The ugly side of watching a football game on television is not seeing what’s happening downfield away from the ball.

So Joe is absolutely dying to know whether Jeff Garcia Josh Johnson wasn’t seeing open receivers and pulling the ball down needlessly, or was he just scrambling for his life because there was nothing happening downfield.

Those answers will come in a matter of hours, whether it be from Raheem The Dream in a news conference today or tomorrow, or perhaps from one of the Bucs’ receiver, if their frustration is overboiling.

Regardless, Joe’s just not seeing how Greg Olson made enought adjustments to get the Bucs offense back on track. Are we allergic to a quick slant route?

Olson gave up on the running game far to quickly before going back to it behind Cadillac Williams late in the game.

Joe thinks Raheem The Dream dropped the ball when he opted for a short field goal on 4th-and-goal from the Redskins’ 3 yard line with about 4:30 remaining. The Bucs made the kick and pulled to within three points, 16-13.

Why not go for the win right there? There was nothing to freaking lose! You were sitting at 0-3 on the road. Go for the win.

There was no reason to put the game in the hands of your defense– the Bucs defense — which hadn’t stopped Washington consistently in the second half. Secondly, Josh Johnson wasn’t moving the ball down field at all. Add to that Mike Nugent is very unreliable.

Raheem The Dream blew it.

Worst case, you miss the fourt-down attempt. Then Washington is pinned back near its end zone and you’ve got a better chance of stopping them and getting back good field position.

Best case, you win the damn game.

Geno Hayes showed signs of being a quality starting linebacker after getting past his alarm clock issues on opening day.

Hayes played pretty well prior to the Bucs-Redskins game, flashing great speed and intelligent, instinctive play at times.

But on Sunday, Hayes had his breakthrough game, slashing into the backfield and making tackles for a loss. The 22-year-old out of Florida State even looked like a guy opposing offenses might need to gameplan for.

Raheem The Dream and Mark Dominik’s master offseason plan was for free agent signing Angelo Crowell and foolishly converted safety Jermaine Phillips to start at linebacker alongside Barrett Ruud.

When that plan blew up, Hayes and Quincy Black stepped into those roles. So far, Hayes looks up to it.

Black has been far too invisible, except when he’s out of position, letting Jason Campbell run past him, getting beat in coverage and committing penalties on special teams.

Redskins 16, Bucs 13

Don’t go away. Much more from Joe to come. For the moment, you can read Joe’s thoughts on the fourth quarter.

* Bucs, after Johnson fell down short of the first down to begin the fourth, are now 1-10 on third downs. Not much more to say.

* Talib with the hattrick. Joe can’t remember any Bucs defensive back getting three interceptions in one game. Donnie Abraham maybe against Minnesota? Joe’s not sure.

* Joe will write again: PLEASE Greg Olson will you try Clifton Smith?

* Well, throwing on first down is different.

* Johnson sure doesn’t look like a guy making his first NFL start, does he? (Please note sarcasm).

* Bucs got a helluva nice spot on that third down pass for a (barely) first down.

* Wow, FINALLY a decent run, a good run and a first down. Bucs need to keep that up, whatever they did right.

* A Clifton Smith sighting, squeezing through traffic for a short game.

* Very nice run by Cadillac for a first down. What has happened all of a sudden that the Bucs are running effectively?

* Freaking beautiful. False start.

* This is the violent running Raheem the Dream must have talked about since he got hired. Keep feeding Cadillac the ball if they are running like this.

* Bucs need seven. NEED SEVEN.

* Well, maybe the Bucs went to the well too often on that loss by Cadillac.

* If Nugent misses this chip shot he should be cut now.

* Field goal was defected but good. Nugent should still be cut.

* Let’s see if the Bucs have a pair and can pull this out. This is the first real fight the Bucs have been in this season.

* Gee, what a monster hole Portis just ran through. Time is not on the Bucs side.

* OK, getting Portis behind the line is a good start.

* Monster third down here for the Bucs defense. A Redskins first down might be the game.

* Surprised the Redskins didn’t go for it on fourth-and-short which would have sealed the game.

* Why does Joe have visions of Shaun King in the 1999 NFC title game?

* Fumble, game over.

* Clifton Smith fumble. Remember why Chucky wouldn’t play him? Joe is rudely reminded.

* Simply put, this loss is on Mike Nugent. No way around that.

* Gene Deckerhoff is now in the house. Apparently he had two flight delays, had one canceled and a third where he missed a connector by one minute. He would have been better off hopping a train from Boston. Or even driving.

* Clifton Smith with a nice return.

* BTW, what’s with this pink cap of Raheem the Dream’s? That’s almost as idiotic as baseball players using pink bats on Mother’s Day.

* Damn, that overthrow by Johnson on the rollout had major gain written all over it.

* Since early in the game, the Redskins have pretty much stopped the Bucs running outside of Johnson.

* That was a terrible (under)throw by Johnson into double coverage and this is just what the Redskins need to get back in the game.

* Jason Campbell runs for a first down? Geez.

* Nice defense by the Bucs there, good pass coverage because there sure as hell wasn’t much of a pass rush.

* So much for the shutout. Bucs need to put some offense together and Joe’s not so confident that will happen. Johnson is sure looking like this is his first NFL start.

* It’s starting to be apparent that the plodding running of Cadillac and Graham is playing right into the Redskins defense. Joe again please for someone quick like Clifton Smith to shake things up.

* Not good that Zuttah is out.

* Another bad pass into traffic by Johnson. The Bucs defense is going to be dead if the offense can’t start making first downs.

* Redskins offense is starting to warm up.

* Third and long: Can the Bucs defense come up big (again)?

* Oh, boy. The Redskins might go for it on fourth down. Major play in the game here.

* First down Cooley First down Redskins. How the hell did they let Cooley slip through there? That could be the turning point in the game.

* Ronde Barber with a fantastic play. Joe will be positive. OK Ronde?

* Quincy Black with a nice open field tackle. May have saved a first down.

* Just as Joe typed that, Black couldn’t bring Campbell down for a first down.

* Penalty. Washington. Thankfully. That helps.

* Cooley has just taken over this game. Unless the Bucs offense kickstarts — Joe isn’t very confident — that’s the game-changer.

* Wow, Ronde Barber with a block on the extra point. Now if somehow the Bucs can get a field goal, that could be HUGE.

* Not good news. Jeremy Zuttah is out for at least this next series.

* Dave Moore just said the Bucs need to get back to running the ball. Nice to think that but the run game hasn’t done squat since early in the game. And now you have Zuttah out of the game. Just how/why should they do this?

* Once again, Joe pleads for Raheem the Dream to put in Clifton Smith.

* Now Jeremy Trueblood is down. Bucs might want to try a wishbone now.

* If the Bucs are going to win this thing, Joe believes the Bucs will have to have a Pick-6.

* There’s your ballgame. Santana Moss. Joe was just waiting for that. Moss just blew by Aqib Talib. No fault to Talib there. Moss is that fast.

* Dave Moore on the Bucs radio network is blistering the Bucs offense, blaming the Moss touchdown on the Bucs not being able to move the ball and the defense (Talib) being worn out.

* Moore keeps talking about the Bucs running more. Hello, Dave, are you watching the same game Joe is? Memo to Moore: Not only cannot the Bucs run, but two starting offensive linemen are out. How do you expect the Bucs to suddenly, magically start running.

* Youngblood is back on the field. He got jacked up by a hit to the chin. Now that he has shaken the cobwebs out, he’s out on the field.

* How about a reverse? How about an option?

* Hey, Greg Olson, YOU CANNOT run the ball today. Geez. Try something different will ya’?

* Bucs are letting the Redskins off the hook. They had two additional chances to score and didn’t get the job done. Wonder if Byron Leftwich could have got the job done?

* Here we go: The Redskins are moving the ball.

* Sadly, it looks like the Bucs are going to need a turnover on this Redskins drive.

* Just what the doctor ordered: A pickoff! Joe is beginning to understand why Redskins fans are getting irritated with Jason Campbell. Now come on Bucs, need some more points on the board.

* Nice pass to get near field goal range. Still need another first down.

* Damn. Loss of yards at the wrong time. And another freaking penalty! This is really starting to irritate Joe.

* Gee. Michael Clayton drops a pass. Joe wasn’t aware Chucky was on the Bucs sidelines.

* Another missed field goal. Yeah, the Bucs couldn’t have used Matt Bryant. Joe would rather have Ted Nugent kicking.

* Joe doesn’t believe what he just saw: Gaines Adams destroyed Clinton Portis on a solo tackle for a loss. (Shaking his head).

* Dave Moore just said he doesn’t know what was said to Adams this week but “he is a different player this week than we’ve seen. You can tell by his body language.”

* A little volleyball there by the Bucs defense and a zebra!

* Yes, Quincy Black is not a ghost. He brings Campbell down to force a punt.

* For the most part, the Redskins have shut down the Bucs ground game.

* Nice little pick up for a first down by K2 over the middle. Might need something more than that with the clock ticking down. Hey, Earnest Graham is alive. Joe wonders if someone real speedy like Clifton Smith might be a nice option now that the two minute warning has arrived?

* Good catch by K2 in traffic and even better throw threading the needle by Johnson.

* Interesting Joe just saw Johnson help Facestomper off the ground.

* Joe’s guessing that Byron Leftwich would not have made that long scramble that Johnson just made to get inside the 20.

* Bucs and Johnson really dodged the bullet with that dropped interception. That very well could have and should have been a pick six.

* OK useless Mike Nugent. Time to put the ball between the uprights.

* Nugent damned near missed the field goal at the end of the half. Joe wouldn’t mind if he missed the plane back to Tampa.

* The Bucs have a 10-point lead at halftime. Joe doesn’t exactly know what to write.

* Thought it was way cool that Alex Ovechkin made an appearance on the field prior to the game rocking a Chris Cooley jersey. So much better than if he was wearing some cheesy No. 8 Redskins jersey. AO is one of Joe’s favorite athletes. Anyone that does a Jimi Hendrix routine after scoring a goal is classic in Joe’s eyes, not counting all the photos of AO trashed in Georgetown hotspots with loose women hanging all over him.

* No Gene Deckerhoff! WTF!!! Joe hopes Deckerhoff hasn’t slit his wrists because Florida State sucks so bad.

* My got, Gaines Adams with a sack!

* HOLY SPIT!!!! Gaines Adams with a fumble recovery. About freaking time son!

* Joe doesn’t like the fact on the second play from scrimmage the Bucs had to call a timeout because Antonio Bryant couldn’t figure out where to go.

* Well, guess that timeout worked, huh? Touchdown Tampa Bay. Joe assumes Redskin fan is about to jump off the Woodrow Wilson Bridge.

* Nice play by Maurice Stovall to force Ladell Betts out of bounds on the kickoff. Betts looked like he had a lot of green in front of him.

* Uh, T.J. Rives, a four-yard run is not a “minimal gain.”

* Geno Hayes with a great play for a loss. Joe hears whispers that Hayes isn’t playing linebacker well. If that’s the case, Joe will love to see Hayes play well.

* Gaines Adams with a deflection. Geez, could this be the turning point in his career? This guy is playing out of his mind so far this game. He actually looks like an NFL player.

* Raheem the Dream likes it, giving Adams a chest bump as he comes off the field.

* Nice hole for Cadillac to run through for a first down. That’s what the offensive line should have been doing all along this season.

* Johnson had a receiver wide open in the flat on the play that the Bucs were called for holding when he tried to run.

* Freaking holding penalty killed what looked to be a promising drive.

* Well, at least the Bucs should be able to pin the Redskins deep in their own territory.

* Thank you Antwan Randle-El for being stupid and fielding the punt at the four-yard line.

* Dave Moore on the Bucs radio network mocked Sabby Piscitelli for not stopping Clinton Portis at the line of scrimmage when he damned near broke a long run to the right.

* Geno Hayes again with the tackle.

* Pretty simple to see that when Jason Campbell has time to throw, he will burn you.

* Geno Hayes is freaking everywhere. Somewhere, Derrick Brooks is smiling.

* On the Redskins lateral, Adams for the first time Joe can remember stayed home protecting his lane in case Washington ran left. Generally Adams gets burned badly on those types of plays.

* Close to interference by Piscitelli on the incompletion to Cooley over the middle.

* OK, so the Bucs have a first down inside Washington’s 40. Let’s see if they can get a score out of this.

* Where has this offensive line been? Also, Joe hasn’t hear Facestomper’s name called yet. Ha!

* OK, the Bucs are in field goal range now. Long field goal, but still possible.

* Freaking delay of game! T.J. Rives is blaming dumbass Sean Mahan for not recognizing Johnson calling for the snap. Now they need five for field goal range.

* Damn. This will be a long field goal. Just heard Facestomper’s name.

* Bank shot didn’t work, and that penalty cost them the way the wind took that kick. The Bucs can’t get rid of that waste of human flesh Mahan quick enough.

* Piscitelli got burned. Joe is shocked.

* Way to go Aqib Talib! Come on Bucs, let’s put some points on the board and what the Redskins melt down.

* Damnit! QUIT HOLDING!!! How freaking hard is it to not grab someone? Don’t give Joe this nonsense about a running quarterback caused the hold. That’s bullshit!

* Joe saw that Redskins punter Hunter Smith was on a trainer’s table but has heard nothing yet on his condition.

Bucs general manager Mark Dominik spoke with the hillbilly with a bad thesaurus, Jack Harris, just before kickoff on the Buccaneers Radio Network. Dominik had an interesting quote when explaining the move to bench Byron Leftwich.

Dominik explained to Harris that the main reason the Bucs promoted Josh Johnson to starting quarterback was that his athleticism added to the Bucs playbook but doesn’t get away from what the Bucs want to do: run and throw deep.

Dominik also said something rather interesting just at the end of the interview.

“We’re committed to finding the Bucs starting quarterback of the future.”

You mean Josh Freeman isn’t? Strange.

Oh, and Joe heard Harris introduce Dominik as “the architect” of the Buccaneers. Given the fact that the Bucs very well could be 0-4, Joe’s guessing Dominik cringed when he heard that.

Anwar Richardson of the Tampa Tribune reports that running back Derrick Ward is inactive for today’s game with the Redskins. Richardson however reports that Gaines Adams is active, but of course Joe knows that’s a figure of speech.

Other inactives per Richardson of note are defensive tackle Dre Moore and defensive end Kyle Moore. Quarterback Byron Leftwich is the third string quarterback.

Wide receiver Antonio Bryant is active.

Week 4
Bucs at Redskins
Kickoff: 1 p.m.
TV: WTVT Ch. 13, DirecTV 711
Radio: Buccaneers Radio Network (in Tampa WFUS-FM, 103.5 and WDAE-AM, 620); Sirius Channel 158.
Weather: Per AccuWeather.com, perfect early fall football weather along the eastern seaboard. Temperature at kickoff is expected to be in the low 70s under sunny skies. Temperatures will rise just slightly throughout the game with a light breeze.
Odds: Per Bodog.com, Washington -7.
Outlook: Only the diehard Bucs cheerleader types expected the Bucs to vie for a playoff spot. While the putrid, impotent, Connie Chung-like loss to the Giants was like a kick in the groin to Bucs fans, being 0-3 isn’t a real shock. But for Redskins fans, Washington being 1-2 and coming off a loss to the toothless Lions, well, the wolves are at the door of Redskins coach Jim Zorn, likely led by Redskins tyrant/owner Danny Snyder. Despite having a lot of talent, the Redskins can’t seem to move the ball and are having a problem stopping the run.

If the Redskins are actually as bad as they have played thus far (only three field goals against the… Rams?), the Bucs may have an opportunity for an upset. But first, the Bucs and their offensive line have to learn to block again. Provided the Bucs block and run like they should, this could get interesting. But the Redskins will likely put seven and eight men in the box and dare Josh Johnson, making his first start, to beat them.
Fun facts: No NFC team has more interceptions this century than the Bucs. … Dan Snyder hired the man credited with ruining ESPN, jackass Mark Shapiro, to run his Six Flags empire. Not long after, Six Flags filed for bankruptcy. How quaint? … Drag queens seem to prefer the Redskins.

In anticipation of the Redskins losing to the Bucs today, Redskins tyrant owner Danny Snyder has been caught on video already recruiting coaches after he kicks Jim Zorn to the curb.

With all the distracting hoopla surrounding Josh Johnson being named the Bucs’ new starter, Joe is intrigued by the likelihood of Josh Freeman getting some work late in the game if the Bucs are getting clobbered or have secured a victory in Washington.

Why not?

In Joe’s mind, giving Freeman a late-game series or two can only help his development. At this point, he shouldn’t be so green and so mentally fragile that he can’t handle mop-up duty.

If Freeman plays well, then good for him. If he stinks up the field, then it’s only a couple of 3-and-outs. That shouldn’t hurt his confidence, and it would provide some valuable film for the youngster to study.

No, Joe hasn’t forgotten you on this perfect Saturday afternoon. As usual he brings you previews of the Bucs-Redskins game from NFL Network.

First up is NFL Films look at the game between two miserable teams. Included is some ass-chewing of players from Raheem the Dream. Good stuff.

Next is the weather forecase via AccuWeather.com. Joe just loves people that are so dense that they don’t know an NFL team’s name (does anyone call the Packers “Green” or the Giants or Jets “New?”

Of course, Scott Smith of Buccaneers.com previews the game and notes how nearly a third of the Bucs team is injured.

In this BSPN video, Pat Yasinskas talks about how Brett Farve changed the history of the Bucs. In short, Josh Johnson may not even be on the Bucs roster had Favre showed up last year.

Stephen Holder, of the St. Pete Times, explores the problems with the Bucs offensive line play in a story today.

Joe’s not even going to quote the story, which comes to no conclusion, but feel free to read it. First, Joe wants you to consider some things about the Bucs offensive line before you right the unit off:

1) Remember late in the preseason cerebral center Jeff Faine said it would take half a season for the offensive line to get its new zone blocking scheme down. Then Davin Joseph followed up in an exclusive conversation with Joe where he explained the line was a ways away from hitting its stride.

2) It’s important to remember the O-line was just fine against Dallas. We’re talking then about two sub-par games out of three, in Buffalo and against Dallass at home. And what’s the common thread in those games?  Oh, yeah, Byron Leftwich threw two early interceptions that led to scores and the Bucs dug themselves massive holes in both games because the defense is non-existent.

3) Leftwich holds the ball too long. Surely that didn’t help the Bucs O-line look as good on film. Leftwich was brought in to Tampa to be successful downfield off play-action. Getting down early in the last two games negated the limited positives in Leftwich’s game, yet against Buffalo they still pass-blocked well enough to mount a serious comeback. You could also make the case that only allowing two sacks of Leftwich in 50 passing attempts against Buffalo wasn’t too shabby.

4) Before the season, would any sane Bucs fan have said Tampa Bay would win the battles at the line of scrimmage against the Giants without Jeff Faine and Arron Sears?  Please.

5) Individually, Donald Penn is playing extremely well, Zuttah has made the transition to guard, and Jeremy Trueblood seems to have cut back on his bonehead issues and is pass protecting well. Davin Joseph has yet to look like a Pro Bowler, and the Bucs are coming up short at center, understandably, with Faine out. As for Joseph, he’s a great talent, but maybe he is struggling with the playbook and all the new plays being installed since Jeff Jagodzinski was ousted. Joseph did say it took him an entire year to learn Chucky’s system.  

Also, Joe has written many times that maybe it was, in fact, a bad idea for this young, highly-touted offensive line to be pushed into a new scheme. If it ain’t broke … but the jury’s out on that.

Washington’s defensive front is another massive test for the O-line. Passing this test could mean the Bucs have a prayer of fulfilling Raheem The Dream’s core beliefs: that the Bucs are a running football team.

Please allow Joe to introduce you to Jenny Dell of BSPN. Joe’s not sure why or where the Disney mice have hid Ms. Dell, but Joe is impressed and he is confident you will be as well.

Ms. Dell makes a prediction on the outcome of the Bucs-Redskins game. Let’s just say Joe won’t hold it against her.

A bit of unsolicited advice for the Disney mice: If you would get your heads out of the  collective asses of Bob Kraft, George Steinbrenner, Jerry Jones and John Henry, maybe viewers might get to see more of Ms. Dell. 

Joe sure wouldn’t mind.

Yes, Joe is a stick-waving Tampa Bay Lightning nut and a major voice for Bolts fans.

Now if you’ve been turned off by the Lightning after consecutive horrific seasons, Joe recommends you give them another look.

The 2009-2010 season opens tonight in Atlanta.

The Bolts had an intelligent, exciting makeover in the offseason. You can catch up now on JoeBoltsFan.com.

Trey Wingo, Tedy Bruschi and Mark Schlereth of BSPN break down the Bucs-Redskins game.

If Antonio Bryant has his way, new Bucs starting quarterback Josh Johnson cannot enjoy the fruits of his labor at Guavaween.

Since Josh Johnson was named the Bucs starting quarterback Monday, Bucs wide receiver Antonio Bryant has tried to take Johnson under his wing of sorts and help him out as best he can.

One of the first things Bryant told Johnson was, in short, no bar hopping, writes Tom Balog of the Sarasota Herald-Tribune.

”My number one advice was for him, just as a person, personally, is to protect yourself,”  Bryant said. “All that going to the club and stuff you have to cut back. Cut out. Go to the movies. You have to substitute some things. Because your situation has changed. Your face is a lot more recognizable. It’s a little different.”

Bryant said his public identity in the Tampa Bay community changed after he went off against the Chicago Bears last season.

”Like when I first got here, nobody knew who Antonio Bryant was,”  Bryant said. “They didn’t really bother me. It was maybe after that Chicago game, my life kind of just went back to fast speed. ‘Hey, how you doing guy?’ From the mail lady, to walking out, I used to give the ducks cereal. I couldn’t even open the door and give the ducks cereal. Even the ducks knew me. It was crazy.”

Shoot, man. Being a starting quarterback has its privileges, like pulling chicks hotter than Rachel Watson just by showing up at any of the dozens of fashionable hotspots.

How’s a guy supposed to land top shelf talent if he’s hiding in a movie theatre? This is the type of news that Joe needs to know.

Bucs running back Derrick Ward missed his third straight practice today, reports Stephen Holder of the St. Petersburg Times. And it’s very much up in the air if he makes the trip to Washington.

RB Derrick Ward isn’t certain yet whether he’ll be traveling with the team to Washington. That will be decided by the training and coaching staff, with whom Ward will be consulting soon.

” I’m feeling better,” said Ward, who hasn’t practiced this week. “It’s just a wait-and-see thing right now. . . It’s not up to me. I’m about to talk to the trainers right now”Ward said he woke up Monday with a sore knee but isn’t certain how he suffered the injury. The soreness has lingered, though it has improved. “

The only prayer the Bucs have of beating Washington is if they somehow get their running game in gear. If Ward is on the bench, that may not happen.

And if the Bucs can’t run, get ready for another ugly game.