Bucs CB Johnthan Banks has a shot to tie or set a franchise mark.

Joe cannot help it. Whenever Joe thinks of how well Bucs cornerback Johnthan Banks is playing, Joe cannot get out of his head how Lovie Smith did his best to bench Banks for that slug Mike Jenkins. Can you imagine?

Thankfully, one of the very, very few things to go right for Tampa Bay this season was Jenkins’ inability to start the first regular season game because he was hurt virtually all training camp and preseason. [read more]

Crab-legs-stealing, BB-gun-shooting, obscenity-hollering, Heisman-Trophy-winning, national champion James Winston, the pride of Florida State University, continues to look like a much better quarterback prospect than Mike Glennon and Josh McCown.

It’s Joe’s daily nugget on the Jameis Watch, celebrating the best quarterback to wear No. 5 ever in the state of Florida. [read more]

Hawk’s 10 tackles got lost in the shuffle Sunday

Veteran safety Dashon “Hawk” Goldson got hurt in Week 4 and didn’t re-appear until after the Buccaneers’ bye week.

The Tampa Bay defense didn’t fare well without him, but they’ve been getting healthy along with Hawk. [read more]

Jeff Tedford is officially out as offensive coordinator

Below are statements from both former Bucs offensive coordinator Jeff Tedford and Lovie Smith, by way of the Bucs media relations department, concerning the just-announced news that makes it official: Tedford’s Bucs days are over.

“Throughout these difficult circumstances, our primary concern was for Jeff’s health and well-being,” Lovie said. “After speaking with Jeff in recent days, it became obvious that a mutual decision to release him from his contract was the best way forward. We wish Jeff continued success in the next phase of his career.”

Tedford added: [read more]

Once upon a time in August, the thought of Oneil Cousins starting for the Bucs seemed scarier than a naked Rosie O’Donnell.

Nowadays, it’s almost comforting. [read more]

In a list of teams that need a starting quarterback most, the Bucs are in the top-five.

If any sober, objective fan has watched the Bucs and not come away with the impression the team needs much better quarterback play, then Joe suggest they’ve been gawking at the cheerleaders for a few plays too many.

The quarterback position, sans a handful of plays, has been a disaster.

While Lovie’s savior Josh McCown has intangibles through the roof, his turnovers make fans throw up on their shoes. [read more]

Lovie Smith will tell you he’s a glass-half-full kind of guy.

And it seems Bucs fans are that way, too, when it comes to their head coach. [read more]

The steady NFL devaluation of running backs hasn’t slowed. And the success of undrafted guys NFL fans likely will see in the playoffs this year, from LeGarrette Blount to C.J. Anderson and others, won’t change that trend.

The league also is watching a guy like rookie Tre Mason (selected right after Charles Sims) explode for St. Louis. [read more]

Yellow hankies are holding the Bucs back, says Vincent Jackson.

The Bucs offense is miserable. Joe doesn’t think that statement will shock any Bucs fan. In fact, most Bucs fans might just be trying to forget the Bucs offense.

Whether it is turnover-prone Josh McCown or slumping Doug Martin or the troubles of the offensive line, there are a myriad of reasons. But the receivers are not why the offense is lame. [read more]

There was a time when Joe confused Joel Glazer with John Lee Hooker. Back in 2009, Glazer sang the free agency blues so darn well at the spring NFL owners meetings.

Here was one of his prized lyrics, delivered after the Bucs did a whole lotta nothin’ when the free agency dinner bell rang that year: [read more]

Bucs coaches are flipping over the play of linebacker Danny Lansanah.

There are so many things to gripe about this year’s Bucs, one would have to be able to count far higher than 12 to list everything that’s gone wrong. It is enough to start drinking. But let’s save that for tonight.

One bright spot is Danny Lansanah. He has come a long way, from a bubble player who came from the UFL, to starting at linebacker. [read more]

Here comes the software upgrade for the Tampa Bay defense.

Gerald McCoy explained last night. [read more]

Crab-legs-stealing, BB-gun-shooting, obscenity-hollering, Heisman-Trophy-winning, national champion James Winston, the pride of Florida State University, continues to look like a much better quarterback prospect than Mike Glennon and Josh McCown.

It’s Joe’s daily nugget on the Jameis Watch, celebrating the best quarterback to wear No. 5 ever in the state of Florida. [read more]

Gerald McCoy and Ndamukong Suh from the 2010 NFL Combine. GMC says the two defensive tackles will forever be linked.

Some Bucs fans still debate it, which Joe thinks is crazy: Which team got the best defensive tackle in the 2010 draft, the Bucs with Gerald McCoy or the Lions with Ndamukong Suh?

Both starred in the Big XII. Suh was a manbeast at Nebraska, literally ragdolling quarterbacks to the ground as if they were children. GMC was a sack machine too, reminding folks of a young Warren Sapp. [read more]

Joe sure hopes Mike Glennon Mob members weren’t listening to NFL Films longtime film guru Greg Cosell break down the Bucs today. They might have started banging their heads against a wall again.

Cosell hopped on the WHFS-FM 98.7 airwaves and battered Josh McCown. [read more]

Bucs secondary won’t change its ways, says Alterraun Verner.

OK, so the Bucs are going to face perhaps the most formidable one-two punch of receivers in the NFL right now. That is Calvin Johnson and Golden Tate of the Lions.

The Bucs, in case you haven’t heard, have really turned around their defense since the bye week. In fact, the Bucs have gone from a truly putrid pass defense to one of the NFL’s best. Since their bye, no team has allowed fewer passing yards (196) per game. [read more]

Before the Lions roasted the Bears on Thanksgiving — yes, they’ve had 10 days to prepare for Tampa Bay — Detroit hadn’t scored a touchdown in 22 drives spanning eight quarters.

Holy drought! [read more]