It was almost like two different games Sunday.

The Bucs thrashed the Bears and bratty Jay Cutler in the first half. In the second half? The Bears were wolves. Hungry wolves, in fact.

Bears safety Peanut Tillman, a Lovie Smith guy through and through, explained how Chicago coach Marc Trestman and defensive coordinator Mel Tucker went all “Coming to America” and lit into the Bears at halftime and unleashed the dogs. [read more]

Time is helping the Bucs, Lovie claims.

How should one view this ugly Bucs season?

Is Tampa Bay simply the worst team — with the worst quarterback situation — in what might be the worst division in NFL history?

Or are the Bucs on the rise and just jelling a little slower than Lovie Smith would like, but still jelling nonetheless? [read more]

Chatter from Lovie Smith on his radio show last night seemed to provide good insight into one of the more frustrating elements of this season.

That would be Michael Johnson’s lack of production. [read more]

In Joe’s time in the Windy City this weekend, there was sober, thoughtful, local analysis that the Bears would have been better off with Josh McCown as their starting quarterback than bratty Jay Cutler.

Adam Schein believes those folks were proven wrong Sunday.

In a scathing handful of words, Schein, NFL.com columnist and host of “Schein on Sports” heard exclusively on SiriusXM Radio, typed how bad the Bucs have sunk this season. [read more]

Joe always finds quick reactions telling.

So it’s worth sharing Leslie Frazier’s thoughts on the Tampa Bay secondary tonight on the Buccaneers Radio Network, via WDAE-AM 620. [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]

“Damnit men, toes on the line!”

Penalties, fumbles, interceptions, punting the ball 18 yards… when will the madness stop?

It is up and down the line with the Bucs. Seemingly no player, save Gerald McCoy and Lavonte David, is innocent of bonehead mistakes this season.

It happens in the first quarter, second quarter, third quarter, fourth quarter, you name it. [read more]

Now is the time of year when fans of sorry losing teams must find silver linings and nuggets to help them sleep at night.

Gerald McCoy has 7 1/2 sacks. [read more]

Again, a touchdown pass resulted in a flag for taunting. This one was different than Austin Seferian-Jenkins clearly violating a known NFL no-no by using the football for a prop, while he preened a pose as if he was on a bottle of rum.

Yesterday, it was Mike Evans’ turn.

Some Bucs fans suggest this is not taunting. The NFL strongly disagrees. [read more]

Alterraun Verner discussed an opportunity lost yesterday in Chicago.

Yesterday, when Tampa Bay had bratty Jay Cutler and the Bears scoreless at halftime, it sure seemed like the day belonged to the Bucs, even in the rain and the slop of Soldier Field.

Alas, it was not. Josh McCown turned into Josh McCown, the turnover-happy signal-caller, and the Bears rallied for a 21-13 win. [read more]

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ offensive line reminds Joe of that screwed up batch of instant chocolate pudding that’s been in the refrigerator for an hour.

Take it out and taste it, and it’s kind of runny and each spoonful doesn’t taste quite right. [read more]

DT Akeem Spence thought the way the Bucs played Chicago in the first half the team was due for a win.

There are a lot of problems with the Bucs. A team isn’t 2-9 playing in a crap division without some significant issues. Joe believes defense is not one of them.

Oh, sure, the defense was pitiful earlier in the year. Just look how the defense got seal-clubbed at Atlanta and against Baltimore. Shameful, in fact. [read more]

Joe illustrates and wags a finger of shame at Demar Dotson

Joe really wants Bucs fans to watch this NFL.com video link a couple of times. It illustrates why, in part, Josh McCown doesn’t belong on the field in this lost season.

It was one of many times yesterday that McCown looked like a rookie. Heck, as Joe’s written, McCown’s entire season has been one that looks like that of a typical rookie QB. [read more]

It’s been so rare for Tampa Bay to score a quality player in the second round of the NFL Draft, that the standout play of second-year man Johnthan Banks is worth a standing ovation.

Banks put another solid game in the books yesterday. [read more]

Joe thought the Bucs were in perfect shape yesterday. Playing on the road in rainy, chilly Soldier Field right on the banks of icy Lake Michigan, shutting out the Bears at halftime, well, Joe felt good about the game.

And then came the second half. [read more]

The Find and The Flop.

The Animal and The Apparition.

The Beast and The Bust.

The Bucs have a couple of stunning stories starting for them at defensive end. [read more]

(Photo courtesy of Buccaneers.com)

A long look at the Bucs yesterday, today, and what to expect tomorrow and beyond.

For this entire season, Doug Martin has been nowhere near his rookie self, when he made the Pro Bowl and it appeared the Bucs had their version of Ray Rice (the football player) for years to come.

Now, he plays like he’s third string.

What a far fall. Joe knows way too many Bucs fans quickly blame the offensive line. While that may not be accurate, it’s lazy. Bobby Rainey runs behind the same offensive line and gets much better results. So the offensive line is laying down for Martin? Get real. [read more]