to a month after recovering from a 2012 knee injury. While Schiano thinks Joseph has played well, he doesn’t think Joseph has regained his Pro Bowl form.

“Is he back to his old self? I don’t think so,’’ Schiano said. “He just hasn’t had enough reps yet. But I do think he’s playing at a high level and now the job is just to shine it up.’’

Well, here’s the thing: The Bucs better get healthy and in football shape pretty damned quick. There is little to no margin for error any longer.

With Mike Glennon now the Bucs quarterback, his speed springs to mind what former Boston pitcher Bill “Spaceman” Lee once said about Detroit slugger Al Kaline. “He’s so slow he has pigeon s(p)it on his shoulders.”

Glennon is about as stationary of a target as it gets in the NFL. With Doug Martin almost assuredly going to get at least 25 carries tomorrow — and the Cardinals loading the box to stop him —  the offensive line will have to be at its best, or it will be a long, long, long day for Bucs fans and their punter.

Former Bucs secondary coach Herm Edwards offers tough love advice for Bucs franchise quarterback Josh Freeman in this BSPN video.

Let Joe offer a riddle: Say Bucs quarterback Mike Glennon gets hurt because he is such a stationary target. What then? What does Schiano do when the Bucs face the Eagles after the bye?

Yeah, it looks like the immortal Dan Orlovsky is the answer, as expected thanks to Bucs commander Greg Schiano’s non-denial yesterday that Bucs franchise quarterback Josh Freeman is the No. 3 quarterback. Unfortunately, Orlovsky is beyond abysmal.

Former Super Bowl quarterback Rich Gannon believes the Bucs cannot return to Freeman. So he told his partner of “The Blitz,” Bruce Murray, heard exclusively on SiriusXM NFL Radio.

“I was a little surprised [Freeman’s benching] happened so soon,” Gannon said. “It sounds like they have pushed the panic button. You look at how poorly he has played you get the sense he is holding back the rest of the offense. I think they are looking for a spark. Problem is when you make this change so soon, it is almost impossible to go back.”

So what if Glennon is hurt and Orlovsky is atrocious? What then?

It sure seems as if, by going against the team’s (and Schiano’s) direct orders not to go to BSPN, that Freeman has burned whatever goodwill may be left between himself and Schiano.

It sure smells like Freeman will never take another snap with the Bucs.

“Don’t let that pencil neck fool you. This Glennon kid’s got a rocket in that right arm. NASA might have to register that *&^%’n thing. You turn the damn college tape on and he’s Brett Favre with five inches and a brain the size of a basketball.”

Good Ol’ Chucky loves every football player, but Joe’s surely not going to urinate on the words of praise Jon Gruden has for rookie Bucs gunslinger Mike Glennon. Chucky said Glennon may be the smoothest

Chucky spent many hours of film preparation for his annual BSPN special on soon-to-be-drafted quarterbacks, and he recalled recently the ways in which Glennon was elite. NFC South blogger Pat Yasinskas shared yesterday.

“When I worked with Glennon, I told him there are some things he did better than anyone else in college football last year,’’ Gruden said. “Specifically, he can flat-out drive the football. The guy can absolutely hum it. Glennon can throw the ball to the wide side of the field effortlessly. In college, with the wider hashmarks, when you throw the ball to the wide side of the field, it’s a big-time throw. In fact, there are some programs that don’t even attempt it — they don’t even bother asking a QB to attempt a wide-side throw down the field. That’s not the case with Glennon.

“This guy can make some really difficult down-the-field throws. If you watch the camp session with Glennon, you’ll see we went through a “Fox Two XY Hook.” I coached that pattern for 18 years. I’m not sure I’ve ever seen a QB at any level throw it with the ease Glennon can. Brett Favre threw a certain second-reaction post, by my count, about four times in his career. I saw Glennon throw it four times last season.”

Chucky picked the Bucs to win the NFC South, and given this scouting on Glennon, perhaps Bucs fans will be uplifted with renewed up of turning an 0-3 start into something special.

Joe wonders how Chucky will eventually scout Josh Freeman for BSPN in some sort of “where-can-Freeman-fit” feature? Ironically, Freeman was dominant in 2010 running Chucky’s playbook under Greg Olson. (Yes, that was Chucky’s playbook. Earnest Graham detailed that to Joe.)

Will Brinson, prickly Pete Prisco and Pat Kirwan break down the Cardinals-Bucs game in this CBS Sports video. Find out why they feel sorry for Bucs quarterback Mike Glennon.

Something to keep an eye on Sunday is Doug Martin’s ability to hold on to the football.

Yes, Martin is a true Bucs superstar and being critical of him feels like an act of treason. But the reality is Martin has dropped too many balls thrown his way in this young season.

Greg Schiano even acted like acknowledging those drops is painful to his tongue. Speaking on his radio show Monday, Schiano wouldn’t use the word drops but talked around the two balls Martin couldn’t catch in New England by calling them hot throws Martin needed to squeeze. Schiano also said the Bucs “still think” Martin is a third-down running back.

Yesterday, asked about Martin’s hands, Schiano again seemed uncomfortable admitting Martin has struggled.

“Is he having some problems holding on to the ball?” a reporter asked.

“Yeah, I don’t know. I wouldn’t go there yet. I wouldn’t say that yet,” Schiano said. “We as a team have had more drops than I would have liked. I think Doug’s going to be just fine as a receiver this year. He’s shown that he can do it in this league and I think he will.”

Yes, Martin is an amazing running back, but the jury is still out on his hands. Joe would like to see the Bucs diversify their offense and throw some balls to Brian Leonard and/or Erik Lorig out of two-back sets.

A little Arizona perspective on Sunday’s game from this AZCentral.com video. Their scribes talk about matching up with Adrian Clayborn and how the Cardinals will go after Mike Glennon but “they don’t have much to throw at him.” It’s also comical/sad to hear their take on the state of the Bucs.

Veteran sportscaster Dave Wirth, of WTSP-TV, Ch. 10, weighs in with a preview of Sunday’s Cards-Bucs game. Wirth includes a worthwhile take on Mike Glennon’s skill set versus other recent successful rookies and young QBs.

Gabe Carimi started at left guard for the Bucs in the opening two games, but he’s sort of disappeared for nearly two weeks with an undisclosed illness.

“He’s been out all this time. So it’s not something, it’s certainly something significant,” Schiano said today. “But other than that I can’t go into more.” 

Is it MRSA-related? Schiano was asked. “No,” replied the head coach.

There are rules — written and unwritten — that prevent teams from revealing non-football issues that keep players off the field.

Joe can only hope Carimi isn’t in a life-threatening physical or mental condition.

Joe would love to see the Bucs get back to slant routes from their top guns

The greatest news to come out of One Buc Palace today was the return of Vincent Jackson and Mike Williams to the practice fields. There’s no doubt that the Arizona Cardinals will load up the defensive box to stop Doug Marin on Sunday, and the Bucs’ new quarterback will need his elite weapons to step up in a big way.

Hopefully, the Bucs will get Mike Williams back to running the slant passes he ran so effectively early in his career.

Joe would also love to see screen passes return to the Bucs’ offense. Glennon’s height — and his accuracy that impresses Greg Schiano — has to be an advantage there.

The last image Joe will have of franchise quarterback Josh Freeman is him, half-dressed, running from the local fourth estate rather than being a man and just droning a few empty words, as he is known for saying.

Instead, he had to run off to BSPN to talk, unsanctioned by the Bucs. Hey, they produced his Michael Jackson video and magazine spread, so why not? It’s a thriller after all.

Tampa Tribune humorist Martin Fennelly documented the scene.

Once upon a time, it was all about 5. Once upon a time, in 2009, Josh Freeman threw three touchdowns and willed the Bucs to a comeback win over the Packers — his very first NFL start. Once upon a time, in 2010, Freeman threw 25 touchdowns and just six interceptions. Once, he was a franchise quarterback. Thursday, he was an empty locker.

There are few things more nonexistent, more awkward, than an NFL former starting quarterback still in residence. There are never ruffles or flourishes, so there were none between Freeman and Glennon, now the 33rd starting quarterback in Bucs history — no passing of the torch or the Josh Freeman Tuesday radio show time slot.

It’s on to the next one. The Bucs are big on that. For 38 years, this franchise, for all sorts of reasons, has never grown a franchise quarterback — 38 years and not one Bucs QB has ever gotten to a second contract with this team. Josh Freeman was going to be the one, once upon a time.

Actually, Brad Johnson got a hefty contract extension from the Bucs and Dan Orlovsky is on his second contract, but that doesn’t take away from the magnitude of the Freeman freefall.

Meanwhile, Joe must get that image of Freeman shirtless running away from the pen and mic club out of his head. Maybe after another belt of coffee, that image will be replaced by Freeman one-hopping passes to his running back.

Fresh off the news from Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times, that backlash to Josh Freeman’s team-unauthorized interview with BSPN last night will lead him to be deactivated for Sunday’s game, Bucs commander Greg Schiano dodged a chance to deny the report during his daily press conference with the local pen and mic club Friday.

When asked by Stroud about the unauthorized interview and as a result, will Freeman be placed on the inactive list, Schiano refused to answer.

“I understand the question and I appreciate it,” Schiano began. “I feel this [Freeman benching] has become a focus all week. I am not going there. Ninety minutes before the game I will announce the inactive list. I am done discussing that other stuff. Let’s go win a game.”

When Woody Cummings of the Tampa Tribune pointedly followed-up asking if Freeman was still a backup, Schiano replied, “Again, 90 minutes before [kickoff] I will name inactives.”

Schiano easily could have killed the rumor by saying, “No, he is our No. 2.” (then again, Schiano was adamant that Freeman was the starter on Monday). So at least Schiano is thinking about it or has already made a decision to effectively keep Freeman out of uniform Sunday.

If not, Schiano could have quashed the report with one word. “No.”

He didn’t.

As for the nonsense about grumbling how the Freeman issue has been the focus all week. Come on! A guy the Bucs traded up for in the first round, a guy who fans were told for four years was the team’s savior — “it’s all about No. 5” — has been benched three weeks into the season, what does Schiano expect? He cannot be that naive. This is the biggest Bucs story since Schiano himself was hired, maybe bigger.

Would Schiano rather have the fourth estate focus about how Schiano is 1-9 in his last 10 games as an NFL head coach?

Bucs commander Greg Schiano is strict about who talks to the local fourth estate, and more importantly in Schiano’s ways, what the Bucs say to the fourth estate.

So when shirtless Josh Freeman blew off the local pen and mic club yesterday, then ran to BSPN, without the knowledge of the Bucs, apparently, it really rubbed the Bucs the wrong way. So much so that Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times said the Bucs are so peeved, Freeman may be the No. 3 quarterback and placed on the inactive list Sunday to pay for his sins.

Freeman was benched in favor of rookie Mike Glennon Wednesday but coach Greg Schiano said he would serve as the No. 2 quarterback. But that was before he broke his silence Thursday night in an exclusive interview with ESPN’s Josina Anderson that was not authorized by the team.

The Bucs encouraged Freeman to be available to the media both Wednesday and Thursday, but he declined.

“Josh just needed his voice to be heard,’’ agent Erik Burkhardt told the Times of the decision to make Freeman available to ESPN.

Needed to be heard??? What the hell were the 20 guys and girls standing around his locker there for yesterday, to sell him new aluminum siding on his house?

S(p)it, even the product of Seminole High, Jeff Darlington of NFL Network, was there with a massive camera crew. “Needed his voice to be heard” Joe’s rear end!

If this wasn’t checkbook journalism by BSPN — Joe wouldn’t be surprised if that outfit would do anything to get an interview with their sordid track record — then Freeman was paying the four-letter back for them producing his pedophile Michael Jackson spread.

After all, this season has turned into a thriller for Bucs fans, sans victories.