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.

"Olie, if just one of us could be our best selves, I bet we'd win this one."

On paper, the Bucs-Jags game on Sunday is one of the ugliest on the NFL schedule this season.

The Jags can’t score, putting up a mere 12.7 points a game. (Think about that.) But they’ve managed to win a few, thanks in large part to their defense, which is ranked fifh-best in the NFL.

The Bucs, well, they lead the league in anemic starts and self-implosion, and Raheem Morris’ defense is extraordinarily accommodating to opposing running backs.

Yeah, this one should be ugly, but Joe is expecting a fascinating game.

Maurice Jones-Drew leads the NFL in rushing and has to be salivating at the thought of the Bucs coming into his house. But Blaine Gabbert completes less than 50 percent of his passes and takes a ton of sacks.

Joe can’t imagine the Bucs moving the ball on a team with a defense that no doubt will punch them in the mouth.

Seriously, Joe can’t wait to watch this game. Joe suspects the Bucs’ expensive punter and lights-out field goal kicker might be the difference.

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Joe’s heard plenty of fans and pundits moan and groan about Mike Williams’ play falling off this season, and Joe’s heard the talk from those who think the Bucs are short of talent in the receivers department.

Sure, Williams hasn’t been as sharp as he was in 2010. Part of that is defenses rolling more coverages and double teams his way. Another part is the dropped passes, and another part is Greg Olson taking several weeks to remember that throwing Williams a slant pass works pretty darn well.

That written, Williams clearly has regained top form over the past two games, and for a guy having an “off year,” Williams has managed to have the 12th-most catches among NFL wide receivers this season with 57.

Take a moment to compare Williams body of work over 2010 and 2011, and you could easily argue he’s the best wide receiver in his draft class. Dez Bryant? Antonio Brown? Eric Decker? Joe still takes Williams.

As the Bucs head into the home stretch of what’s been a heinous season, Joe will be watching Williams’ performance down the stretch closely. Joe suspects he won’t be disappointed.

Astute Bucs analyst and Buccaneers Radio Network host Justin “The Commish” Pawlowski weighed in this week with a take on Brian Price’s ejection Sunday.

Joe suggests you click on through here to check it out. The Commish lays out how there could be a double standard of discipline on the Bucs, but he hopes there isn’t. It’s an interesting read with solid facts.

Now, however, Joe’s going to grab hold of a point made in the piece about the talent level on the Bucs. The Commish isn’t buying the rhetoric of those screaming that the Bucs are a bare cupboard in the talent department.

I would like to make one point on the  perceived “lack of talent” on the Buccaneers roster.  First, not one person  said anything about a lack of talent on the Bucs roster last year when they were  10-6.  When I see names like Legarrette Blount, Daquan Bowers, Adrian  Clayborn, Brian Price, Mason Foster, Aqib Talib, Mike Williams, Josh Freeman,  Kellen Winslow, Ronde Barber, the entire offensive line, Michael Koenen, Connor  Barth, etc…, it’s tough for me to say there is zero talent on the roster. As a  matter of fact, I think the Bucs have had better talent on their roster than the last two teams they have played, but lost by a combined score of 61-36.

It seems like we keep hearing that the team  is not executing, is out of gaps, and not in position week in and week  out.  Raheem Morris even spoke of cutting back on the amount of plays each  week to help the “young” players focus more solely on a limited number of plays  and running those perfectly.

See, for me, it’s not about talent.   These players are talented.  For the same players to be making the same  mental mistakes each week that leads to a lack of execution, being out of gaps,  or out of position means that the people directing them are not doing a good  enough job of getting their point and/or the corrections across.  That’s the part of the team that needs the most improvement.

There’s no doubt the Bucs talent vs. coaching debate will rage on for quite a while.

There’s no right answer or any sense in fingering Mark Dominik or Raheem Morris exclusively for the Bucs’ demise, but Joe definitely sides with The Commish; the Bucs’ 2012 talent level is far, far better than their performance this season.

"I can get all sorts of guys to be my defensive coordinator just by picking my Droid, man."

Joe’s a modest guy. He doesn’t like to brag often, unless it’s about his loyal readers (Joe broke one million pageviews [again] for the month of November and Joe thanks everyone).

But to Joe’s knowledge, he was the first one to suggest — last year as a matter of fact — that Bucs coach Raheem Morris needed to replace himself as the defensive coordinator with someone else, as he may have too many responsibilities wearing the caps of both head coach and defensive coordinator.

This seems to now be the topic du jour as the Bucs finish the final weeks of a disappointing 2011 season.

In fact, the TBO duo of eye-RAH! Kaufman and Woody Cummings of the Tampa Tribune weighed in on this subject in a TBO Bucs Q & A.

Q: Is it time for Mark Dominik to have Coach Raheem Morris relieved of his defensive coordinator duties? I feel Rah is a good coach, but he could be a great coach if he was forced to focus only on being a head coach. What would be our options? Any chance the Bucs try and get Monte Kiffin back? We need to get back to old school Buc ball, these kids need more discipline and understanding of what their assignments are out there. We have to much talent to look this bad.

Jeremy Devon, San Antonio, Tex.

A: Morris doesn’t want to give up his dual roles, but he may be given no choice. Remember, he has never been a defensive coordinator at the NFL level and it appears he has stretched himself too thin. I wouldn’t expect Kiffin to come back to Tampa, but there will be alluring candidates to choose from if the Bucs go in that direction. A new coordinator can make a big impact – just look at what Wade Phillips is doing in Houston.

– eye-RAH! Kaufman

I can’t imagine there will not be a high-level discussion about a possible change of defensive coordinators once the season is over. At the same time, I know that Raheem Morris believes he has a much better feel for the team as a whole while having his hand in a major part of it. And the decision to make him coordinator didn’t seem all that bad down the stretch in 2009 and in 2010, when it was apparent that a lack of talent was the reason for the Bucs defensive struggles. That said, I think the Bucs have been grooming DBs coach Jimmy Lake to be a defensive coordinator and they probably don’t want to lose him. One way to prevent that is to promote him. Could happen.

– Woody Cummings

This all sounds good but Joe hates to break anyone’s bubble: Raheem Morris is signed through 2012. Once again, Joe asks, “Just who is going to uproot their family for one year?” The only people are desperate coaches or college guys looking to add “NFL” to their resumes. One name Joe has floated is Tom Bradley of Penn State, perhaps the most underrated defensive coordinator in college who runs a form of the Cover-2.

Joe can say this much: Wishing for Monte Kiffin to return is like wishing for Santa Claus to bring you that bike you never got as a kid. Kiffin left specifically to work with his son, Lane. If Kiffin leaves the employ of his son, it will be to retire.

Late this afternoon, Joe was able to reach LeGarrette Blount’s lawyer, Ryan Morgan, who blasted the accusers of a Sept. 11 incident, calling it a “total shakedown” and a blatant money grab.

Per a St. Petersburg Times report, Blount is accused of being a “leader” in a physical assault after the Bucs lost to the Lions in the season opener.

Blount was with his seven-year old autistic nephew at the time of the incident, per police reports. While Blount may have been a witness, he was not involved in the physical altercation.

It was not until the alleged victim of the incident realized Blount was in the group did they try to squeeze the Bucs running back for money, Morgan said.

“We get a message from [counsel representing the victim] saying they want $95,000,” Morgan said. “He said at the time if he didn’t get the money he would go public. He had a relationship with a reporter to write a one-sided article.

“It’s baloney, you know. This guy drives around crashing into cars and he admits LeGarette didn’t do anything [physical]. LeGarrette was with his seven-year old nephew who is autistic.

“This is total baloney, it’s just not true. Look, there was a crash and an altercation, I can’t condone that. But even [the victim] admits LeGarrette didn’t do anything.”

Disturbing news is coming out about an incident where Bucs running back LeGarrette Blount is alleged to have been involved after the Bucs’ loss to Detroit Sept. 11, per Mark Puente of the St. Petersburg Times.

According to the police report, a man and his girlfriend, both wearing Bucs shirts, drove their 2008 Toyota pickup into the Visconti at International Drive apartments not far from Raymond James Stadium. The pickup then hit the mirror on a silver 2005 Ford Expedition, next to which Blount and two other men were standing. The victim did not want to stop next to the Expedition because the pickup would block other traffic. The three men got into the Expedition and drove around the pickup, cutting it off.

The three men got out of the Expedition. One of them “reached in and punched (the pickup driver) several times on his eye, nose and jaw,” according to the report. The victim “realized a second male was on his hood and was jumping onto his windshield and ultimately shattering the glass.”

The victim said the third man “was the leader and directed the actions of the other two.”

Blount was not charged in the incident. Per the article, Blount was said to have not been cooperative with police. Blount also refused to comment to the Times.

If Blount is not charged, Joe doesn’t know if this is a big deal or not.

What will happen to the Bucs, specifically Bucs head coach/defensive coordinator Raheem Morris, at season’s end is anyone’s guess.

No one, not Bucs rock star general manager Mark Dominik, not Team Glazer, has come out (yet) and given the embattled Bucs coach a vote of confidence. So without sitting in a boardroom at One Buc Palace, no one knows if Morris is twisting in the wind or if his job is safe.

Morris has one year left on his contract, which could be a can of worms. Mike Florio, the creator, curator and overall guru of ProFootballTalk.com recently said that one of the paradoxes of having a coach with one year left means “free agents won’t want to come here” because of the uncertainty.

Of course, until 2013 when teams are required to spend a large percentage of the salary cap season on player payroll, that is probably irrelevant as the Bucs are building through the draft. Having but one year left on Morris’ contract also handcuffs the Bucs if they would want to bring in new assistants or replace departed ones; good assistants don’t want an uncertain future.

Joe rmembers last winter he was talking with Gil Brandt. For those unaware, Brandt may have been one of the greatest front office minds in NFL history. He was the architect of the Cowboys from their franchise birth through the first months of the Jerry Jones/Jimmy Johnson era.

Anyone who listens to Brandt on SiriusXM NFL Radio knows Brandt is a treasure trove of information and was obsessed with scouting talent, going to all corners of the country to find players, and he possesses a photographic memory that is unequaled in sports radio.

When Joe asked Brandt if Morris would have his contract re-upped by the Bucs, Brandt looked Joe straight in the eye and without blinking responded, “How many tickets are they selling in Tampa?”

The response took Joe aback. Joe never thought of a coach’s job security in that manner, but it did remind Joe that, at the end of the day, the NFL is a business and it’s not exactly all about wins and losses, but dollars and cents (just ask Bill Bidwill).

Now let Joe be clear: Until this past Sunday, Joe thought Morris’ job was safe, that Team Glazer would bring him back if not extend his current contract. Since Sunday, Joe isn’t as certain.

Brandt’s response to Joe has haunted him ever since that freezing Dallas afternoon. It’s been lodged in the back of Joe’s head since and whenever someone asks Joe if he thought Morris would be brought back, Joe would respond, “Yes, but… ” and tell the curious questioner about Brandt’s statement.

Joe regaled a fellow media member Sunday with this story, and said media member scoffed that ticket sales are irrelevant, saying that revenue from TV networks so dwarfs gate revenue that it’s not worth even bringing up.

Oddly enough, Monday the Sports Business Journal reported that the NFL was on the cusp of finalizing new contracts with all of its media partners that would bring revenue for all teams to a staggering amount annually, with no end to the rivers of cash in sight.

The size and scope of these deals offer further proof of the stunning power of NFL programming, which makes up the highest-rated shows on TV. Looking at the total revenue from the next round of national media deals puts the immense nature of the deals into better context. Combined with ESPN’s annual average of $1.8 billion a year for “Monday Night Football,” DirecTV’s out-of-market “Sunday Ticket” deal, the league’s planned Thursday night game package that it is preparing to shop, Sirius Satellite Radio, Westwood One radio and Verizon’s mobile deal, the NFL could wind up generating close to $7 billion annually in national media revenue starting in 2014. That represents a whopping 64 percent increase over the $4.28 billion that the NFL received from national media before the most recent round of renewals.

In fact, the $7 billion figure is more than the league’s total combined revenue from just a few years ago.

The league’s huge rights fee increases are coming far quicker than even the most optimistic projections. In February, Moody’s Investor Services predicted that NFL media money would hit $8 billion annually over the next two renewal rounds. With these deals, the league will close in on the figure after just its first renewal round.

With a calculator, that brings revenue just from media partners alone per team to $218 million dollars a year. Without going into too much legal mumbo jumbo, the NFL salary cap for 2011 is roughly $120 million.

(These figures do not include Spanish-rights broadcasts which are being negotiated. All of the contracts are based on 16-game schedules.)

If the figures from the Sports Business Journal are accurate, Joe can easily see how gate revenue influencing Team Glazer’s decision whether or not to retain the services of Morris is trival at best and likely a non-factor. The number of season tickets sold probably will have zero influence over Morris’ job status.

While Brandt had a very, very, very valid point to Joe not quite a year ago, Brandt was using an NFL standard that is now obsolete.

Welcome to the new NFL.

Hand the rock to LeGarrette Blount 30 times a game. That’s what Raheem Morris says is the Bucs’ offensive identity.

Raheem has said that multiple times on The Raheem Morris Show on WDAE-AM 620, including last night.

Yesterday a caller into the show named Billy asked Raheem if he was ever going to keep the offense wide open after completing a first down in a four-wide-receiver set outside of a two-minute or four-minute offense. Billy said he thought the Bucs’ offense was too predictable and even fans can guess play-calls from the stands.

“It kind of goes to offensive identity,” Raheem said. “Right now, what your team is built for offensive identity-wise is to hand the ball to Blount 30 times.

“Once you go to a four-wide package you kind of take Blount’s ability to run behind a fullback and really be a power offense, ala some of the power offenses in the league, that got’em 10 wins last year. You know, it’s less about what the defense knows. They gotta go out there and be able to stop it. And right now they’re stopping it because they’re out-executing us at the point of attack, or we’re making mistakes on any particular play on offense.”

Raheem went on to say that the Bucs can’t go to four wideout sets early in games because the Bucs can’t change who they are effectively midseason – “to try to become something that you’re not,” Raheem said. “You have to have some sort of offensive identity before you mature.”

Raheem gave an example of Tom Brady’s evolution, growing into using multiple packages over years of development. Raheem acknowledged that the Bucs are nowhere near that level.

Joe always cringes when he hears Raheem say Blount should get 30 carries if a Bucs game is going according to plan. That reminds Joe of the mind-boggling opening day when Blount got only five carries, and other days when the Bucs seemed under-committed to the run.

Whatever the Bucs’ offensive identity is, Joe hopes it becomes noticeable and effective soon. And if any of Joe’s readers know what the Bucs’ identitity is in the red zone, feel free to share below.

Radio shock jock Bubba Clem, more famously known for being a cohort of “The King of All Media,” Howard Stern, now offers commentary for Joe’s proud television partner WTSP-TV Channel 10. Here, Clem points fingers at what is causing the last place Bucs season to circle the drain, but none of his targets include Bucs coach Raheem Morris.

Pharmacies across the Tampa Bay area are doing brisk business with sales of antacids the past few days given the nauseating play of the Bucs, in particular the defense.

It seems, per eye-RAH! Kaufman of the Tampa Tribune, that Bucs rock star general manager Mark Dominik may have also been afflicted with this malady.

Speaking on “Primetime” with Ronnie Lane and Tom Krasniqi, heard weekday afternoons on WHBO-AM 1040, Kaufman detailed a chance encounter with Dominik at halftime of the last place Bucs’ curb-stomping at the hands of the struggling Panthers Sunday.

Kaufman noted he was taking a break and leaving his press seat near the end of the first half when he saw Dominik exiting what Kaufman believed was the coaches’ box.

“He was ashen-faced, I mean he was grim,” Kaufman said. “I’ve never seen him have that look. I think he was shocked. They are not in these games, they are not close guys. They are giving up 30 points a game in this losing streak.”

Dominik wasn’t the only one in shock. So too was Joe. No one, no one expected the Bucs to be manhandled like this before the season. Sure, many predicted perhaps NFL reality would set back in and the Bucs would maybe go 7-9, but no one expected the team to spiral out of control the way it has.

As it currently stands, it appears the Bucs may only be able to beat the Jaguars on the road in their final four games, and even that is not a sure bet.

Former Bucs QB Shaun King continued his ongoing tirade yesterday against those who want to blame Raheem Morris for much of the Bucs’ troubles this season.

Speaking as co-host on The King David Show on WQYK-AM 1010, King reiterated his belief that Raheem is being asked to make lemonade for the second consecutive season without sugar (as passionate as King is on this topic, one would think Raheem is without a spoon or water, as well.)

King routinely has been demanding blame fall on rockstar general manager Mark Dominik. And as part of a take yesterday, King fired off a list of players he says will be gone next season, some because King thinks the organization won’t pay them.

Joe, of course, was taking notes. So here’s a summary of who King thinks the Bucs will ditch:

Gone from the 2012 Defense:

Geno Hayes, Sean Jones, Michael Bennett (Bucs won’t pay him, King says, and guys like him that can rush the passer are at a premium in the NFL.), Ronde
Barber, Albert Haynesworth (might stay if Gerald McCoy is hurt)

Gone from the 2012 Offense:

Josh Johnson, Jeff Faine, Kregg Lumpkin, Kellen Winslow, LeGarrette Blount

Yes, you read that correctly. King says Blount is a goner.

King claims Blount is “one offseason from getting fat” and the Bucs won’t pay him handomely “after throwing a punch in New Orleans” and because “he can’t get on the field on third down.”

Joe’s not sure where King’s take on Blount comes from, and Joe is not in King’s corner when it comes to assigning more blame to Dominik than Raheem for the Bucs’ woes. The Bucs have more talent on the field than last season, and the team is playing at nowhere near the same level, from execution on both sides of the ball to overall effort. That’s not on Dominik.

Are Bucs players feeling the warmth from Raheem Morris’ hot seat?

St. Pete Times beat writer Rick Stroud says they are in a big way.

“The first thing that several [players] mentioned was, ‘We got plenty to play for. We gotta play for our coaches’ jobs. There’s going to be changes in here if we don’t win,'” Stroud said, speaking on The Dan Sileo Show on WDAE-AM 620 on Monday.

Stroud went on to say the players he talked to Sunday like all aspects of the Raheem regime but may be concerned primarily about their own job security under a new head coach.

Joe really doesn’t care what motivates the Bucs. They’re not playing — or coaching — anywhere near their potential, except for a few bright spots.

But all parties involved still have ample time and opportunity to save the regime. Four games is an eternity in the NFL.

Earlier today Joe brought word of NBC Sports and Sports Illustrated scribe Peter King wondering about Raheem Morris’ job security and wagging a finger of shame at Raheem for a disparaging quote about the Panthers.

King now has apologized for screwing up the Panters quote.

Here’s King’s apology and correction from SI.com: