OK boys and girls, have at it. Let your feelings be known about how the Bucs are playing against the stinking Panthers today. As always, any and all commenters who post addresses of pirated streams of the game, even spelling the addresses out, will be banned. You are welcome to post your e-mail address and share the pirated feeds amongst yourselves.

Now behave! 🙂

Q.: But Joe, why don’t you have live chats?

A.: They were more pain in the ass than worth it for Joe. The software for the live chats only allowed 15 unmoderated users. Any more than 15, each and every comment had to be approved. Joe’s trying to do work (read: watch the game) and too may people were b!tching about how their comments were not posted quick enough, so Joe decided to deep-six the live chats for Bucs games.

Here are the Bucs inactives today. As Joe’s written, Josh Freeman won’t play.  

On the defensive side of the ball, you won’t see Michael Bennett, Myron Lewis or Daniel Te’O-Hesheim.

Derek Hardman, James Lee, Micheal Spurlock and, of course, Freeman, lose the coveted helmet on offense.

No big surprises here, and you won’t have Lewis to pick on after the game.

Gulp!

The St. Pete Times is reporting Josh Freeman will not play today. Sure, Freeman hasn’t had the greatest season, but he’s still a critical cog to any Bucs victory.

For Joe, this is a bit of a silver lining. There’s got to be no doubt the Bucs will pound LeGarrette Blount to make life easier on Josh Johnson.

What an opportunity for Johnson, who gets to showcase himself against a garbage Carolina defense as he approaches unrestricted free agency. Johnson can make himself some good money this weekend — in Tampa or another city.

Now Joe has read from some conspiracy theorists that the reason why Freeman won’t play is that if the Bucs lose to the Panthers with Josh Johnson as the starter, no big deal. If the Bucs lost to the lowly Panthers with Freeman, the vultures would be circling embattled Bucs coach Raheem Morris.

Adjust your tin foil hats accordingly.

No excuses, Bucs. Go beat the lowly Panthers at home.

In a sure sign that Bucs starting quarterback Josh Freeman may not play tomorrow against the Panthers, or may be limited in playing time, the Bucs today activated third string quarterback Rudy Carpenter from the practice squad, per Woody Cummings of the Tampa Tribune, on the TBO Bucs Twitter feed.

The Bucs have promoted QB Rudy Carpenter from the practice squad just in case Josh Freeman can’t go tomorrow.

If Freeman was healthy or the Bucs thought he could go, there’s little doubt Carpenter would not be activated. What would be the point when you can have another player activated to add depth?

Will Bucs fans who attend the throwback game be witness to Josh Johnson’s first start of the season?

In what seems like a statement of the obvious, veteran Tampa Tribune scribe eye-RAH! Kaufman added more media heat under Raheem Morris today via the TBO.com Bucs Twitter account.

Kaufman says Team Glazer will be scrutinizing all things Bucs and Raheem Morris during the final 29 days of the season.

@TBO_Buccaneers:  Ira: Bucs ownership will be looking for signs of improvement in the final 5 games. Otherwise, Raheem Morris could be out after 3 seasons.

On Monday, it was St. Pete Times scribe Rick Stroud talking about Raheem needing to win games to guarantee his survival. A couple of days ago it was a TV talking head asking Raheem about his job security during a news conference. Two weeks ago, it was former NFL executive turned NFL Network guru Mike Lombard skewering Raheem, to which Raheem responded with a clown reference.

For Joe, these theatrics are completely expected for a head coach mired in a five-game losing streak, a guy who also is a defensive coordinator of an atrocious defense.

Again, Joe’s not thinking Kaufman is sending any coded messages from Team Glazer. Raheem simply needs to win and get his guys improving in a hurry. Otherwise, Joe’s not seeing how fans or ownership could have any confidence in Raheem’s ability to turn things around next season.

The spend-some-damn-money crowd got an update this morning from the statistical gremlins at ESPN, so reports NFC South blogger Pat Yasinskas.

Privy to “committed” cash data for the 2012 season, Yasinskas reports that the Bucs have the 26th most dough on the docket at $91.5 million, about $14 million under the league average.

I’m seeing six teams with more 2012 cap room than the Bucs, who are at $91.533 million. Tampa Bay’s number also is going to climb after this season because the Bucs are playing a lot of young players who have escalator clauses in their contracts that kick in if certain requirements on playing time are met.

One of the teams well below the average is the Atlanta Falcons. They’re sitting at $89.3 million. The Cincinnati Bengals ($71.2 million) have the least committed toward the 2012 cap.

If this were late February, Joe might be paying more attention. But with five games to go and unknown variables in this data, Joe doesn’t care too much.

Remember, these numbers from ESPN are essentially contracts on the books for 2012. So, for example, Ronde Barber, who reportedly has a one-year deal for 2011 at $5 million, is not part of the 2012 cash numbers. The data may or may not include Albert Haynesworth’s rougly $7 million he’s scheduled to make next season. Quincky Black’s fat deal is in there.

The only thing clear is that the Bucs will again have a pile of money available to spend in the offseason.

Bucs legend, tight end Jimmy Giles, becomes the third Buccaneer to be inducted into the Bucs Ring of Honor on Sunday, and the team will honor Giles by wearing the throwback creamcicles. Joe was fortunate to have a chance this week to ask Giles a few questions about his days with the Bucs and how the game has changed for tight ends.

JoeBucsFan: Are you sort of jealous about the way the game has changed? When you played, aside from Kellen Winslow — who was a tight end in name but in reality was a slot receiver — tight ends were blockers first and receivers second. Now, some tight ends are top receivers. Could you have been more of a passing target in today’s football?

Jimmie Giles: That’s one of the things we talked about. Blocking, that’s something I prided myself on that. Passing? Back in the day when Kellen played, tight end was more of a passing weapon in the AFC, but with John McKay, it was all about pitching that ball out and blocking to spring the running back. You had to be a blocker and when you had to catch it, you had better catch it or you would never have the ball thrown to you. I had to put myself in position where I could catch the ball anywhere from 6-12 times. But if I played now, I’m sure I could get 16 catches a game. Kellen was a great tight end but he didn’t want to block that much and he didn’t have to.

Joe: You were a crushing blocker, almost like a pulling guard. As a kid, I remember and can still picture you blowing up linebackers time after time. Was your blocking ability something you had to develop with the Bucs or what that a skill you always possessed?

Giles: First of all, I invite you to join the committee to elect me to the Hall of Fame. One of the things is, you have to have a team concept of being able to run the football. A tight end had to be a very integral part of the blocking and you have to want to be able to work and learn the techniques of blocking and have a mindset of blocking. If you know you have to make a key block, to make the running game go, that is as important as catching a 15-yard pass. Blocking is more of an attitude. But they don’t pay you for blocking, they pay you for catching passes.

Joe: You played in two of the most extreme weather games in Bucs history, the 1979 regular season finale in a monsoon at Tampa Stadium against the Chiefs to clinch the NFC Central title, and the Snow Bowl in Green Bay where you literally played in a blizzard with a foot of snow and wind chills at zero degrees. Which was the most difficult?

Giles: Without a doubt the game against Kansas City because that was the game that ended the losing days for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. That game put us in the playoffs and you couldn’t call us losers any more. That win gave us a 10-6 record and nobody could say we were losers and we were excited about that.

Joe: The early glory days of the Bucs you played with Doug Williams. When he left the team’s success collapsed and it took over a decade for the team to recover. With his success with the Bucs and later the Redskins, should Williams be in the Hall of Fame?

Giles: I would have to say without a doubt because of the adversity he faced throughout his career and the things that he accomplished despite not having the tools other quarterbacks had to work with and to get to the Super Bowl and did what he did in the Super Bowl, I think he was one of the greatest of all times, convincingly. For his journey, absolutely he should be in the Hall of Fame.

Joe: It seems that you and your Bucs teammates were close. Few if any of you were from Florida yet so many of you stayed in the area and set down roots and started businesses, which you don’t see that often with other teams. Whenever there is an appearance or reunion of the old Bucs, there is a big turnout. So it seems you guys were tight and close. Was there a special bond that you developed with your teammates? Is that why so many of you stayed in the area?

Giles: That is what prepared us for winning. We became a football family after the 1978 season, we became very close and we developed a rapport to lock out for each other and take care of each other. We won despite everyone else. We had a great core of fans week in and week out and that made a huge difference when you came to the games on Sunday and see the stadium packed. You wanted to win for the fans and the organization.

The lovely Tiffany Simons (she’s actually getting hotter, if you can imagine) and Gregg Rosenthal discuss the state of the Bucs and Rosenthal doesn’t believe Raheem Morris is in any danger of losing his job in this NBCSports.com video.

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

Joe has posted this before: He does not understand the vile hate many Bucs fans have toward cornerback E.J. Biggers.

Joe is of the mind that Biggers is a decent cornerback. No, he may not be Tramon Williams, but he is serviceable.

The only way Joe can figure out the loathing about Biggers is last year he had trouble with — GASP! — Calvin Johnson in a Bucs loss that doomed the Bucs’ playoff hopes.

Joe believes this is a straw man argument. What cost the Bucs the playoffs was a touchdown by Kellen Winslow that was robbed, as he was called for offensive interference despite being mugged in the end zone.

That took a touchdown off the board and the Bucs had to settle for a field goal and eventually lost in overtime.

Besides, Johnson burns receivers mostly every game, he is that good. Joe once saw Jerry Rice fry Deion Sanders. By the Biggers logic some Bucs fans have, that would mean Sanders was garbage.

Yes, Biggers is struggling a little bit this year, but it always seems like he is a step or a half-step away from a play. It’s not like Biggers is getting roasted like a hog on a spit.

Last year Joe brought word about how the football numbers crunchers at FootballOutsiders.com graded Biggers as one of the better cornerbacks in the NFL.

It seems like the Bucs braintrust is like-minded. Woody Cummings of the Tampa Tribune took a look at where the Bucs need to upgrade and the Bucs have no intention of benching Biggers.

The Bucs seem pretty happy with E.J. Biggers as a third corner, but Myron Lewis is struggling to earn playing time. So, the Bucs need at least one, if not two, starting-caliber upgrades here.

Joe agrees with this assessment. Myron Lewis is officially in Kyle Moore territory. Lewis is a good guy, make no mistake. But like Moore, Lewis struggles to stay healthy. When he does make it on the field (not often), his play offers much to be desired.

If Lewis is to remain on the Bucs roster for 2012, he must stay healthy. Otherwise, what’s the point in keeping a roster spot for the guy?

The Bucs are in a tailspin and much of the problem has been their defense. In particular, the Bucs’ rushing defense has been dismal.

There are lots of reasons, but the Bucs inability to stop the run can be pointed to one element: no Gerald McCoy.

GMC in just his second year not only became a team leader and mentor of sorts, but the numbers the Bucs have given up after he left the lineup with a torn bicep are alarming.

Evan Silva, who among other employers works for NBC Sports, documents just how bad the Bucs miss GMC.

@evansilva: Opposing RBs vs Buccaneers D in Gerald McCoy’s 5 missed games so far: 8 rushing TDs, 677 rushing yards on 122 carries (5.55 YPC).

Coincidence? Joe thinks not. GMC got some decent penetration up front. When a defensive lineman gets penetration, he also disrupts a play. Sometimes this is as important as a tackle or a sack.

So if Bucs fans are frustrated with how the Bucs season has turned out, this is a good place to start, the void left by GMC.

Joe imagines he’s one of the few that listens to The Jeff Faine Show, which broadcasts out of an Orlando radio station on Monday nights.

Don’t worry. You’re not missing much. It’s essentially an infomercial for Faine’s fancy Orlando sports bar, and they broadcast live from the joint while Faine drinks a couple of cold ones and talks all things sports with an annoying host.

That said, occasionally Faine says something of note for Bucs fans.

Multiple times this season Faine has said that the Bucs’ biggest rival is the Panthers and the team has a bitter taste for all things Carolina.

Faine has said that the illegal Clifton Smith decapitation still hits home with many players that witnessed that heinous personal foul from former Panthers cornerback Dante Wesley in 2009. Faine said players recognize that the incident all but ended Smith’s career. Joe’s blood still boils that Roger Goodell saw fit to only suspend Wesley one game. Thanks, hatchetman.

The point here is Joe sincerely hopes the Bucs treat this as a rivalry game, in the sense that they bring big-time energy and hatred for 60 minutes.

 If the good guys can’t get a first-quarter touchdown against this heinous Carolina defense, then it might not happen until next year.

Jason Horowitz and Pat Kirwan look inside the Panthers-Bucs game in this CBSSports.com video. Kirwan calls this the Panthers’ “Super Bowl” and expects a big day from the bad guys.

ESPN NFC South blogger Pat Yasinskas cranked out a column yesterday firmly explaining his take on the worst team in the division; this came as part of a preview of Sunday’s division-dungeon bowl, also known as the Panthers-Bucs game.

Joe started reading this piece but barely finished. Yasinskas was bashing and misrepresenting LeGarrette Blount, and for Joe that means Yasinskas either isn’t watching Bucs games, is sniffing common household cleaners, or has it out for the Bucs.

Here’s a small sample (not of the cleaners, but of Yasinskas’ head-shaking content.)

Freeman, who threw 25 touchdowns and just six interceptions last season, hasn’t been able to hit targets. Mike Williams, who looked like a No. 1 receiver as a rookie, has turned into the second coming of Michael Clayton. LeGarrette Blount, who ran for 1,000 yards in half a season in 2010, might need a season and a half to hit that mark again, which might coincide with the moment he finally learns to pass block.

People talked about Freeman, Williams and Blount as “The Triplets” last year. I still think Freeman has a world of potential, but it’s looking like he might end up being an only child. On defense, the Bucs have a lot of draft picks and money invested in their defensive line.

Joe truly apologizes for putting you through that passage.

First, if Yasinskas had bothered to use a calculator, he’d have seen that Blount already is on pace for a 1,000 yard season in 2011, assuming the Bucs hand him the ball an average of 15 times a game. Hitting that amount of carries wouldn’t satisfy Joe, but it’s a safe bet Blount will get that many carries. 

With so many available ways to hammer the Bucs for their performance, why would Yasinskas recklessly come after their most explosive weapon, Blount, who is having a good year? Frankly, Joe’s embarrassed for his profession.

As for calling Mike Williams the second coming of Michael Clayton, that’s quite a reach. Nobody’s nearly as bad as Clayton. In Clayton’s sophomore season he caught 32 balls and zero touchdowns. Williams has been playing better lately and already has 53 catches and three touchdowns in his second year.

The Bucs have serious issues, but Blount and Williams surely aren’t part of the problem.

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.

The Bucs have gone from 4-2 to an unbelievable 4-7 record, and while the playoffs are not completely out of reach due to the losses of the Bears and Giants in Week 12, the Bucs are three games out of a Wild Card spot.

With only five games remaining, it’s unlikely that’s within reach, but it’s important not to give the team the message “We’re giving up!”

As far as what Bucs take the field, we already know what E.J. Biggers can do (or rather cannot do, as in tackle). We already know about Myron Lewis, though maybe we need to see a little more. But what about the young guys that the future of this secondary depends on? Larry Asante was picked up last year, and we’re to guess that he’s not playing because he is not as good as the rest, but maybe Asante is one of those players who come on when the lights do?

How about Anthony Gaitor, the rookie from Florida International the  Bucs drafted this season? Number 24 has only been seen a few short  times, against New Orleans at home and against the 49ers, where he  recorded one solo tackle in each.

Mossis Madu should be given some time at tailback if he’s capable of  blocking for Josh Freeman on thrid downs, otherwise Blount should be given  more time and Freeman should be told to be alert, so he doesn’t turn into a splat on the ground like Tony Romo last year.

As we saw in typical fashion Sunday, Kregg Lumpkin cannot be counted on as a running back. His failure to pick up a solid foot on 3rd down in the  fourth quarter was just one example of his poor ability to run the ball. We just don’t want to see Freeman get hurt.

Speaking of Freeman, if he keeps locking in to No. 82., then take Kellen Winslow Jr. out and put in Luke Stocker so we can see what he offers. He seems to have good hands, and he’s the future at tight  end, Lets see if this ends up being an improvement or not. Stocker  was taken high in this year’s draft, he is a premium pick, play him,  start him, use Pianalta for two TE sets for blocking, because we all  know K2 cannot block, and when he tries, yellow ensues.

The Bucs don’t have to do all of these things at once. Maybe  implement one or two players each game along the way.

Next season is going to require at least a few free agent acquisitions, and Bucs fans are NOT going to cheer another speech by Mark Dominik on how the Bucs are going to entirely with the draft.

Otherwise the stadium will be empty and frankly, Raheem Morris wouldn’t survive another underachieving season.

As Joe has professed many times, the calculator crowd has nearly chased Joe away from baseball. Why, if you don’t subscribe to some convoluted, made-up forumla like a player’s OBGYN, born out of fantasy baseball, you are some moron, so the spreadsheeters will sneer.

It’s boring as hell, sorry.

That’s not to say numbers, to a degree, are not revealing, just not to the obscene level that has hijacked America’s pastime.

Fortunately, the numbers crowd hasn’t infested football like baseball. Again, like to some degree in baseball, numbers can illuminate areas of football.It is with this mindset that Scott Fowler of the Charlotte Observer looks into this weekend’s Panthers-Bucs games. Here are a few:

3-0: Carolina’s record when Cam Newton doesn’t commit a single turnover (the Panthers are 0-8 when he does, which really isn’t all Newton’s fault. A good team should be able to survive a miscue or two by its starter).

10 — Out of 11, number of games in which the Panthers (3-8) have held a lead this season. The only exception: their 30-3 loss to Tennessee.

8269 — Carolina’s total rushing yardage since the beginning of the 2008 season (when Jonathan Stewart joined DeAngelo Williams in the backfield). That ranks No.1 in the NFL in that span, with the New York Jets just 31 yards behind.

What does this boil down to? For the Bucs, it’s a simple three-word phrase “Run the football.” Newton is dangerous. The Panthers have a bruising running attack. In case you haven’t noticed of late, the Bucs are struggling stopping the run.

Combine this with the fact that only until recently have the Bucs been able to move the ball through the air, it’s a no-brainer that you use one of the best running backs in the game early and often.

Three-and-out drives that fry your defense by halftime is a recipe for disaster. The Bucs’ 31st-ranked, nearly-worn-down defense needs all the help it can get right now. That help is Blount.

Make the Panthers stop Blount. The numbers suggest that won’t happen.

Joe’s not worried about Josh Freeman starting on Sunday.

Speaking last night to host Steve Duemig on The Josh Freeman Show on WDAE-AM 620, Freeman said team doctors ordered an MRI on his injured shoulder on Tuesday and the results were good. Freeman said the MRI revealed “no tear” and just bruising, and he’s been “rehabbing profusely.”

Asked by Duemig if he could have played a game if there had been one scheduled Wedneday, Freeman said he could have played.

Again, Joe’s not sweating Freeman’s status. If nothing else, if he does play, perhaps the Bucs will be more inclined to pound the ball on the ground. You know, the thing that seems to work real well.

Wednesday afternoon, Joe heard Bucs beat writer eye-RAH! Kaufman of the Tampa Tribune decided to drop a phone call to his good friend “The Fabulous Sports Babe” of WHBO-AM 1040 to talk all things Bucs. In short, the way the Bucs are playing, Kaufman suggested every person in the football operations of the Bucs should come under some degree of scrutiny due to how the season has unfolded.

eye-RAH! Kaufman: Nothing is working Babe, nothing is working for this team and you know what? After a season like this, I think everybody and I mean everybody from the top on down has to be looked at, has to be examined. I don’t care if its the GM, the coach, Greg Olson the coordinator down to the secondary coach. I don’t think anyone is safe if they don’t get out of this funk.

Fabulous Sports Babe: They are boring, which to me is the biggest crime a team can be, whether it is a Little League team or the Green Bay Packers. Being boring is the worst sin you can commit.

Kaufman: You know what Babe, it’s a great point. I hate to give you a compliment but I have to, you just forced me to. You can be 4-7 and be the Panthers, but they are exciting, they score a lot of points. They run up a lot of yards, I believe they are the No. 5 team in total offense in this league. They give fans a reason to come to Charlote Stadium. This game, there’s no great secret will be blacked out with 15,000-20,000 empty seats. There are a lot of reasons for it but the point you just made is one of them: they don’t have any flair, any pizazz, no speed. … It’s an offensive league and the Bucs are behind the times.

Sports Babe: When you want to see emptiness this Sunday, I hope you can project that to next year.

Kaufman: I think the key for Raheem down the stretch Babe — and I don’t think the Glazers want to make a change, they are not impulsive owners by nature. Dungy got six years and Gruden got seven. But I tell you what: If they finish 4-12 with a 10-game losing streak, I mean all bets are off the table. I think the key is how about some improvement from some of these young players? Right now that’s a huge question mark.

Before this season, the stat geeks at ESPN churned up numbers on how poorly NFL teams fare during a stretch of three consecutive road games.

Over the past 21 seasons, teams have had winning records during those three-game trips only 35 percent of the time, per ESPN.

Joe’s seen other stats from gambling outfits that show Game 3 of the three-game journey offers the worst chance of winning. The Bucs’ last victory, which feels like a century ago, was against the Saints. New Orleans was playing its third straight on the road.

The Bucs get another blessing from the schedule makers on Sunday, as Carolina heads to Tampa for its third of three straight as the away club.

Joe actually watched the first game of the Panthers’ trip in Detroit. It actually soothed Joe somewhat because Joe was finally watching a 2011 defense more porous than the Bucs’. Detroit rolled up 49 points with ease against the Panthers’ banged up D.

If the Bucs can’t pull off a victory Sunday, it surely will be a sad state of affairs. 

When the Bucs host the lowly Panthers Sunday, the Bucs will have a shot to take advantage of Cam Newton.

The rookie Panthers signal-caller has surprised just about everyone this side of his family. Dude is lighting up the scoreboard and appears to be a very scary quarterback.

But it doesn’t seem that Newton’s early success in the NFL has gone to his head. In speaking recently about the Bucs, he lauded ageless Bucs cornerback Ronde Barber for being perhaps the smartest opponent he has yet to face, so reports Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer.

“But the one thing I see about Barber is he might be old, but my man is playing with the best of them and he’s smart. He’s going to outsmart you. He watches film. It’s evident watching him play. If he gets beat, he’s going to beat you to the point to where you want to go.”

Of course, Joe will have more about what he believes will happen with this game come Sunday, but Joe’s got a bad feeling. That written, it’s cool that Newton, an NFL newbie is giving respectful props to his league elders like Barber.

Hey Coach, you worried about your job after this season if things don’t turn around?

That was part of the final question posed to Raheem Morris at his news conference today. You can watch it here at the end of the video on Buccaneers.com.

Raheem’s initial response was, “I am not an insurance salesman. We coach football.”

Joe’s not 100 percent sure of exactly what Raheem said after that, so Joe’s not going to transcribe the coach’s entire comment. When it comes to a man talking about his livelihood, Joe treads carefully.

However, Raheem’s overall message was clear. The head coach isn’t worried about his job because he’s paid to worry about winning at least five more football games and developing his team. And when the season ends in 32 days, he’ll press on unless he gets a dreaded phone call from Team Glazer.

It’ll be interesting to see if/when a vote of 2012 confidence for Raheem comes from his bosses.