Outside of Danny Lansanah’s pick-six, Joe can’t think of a damned thing that went right Thursday night. Trailing 56-0 at one point — the worst deficit in Buccaneers history — the alley-beating was the nastiest Joe had ever seen delivered.

Something must change. You can’t just do the exact same things and expect a different result. That was appalling. [read more]

The Buccaneers’ defensive performance on Thursday night was so dreadful that only marginal credit is due the Falcons.

That’s the assessment of longtime NFL personnel man Chris Landry, who has worked as an assistant coach and scout for Bill Belichick, coordinator of the Titans scouting department, among other positions in pro and college football.

You don’t want to miss this breakdown. [read more]

Pat Yasinskas of ESPN suggests Thursday night’s debacle in Atlanta shows Lovie Smith’s defensive coaching acumen to be “a myth.”

Greg Schiano was supposed to be a defensive guy, having been a defensive coach all his adult life. He never trailed a team by 56 points in a game, at least not in the NFL.

Raheem Morris, long considered by many Bucs fans as simply nothing more than a baffoon, had his share of beatdowns as a Bucs head coach, especially in his final season. Raheem, who learned the hard way it is hard to control a team when you are at the bars, never trailed in a game by 56 points. [read more]

When an NFL team trails its division rival by 56 points, it doesn’t matter how much confidence a coach has in his system; it doesn’t matter how smart he may think he is at talent evaluation; doesn’t matter if he believes winning ways are just around the corner.

Changes must take place. [read more]

Yesterday, Lovie Smith talked about how Thursday’s massacre at the Georgia Dome was one of those rare humiliations that will leave “a scar” on every Buccaneer.

Joe’s concerned about how that scar may or may not heal on Gerald McCoy. [read more]

The way Josh McCown was playing in the first three games of the season, with his reckless disregard for ball security while the losses mounted, it seemed inevitable that Mike Glennon was going to be called in from the bullpen.

It appears that scenario has been pushed up considerably. [read more]

Lovie Smith had an interesting comment this afternoon at One Buc Palace.

The subject of Josh McCown’s future came up and Lovie offered a unique defense of his hand-picked turnover machine quarterback. [read more]

Dixie Chicks RB Antone Smith runs past Dashon Goldson for a score Thursday.

Like the rest of America, Joe saw the shameful Bucs performance in Atlanta. That’s the best way Joe could put it. One of the absolute worst defensive performances since the Bucs were born, and that encompasses some very dark, awful football.

That was the most points allowed by Tampa Bay in 25 years. Pathetic.

Like America, Andrew Astleford was shocked and appalled. He typed for Fox Sports Florida that there is nothing Bucs officials can say that will exonerate last night’s performance. [read more]

Former Bucs defensive lineman Ellis Wyms doesn’t believe the defense gave 100 percent for Lovie last night.

You think Bucs fans were hacked off last night? Well, they were not the only ones.

Former Bucs players took to Twitter last night as they watched the alley-beating the Dixie Chicks dished out, for all the world to see, in prime time no less on the Tiffany Network.

Joe is pretty confident CBS head honcho Les Moonves cursed out NFL warden commissioner Roger Goodell last night over the phone, demanding a rebate. [read more]

Once upon a time, Vincent Jackson signed a five-year, $55,555,555 contract as a tribute to his new quarterback, Josh Freeman, good ol’ No. 5.

How cute.

Freeman rewarded V-Jax by throwing him the ball deep and often. And V-Jax was near flawless en route to the 2012 Pro Bowl. [read more]

“Men, why aren’t you prepared? Toes on the line!”

One knock on former Bucs commander Greg Schiano was that his teams went all turtle in the second half. It was as if Schiano’s teams thought games were 45 minutes-long.

Schiano’s teams, particularly the offense, went into hibernation in the second half. The best example was the overtime loss to the Seahawks when the Bucs had a 21-0 first half lead on the eventual Super Bowl champs, only to lose 27-24. The Bucs scored a grand total of one field goal in the second half. [read more]

Sitting in the near empty Georgia Dome press box last night, Joe watched the giant HD screen broadcasting Devin Hester’s postgame news conference where he emotionally chatted about his new NFL Record.

And Hester shed light on a historic Buccaneers personnel decision. [read more]

“My teams never gave up 50 points.”

Man, 56 points. Think about it: 56 points! And your head coach is a defensive guru. Not even Greg Schiano and his weird defensive line stunts got torched for that much.

That’s just what happened last night when Lovie Smith’s defense gagged up 56 points to Matty Ice and the Dixie Chicks before the entire nation. In prime time, no less. [read more]

Mark Barron scoops up a Dixie Chicks fumble last night. The rest of the game he spent chasing down receivers with the ball. Photo courtesy of Buccaneers.com.

Mark Barron was drafted seventh overall in 2012. It’s time to quit babying him. He’s not getting the job done at safety.

Oh, Barron can hit. And he can tackle. And he can play the run damned well. Defending the pass? He plays like he is lost.

Being drafted so high, a guy needs to be an impact player. Barron was drafted largely because he was supposed to be able to shut down Jimmy Graham. Joe isn’t sure Barron could guard Jimmy Page in pass coverage.

In case you haven’t noticed, Barron’s impact on the Bucs it is not exactly the kind teams covet. [read more]

“Hey Bill, what did I do to you for you to send me to NFL hell?”

In the span of a few weeks, longtime All-Pro guard Logan Mankins played for a jewel franchise of the NFL and then awakened one morning and found himself in the NFL dump.

It is hard to describe the Bucs right now as anything but a wayward franchise.

Two seasons in a row fans are in full-blown draft mode and it isn’t even Sept. 20. For the second friggin’ year in a row! [read more]

Back from Atlanta, Joe will discuss all phases of last night’s massacre on the popular Ron and Ian show on WDAE-AM 620. Always a fun time.

Did Bobby Rainey lose his starting job last night by losing two fumbles? Photo courtesy of Buccaneers.com.

Yes, Bobby Rainey fumbled twice last night. No, he did not cost the Bucs the game. The Bucs were whipped at every level and in no way had a prayer.

But Lovie loathes turnovers, hates them. The Bucs still had an uphill climb to get back in the game when Rainey went all Mrs. Butterworth. [read more]