Sad news coming out of NBC Sports, specifically the creator, curator and overall guru of ProFootballTalk.com, Mike Florio.

Florio is reporting that Earnest Graham has torn his Achilles and is out of the year.

Joe’s already written about the inevitable Tiki Barber rumors about to descend on One Buc Palace. This sort of throws gasoline on that flame.

Joe’s pretty down about Graham, who is a great guy and an excellent football player. But the big knock on Graham entering this season is that he battled injuries for four consecutive seasons. And now it’s five in a row.

Joe suspects this is a permanent goodbye for No. 34.

After the game, Bucs wide receiver Dezmon Briscoe spoke about the ugly Bucs loss to the Bears. He tried to keep a chin up.

“We didn’t give up,” Briscoe said. “That’s our whole mentality. We don’t expect anyone to give up. We picked it up in the second half. That’s the mentality we have.

“The Bears ran a Tampa-2 all game. The route on my touchdown we have run the whole game, it was just a variation of it, and I got open and made a play.

“The halftime comeback on offense was something coach saw and it was a halftime preparation. Coach saw something on their defense and we took advantage of it.”

LeGarrette Blount has missed two games now with a knee injury, and the Bucs haven’t served up a lot of detail about it, especially consdering Blount is a star player.

The most definitive report out there — one that sure seems on the money now — was from J.P. Peterson of WQYK-AM 1010, who a few days after the injury had a doctor on his radio show that claimed he saw reports on Blount and said Blount had a Grade II MCL tear and would be out several weeks.

Now Earnest Graham hopped off the field in London today with what FOX broadcasters said was an ankle injury. It sure looked bad. (ProFootballTalk.com is reporting Graham is blew out his Achilles and is done for the year.)

And Kregg Lumpkin is, well, Kregg Lumpkin.

So with the bye week now upon the Buccaneers, it only makes sense that rockstar general manager Mark Dominik will look to bring in another running back, preferably one with experience that can get up to speed quickly and help the Bucs win a game.

“Next man up” is a great credo, but the Bucs need another talented horse.

It’s inevitable that retired/unretired Tiki Barber’s name is going to surface as a possibility. Joe had no use for the idea before the season when Tiki decided he wanted to get off the couch and try to fatten his wallet. It was preposterous then for the Bucs, who seemed to be just fine with the chance to have Graham, Blount and Cadillac Williams on the roster.

But desperate times call for desperate measures. Joe’s not sure why the Bucs wouldn’t at least look at the guy this week. In Joe’s mind, the Bucs have an emergency need and everything’s on the table.

Bucs quarterback Josh Freeman spoke on the Bucs radio network after the game and all but took the blame for the Bucs offense coming to a sputtering halt on their two-minute drive which ended in an interception.

In short, Freeman said he’s not going to take checkdowns just for the sake of padding his stats.

“It’s unfortunate when we lose,” Freeman said. “We had a good game plan but they got up on us early.

“A fourth quarter spark? I wouldn’t call it a spark. Collectively, everyone was doing their jobs. There was nothing magical or special about it. When we all do our job, we play good football.”

On his touchdown passes:

“K2 had a good matchup and we took advantage of it,” Freeman said. On the touchdown pass to Dezmon Briscoe, “The line gave me a good pocket to step up in and Briscoe ran a nice route. Their defense bit on a blitz.

“When you’ve got 30 seconds left you have to press the ball. You could check it down until Hail Mary time but I’m going to go for it downfield.

“We had a lot of guys go down today, a lot of guys on offense.”

So Tanard Jackson comes out flying around the field again today in jolly old England. Yeah, he missed a tackle on Matt Forte on the Bears’ first touchdown, but T-Jax was having his presence felt out there.

Then, on the Bears’ next possession, Jackson turns in a one-handed, left-handed interception of Jay Cutler at midfield. He runs the ball back and with seemingly only Cutler and a trailer to beat, Jackson cruises out of bounds at the Bears 12 yard line.

How the hell does he take it out of bounds there?

Perhaps that’s the play Jackson pulled his hamstring on. Joe’s not sure. But Joe would think sheer adrenaline — something pumping through Jackson for the past two games — would have had Jackson lowering his shoulder for 10 more yards.

Yeah, Joe spilled his beer and couldn’t believe his eyes.

Of course, Josh Freeman was intercepted on the next play, when Mike Williams didn’t hold in the end zone.

Corey Lynch made big plays — and some bad plays — filling in. But he’s not Jackson. 

Joe has been rough on Bucs linebacker Quincy Black the past couple of seasons because Joe believes he’s a ghost. If you don’t see him in uniform on the field, a Bucs fan would never know he’s on the field, short of a floating interception once every year and a half.

But Joe cannot suggest Black doesn’t have a heart or doesn’t care. Being interviewed on the Bucs radio network after the debacle of a loss to the Bears about why the defense was getting gutted by Matt Forte until the final minutes of the game, Black struggled to talk and finally confessed, “I’m too emotional right now.”

The Bears “were the better team today,” Black said. “Obviously, they came out to win. it was like we were fighting, scratching, clawing all the time. We didn’t make enough plays to win. I know they are cliches but it’s the truth.

“Why were they able to run on us? I have to go back and watch the film. I’m too emotional right now. I am sure there were some assignment faults. I know there were some things we didn’t do assignment-wise.

“We have two weeks to clean this up. This is a team game. We did everything we could do as a team. We can do more.

“It always seems like there is someone hurt at the bye. But injuries are part of the game. Next guy up better be ready to play.”

It was pretty obvious the moment Earnest Graham went down injured to start the Bucs’ second offensive series that Greg Olson didn’t have confidence in Kregg Lumpkin.

Long before halftime the Bucs had little use for Lumpkin running the ball, this behind a strong Bucs offensive line and against the worst rush-per-carry defense in the NFL, and with the game close.

Joe hopes he doesn’t have to hear anymore Lumpkin love talk from the Bucs’ brass. If they don’t believe in the guy, then get someone else.

Joe and other Bucs fans clamored in the offseason to keep Cadillac Williams. For Joe, that reasoning was simple, Cadillac was better than Lumpkin — and good depth is always important. End of story.

If Graham’s out a significant amount of time, Joe hopes the silver lining is LeGarrette Blount becoming a three-down running back. Joe’s pretty damn confident he’s up to it.

Lumpkin finished today’s game with eight carries for 15 yards.

What the hell can Joe say about this game?

Wow! Aqib Talib made an absoloutely idiotic personal foul that stripped the Bucs of precious late fourth-quarter time. The Bucs get the equivalent of a goal-line stand and Talib blows it by intentionally shoving his fingers in Roy Williams’ face mask? Really?

Absolute insanity on the field. The Bucs climb back in the game on the back of its defense standing tall on SIX consecutive possessions to close the second half.

The Bucs start firing on all cylinders only after Earnest Graham, Tanard Jackson, Mason Foster and Jeremy Zuttah go down. Talk about being weakened up the gut. Third-string center Ted Larsen and Derek Hardman at left guard were studs in pass blocking. Joe might have given a game ball to Dezmon Brizcoe.

But there are no game balls. The Bucs lost.

Why this team keeps starting games like its in the mud is mind-boggling. Somehow that’s connected to coaching.

Josh Freeman getting picked four times? Yes, the man has regressed. Why doesn’t he ever run anymore? Why is he forcing balls into Kellen Winslow when clearly nothing is there?

The bye week can’t come soon enough next week. Stick with Joe through the afternoon and night for much more on this game.

OK, boys and girls, have at it. Bears versus the Bucs in London.

Ready… set… go!

Week 7
Bears vs. Bucs, at London
Kickoff: 1 p.m.
TV: WTVT-TV Channel 13 locally, DirecTV 709.
Radio: Buccaneers Radio Network (in Tampa WFUS-FM, 103.5 and WDAE-AM, 620); Sirius Channel 106.
Weather: Per Accuweather.com, a chilly, but clear evening to play football. Remember this is a night game, a 6 p.m. kickoff London time. Temperature at kickoff is expected to be 59 and will remain pretty steady the rest of the game dropping to 56 degrees by game’s end.
Odds: Per SportsBook.com, Bucs +2.
Outlook: This is a strange game for Joe to call. Last week Earnest Graham slashed the Saints on the ground. But that’s the Saints, who are garbage against the run. The Bears aren’t as bad, but do allow a league worst 5.4 yards per carry. But the Bears are a mess. If they aren’t cussing out their own coaches, they have a split personality. With Matt Forte the Bears can grind down opponents with the run. Trick is, Bears offensive coordinator Mike Martz doesn’t like that and wants to throw the ball downfield like Air Coryell. The Bears offensive line is bear dung, and when Martz wants to pass, bratty Jay Cutler gets beat to a pulp. The Bears secondary isn’t that great, specifically their safeties so Joe expects the Bucs to try to expose the Bears safeties with passes over the top to Kellen Winslow. … Let’s hope this is the last time the Bucs play in London, though Joe strongly expects this to become a tradition.

Derek “Old School” Fournier of WhatTheBuc.net brings his weekly take on how the Bucs can win. Derek sums up in one sentence how the Bucs can win. Find out how by watching the video.

Joe thought the Bucs safety position was a revolving door. From Cody Grimm to Corey Lynch to Tanard Jackson, it seems the Bucs have had a different starting safety each game.

The same could almost be said for the Bears. It appears Major Wright has a major hip injury and is likely to miss Sunday’s game. Enter Chris Harris who has gone within a week from demanding a trade to starting for the Bears, so documents Brad Briggs of the Chicago Tribune.

“As I said last week, each week your role changes,” Smith said. “Chris Harris and the rest of our players realize that. Chris last week after I told him his role would be different, he was on the sideline coaching the guys up. I think all of our players are ready for me and us to tell them what they will be doing this week and they’re going to do the best of their ability to get that done.”

Of course, Smith conveniently omits that after coaching guys up on the sideline, Harris sought a chance to play for a different team. But he’s a pro and he knows the defense. The Bears have used five different safety combinations through six games and a Harris-Chris Conte pairing would be a sixth.

“Obviously there hasn’t been consistency,” cornerback Charles Tillman said. “I think we’d all like to see consistency. We’ll just see what happens.”

Joe wonders if perhaps Greg Olson will actually try to take advantage of this? Joe knows how much Freeman tries to get Kellen Winslow the ball. So could this be a splash play tomorrow, or perhaps would Arrelious Benn get touches over the middle?

Of course, Harris knows the Bucs well, having started for the Panthers for three years. Could Harris actually be an upgrade for the Bears?

Jason Horowitz and Pat Kirwan take a look inside the Bears-Bucs game in this CBSSports.com video.

In one of the funnier moments of rockstar general manager Mark Dominik’s appearance on WDAE-AM 620 Thursday night, a caller with a very serious presentation greeted Dominik and called him out on his late-round draft busts, asking what it’s like to fail after all that research.

The guy finished his take and was off the line, then Dominik explained to the audience that the caller was his “friggin’ brother” busting his balls live on the air. Funny stuff.

On a more serious note, host Dave Moore asked Dominik about his draft methodology, and the general manager opened up. 

Dave Moore: Different GMs have different philosophies. We talked a little bit about tangibles and intangibles. Are you more into the guys that fit your system, or do you rate your players and take the best available?

Mark Dominik: I like to look at the way they play the game. And I’m not so much, ‘You have to fit the system.’ There are certain crtiteria I have for different positions on this football team. Again, through the journaling and through watching production over the years, I have a personal opinion on exactly what our receiving corps should kind of be like, height, weight, speeds, all those kinds of things, because I think that’s going to be that most productive for our football team. At the same point, intensity and physicality are a big part of what I want to be defensively. And that was what we really focused on in this year’s draft.

Having the chance to be fortunate enough to have Adrian Clayborn be there at No. 20, I think every GM in the league says, ‘I couldn’t believe he was there at No. 20.’ “Well, I’ll be honest with you, I’m very excited Adrian Clayborn was there at No. 20, and I think its paying off dividends. And I think the Buccaneer fans that are watching our games are seeing a guy that’s relentless, who’s physical. Last [Sunday], he may not have had a big stat line but was in Drew Brees’ background and I bet you he was in Drew Brees’ mind the entire game. … I think he helped us have three interceptions last week that really changed the game.

Da’Quan Bowers has done a good job for us, and certainly Mason Foster. It’s an intensity. It’s a swagger mentality we want to have here at this organization because I appreciated what the Baltimore Ravens did. All the way from winning the Super Bowl back in 2000 with that defense, the way they’ve consistently been a great defense.

The Jets have been obviously a good defense, Pittsburgh Steelers. We want to build that defense that we had back in the 90’s. … Warren Sapp always said, ‘You get me 17, I’ll get you a win.” The league might be a little different; It might take 24 these days because of the rules and everything, but that’s the mentality we want to have on defense to be a championship caliber football team.

Interesting stuff. Joe likes the desire for the “swagger mentality,” but Joe’s not sure what Buccaneer on defense could step forward as true lead dogs, like Sapp and Derrick Brooks did years ago.

Warren Sapp, Charles Barkley, Chris Collinsworth and Phil Simms break down the Week 7 games in this CBS video.

The Bucs pick comes at about 2:35 of the video. Thankfully, Barkley loosened up midway through and flashed his style so popular during NBA studio show. It was inevitable that he’d talk some trash at Sapp, which comes about 6:00 of the video. And at 8:25 of the video, Barkley starts a hilarious take on the Browns-Seahawks game.

Joe usually doesn’t link to videos where the Nazis who devise a website don’t offer embed codes. If they don’t want the masses to watch said video, why should Joe try to bail them out?

But this is different because it is so damned good. Sky Sports, which is basically Fox Sports for the rest of the world, spent a day at One Buc Palace to do a story on the Bucs playing in London.

Much of the video is a behind-the-scenes tour given by Bucs rock star general manager Mark Dominik.

It is WAY cool and the best Joe has seen. So Joe strongly recommends you clicking on the link to watch the video in its entirety.

(Hat tip Cork Gaines)

When the rockstar general manager calls out players — good or bad — Joe takes notice. Mark Dominik doesn’t go there very often.

Speaking last night on WDAE-AM 620, Dominik talked about how the Bucs aren’t on a jolly ol’ sightseeing tour in England. They’re there to work and bond, and some guys are standing out among their peers.

“People think we’re out here just galavanting around the countryside. But no, we have a structured practice schedule, there’s a lot of meeting time, there’s a lot of time for every player to get together. But specifically, again, when you talk about the youngest football team in the National Football League, and for them to spend time together, get to know their personalities, certain guys have really blossomed in this week and have really shown up at practice.  I feel like Arrelious Benn and Preston Parker, Dezmon Brizcoe at receiver. … Brian Price has been a different person here and continues to excel and show up at practice. So it’s been exciting,” Dominik said. 

“And all the guys gravitating toward each other. That’s what’s been great about this trip. It’s been a 100 percent business trip for us as an organization and it will be.”

Joe loves that the Brian Price story continues to roll out great new chapters. Joe can only imagine how energized Price will be after more healing and fitness time and fish grazing during the upcoming bye week.

As for the team bonding, Joe knows it’s a great thing, especially after a lockout shortened offseason. But again, Joe sincerely thinks that would get old in a hurry if the Bucs choose to play in England next year.

Back for his weekly trip to the end zone of the NFL universe, popular sports radio personality Adam Schein travels through football space and time outs. Check out what Schein says about the Bucs this week. Consider yourself sucked in to the latest episode of Cosmic Schein!

In an interesting story in the Chicago Tribune, Bears head coach Lovie Smith explains that he and defensive coordinator Rod Marinelli are stuck in in the 1990’s when it comes to the Bears defense.

They think the legendary Bucs defense of that era doesn’t need any tweaking, like Raheem Morris has done, with he and Ronde Barber nicknaming it the Tampa 2.1.

“It hasn’t evolved, to me,” said Smith, who joined Bucs in 1996. “We’re running the same (defense) here that we started with initially there. Other people’s version of it … it’s not ‘Tampa 2’ or anything, it’s something else.

“We were there on the ground floor. There were a couple of guys in the league when we started (who use it now). Rod (Marinelli) and I were the only ones, I think, who were there back then. So we’re running the same defense.”

Smith firmly believes in it, when executed properly. From 1997 to 1999, the Bucs ranked third or better in total defense thanks, in large part, to Dungy, defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin, Smith and the Cover-2 scheme. Then Smith went to the Rams as defensive coordinator and immediately transformed the Rams into the NFL’s third-best defense using Cover-2 principles.

Joe suggests you click through and read the whole article.

Joe thinks the Bucs’ offensive line, clearly a top tier pass blocking unit in the NFL, will do an excellent job against the Bears’ rush, which is so critical to success in their defense. If Josh Freeman of last week — and last year — shows up, Joe’ quite confident the Bucs can pick apart the Bears all day Sunday.

Lord knows Greg Olson won’t pound Earnest Graham relentlessly on the ground.

Joe’s been surfing the daily rags in England of late hoping to get some tidbits on the Bucs but about the only thing Joe learned is that the sites are littered with kickball coverage.

Bullocks!

But today Joe found a nugget in the London Sun, in which a bloke by the name Mark Wood — reporting from Chicago no less! — interviewed former Bears coach Mike Ditka who seems to like the Bucs despite the fact the Bucs, in Woods’ words, are “less glamorous.”

“I like Tampa Bay. They’re kind of old-fashioned — they don’t score a lot but they don’t give up a lot of points either.

“They got a good young quarterback, they got a great young running back, they got some good receivers.

“It’s an interesting team. The other day they won methodically — it wasn’t anything beautiful just boom boom boom and they did what they had to to win. It will be a tough game for the Bears.”

Joe figured tone of the Brits would be about pop and sizzle of the game between the Bucs and Bears and far less to do with football.

Rubbish indeed!