Schiano referenced disturbing numbers

Greg Schiano shook his head like a dejected man today just seconds into his afternoon noon conference.

That told quite a story, even before Schiano spoke on the topic that appeared to remind him of sad times. [read more]

No. 89 will be missed

Rookie wide receiver Russell Shepard joins the double-digit tally of Buccaneers lost for the season because of injury, the team announced today.

Not a big deal. Right? Well, not really.

Shepard was a special teams ace in all phases, so Dave Wannstedt explained to Joe.

Sadly, Shepard will be best remembered as the guy on the wrong end of Eric Page’s ill-advised handoff Sunday.

Mighty Rams DE Robert Quinn is up next

A veteran left tackle gets beat a couple of times and fans are ready to run him out of town. Such is the case with Donald Penn.

Sunday against the 49ers wasn’t his best. But the week before, with Mario Williams and the NFL’s top sack unit of the Bills across the line of scrimmage, Penn stood strong. (By the way Buffalo rebounded Sunday with five sacks.)

Penn is set to earn $6.4 million next season at a critical position. [read more]

Schiano responds

There’s no greater off-the-field NFL theater than a head coach taking unfiltered calls from fans on live radio.

Unfortunately, Chucky had no interest in talking to the masses, but Tony Dungy, Raheem Morris and Greg Schiano embraced the madness. Schiano’s taken real darts over the past couple of years (along with plenty of love), and a sharp one was fired at him Monday on WDAE-AM 620. [read more]

David’s status highlights the urgency at One Buc

Joe was intrigued by what former Jets linebackers coach and front office man Pat Kirwan, of CBS Sports and SiriusXM NFL Radio, had to see about Lavonte David.

Yes, David’s a great player. But Kirwan explained that David is “what everybody’s looking for in the modern game.” [read more]

The Bucs had a tough time tackling people Sunday, apparently a season-long plague.

Joe watched in amazement Sunday how the Bucs struggled to bring 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick and running back Frank Gore to the ground. Those were two reasons the 49ers dominated the Bucs.

But Joe wrote that off, initially, as a fluke. Kaepernick is one of the hardest guys to tackle in the NFL. The dude is big, strong and elusive. It’s not like trying to tackle an immobile object like Matty Ice. [read more]

Josh Freeman never led an offense as bad as the Bucs offense is now.

Ears still ring from all the hollering on local sports radio the past couple of days about how awful (except for two possessions) the Bucs offense was, how poorly (except for two possessions) quarterback Mike Glennon was, and how the Bucs offense seems to be getting worse by the week instead of improving.

Then, in a bizarre explanation during what seemed like a record-long press conference Monday, Bucs commander Greg Schiano, said he didn’t go back to a hurry-up offense in the loss to the 49ers, the only time the Bucs appeared to have a pulse offensively — and scored two touchdowns — because, in part, the team hadn’t practiced it in the days leading up to the game. [read more]

Click through below to find your nearest Original Hooters location. And get out to Hooters today!

Bucs commander Greg Schiano explains why he didn’t run the hurry-up offense more Sunday, despite its success.

The Bucs offense Sunday, for all but two possessions, was about as miserable as you will ever see. Word is Will Muschamp watched the game from Gainesville and grew nauseated. The offense was so bad Father Dungy wanted to kill off a bottle of Crown.

The offense was so bad, Trent Dilfer was laughing.

Again, that was the Bucs offense for all but two possessions. Of the 13 possessions the Bucs had against the 49ers, there were two scoring drives and the remaining 10 possessions the Bucs gained a grand total of 11 yards. [read more]

A former Buc weighs in

There’s still two games to play this season, which means the Bucs could rack up another 400 yards of offense, but who’s your Bucs’ offensive MVP right now?

Bobby Rainey? He’s been the running back leading the team to four wins, coming off his couch to average 4.3 yards per carry (106 attempts) and not fumbling.

Vincent Jackson? A former Buccaneer has a different pick. [read more]

It blows Joe away that there are actually people out there who still hate Bucs stud defensive tackle Gerald McCoy. These are simply little people, who clearly don’t watch games and must have agendas or unresolved childhood issues because they don’t like nice people. [read more]

Greg Schiano opens up

Joe recognizes that Bucs fans with lofty expectations and negative attitudes are crying over the fact that rookie Will Gholston and Daniel Te’-O Nesheim are battling neck and neck for playing time at left defensive end. It’s not exactly a confidence-inspiring duel. 

But Joe’s not going negative. Gholston’s a true bright spot, and the leader of the New Schiano Order talked about Gholston’s rise on his radio show last night. [read more]

Anthony Becht talks about learning from the Michael Bennett “mistake.”

You groom and develop talent, and then you re-sign that talent. It’s a simple formula that works in football where there’s a level spending playing field among teams, unlike in baseball.

Former Bucs tight end Anthony Becht, who works for ESPN and the Buccaneers Radio Network, remains flummoxed by the Bucs’ deviation from that plan. [read more]

“I can’t even watch this offense at times.”

Yes, Joe has read all of your hate-Twitter the past two days. Sorry if Joe won’t lie to you to make you feel comfy at night. No, Joe does not know Bucs commander Greg Schiano is toast in two weeks. Joe does not know if offensive coordinator Mike Sullivan already has his house listed. Don’t try to trick Joe into writing such things.

Indications seem to suggest Schiano may return, but the two Joes who run this here corner of the Interwebs differ as to how sharp the wind vane is pointing. [read more]

Joe knows Bucs fans are not in the Christmas spirit. They want to dump coal in the stockings of Bucs offensive coordinator Mike Sullivan and, to a lesser degree, Bucs commander Greg Schiano.

(The lunatic fringe wants to dump more than just sedimentary rock in the stocking of Bucs rock star general manager Mark Dominik. These types are firmly entrenched on Santa’s naughty list and will be banished to spend Christmas Day at an OTB, where the only other patrons will be wandering around drinking scotch and water at 10 a.m. dressed like Al Davis.)

Joe has firmly believed, and has written and spoke about the subject with Joe’s good friend, the dean of Tampa Bay sports radio, “The Big Dog,” Steve Duemig, that if the Bucs really, truly believe Mike Glennon is the quarterback of the future, then current Bucs offensive coordinator Mike Sullivan must be retained. [read more]

Tampa Bay Times Bucs beat writer Rick Stroud is appalled by the Bucs offense.

“There’s no other way around it, whether you’re playing with a rookie or not, this has been a wretched offense for the Bucs,” Stroud says in the WDAE-AM 620 audio below. And Stroud also exclaims what appears to be disbelief that the Bucs had 10 drives Sunday for 11 total yards.

Joe knows someone’s head will roll for the NFL’s worst offense. That’s a given. Joe’s just not sure how many heads that will be.

Don’t start looking for the Bucs to turn into a no-huddle offense anytime soon, Greg Schiano explained.

Count Joe among those stunned when Mike Glennon jumped into a no-huddle/hurry-up offense at the end of the first half yesterday and marched the football into the end zone — a seven-play, 76-yard touchdown drive in 78 seconds — to pull the Bucs to within 17-7 at halftime.

It was a shocker. [read more]

Mike Sullivan is rumored to be a candidate to take over Army.

Joe was just typing a post about how Bucs offensive coordinator Mike Sullivan may be a Bucs scapegoat when Joe learned of this rumor floated from a national NFL scribe.

Mike Garafolo of FoxSports.com Twittered that Sullivan is expected to interview for the newly opened head coach position at Army, as Rich Ellison, after getting sunk (again) by Navy over the weekend, is not expected to return as the leader of the Black Knights of the Hudson. [read more]

theMMQB’s Peter King seems to have a pulse on the immediate future of Bucs commander Greg Schiano.

Joe is trying not to get too worked up over the punch-out the 49ers delivered to the Bucs yesterday. Joe expected a chain-whipping because, on paper, the match-ups were dismal-looking for the Bucs. So Joe is tying to be reasoned here.

As Tuna Parcells famously said, “You are what your record says you are.” The Bucs are among the NFL’s bottom-feeders. The 49ers, the defending NFC champs, are swimming in the cream. Joe won’t lose much sleep over one of the best beating one of the worst. [read more]