Former Buccaneer Eric Page

Rookie wide receiver/returner Solomon Patton didn’t do much against Buffalo yesterday, but he did prove he could take a ferocious hit as a punt returner and hold onto the ball.

It seems that play, and Patton’s consistency (but not greatness) this preseason led to him ousting the NFL’s 13th-ranked full-time punt returner in 2013. Eric Page was cut this afternoon. [read more]

The Grim Reaper arrived at One Buc Palace today, as the Bucs lopped 12 from their roster.

Hyped undrafted rookie free agent defensive linemen Euclid Cummings and Chaz Sutton were in the mix, as well as a handful of Schiano men. [read more]

Joe got reaction last night

Gerald McCoy got light duty yesterday in Buffalo and the Bucs were still dominant on defense. In one early series, McCoy even sat out a first and a second down before coming in on third.

In that instance, it was Clinton McDonald sliding over to do what he did for the Super Bowl champs last season. [read more]

The Bucs’ offensive line gets just enough push to allow Doug Martin to score a first half touchdown Saturday. Photo courtesy of Buccaneers.com.

Of course, the Bucs’ first-team offense, after some early, frightening jitters, broke out finally yesterday, actually looking like an offense. A nice catch-and-run down the middle to Doug Martin to set up a Martin touchdown run and a too easy-looking lob to Mike Evans in the end zone showed the Bucs have life on offense.

As Joe stated yesterday, it was fun to watch the running game work. It is nice to have cute plays on a whiteboard or stubborn running plays on an iPad, or for the offense to look sharp on a walk-through, but an offense needs blocking. [read more]

In Lovie Smith’s official “dress rehearsal” for the 2014 season yesterday, Lovie trotted out second-year safety Bradley McDougald, an undrafted Dominik-Schiano pickup last year, as the starter at strong safety alongside Dashon Goldson.

No, Mark Barron wasn’t hurt. And Joe, with his own eyes in Buffalo, saw McDougald working with the first team in pregame warmups. [read more]

Peter King of theMMQB.com is impressed with Lovie’s defense, as he should be.

Joe had typed time after time after time this past summer he wasn’t worried about the defense. Sure, Joe groused that the Bucs let go of All-World corner Darrelle Revis, but Joe has pretty much let that water flow past the bridge.

Of course, if the Bucs are hurting for corners and Revis returns to his pre-surgery form, yes, let’s just say Joe has the memory of an elephant. [read more]

Offensive coordinator Jeff Tedford says he has “to get used to” it.

Joe has poked fun at how the Bucs have done their best to keep offensive coordinator Jeff Tedford’s offense under wraps, as if it is a design for a revolutionary new stealth fighter. Tampa Bay all but promised fans will only see 20 percent of Tedford’s offense in the preseason.

In a sitdown with former Bucs great Ronde Barber broadcast on WFLA-TV Channel 8, just after the smackdown of the bungling Bills yesterday, Tedford confessed that, yeah, 80 percent of his offense hasn’t been showcased, and yes, he’s sort of uncomfortable with that. [read more]

A little trash talk between two Bucs’ touchdown makers last night. (Photo courtesy of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.)

There were plenty of laughs in the Bucs locker room tonight. When a defensive tackle rumbles for a touchdown like starter Clinton McDonald did, all kinds of smiles and trash talking can be expected [read more]

Lavonte David talked about his bit hit and the growing chemistry. (Photo courtesy of Tampa Bay Buccaneers)

You want to see one of the greats of the game blow up a running back? Well here’s the video of the crushing Lavonte David viper strike on C.J. Spiller at the Bucs’ 40-yard line this afternoon.

Spiller didn’t know what hit him, and David’s good buddy Mason Foster picked the ball up and rumbled 24 yards. [read more]

The buzz around the Bucs’ cramped locker room this evening was turnovers. Turnovers, turnovers, turnovers. The first team defense forced three of them in just one half of play. [read more]

Bucs WR Mike Evans hauls in a touchdown catch in the second quarter of the Bucs win over the bungling Bills today. Photo courtesy of Buccaneers.com.

What was impressive about the Bucs win today in the dress rehearsal for the regular season was how dominating the team was with starters in the game through the first half. And this was even after a terrible opening by the Bucs offense.

Joe knows after that start, some Bucs fans were so depressed, they muttered into their pints of beer for Mike Shula’s phone number. [read more]

Lovie Smith wants the return of “Buc Ball,” and while fans might want to see a high-flying offense targeting their giant receiving corps, Lovie is enamored with old school football.

Joe took note when Lovie explained the how proud he was of the quantity of the running game in the first half against Buffalo today. [read more]

Bucs DL Larry English brings Bills QB E.J. Manuel to the turf for one of his two sacks today. Photo courtesy of Buccaneers.com.

You know what jumped out at Joe more than anything in today’s Bucs win over the bungling Bills? There was actually a pass rush!

Oh, of course, Gerald McCoy was bursting through the line like he always does, as if shot out of a cannon. But of the five sacks today, none came from GMC. Imagine if the Bucs can continue to get heat from others who don’t wear the No. 93? [read more]

Starting strong side linebacker Jonathan Casillas was left home today, remaining in Tampa while his teammates were pounding the Bills in Buffalo.

Lovie Smith made it clear this was a punishment. [read more]

Avoiding a Ray Perkins milemarker may have been bigger than today’s win.

Joe is the first to tell anyone preseason wins and losses don’t mean a damn thing. Still, when someone invokes the name of “Ray Perkins,” Joe wants to sprint to the nearest watering hole like a scalded puppy and commence drinking like a thirsty fish.

That’s what happened today when the Bucs starters dominated in the first half and won their first preseason game of the season, beating the sad sack Bills. [read more]

Bucs RB Doug Martin celebrates after scoring his short -yardage touchdown in the win over Buffalo. Photo courtesy of Buccaneers.com.

The thing that jumped out at Joe about this win over the Bills was the play of the man known affectionately as “The Muscle Hamster,” Doug Martin.

Bucs fans, rightly so, were wringing their hands over the Bucs offense and the game began terribly. Call it a coincidence if you will, but it sure seemed like once Martin got rolling, the Bucs offense began rolling as well. [read more]

Injuries to the Bucs secondary, like S Bradley McDougal today, are starting to pile up.

Well, we’ve been beaten over the head how the third preseason game is a dress rehearsal for the regular season. And if that is true, the defense, as Joe thought before training camp, is going to be just fine.

That is, unless the Bucs suffer more injuries to the secondary. On the sideline stood Rashaan Melvin. Still in a boot. Not good. [read more]

Say what you want about Josh McCown, but he got the job done today in Buffalo.

It wasn’t always pretty and it wasn’t perfect, but it was darn good on the road behind a shaky at best Bucs offensive line. [read more]