It’s only slightly audible on the game broadcast, but Josh Freeman was showered with hometown boos late in the first half Sunday against the Chiefs.

Freeman had just thrown a third-down, one-hopper that fell short of Tiquan Underwood at the Chiefs’ 21 yard line. The play essentially ended an inconsistent, 5-for-13 first half for Freeman, who tossed a red zone interception on the opening drive and had other rough moments.

Of course, Freeman bounced back for a monster second half, but he still is searching for a complete, 60-minute game.

Joe found the boos interesting, only because they illustrate the growing impatience with Freeman among the Bucs faithful. Fans want to see Freeman be an upper-tier quarterback immediately. The tolerance for mistakes is nearing zero.

Joe sees this as a good thing. There’s no reason not to have high expectations for Freeman. He’s got all the tools, quality weapons, and consistently good protection.

LeGarrette Blount told Joe the Bucs finally got their two-headed rushing attack going in the win over the Chiefs.

Could it be that Bucs fans saw a glimpse of the future yesterday in the Bucs win over the Chiefs? LeGarrette Blount thinks so.

The Bucs’ rushing game seemed to improve. Part of that, Joe believed, was because Blount got more carries than he has all year.

Blount graciously spent time with Joe after the game. He claimed his success Sunday had nothing to do with more touches. Rather, Blount said it was the fact Bucs coach Greg Schiano was determined to use the two-headed monster of a running attack that he has warned Bucs followers he would do since the OTAs.

“It’s not so much as, ‘Give me more carries,’ but we are getting more towards the one-two punch with me and Dougie [Martin] that we have been aiming for,” Blount said of his performace Sunday. “Coach Schiano has told both of us, ‘You can’t win a Super Bowl with just one back.'”

And as he has stressed since the day Martin was drafted, Blount is on the same page with the Bucs and there is no evil competition between him and Martin.

“I am working hard to get to my carries and [Martin] is working hard to keep his carries,” Blount said. “Moving along, hopefully we can get more roles like [the Chiefs win] to both go out there and show what we can do. This is definitely something we are going to work hard for and look forward to doing more often the rest of the season.”

On opening day, Blount was dinged with a neck stinger and, one could assume, had limited carries as a result. But Blount waved off any suggestion that his stinger set him back in playing time.

[Getting hurt] “has nothing to do with it,” Blount said. “Coach Schiano is a smart guy. He makes good decisions on what he sees and what he feels and he has made good decisions so far.”

The Bucs won for just the second time in their last 15 games. Veteran columnist Gary Shelton gives his take on the win in this Tampa Bay Times video.

Here are quotes from various parties of both teams after the Bucs beat the Chiefs this afternoon. Quotes are courtesy of the two teams’ media relations staffs.

GREG SCHIANO

(On limiting Kansas City’s run game)
“I thought, in general, just shutting down the run game that was the challenge. They came in as one of the best running teams in the National Football League. I thought the guys did an incredible job – I think it was something like 2.7 yards per carry. If you can do that in the NFL, you have a chance to really play good defense.”

(On the Tampa Bay defensive performance)
“I think Bill Sheridan and the defensive staff have done a really good job of getting the guys to understand each play is its own entity, and you have to do your job on that play. Today I think our guys really did a good job of executing their jobs. That’s the whole secret with us: if you do your job and 11 pieces add up, it can be a good result.”

(On QB Josh Freeman)
“It’s a big day for our offense and for our team to get back on track. For Josh, especially; I thought he kept his cool throughout the game when things didn’t go well, and I think he did a great job on some of those runs that popped. That was all him. He identified and it wasn’t an easy identification. He identified, changed the play and we hit some nice runs. So not only throwing the ball, (but) it’s that hidden stuff that I think he’s really growing in and becoming a complete quarterback. Sure, there are going to be throws he’s going to wish he had back and things he wished he did differently. It’s a slow process, but he’s getting better.”

(On RB Doug Martin’s big reception)
“I think it was really similar stuff. The one pass he caught and made the big gain on, he was not the primary receiver. I thought that was an excellent job of Josh going, ‘1-2-3, okay, I still got him,’ throw the checkdown, and let Doug do the work. (Doug) had a guy right on him and he made him miss; it’s like a 35-yard gain after that.”

(On finishing the game)
“I think it’s important. I promise you we never relax; the (earlier losses this season) we didn’t finish out (and) we have to learn to do that. This is too simple and people don’t want to hear this, but all it is is staying focused on your job and doing it the whole 60 minutes. I thought our guys did that, but you could hear it on the sideline. It was very, very evident: play this whole game. I’m proud of the guys for doing that.”

(On enjoying the win)
“Very rarely are you 38-10 in any league, so that was a nice way to have a little fun with players. We work so hard and I’m always, ‘on to the next thing and on to the next thing.’ I want to make sure when we do something like this, we do enjoy it a little bit. Tomorrow we will watch the tape and be sick about 1,000 things and have to get it fixed. The nice thing about a one o’clock game is that you actually have a couple hours to enjoy it, then we will get back on and get ready for New Orleans.”

(On the receiving corps)
“Just having Vincent (Jackson) out there helps coverage scheme-wise. But I tell you, Mike (Williams) has done some incredible things with body control. I saw it when we first got here and our coaching staff saw it and said, ‘Well let’s see if it happens in a game.’ It’s happening. Five games it has happened. Mike is an incredible weapon. If they are going to try to take away Vincent then just keep going and all of the sudden Mike makes a few, now you start going to Vincent. That’s a nice ham-and-egg there that you can do. We need to make sure we keep doing that. Then Tiquan (Underwood) makes that big play in the slot, great concentration, that’s a big play in that game. We keep growing at that position and Josh keeps growing, that can be real potent.”

QB JOSH FREEMAN

(On the playmaking ability of his receivers)
“Mike (Williams) is a guy that has been (making plays) since his rookie year. Vincent (Jackson) is a guy that we know is going to make those plays. It’s only my first year with him, but, even then, he’s made so many plays for us. Even Tiquan (Underwood) stepped up and made that play that he did. We have all the faith in the world in those guys. When we get a one-on-one matchup, we like to take advantage.”

(On what he expected from WR Vincent Jackson this season)
“We knew the kind of player Vincent was. You know he’s going to go out and make plays. It’s great to have Vincent, great to have him as a teammate, a fellow captain. He’s a leader and he goes out and he makes play after play on Sundays.”

(On WR Mike Williams’ 62-yard touchdown reception)
“He makes those catches. If you have one-on-one with a DB you just give him a high ball, give him a chance. I can’t say I’ve ever seen or played with a guy with the ball skills like Mike Williams. It doesn’t really matter where you put it, he’s going to find a way to make a play on it.”

(On putting the game away in the fourth quarter)
“I thought it was great to come out and see how we ran the football. I mean, Doug (Martin), LeGarrette (Blount), and the whole offensive line were at their best when we really needed it at the end of the game.”

(On bouncing back from his early interception)
“You can’t let a negative play or a really positive play affect how you approach each snap. You’re going to throw interceptions, it’s the National Football League, but you can’t buy into the, ‘Oh, you threw a pick, now the rest of the game is downhill.’ You just have to play it one play at a time.”

(On how big of a win this is for him personally)
“Nothing anybody says outside of our building has any effect on us. People will say they want to throw the ball deep or they want to run the ball, but we know who we are and you just have to continue to work, continue to prepare like we’ve been preparing, then go out on Sundays and just play. We’ve got the talent, we’ve got the pieces, we just have to go out and play.”

S RONDE BARBER

(On the victory)
“The win is what we want. I think everybody had a little bitter feeling going into the bye week after three straight losses. It wasn’t that we weren’t playing hard, it (was) just that none of our hard work was reaping any rewards for us. We all went in (to this game) with a purpose, came out with a purpose, had a good plan and executed very well, got some turnovers, and won a good football game.”

(On his 78-yard interception return for a touchdown)
“Just two slants, (and) I was covering the inside slant. EJ (Biggers) actually made a great play; he’s gotten the assist on a couple of my interceptions the last couple of years. Give him more credit than me, I just snatched it off the ground before it hit, and then it was a pretty easy 78-yard run from there.”

(On being a statement game)
“We’re not trying to make any statements; we are playing one week at a time. This is our Kansas City season, as Coach (Schiano) likes to say, and we won that one. We’ll look at it tomorrow; see the good things, obviously some bad things in there as well. Get ready for the next season. We’re not gloating – just like we didn’t pout when we lost those other games – we just keep going to work.”

S MARK BARRON

(On his interception)
“I was excited about it. I actually wanted to score with it, but I couldn’t. I couldn’t get my balance and get my head up, but I was happy with it.”

(On being a rookie)
“I feel like I’m getting more and more comfortable with each game I play. That’s going to help me out a great deal, because once I get comfortable, I can play faster, so hopefully I just keep getting better and better as the season goes on.”

(On slowing down Kansas City’s running game)
“It was just execution. Everybody communicated, everybody was on the same page, everybody did their job, and when we execute, we can play like that.”

WR MIKE WILLIAMS

(On his touchdown reception in the first quarter)
“It was just called ‘double go.’ I told Josh, we knew they were going to give us single-high man press coverage. We [have] been saying all week that it’s disrespect towards us. They [are] both good corners, but we still think that’s disrespect towards a receiver when you play single-high man coverage and he [Josh Freeman] called double go and he threw it up.”

(On catching the ball at its highest point)
“That’s just like I’ve been saying my whole career. Every time somebody asks me, man, just put it in the air. I’m not going to fail you, because it’s either going to be incomplete or it’s mine.”

(On his relationship with WR Vincent Jackson)
“It started throughout training camp, us gelling together, us working together. Us realizing both of our strengths and weaknesses [so] that we can go out here and do some damage to some corners out here with some defenses if we work together, and that’s what we’ve been trying to do.”

(On Jackson as a teammate)
“It’s great, man. They couldn’t have brought in anybody better. It’s outstanding, I’m glad they got him. He’s an awesome teammate. I hope we play a lot more years with him. He helps me after practice, before practice, before games, in the film room. He changed my game a lot by meeting the mental aspect of the game.”

RB DOUG MARTIN

(On the victory)
“To come out with a victory is awesome. It feels good; we did a good job on special teams, defense, and offense. It was a full team effort.”

(On his long runs)
“The line did a good job on staying on blocks and finishing guys and the holes opened up and sometimes I did my job and made the guy miss. Overall, the offense was just clicking.”

(On G Jamon Meredith)
“He stepped in and played very well. He had a good practice and he’s doing an awesome job. He did a good job staying on blocks and staying low.”

WR TIQUAN UNDERWOOD

(On his 62-yard reception)

“It was a great play by the defender, he got inside and had a great PBU (pass break-up) but fortunately enough, the ball bounced where I could still catch it. I just had good concentration and just tried to make a play for our offense.”

(On the offense)

“Coming into it we knew these guys played a lot of man (coverage) and rightly so, they got some great corners on the outside in (Brandon) Flowers and (Stanford) Routt. Guys stepped up and just made plays today. Josh (Freeman) put the ball where it needed to be and we were executing pretty well throughout the day.”

(On what the offense did well today)

“We know as an offense that, when we’re balanced, we’re pretty tough to stop, and we did that today. We just executed pretty well and the defense helped out giving us the ball. We’re just going to build on top of this victory.”

WR VINCENT JACKSON

(On the offense)

“That’s the way we play, you know what I mean. We are going to take our shots each and every week. You know if we got a one on one matchup we are going to be aggressive. We always talk about being aggressive toward the ball. We may not make every play but we’re going to fight for it and we’ll win our share of battles out there.”

(On his relationship with WR Mike Williams)

“It’s been great. You know, Mike (Williams) has been a professional. He jumped in when I started with the team in March and we came in, sat down and talked, and our relationship has been great. He’s a hard working kid, he wants to be great. We come out each and every day, we make sure we work hard and make each other better. With a guy like Josh there’s no room but to improve and sky’s the limit for us.”

(On how he has helped Williams)

“Probably just focusing on daily routines. Just each and every day, and each and every practice, focus on the small details of your game, whether it’s releases or block-ins, just trying to be a complete receiver.”

KANSAS CITY CHIEFS
ROMEO CRENNEL

(Opening remarks)
“We are disappointed about the way we played today and the final outcome. I don’t understand why we played the way we played. We were still in it at half time, but we came out in the second half and couldn’t get anything done. At this point if we keep turning the ball over, keep getting penalties and keep giving up scores like we did on defense, it’s going to be hard to win games. So we got to go see what we can do to try and fix it and that’s all that we can do. We will try to work on it and try to get it fixed, but it was disappointing today, the way we executed. It was not the quarterback’s fault; he came in and he wasn’t as sharp as he would have been if he had plenty of reps, but he wasn’t the cause of it. It was a team effort that screwed things up and we got to fix it as a team.”

(On Tampa Bay S Ronde Barber’s interception)
“We thought that it hit the ground and then bounced up and he caught it, but they couldn’t tell definitely on the replay, so they ruled it as a touchdown.”

(On today’s game)
“We couldn’t make the plays today. That hurt us, but when the talent does what it’s supposed to do, then they perform pretty good. When we don’t do what we are supposed to do, then it hurts us and it hurt us today.”

(On the team’s performance)
“Well, we didn’t take a step forward, you can’t say that. Like I said, until we tighten up the penalties and tighten up the turnovers and execute the way we are supposed to execute, it will be tough.”

(On QB Brady Quinn’s interceptions)
I thought he commanded (the offense) pretty nicely. He wasn’t as sharp with some of his throws as he needs to be. But, like I said, it wasn’t his fault, it was a team thing and everyone was involved in it.”

(On the Kansas City run game)
“The (Tampa Bay) defense made it tougher. But that doesn’t mean we are not going to run the ball, because they are a pretty good run defense. You’ve got to attempt to run and there were some spots we thought we could gain some yards and we weren’t able to gain the yards we felt we could gain.”

QB BRADY QUINN

(Opening remarks)
“Going into today, we felt extremely confident. We knew the task at hand in regard to the running game and (that Tampa Bay) did well at stopping the run. We needed to utilize more outside, which we did at times, but, overall, there wasn’t enough consistency. We continued to stall out and shoot ourselves in the foot. There were, again, turnovers that continue to plague us or penalties.”

(On Tampa Bay S Ronde Barber’s interception)
“I got hit on the play, but thought I put the ball in a good spot. All of the sudden, I looked up and saw him running. It was a tremendous play on his part, and I couldn’t tell on the replay. From my point of view it hit the ground, but he made a great play.”

(On keeping team morale high)
“For me personally, it is going to come down to my faith and belief in each other and ourselves. We put in a lot of work and I think the hardest thing for us right now is when you see plays like (Barber’s interception), where you see a (opportunity) and then it turns into a big play for the other team. At some point the luck is going to turn our way and I think we need to keep believing in ourselves and the tides are going to turn. We’re going to get a win and get on a roll. So it is just a matter of getting that win, getting that feeling again and then moving forward.”

(On the season)
“We’re at where we are at. We can only control each day, one day at a time. I think if we continue to work hard, continue to go to the drawing board, try to do the things we do best, and be competitive, I think we can be a good team. But we can’t continue to stop ourselves. Hats off to Tampa Bay, they played a good game, but we can’t continue to do things that are stopping us out there on the field.”

(On what to continue working on)
“Hopefully we’ll be able to find some things that we can lean on in tough times or tough parts of the game – that’s our go-to, whether it’s an offensive play call or coverage. We just have to find some things that we do best, continue to execute that and find a way to get a win.”

LB EDGAR JONES

(On his touchdown)
“I was surprised. Once I saw (Tampa Bay P Michael Koenen) pick the ball up in the end zone, he looked as if he was running the ball, but he just kind of looked at me and threw it. So, I’ll take it. They had guys downfield. I was even downfield. I was trying to block my guy, but the only reason I turned around was because I heard the fans. So, I turned around and I was thinking he’s just going to run the ball but he just threw the ball to me.”

(On the game)
“All we can do is keep fighting. A crazy day, but that’s the game of football. A lot of things happen. Some things we can control, some things we can’t control. But we just have to keep taking it one day at a time and focus on what we can do to make ourselves better.”

LB DERRICK JOHNSON

(On the overall team performance)
“We didn’t perform well at all. Hopefully we can bounce back. We had won one game; they had won one game. It could’ve been a lot better of a game than it was.”

(On what needs to be improved)
“In general, we just have to play better overall. We were just messing up in everything and we’re not playing like a very good football team right now. So, we got to make changes real soon.”

(On Tampa Bay’s performance)
“They just made more plays than we did. That’s all. They didn’t do anything different than what we had prepared for. They just made more plays. They wanted it more.”

S KENDRICK LEWIS

(On what happened in the second half)
“I can’t tell you what the exact problem is. I’ll just tell you that we have to get better. We’ve got to learn how to play defense for four quarters no matter how the game is going and that’s the bottom line.”

(On how he felt)
“I wouldn’t have gone out there if I didn’t feel comfortable. I put my best foot forward and did what I had to do. There are still some things that we need to correct, need to concentrate on to make ourselves better as a team, and that’s all it’s about, looking at each individual and trying to better ourselves.”

(On the upcoming bye week)
“It’s good. At a time like this we need it. It could not have come at a better time, even though we planned on coming in here and getting a win. Now, we can sit back and reevaluate ourselves and know how to attack the second half of the season.”

WR DEXTER MCCLUSTER

(On the Barber interception)
“It’s just one of those things that happens one (time) in a million and that was the one.”

(On the bounces going against his team lately)
“They’re definitely not going our way. It has been happening to us and there’s nothing we can do about it but just keep fighting. We just hope it will start going in our favor now.”

(On playing in front of friends and family)
“At the end of the day I am home and they did come to support me, but the mission was to come out here and get a win. I’m happy they’re here, they were able to see me, they rarely have the opportunity to, but we didn’t get the win so that’s kind of disappointing.”

CB STANFORD ROUTT

(On the game)
“It’s football, you know what I mean? It is what it is. Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose, but you never get down on yourself. It happens. Sometimes you got to go and tip your hat to the other guy.”

(On the season thus far)
“It’s always sunny because there is always another day. We only have one win right now and we have to get our second one. I know the season is not lost.”

DE JAMAL CHARLES

(On the Kansas City running game)
“(Tampa Bay) had a great game plan on trying to stop our run. They were coming for some of them.”

(On the game plan)
“We feel like if we would have stayed in the game plan, feel like we would have got a better chance to win.”

Martin talked about the Bucs gameplan. And Joe wants to know why D.J. Ware gets reps over the rookie.

Doug Martin had a huge catch-and-run for 42 yards today, seen here via NFL.com highlights. (If you want to see how NOT to block, watch the right side of the Bucs’ offensive line, and then compare it to the left side.)

It was a fantastic move and acceleration, and a lot of what Bucs fans envisioned when Martin was drafted in the first round this year.

“It was a turn route, expected outside versus man coverage,” Martin told Joe. “I was manned up and that’s what I did. Josh put it right on me and I was able to make a move and get downfield.”

Joe liked seeing Martin taking tosses and running wide. What a concept! It was all part of the plan for the Chiefs, Martin said.

“It was the game plan. We were addressing outside run plays,” Martin said. “That’s what we wanted to see coming in. LeGarrette and I working inside and outside. Pound the rock.”

Martin says he’s fine running inside or outside, but it’s clear to Joe he’s more dangerous outside the tackles.

While Martin had a couple of dropped passes today, a major no-no of the New Schiano Order, Joe would still like to see Martin get more work.

Why D.J. Ware is in over Martin on third down is a mystery. Joe has heard rockstar general manager Mark Dominik and Greg Schiano say repeatedly that Martin is an every-down back. If so, get him on the field. Let the kid get those valuable reps.

When Joe watched so many training camp and preseason practices this summer, there was one player who jumped out repeatedly: Tiquan Underwood.

The former Rutgers (always important) and Patriots wide receiver was making play after play in each practice, and continued to do so in preseason games.

Yet, when the final cuts were made, Joe was flabbergasted to learn Underwood was a causality. Joe just couldn’t believe this and still Joe shakes his head.

Early in the season, Underwood was brought back when Sammie Stroughter went on the injured reserve list and Preston Parker was sent packing.

Underwood showed again today why he is a valuable receiver, and perhaps the Bucs new No. 3 receiver when he fought Chiefs defensive back Kendrick Lewis for a pass that turned into a 62-yard reception.

Underwood spoke about the play, and what it meant to return to the Bucs and play significant roles in games.

“We made plays for [Josh Freeman] today,” Underwood said. “[Lewis] actually tipped it, I was trying to reach for it, we were righting for it, fortunately, I was able to catch it. As receivers, we do a lot of ball drills and with [Bucs receivers coach] P.J. Fleck, we work on a lot of things.

“For me, I just control what I can control, and that is my play. I cannot control who they cut. I can’t control roster moves but I can control my play. I did that in the preseason and I am trying to do that now.”

OK, so Joe isn’t Paul Brown. OK, fine. But it doesn’t take a clockmaker to figure out there was something strange going on in the final moments of the first half of today’s Bucs win against the Chiefs.

When Brady Quinn passed to Shaun Draughn on third down for a modest gain, there was 1:55 left in the half and the Chiefs lined up to punt just inside Bucs territory.

Now’s the time to call a timeout for the Bucs, right? Have a modicum of time to perhaps run a two-minute offense and maybe get a score, right? At the time, the Bucs held a slim four-point lead at 7-3.

But no, Bucs coach Greg Schiano did not call a timeout, instead, watching precious seconds tick off the clock. The clock finally stopped when the Chiefs were hit with a delay of game penalty.

On first down after taking over at their own one-yard line, the Bucs call for a run, and then a timeout. After a timeout, the Bucs run the ball again.

What? Call a timeout to set up a run? Why?

Naturally after the second run, it was the Chiefs, not the Bucs, who were calling timeouts.

It just seemed strange to Joe.

It seems suspended Aqib Talib will be welcomed back to One Buc Palace when his four-game suspension is finished in three weeks, following the Bucs-Raiders game in Oakland.

Various Bucs Joe talked to about Talib today didn’t let on any vibe that Talib is a goner, a soon-to-be excommunicated Buccaneer Man. The leader of the New Schiano Order even gave a vote of confidence for Talib.

“When he gets back, then we go with him,” Schiano said after the Bucs win against the Chiefs.

Schiano went on to praise E.J. Biggers and said the secondary didn’t miss a beat, before explaining he expects Talib to be ready.

When Aqib’s suspension is up, I really believe he’ll work hard and be ready, and then we’ll go from there,” Schiano said

Joe knows most fans view Talib as a pill-popping waste of talent who has gotten far too many chances. Joe wouldn’t cry if Talib is, in fact, cut soon. But Joe has no problem if the Bucs play wait-and-see with Talib and keep him on the roster for a while.

There are other ways to make players “accountable” other than cutting them. It’s crazy to talk playoffs, but the Bucs have no business cutting Talib this season if they’re in the hunt for a playoff spot when he returns.

Make Talib re-pass the dreaded conditioning test. Make him re-earn his spot. But don’t cut him to prove a point when you don’t have  to. The Bucs might need Talib’s services down the stretch. And that’s accountability to the fans who want to see winning football first and foremost.

Seven carries for LeGarrette Blount? Jimminy Christmas! Blount might need a day off. He hasn’t had that much work since last season.

Blount was the closeout running back today, squeezing the last gasp of air out of the Chiefs in the Bucs’ 38-10 victory. Blount bulled his way for 35 yards on the Bucs’ final drive, followed by a 12-yard touchdown run with 1:53 remaining. He finished with 58 yards on those seven carries and is now up to 4.9 yards per carry on the season.

Joe will deliver some comments from Blount later, but it’s fair to say Blount is a happy New Schiano Order camper. Maybe next game he’ll work his way up to nine carries.

Joe is of the mind that there is no player that has improved from last season to this year more than Bucs middle linebacker Mason Foster.

The second-year man from Washington almost seems like a different player. Last year he seemed lost, at times, almost intimidated.

This year? Foster has been nothing short of a beast. It’s almost like Foster wants some pineapple, and he may very well get some.

(For those not getting NFL urban lingo, pineapple = Pro Bowl.)

Today was another perfect example. He had seven tackles and some of them were big-gain stoppers. Jamaal Charles broke through massive hole for what appeared to be a potential long, long run when Foster raced in, plugged the hole, and stopped Charles for just a five-yard gain when it seemed as if it could have been a 20-yard run.

Foster, who smiles ear-to-ear when he is reminded of his improved play, credits his newfound toughness to the improved play of the defensive line.

“When [defensive tackles Gerald McCoy and Roy Miller] are getting double-teams up front, it makes it easier for me and Lavonte to make plays,” Foster said. “When they play like that it makes it hard for any team to run the ball. We were flying around, banging, playing off of each other, safeties coming down, feeling, great calls by Coach Sheridan. We just execute our game plan and we play hard, that’s what happens.

“If someone makes a mistake, we cover for them. Getting up field and getting penetration. When a guy had to make a move four years behind the line of scrimmage, it makes it better for us.

“Sometimes, we may be playing pass and they run it on us, but we just execute what we have to do, and play hard and we will be straight.”

Ronde Barber explains

Bucs icon Ronde Barber blocked/deflected the Chiefs first punt today and told Joe after the game that the leader of the New Schiano Order inspired him to get that kick.

Barber relayed a story of Schiano talking about the legendary punt-blocking skills of Rutgers and explained the passion the head coach has for fourth-down heroics.

“It was a specialty play; we put it in this week. And yeah, I got held and still got my hand on it,” Barber said of his punt block. “Coach takes pride in blocking kicks. He claims he’s the, I don’t know, I guess the best at it. He made a comment about who had the most blocked punts in college football. And I think everybody would assume Virginia Tech, but it’s in fact Rutgers. It’s just something he prides himself on. As a special teams group we gotta take his charge. We do.”

It’s a fun visual to think about Schiano challenging and inspiring his Buccaneer Men with talk about success at Rutgers — “we,” as he often calls the Scarlet Knights.

And the Bucs have been spectacular this season getting to punters. It was Adderall Aqib Talib who came up with a huge block in the win against Carolina. And Dekoda Watson was free and clear on the Cowboys punter but misjudged his run and cost the Bucs a 10-point swing and the game. (Now knowing how dialed into punt blocks Schiano is, Joe is feeling an extra wave of sympathy for Watson.)

These Bucs punt blocks are something to watch for moving forward, as is the roster status of linebacker Jacob Cutrera, who whiffed in punt protection and set up Michael Koenen for one ugly punt-block-throw-pick.

It was E.J. Biggers’ (partially hidden) hit on Dexter McCluster that popped the ball loose enabling Ronde Barber to record a pick-six against the Chiefs.

Didn’t miss Aqib Talib today did ya?

Neither did the Bucs. That’s because much-maligned E.J. Biggers played not just like a capable starter at cornerback in the NFL, but like a veteran starter.

Biggers made plays and he didn’t get burned, unlike the guy he replaced has a habit of doing. Biggers even made strong, open-field tackles of stud players like Jamaal Charles.

In short, Talib was not missed whatsoever. An afterthought, even.

That’s because Biggers credits former Bucs great Derrick Brooks with his play.

Biggers had scant time to prepare to start today, but it was his mental preparation for the Chiefs that saved both him and the Bucs, something he learned from Brooks himself.

Biggers had a rough start to training camp, injuring his foot early and was walking around in a boot through much of the preseason.

Rather than just sulk and feel sorry for himself, it was a visit from Brooks in August that motivated Biggers, a fact Biggers didn’t forget about today when he spoke with Joe after the win over the Chiefs.

“I was just playing football and doing my job, that’s what Coach Schiano stresses,” Biggers said. “Just do your job.

“It was something Derrick Brooks told me during training camp: ‘Stay in it mentally and your body will catch up.’ When I took that advice, everything just fell into place. Staying in it mentally, know all the calls so when I get back on the field, of course it would take a little bit of time, but because I stayed in it mentally, I caught up quick.

“As much as [retired Bucs] come around the building, I pick their brains as much as I can. Veterans on my team, too. All of that. You cannot learn too much.

“It was a great win, great team effort. This is what Coach Schiano talks about, if everybody does there job, there will be great results.”

Who’s the No. 1 receiver on the Buccaneers?

Vincent Jackson?

Not today.

It was Mike Williams showcasing his trademark elite body control and yards-after-catch ability against the Chiefs. He burned Chiefs cornerback Stanford Routt for a 62-yard strike. He burned Brandon Flowers, too, who even had to resort to holding Williams to slow him down. And that was just the first half, after which Williams had three catches for 103 yards.

Williams finished his day with four catches for 113 yards, and he’s now averaging more than 22 yards a catch on the season.

The Bucs have weapons. Joe was pleased to see them in use early today.

Dammit, the Bucs absolutely couldn’t lose this game against the lowly Chiefs. And they didn’t!

Job well done. The Bucs were fired up after halftime (no they didn’t pop Adderall), and thoroughly smoked Kansas City, minus some heinous special teams play.

E.J. Biggers made Joe and other Bucs fans say, “Aqib who?” It was Biggers who made a great open-field tackle of Dexter McCluster and followed it up with a stout pass breakup on McCluster that was pounced on and plucked just above the turf by Ronde Barber for his 78-yard interception/touchdown return.

Josh Freeman remains inconsistent. But it’s no big deal when he gets a couple of good breaks and the Bucs win — and when they play a heinous team like the Chiefs and Mike Williams acts like an All-Pro.

Hats off to the Bucs’ run defense — again — for stuffing the No. 2 rushing offense in the NFL.

Stick with Joe through the afternoon and evening for all kinds of takes and locker room quotes.

OK boys and girls, it’s the Chiefs at the Bucs. Have at it. Feel free to talk (and kvetch) about the game here. As always, do not post a link to illegal, pirated feeds of the game but you are welcome to e-mail links among yourselves. Have fun!

The Bucs just announced the inactive players for today’s game against the Chiefs at the stadium on Dale Mabry.

RB Michael Smith

CB Keith Tandy

LB Najee Goode

G Cody Wallace

WR Chris Owusu

TE Danny Noble

DE Markus White

The good news in this? Defensive tackle Roy Miller and his aching back are active.

Joe doesn’t get how Michael Smith has all but been put in a closet since Week 1.

One would think if the Bucs have a struggling running game, and they do, why not try to use a guy with blazing speed to break away since the other top two running backs have yet to get on track?

UPDATE: Despite an erroneous report in the Tampa Bay Times, Jeremy Trueblood will not start today for the Bucs.

The Bucs also announced E.J. Biggers will start to fill the void of suspended Aqib Talib at cornerback.

Week 6

Chiefs at Bucs

Kickoff: 1 p.m.

TV: Blacked out locally. Outside the Tampa Bay area, the broadcast can be found on DirecTV Channel 710. Game will be available on Game Rewind on NFL.com at midnight as well as Game Short Cuts on NFL Sunday Ticket, also at midnight tonight.

Radio: Buccaneers Radio Network (in Tampa WFUS-FM, 103.5 and WDAE-AM, 620); SiriusXM Channel 94.

Weather: Per AccuWeather.com, perfect weather at the stadium on Dale Mabry Highway. Kickoff temperature is expected to be 86 degrees and will rise slightly to 89 before the game ends, all under sunny skies.

Odds: Per Sportsbook.com, Bucs -4.

Outlook: Joe has a bad feeling about this game. Sure, on paper the Bucs should run and up and down the field on the putrid Chiefs. But upon further study, are the Chiefs really this putrid?

The Chiefs, by accident, have rid themselves of a turnover machine known as Matt Cassel. The Kansas City quarterback was good for three turnovers a game but will miss today’s contest as he is still recovering from a concussion suffered in a loss to the Baltimore Crows. The Chiefs defense held Baltimore to a mere nine points last week and Joe dares to suggest the Crows have a better offense than the Bucs.

The Bucs’ offensive line is a mess and that is an invitation for stud Chiefs defensive end Tamba Hali to wreak havoc on Josh Freeman.

Throw in the fact the Chiefs have dangerous offensive weapons (Jamaal Charles and Dwayne Bowe, for example), and this is no pushover game in the least. Add Aqib Talib being available due to his suspension, and Bucs fans have every reason to be concerned with this game today.

Joe fears if the Bucs lose this game, Bucs fans are looking at a scary tailspin to the season.

In case anyone has forgotten, the Bucs have lost 13 of their last 14 games.

You might not know it by looking at Josh Freeman on the football field, but listen to Freeman talk, on radio or via newspaper quotes, and the guy is brimming with confidence.

“I feel the best I’ve ever been as a player,” Freeman told his hometown Kansas Star this past week.

In the story penned by Tod Palmer, Freeman went on to say numbers and “fantasy football mumbo jumbo” are not factors in his development. It was a point Freeman also made with Steve Duemig on the Buccaneers Radio Network on Thursday. Essentially, Freeman feels that his dropoff in performance from 2010 does not mean he was a better quarterback that season.

Joe gets that mindset but it’s not a meaningful reality in the NFL, where you’re in the ultimate results business.

Regardless, Freeman has done good things this season, enough to build on and stay confident. Consistency is his biggest issue, something he needs to fix immediately so the Bucs can rack up some Ws and soothe a beaten down fan base.

In a nutshell, Gary Shelton is outraged.

The veteran Tampa Bay Times columnist, who can also be heard with Justin Pawlowski weekdays from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. on WHFS-FM 98.7, has had his fill of Aqib Talib.

Shelton documents all the transgressions of Talib from blasting a teammate in the face with a helmet to speed-bagging a cabbie’s head — while the car is traveling down the highway, no less — to playing Clint Eastwood in Dallas, and Shelton in so many words suggests if the Bucs have any ounce of moral fiber and a spine, Talib will have played his last snap with the Bucs.

This is what happens when a team stands by its trouble. The trouble comes back to visit it. And guess what? If the Bucs talk themselves into bringing Talib back, he’ll be back in the headlines again. They’re his second home.

This time it will be interesting to see the way new coach Greg Schiano reacts. It is one thing to be no-nonsense when you turn loose Kellen Winslow Jr. and Tanard Jackson and Brian Price. Those guys couldn’t play. None of them are on an active roster today; Jackson is serving a drug suspension.

Talib? As much has he has struggled this year — he is an overrated cornerback on a team that is last in pass defense — he still has starter’s talent. When you consider how much man coverage the Bucs play, Talib is a better bet than the guys behind him. No, the 2008 first-round draft pick isn’t the shutdown corner the Bucs pretend he is, but his loss will be felt.

This, as Shelton believes, is the real first big test under the New Schiano Order, led by new Bucs coach Greg Schiano.

It is easy to run K2 for not toeing the line (and preferring to spin discs poolside at a trendy Vegas hotspot rather than practicing), it’s quite another to launch a starting cornerback midseason who has had Schiano’s back publicly since the day Schiano stepped foot at One Buc Palace.

Perhaps both Schiano and Talib have bonded enough to save Talib’s hide for this season? Once the season is over, Talib is as good as gone.

Remember, one more slip-up with the banned substances, and Talib has entered Tanard Jackson territory where he will be suspended for a year.

Bucs rock star general manager Mark Dominik already got burned once by trusting Jackson to put the bong down, and got burned in the process. While Talib “just” took a pill (obtained illegally without a prescription), the sentence for another slip-up is the same.

After all, as Schiano famously said, his regime and the New Schiano Order will be all about “trust, belief and accountability.”

Has Talib burned through all three tenants?