Justin Pawlowski of WDAE wants to see cornerback Morris Claiborne change from LSU purple and gold to Bucs pewter and red.

Bucs fans are excited about the 2012 NFL Draft far earlier than they expected. Joe is of the mind that given the option, Bucs fans would have preferred to wait until February to talk draft.

But with the 2011 season, a season that started with so much promise, circling the drain, Bucs fans have already started discussing the draft. There’s not much else to look forward to.

Joe’s good friend Justin Pawlowski, of WDAE-AM 620, was fielding so many questions about the draft he finally quit talking about it because he said there were four more games in the regular season and talking draft so much was a bit premature.

Now Joe has been of the mind that since the Bucs need linebackers in the absolute worst way, Bucs rock star general manager Mark Dominik should pick two linebackers with his first two picks (Joe’s preference for a second round pick is Lavonte David of Nebraska. This will not be the last time you see that name on this here site, trust Joe.)

But Pawlowski changed Joe’s mind. Justin believes that, in a division with Drew Brees, with Matty Ice, with Cam Newton, the Bucs will need a signature cornerback for the next decade.

And that lockdown cornerback is Morris Claiborne of LSU.

It was such a novel idea and concept, it has changed Joe’s mind. That’s why Joe likes Justin. He’s smart and likes food (FGU!).

Gregg Rosenthal takes the Bucs defensive coordinator to task and says that is why Bucs coach Raheem Morris is on the hot seat in this NBCSports.com video. If the video below does not load, it can be viewed by clicking this link.

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

Joe can only imagine the frustration in the Bucs locker room.

At 4-4, Raheem Morris and Mark Dominik were talking publically about making a second half run like they did in 2010. And players were excuding great confidence and seemingly believed they were better than their record. But now the wheels have come off the 4-8 Bucs. And Joe has to wonder whether the team will stay together and revive itself, or fall apart completely and play selfish ball.

So with that in mind, Joe brings you the following exchange from The Donald Penn Show on Tuesday on WDAE-AM 620. Penn was asked about the failures of the running game against Carolina by co-host Dave Moore. It seemed to Joe that Penn, uncharacteristically, heaped a lot of blame on LeGarrette Blount.

Here’s the unedited exchange:

Dave Moore: So what was the deal with the run game? It looked like at times it was going to get going, but just didn’t, especially initially. Now Blount looked, from a spectator standpoint, that he wasn’t necessarily running with the same intensity; he was having a single guy take him down rather than five. But at the same time what was it in particular that stopped the run? Just not guys staying on guys?

Donald Penn: You know, LeGarrette Blount, he looked at the film and he’s going to self-evaluate himself hard. And, you know, I think he kind of feels the same way. You know, he could have played a lot better than he did. We both think that, too.

You know, that wasn’t the LeGarrette Blount that we’re used to seeing. And, you know, we gotta be ready to come out all the time and be on top of things and be ready to play and hold everbody accountable. And you know, I think he’s learning, he’s seeing that, and you know you gotta be ready to come play every Sunday. Because if you’re not, the other team’s going to be ready or the other guy’s going to be able to come in and do what they need to do.

So, you know, as an offensive line, though, we’re still calling the same plays we were calling before. Some of the holes might have been smaller. Some of the holes might have been not as big as before, but like you said, you gotta get there and try to get the most that you can.

And you know, LeGarrette Blount being such a good running back and being so big, like you said, one guy shouldn’t be able to bring him down. You know it did happen a couple of times but a couple times, you know, he did still break through and he had a couple of, you know, flashes there, but we gotta definitely be more consistent. We weren’t consistent [against Carolina]. Like I always said, when we’re running the ball well we’re a tough team to beat.

Joe’s readers can surely read between the lines themselves and reach their own conclusion. But for Joe, this felt like a public finger-pointing, a bad sign for the locker room.

Connor Barth will smell the sweet smell of free agent cash this offseason

Pro Bowl?

Pro Bowl? (Insert your best Jim Mora “playoffs” voice)

Joe’s been remiss in not mentioning the “automatica” season turned in so far by Connor Barth. Barring a late season collapse, Barth could find his way to Hawaii.

To date, Barth has nailed 92 percent of his field goal tries (second in the NFL) and leads the NFL in kicks made from 40-to-49 yards out. (He even got to kick another one of those last week after a failed Arrelious Benn end-around on 3rd-and-2 lost 12 yards to set up another Barth bomb. Thanks, Greg Olson!)

Rockstar general manager Mark Dominik gave Barth a restricted free agent tender of $1.9 million for this season, so the St. Pete Times reported months ago.

Joe’s rather certain Barth is an unrestricted free agent come March, and surely he’ll command top cash. The Bucs consistently have said their top young players would be rewarded by getting to raid Team Glazer’s vault when they hit free agency. And it would seem Barth fits the mold, plus he’s surely a guy the Bucs can’t afford to lose.

Hungry for football talk? Who isn’t?

It’s Saturday and that means it’s time for Joe’s good friend, “The Commish,” Justin Pawlowski of WDAE-AM 620. Justin has the morning off so he could celebrate his birthday last night (FGU!) and sleep in. So Justin will hit the airwaves at noon today and will take your calls until 3 p.m.

Since there is no college football today, sans the Army-Navy game, Joe is confident Justin can handle your urge for football with quality pigskin talk.

Those outside the market or chained to a computer can also listen to Justin streamed live via WDAE’s website.

You’ve all read THE PESSIMIST, who spews his Bucs-related anger like no other. But Joe also brings you THE OPTIMIST. 

THE OPTIMIST is Nick Houllis, a Bucs fan and an accomplished writer whose steadfast allegiance to the Buccaneers goes back to the 1970s. Houllis is the founder, creator and guru of BucStop.com, a place Joe goes to get lost in time via Houllis’ stunning video collection.

THE OPTIMIST will shine that positive light in your eyes. Some will love it. Some won’t.

We have now seen the Bucs fall and trip over themselves for six straight games. The defense has crumbled to 1985 proportions, and maybe even worse. The Bucs are on pace to give up more points than any Bucs team ever since that era.

The outside linebackers are completely outclassed, and the secondary is shamefully not tackling anyone, other than No. 20.

We can’t complain about the loss of Gerald McCoy because other teams have injuries, look at the Houston Texans. They were down their best D-ineman and wide receiver, and blew us out of the Bay.

This team has only one running back, and the Bucs offensive coordinator doesn’t know how to use him. Not that it’s Greg Olson’s fault that LeGarrette Blount doesn’t know how to pass protect yet, or is it? Maybe our running back coach is to blame.

Speaking of coaches, that’s the first place everyone wants to go. Even the diehard fans are calling for Raheem Morris’s head. Well, before I do that, it’s time to pass some of the blame around. Namely, the Glazers; owners since 1994.

How do you fire the head coach you promoted to the job and told him to be patient and make this team win with a college all-star team? There are three veteran free agent players on this team right now that don’t work on the offensive line.

Kellen Winslow, Ronde Barber, and Michael Koenen. Don’t be surprised the punter is on this list; the two kickers for the Bucs are in a dead heat tie for 2011 Team MVP right now. My money is on Connor Barth by a nose.

The Glazers are the ones most responsible for this poor product. Coaches coach, players play. Right now this young coaching staff probably has some turnover in store for it, but head coach is probably not one of them. It was the Glazers who instituted this plan in the first place. Build a team through the draft, pile up draft picks and field a team so we can see where free agents are needed. Well, we now know where the holes are, so now your going to get rid of the coach?

It doesn’t make any sense, and that is why I’m still behind Raheem Morris keeping his job, because there are too many indications in history of this sort of thing happening. It may not happen to this degree, but then again show me an example of a team of players so bad before.

Bottom line is anyone who is upset is guilty of putting too much stock into the Bucs 10-6 season last year, and the notion there would be guaranteed improvement. Last year the team overachieved, but this year it’s underachieving. But we all built up our expectations too much. Most people predicted the Bucs would be 6-10 or 7-9, and that’s probably where the Bucs are headed, so what’s the problem?

If Raheem Morris is fired, it will be a done deal, and it will probably shock no one. But ask yourself this one question: you knew it was a long-term deal, you were prepared to undertake it. Is one more year so much to ask to make sure you don’t make a mistake and set the franchise back 3-to-5 years?

Any Bucs fan who has yet to start pounding beers on this good Friday afternoon — wow, two weeks to Christmas — knows the Bucs game against the Jags Sunday could be a pivotal game in the history of the Bucs franchise.

If the Bucs lose to the Jags, the howls of the “Fire Raheem” crowd will be deafening wanting Morris’ head on a platter.

In the mind of popcorn-munching, coffee-slurping, fried chicken-eating, oatmeal-loving, beer-chugging Peter King, Morris is on a list of some 10 coaches he believes are “endangered” coaches and admits Morris will be front and center for the SI.com columnist.

5. The rumor mill. Steve Spagnuolo and Norv Turner and a cast of maybe 10 men are endangered as we enter the home stretch of the season. I expect the pre-game shows to be chock full of fresh news about who’s in and who’s out — and I’ll have an eye open for Raheem Morris in the next month.

If the Bucs lose to the Jags, it’s not an outrageous prediction to say the Bucs could lose the rest of the season, ending the year on a 10-game losing streak, which would be damning for any coach much less an embattled coach going into his final year of his contract.

Two teams playing each other, the Bucs and the Jags, with hopes and dreams for the 2011 season dashed. It comes down to Josh Freeman vs. Maurice Jones-Drew says Pat Kirwan, who breaks down the game with Josh Horowitz in this CBSSports.com video.

Who is Joe to quibble with an art lover?

Joe would never tell a man what to do or enjoy, unless it’s to remind him to grow a pair if he doesn’t have NFL Network in his home and allows himself to be held hostage by a local cable company that prefers Largo park happenings over Thursday Night Football.

That sort of brings us to Davin Joseph, whose love of elephant art made Jeff Faine stop in his tracks.

Faine explained on the Buccaneers Radio Network last night on WDAE-AM 620. Faine said the offensive line goes out to dinner every Thursday with one rule: nobody can talk football. That means sometimes you get too much information.

“I actually learned last week, that kind of caught me off guard, Davin Joseph collects elephant statues. Like he’s serious about it, too,” Faine said. “When someone asks him what do you wants for Christmas, [he says] ‘Find me an elephant. Find me an elephant statue. … He collects them all.  He has like, a thing for them.”

Faine said he hasn’t sought more information on Joseph’s obsession, and Faine didn’t answer when asked if Joseph’s home is adorned with replicas of the popular African beast.

Back in 1990, Bucs icon Monte Kiffin was coaching New York Jets linebackers, and NFL.com writer and CBS Sports analyst Pat Kirwan was assisting him.

Kirwan breaks down football like few others during his weekday show on Sirius NFL Radio, and speaking on the air this week Kirwan said what he sees on film from the Bucs defense would sour Kiffin’s stomach.

“I do worry about what’s going on in Tampa,” Kirwan said. “If you look at them on defense, I was studying them on defense this morning before we came together on this show, there are some really, really bad signs of what’s going on on that defense. Is some of it youth? Yeah, but some of it’s downright bad football. They can’t stop the run right now. Monte Kiffin, I bet you he can’t even look at this Tampa Bay stuff on tape.”

Joe knows some Bucs fans fantasize about Kiffin riding back to town to join Raheem Morris and rescue the once proud Bucs defense. There’s no reason to think that would happen, but Kiffin’s million dollar home on Gulf Boulevard in Redington Beach is still listed with Pinellas County as his primary residence.

Perhaps, if Raheem’s still around, Monte could find some time to help his former assistant — if he can stomach the film.

As for Raheem’s potential return, Kirwan said he expects Raheem to return in 2012 but says Team Glazer’s moves are impossible to predict.

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When a Bucs team comes off a double-digit win season and implodes the next season, and is ill-disciplined, ill-prepared and the coach displayed an interesting choice of a very public scorn of a player when some believe the coach keeps certain players immune from discipline, it is understandable how fans can be irate at said coach.

When the same team tailspins so awfully that it may be in contention for a top-five draft pick and is now in last place after getting curb-stomped at home by a rookie quarterback, these same fans are likely to be loudly beating the drum for a new coach.

Don’t count Shaun King among them.

King, one of only three quarterbacks to lead the Bucs to an NFL championship game, co-hosts the too-Jewish sounding “King David Show” with Toby David on WQYK-AM 1010. He went on an impassioned, factual defense for Morris and suggested the problem with the Bucs is not the coach, but the Bucs front office.

In short, King finds it hypocritical that fans within months of lauding Morris as NFL Coach of the Year now want to run him out of town on the first departing bus.

Please click on the little arrow below for King’s full diatribe.

Audio courtesy of WQYK-AM 1010. Hat tip Justin!

Look, there’s no chance for playoffs. Bucs rock star general manager Mark Dominik has always stressed youth. So why not play all the youngsters?

That’s the line of thinking Sunday, per Stephen Holder of the St. Petersburg Times. Guys like Anthony Gaitor should see more playing time; he showed some promise in the preseason.

But a guy who got limited time in preseason is one Mossis Madu, a running back that — dare Joe say? — has speed.

But Madu came in with intentions and ambitions. Now, for Madu and players like him, opportunity is presenting itself.

“I’m as ready as I’ll ever get,” said Madu, who made his debut Sunday against Carolina and could see more action down the stretch.

“I feel like my head is in the playbook, and I’m in a good place. I know my stuff, and I’m ready to go out there and produce.”

This is simply great news. If the Bucs yearn for anything in the offensive backfield, it is for a guy to be able to run away from tackles, exploit daylight.

Perhaps Madu is one of those guys? Time may tell Sunday.

Yeah, Josh Freeman was “making all the throws” in practice yesterday, which probably means he’s a lock to start Sunday and has overcome his bruised shoulder.

But when the franchise quarterback talks about any injury, Joe takes notice.

Speaking on The Josh Freeman Show on WDAE-AM 620 on Wednesday night, Freeman said he’s still nursing battle wounds from Tennessee.

“I feel more like helmet hits to the side of my arms [are worse than getting an arm whacked by defenders] Freeman said in response to a question. “I have a pretty big bruise from the Tennessee game on my right forearm right now. I couldn’t tell you which play it came from. The next day it was pretty painful.”

Again, the bruise is probably typical and meaningless. But it’s still around about two weeks later and on Freeman’s throwing arm, so Joe is at least filing it away in the back of his head.

LeGarrette Blount couldn't hurdle the low blows he got from the Tampa Bay media this week

Frankly, Joe’s been pretty disgusted by the harsh, ugly, misguided commentary that has come down on LeGarrette Blount in recent days after news broke of him being named as an alleged orchestrator during an alleged parking garage assault shortly after the Bucs-Lions game on opening day.

What we do know for sure, per police reports, is the alleged vicitim in this case left the scene, abandoned his vehicle, and didn’t call police until at least the next day and only for the purpose of trying to get his vehicle back. We also know, per police reports, the alleged victim doesn’t want anyone prosecuted for allegedly beating him unconscious, and the alleged victim miraculously claims to have been sitting in his driver’s seat and without warning or expectation got punched in the face repeatedly to unconsciousness with his girlfriend allegedly screaming next to him and a man sitting on his windshield — yet at the same time the alleged victim was aware that LeGarrette Blount was somehow off to the side acting as a ringleader of the two men allegedly causing damage.

Yeah, and Joe’s the Easter Bunny.

Nobody has that kind of awareness.

Former longtime TV journalist J.P. Peterson, now of WQYK-AM 1010, even went so far to say Blount was “morally and ethically” wrong for “not getting involved.”

And of Blount’s attackers, Peterson said “those are his boys. I believe he could have stopped it, absolutely I do.”

Joe wonders how long this alleged attack took. Five seconds? Six seconds? The guy’s girlfriend told police he didn’t fight back and was hit four or five times.

How Blount, or any third-party away from the action, could have stopped something like that is a mystery.

Speaking to Peterson on the air this week, attorney for the alleged victim, Chris Boss, admitted his client didn’t see much. “It’s hard to identify anything when you’re getting savagely punched in the face,” Boss said.

Exactly.

Joe had to laugh at the attorney crumbling under radio questioning and offering up that his office “had no contact information” for Blount and that “made him hard to reach” after the incident for follow up questioning and help learning more about the alleged attackers. Blount is hard to reach? That’s ludicrous.

If Blount somehow miraculously had time to stop what seems to have been some sort of instantaneous assault, Joe suspects the same people bashing him for standing on the sidelines would be calling him an idiot for getting involved. And if he got hurt, well, Blount would be a moron of biblical proportions and his story never would have been believed.

And Joe doesn’t want to hear the argument that it was Blount’s friends involved, so he could have done something. There’s no guarantee that these friends wouldn’t have punched Blount in the heat of the moment.

There’s nobody really stating that Blount did anything. There’s not even any detail in the police report from the alleged victim and his girlfriend that explains how exactly Blount was playing ring-leader. Nothing at all about what he might have said or did.

Not to single out Peterson too much, there were other radio hosts that put the alleged victim’s attorney on the air. For Joe, there’s no reason to give credibility to a client that hasn’t filed a civil suit and doesn’t want the police involved and, per the attorney, “just wants to be made whole.” Funny how the attorney didn’t take the opportunity during multiple radio interviews to ask for witnesses to come forward and call his office, or ask for help identifying the third man (allegedly Blount’s second friend) at the scene.

Joe feels badly for victims of any crime, but Joe also feels badly for Blount, who was beaten repeatedly the minute this hit the news.

Tampa Tribune beat writer Woody Cummings headed to Twitter today to bring word from Bucs practice that No. 5 is looking super healthy.

TBO_Buccaneers: Freeman’s back. He’s making all the throws and he just did a Kirk Gibson arm pump after drilling a ball to Arrelious Benn.

Joe must admit that the news didn’t excite him at all initially.

Sure, Joe knows Freeman is the franchise QB and Freeman by all accounts is a great kid, and perhaps Joe’s just numb from this six-game slide into the cellar, but Joe’s not really feeling a vibe that Freeman’s return will help the Bucs get back on track more than Josh Johnson starting again.

Though clearly nothing would give the franchise a bigger shot in the arm than Freeman returning to his 2010 ways for the rest of this season.

As for the “Kirk Gibson arm pump” reference from Cummings, Joe always enjoys a good baseball analogy. A bit of a A’s fan back in ’88, Joe was pumping some weights in a Los Angeles gym watching Gibson barely able to stand properly on two bumb legs and belt his famous game-winning homer. Truly one of the more riveting moments in sports over the last 25 years.

Joe’s glad to hear Freeman is getting that excited over a good practice throw. He’s obviously itching to get back on the field.

When you don't use your team's best offensive weapon, of course one can expect the offense to struggle.

Joe can see that Woody Cummings had one of those bury-the-head-in-the-spreadsheet days. The Bucs beat writer for the Tampa Tribune decided to mine for some information and pulled out a few really good nuggets.

It seems the Bucs offense — surprise! — is dismal during this awful six-game losing streak at converting third downs.

The Bucs have converted just 21 of 73 third-down tries (28.7 percent) the last six games, and one reason for the poor results is the preponderance of third-and-long situations.

Of the 73 third downs the Bucs have tried to convert the last six games, 44 have been on plays requiring 5 yards or more. On those plays the Bucs have converted just eight times, for a 24.3-percent conversion rate.

This really isn’t a surprise to Joe for one simple reason:

The Bucs have one of the better run-blocking offensive lines in the game and a running back who averages 4.4 yards a carry (more than Frank Gore, more than Michael Turner, more than Marshawn Lynch), and the Bucs simply refuse to use him.

Meanwhile, the Bucs must work in the notorious Benn’d-around play game after game, rarely with positive results.

OK, Joe’s going to try not to go overboard here but this has hit a nerve.

And it’s time to be real, like it or not, pleasant or not.

For whatever reason — there are many — current Bucs coach Raheem Morris has never been accepted as the Bucs coach to a large segment of fans. Whether it was his inexperience as an NFL coach, his chest-bumping players while down by 20, his seemingly playing favorites with certain players or the fact that, as a defensive coordinator, his defenses have been more offensive than stout.

Again, let Joe be clear: He’s not anti-Raheem and vividly remembers how he should have been NFL coach of the year last season and lost in a tiebreaker to the eventual Super Bowl champion Packers thanks to a robbery of a call against Kellen Winslow. Whether Morris returns next year as a lame duck coach, whether he is granted an extension or whether he is jettisoned next month, Joe has no idea but believes he will return.

As the Bucs season has circled the drain this year, the anti-Raheem crowd has recently gone from vocal to hysterical, already maxing out their credit cards booking U-Hauls to help Morris move out of town at the earliest moment.

The chorus of “Fire Raheem” is so loud it has reached the ears of ESPN’s Pat Yasinskas. Apparently, members of the pen and mic believe there may be a coaching change. This is the focus of Yasinskas’s recent offering on ESPN.com.

Yasinskas believes there is the man who can save the Bucs, and that man “on the planet” is Father Dungy.

One man who, with the simple nod of his head, would sell out Raymond James Stadium instantly, stop the losing, put an end to just about all the trouble off the field and give the Bucs credibility and respectability with their fans and across the league.

His name is Tony Dungy.

Let me be clear: I’m not saying it will happen. Raheem Morris is still coaching the Bucs, and the team already has picked up his contract option for 2012. But the Bucs are on a six-game losing streak and seem to be in total chaos. Dungy seems happy away from coaching and may not ever want to get back into the business.

I’m not saying the Glazer family, which owns the Buccaneers, has decided to fire Morris. And if that decision does come, I’m not saying the Glazers would pursue Dungy.

With all due respect — and Joe is sincere when he writes that — Joe cannot disagree more.

This has long been a pet peeve of Joe’s, this hero worship of Father Dungy. Why exactly?

Part of the reason Yasinskas is of this mind is the lack of warm bodies in the stadium along Dale Mabry Highway. There are many reasons for this. Part of it is the economy, obviously. Part of it is the anti-Raheem element, part of it is (which Joe simply doesn’t get) the suspicions of many Bucs fans who believe (wrongly) that Team Glazer syphons off every nickel to that friggin’ kickball team in England.

Part of it is the fantasy football/video game mentality of the culture that believes building through the draft is a con, no matter that this method is exactly how the Green Bay Packers and Pittsburgh Steelers have constructed their teams. Part of it is the simple fact that watching the game at home on HDTV is in many ways more pleasurable and certainly more economical.

(Please remember that there were thousands of empty seats when Chucky was coaching.)

First off, let’s lay all the cards on the table. Are we to believe if Ted Thompson and Mike McCarthy took over the Bucs, the team couldn’t rebound? Are we to believe that if Kevin Colbert and Mike Tomlin ran the Bucs the team wouldn’t rebound? Are we to believe Bill Belicheat couldn’t change the fortunes of squad?

Please.

Did Father Dungy draft Derrick Brooks, John Lynch and Warren Sapp, the cornerstone troika of the Bucs’ glory years? No.

Did Father Dungy hoist a Lombardi Trophy aloft in victory while Bucs coach? No.

Let’s not deify Father Dungy, come on. Father Dungy’s postseason record is similar to the immortal Jerry Glanville. Father Dungy had arguably the greatest quarterback in NFL history with perhaps one of the greatest offenses in NFL history with a pretty good defense and he still only got to the Super Bowl once. Belicheat coached rings around this guy.

People seem to forget when Jim Irsay hired Father Dungy that in no uncertain terms he was to leave his mitts off the offense and let Tom Moore run the Dolts offense.

People seem to forget that Sapp and Lynch themselves said on the Bucs segment of “America’s Game” that Dungy didn’t do a great job here. One could argue Father Dungy’s Sid Luckman-vision of offense cost the Bucs a pair of rings and had it not been for the stellar play of Shaun King and Mike Alstott against Washington, Father Dungy would have won a grand total of one playoff game in five postseason berths.

Just why is this guy Father Dungy defied around here? Because he’s a nice guy? Hey, Raheem Morris is a nice guy too. How come people aren’t throwing rose petals at his feet?

Not unlike Jim Harbaugh with the 49ers, Father Dungy was in the right place at the right time. The Bucs — thanks to Rich McKay — had some stellar drafts and right when Father Dungy shows up, those draft picks were ready to break out.

How on earth did Bill Walsh win any Super Bowls without the aid of Father Dungy?

Joe can see why one could come to the conclusion Father Dungy running the team (not coaching the team) could change the team’s fortunes. Joe has written before that Father Dungy would be a wonderful front office type. His knack for picking coaches was uncanny.

But to offer that only Father Dungy can save the Bucs is disingenuous to the rest of the league.

This is Greg Olson’s dream come true.

Allergic to using his best offensive weapon (LeGarrette Blount) and infatuated with throwing the ball early and often no matter that his passing game has sputtered all season, the thing that lights up the eyes of an offensive coordinator is when a defense can’t so much as breathe on a quarterback much less touch a signal-caller.

That apparently is the case with the Jags defense, per Vito Stellino of the Florida Times-Union.

Regardless of whether the Bucs start Freeman or backup Josh Johnson, the Jaguars need to get better pressure up front. And they have to do it even though they are short three defensive ends.

John Chick went on injured reserve on Tuesday and both Matt Roth (concussion) and Aaron Kampman (hamstring) weren’t on the field for practice Wednesday. Interim coach Mel Tucker said they are day to day.

“We’re going to have to get creative with the guys we have,” linebacker Paul Posluszny said.

So what does this all mean? The Bucs maybe get Blount eight touches, never mind that the Jags have a better pass defense than the Ravens or Jets.

Don’t fear Bucs fans, it’s quite possible you will see the weekly Arrelious Benn’d-around play by midway through the second quarter. That should keep the Jags defense honest.

There was little to take away from the beat down the Carolina Panthers gave to the last-place Bucs last week. But that little element was actually quite large.

Rookie defensive end Da’Quan Bowers had a monster game, perhaps the best game from a Bucs defensive end in years.

Bowers racked up seven tackles, five tackles for a loss, 1.5 sacks, two quarterback pressures and a pass defensed.

The second round draft pick, who slipped from a high first round pick due to fears of a bum knee, was pretty much a non-factor in preseason and early in the season, but a few weeks into the season, one could see Bowers improving game by game until he blew up last week in his first NFL start.

Bowers’ strong play doesn’t give Bucs coach Raheem Morris much of an excuse to take him off the field, so look for Bowers to start against Jacksonville Sunday, so wrote Scott Smith of Buccaneers.com.

“It’s the NFL, so everybody has a ton of talent,” said Bowers. “So you’ve got to watch film and work on your craft. Whatever you see on film, expect it to be twice as tough when you get on the field. You’ve got to study hard and have a plan going into the game.”

Though Bowers should start, if healthy, fellow defenive end Michael Bennett should see playing time, too.

The way Bowers played has Joe excited (but not in a Rachel Watson sort of way). Bowers has improved by leaps and bounds since training camp opened. If he can continue that upside, the Bucs are looking at having a monster defensive end to terrorize quarterbacks for some time.

Last Sunday, Bucs coach Raheem Morris shocked the NFL landscape by running defensive tackle Brian Price from the stadium for a personal foul he committed.

It was a move rarely seen outside of high school sports. Morris was so perturbed by Price he let fly a foul expletive in his postgame press conference.

The stunt shook Price. Yesterday was the first time Price had a chance to discuss the incident with the Bucs pen and mic club and he likened it to corporal punishment from his father, so tells eye-RAH! Kaufman of the Tampa Tribune.

“It’s kind of like getting a whipping from your dad,” Price said Wednesday. “You don’t really take it too personal. He’s my coach and I love him to death. I love playing for him and I love the team and I just want to apologize to the owners and (GM) Mark Dominik and Raheem. I let my emotions get the best of me.”

Time will only tell if this was a too-late-made shot across the bow by Morris or if it backfires given that other players on the roster have committed far greater sins, and apparently there have been few in any repurcussions.

Fortunately on face value, it seems Price is taking it the correct way, as an educational tool.

There are all sorts of elements to discuss about how the last-place Bucs season is circling the drain.

No linebacker play to speak of, inability to stop the run up front, lack of big play-making ability in the secondary, an erratic passing game… Joe could go on.

But the stat geeks of BSPN regurgitate numbers and in some cases, some interesting elements can be found, as has Pat Yasinskas.

The Bucs are third in the NFL in dropped passes, and two of the main culprits are the two prizes of the 2010 draft, Mike Williams and Arrelious Benn.

After that, there’s pretty strong representation for the NFC South in the top 10. Tampa Bay’s Mike Williams is tied for third with seven drops. His teammate, Arrelious Benn, is tied for No. 7 with five drops.

Of course this information is not all bad from Yasinskas. Who are the Bucs tied with for dropped passes? The Dixie Chicks, who appear to be on the verge of another postseason berth with the Bears and the Lions doing their best to tank their successful seasons.