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Josh Freeman was pressed yesterday to name the No. 1 one way he’s improved since last season.

No. 5 gave two answers. First, Freeman replied, “fundamentals.”

Next, he went on to explain how his understanding of the game is much better. “I’m seeing it all a lot faster, a lot clearer,” Freeman said.

Put aside all the blubbering, predicting, hyping, overanalyzing for the 2012 season, the Bucs will ride where Josh Freeman takes them. The defense can’t carry these Bucs, and the heralded offensive line has already been dealt a massive blow. If No. 5 is good, then the Bucs will be good.

And now back for your weekly regular season serving of statistical nonsense, here is Zubin Mehenti of BSPN. Man, Joe misses the gorgeous Jenny Dell.

Just about every young boy playing football at some point dreams of taking the field for his favorite team.

For Bucs cornerback Leonard Johnson, in three days, that will be reality.

Johnson, who grew up in Clearwater and was a four-year starting quarterback at Largo High School, leading the Packers to two consecutive state semifinal appearances, made the Bucs 53-man roster last week after being an undrafted yet highly touted free agent out of Iowa State.

When Joe caught up with Johnson this week, he was too locked in to make his scheduled weightlifting session than to talk about dreams, but did give Joe a brief few moments.

“I am excited just to be back home,” said Johnson, who went to Bucs games growing up as a youngster and attended Greg Schiano’s local football camps in high school. “In [three] days, my dream will have come true.”

Don’t be shocked to see Johnson play at cornerback, not just special teams. There is a reason why the Bucs earlier this week signed Brandon McDonald and waived offensive lineman Derek Hardman, despite the Bucs’ right side of the offensive line being in disarray since Davin Joseph was lost for the season. That’s because the Bucs secondary is now thin as well thanks to nagging injuries to E.J. Biggers and Anthony Gaitor.

Biggers is still a bit hobbled from an injured foot he suffered on the first day of training camp when he and Arrelious Benn collided. This week, Biggers has had limited participation in drills preparing for Carolina as has Gaitor who is nursing a tender hamstring.

This opens the door for the hometown guy, Johnson.

“When my number is called, all I have to do is just go out there and execute and make plays,” Johnson said.

Johnson has been busy these days. He grew up in a rough area of Clearwater known as North Greenwood, where a path to crime and gangs is too often taken than the initial harder road Johnson chose of going to college, getting a degree and reaching his dream of playing in the NFL. Even as a college player, Johnson was active in neighborhood youth activities, often speaking to youngsters in the area about how dreams can be reached through education, encouraging them to go to school, that if good things can happen to him, it can happen to them as well through hard work.

Tuesday was a bit different. Johnson showed up, representing the Bucs, wearing his Bucs No. 29 jersey.

“I see those kids a lot but to let them see me with my Bucs jersey on, it meant even more,” Johnson said.

That’s because the City of Clearwater, through a grant from the Bucs and the NFL, built a youth football complex for the North Greenwood area, near the old Jack Russell Stadium where the Phillies used to play spring training games.

“Now that I’m home, I’m just doing God’s work,” Johnson told Jared Leone of Clearwater Patch. The complex comes replete with lights, irrigation system and field goal uprights.

Johnson was sort of the emcee of the event, the native son done good.

For the youngsters in the neighborhood to have a state-of-the-art complex to play and practice football on, Johnson said, “Is awesome, really awesome.”

Just like the story of how a neighborhood son grew up to reach his childhood dream.

THE PESSIMIST is a diehard Bucs fan whose negative writings have appeared previously on JoeBucsFan.com. THE PESSMIST is rarely happy, but he is happy to return to these pages for the 2012 season. His views surely do not necessarily reflect those of Joe. But Joe sure gets a kick out of them.

THE PESSMIST can’t find one allegedly knowledgeable person picking the Bucs to win Sunday. Not Vegas. Not a genius national talking head.

Somehow all these idiots think Carolina off a 6-10 season is a stone cold road lock Sunday. What a bunch of crap.

So Cam Newton can run to daylight and he racked up gargantuan numbers — twice — against the December 2011 Buccaneers to pad his stats. That was the worst defense of the modern era. Steve Smith is old. Defenses will catch up to Newton. And the Panthers defense still sucks. Let’s see Luke Kuechly play a game before he gets the Rookie of the Year trophy.

But perhaps these pundits also take a look at the Bucs and are confused. Maybe they see Quincy Black, Roy Miller, Mason Foster and wonder why, why, why these guys have the same jobs in 2012.

Maybe they see Josh Freeman needing time to bounce back to 2010 form with new targets, a new playbook and new coaches and little from the preseason to get them excited. Crap, there’s not even enough local excitement to sell out one damn game with seven months of sales effort since Greg Schiano was hired, despite a bunch of gameday perks and big money and free agents.

THE PESSIMIST has little belief in the Bucs for Sunday, either. Just how the Rutgers defense looks in the NFL and how Mike Sullivan runs an offense are complete mysteries, let alone how Doug Martin might lead a run-first team.

Smart money doesn’t wager on hope.

In one of the cruel twists to the 2012 NFL schedule, the New York Giants opened last night and now have four extra days to prepare to play the Bucs in New Jersey on Sept. 16.

Joe doesn’t think this benefits the Bucs one bit, expecially with the Giants now 0-1.

Watching the Giants lose last night, Joe couldn’t help but be grateful that the Bucs leapfrogged New York in the first round of the draft to snag Doug Martin, leaving the Giants with weepy, slippery fingers David Wilson.

Panthers coach Ron Rivera believes the Bucs defense is capable of a quick reversal of fortune.

When Carolina coach Ron Rivera had his conference call with the Tampa Bay pen and mic club yesterday, Joe wondered exactly what Rivera thought of the Bucs defense.

Last year, the Panthers ravaged the Bucs defense, racking up 86 points and 818 total yards in two games. So Joe asked Rivera, based on last year’s results, whether there was an element of the Bucs defense that concerned him. Rivera launched into a passionate defense of the Bucs defense, all but believing last season was just an ugly hiccup for Tampa Bay.

“First [of] all, coach Schiano is going to bring in a scheme that he had success in whether it was at the University of Miami or at Rutgers. They have some playmakers. Their back seven is a pretty solid group. I think moving Ronde to safety is a heck of a move. Then at the corners you have [Aqib] Talib and Eric Wright out there and Mark Barron is a guy that we really liked. I think it is a good young core group of guys. I think the world of Mason Foster and what he is as a young man. Then you look at that front four, it’s a solid group.

“People tend to forget this was a team that was 10-6 two years ago. This team has had some success. It’s not like these guys are not capable of success. People have to understand that. This Bucs team is not far away. This team can have a resurgence very, very quickly. I don’t take this team lightly. We don’t take this team lightly.”

Rivera has a point, but let’s not lose sight of the fact that had the Bucs been a capable defense last year, a rookie quarterback without an offseason and only scant weeks of preseason wouldn’t have lit the team up like a bonfire.

There’s also a reason the Bucs drafted two defensive players with their first three picks in last spring’s draft.

Of course, Sunday will reveal how much the gap between the powerful Panthers offense and the rebuilt Bucs defense has narrowed.

This NewsChannel 8 video combines the leader of the New Schiano Order animated at the podium at a recent business leaders breakfast and a look at Gerald McCoy, Josh Freeman and Leonard Johnson joining Team Glazer in playing with kids and donating $100,000 to fields in Clearwater’s Greenwood neighborhood.

It’s bad enough the Bucs defense must deal with all-world quarterback Cam Newton and a couple of bruising running backs in Jonathan Stewart and DeAngelo Williams, but the Bucs also will face arguably one of the top linebacker units in football.

Last year stud linebacker Jon Beason missed most of the season with an injured left Achilles. He’s returning alongside a potential defensive rookie of the year in Luke Kuechly.

It’s not an exaggeration to suggest that the Panthers linebackers have the full attention of the Bucs offensive line.

“Beason hasn’t played all preseason so I just have to go off of what I have seen in the past,” Bucs left tackle Donald Penn said. “He’s one of the best linebackers. Don’t have too much film on Beason as to how he is coming back from his injury and how well he is moving but we will find out on Sunday.”

Bucs right tackle Jeremy Trueblood is expecting the Beason the NFL is used to.

“Beason is one of the fastest in the NFL,” Trueblood said.

But it isn’t just Beason. The entire unit is strong, Penn said.

“The linebackers that filled in [for Beason] were real good,” Penn said. “They are smart. They are real active and they make sure they are in the right position. I think with Beason coming back in there, it will just be another plus” for Carolina.

“It’s not going to be easy,” Penn added. “We know that it’s going to be a dogfight.”

As impressed as the Bucs are with Beason, so too are they with Kuechly, despite his small sample of preseason game tape.

“He is moving around a lot,” Penn said. “He’s still learning, you can tell he is still learning. They say if you mess up, mess up by going a thousand miles an hour and with him, he is going a thousand miles an hour.

“That is a good thing though. We will have to find some ways to slow him down. He is playing well. But really, we have to take care of us. If we take care of us, we will be fine.”

Trueblood concurs, “If we just do our job, everything else will take care of itself.”

Earlier today, Bucs coach Greg Schiano discussed how Panthers quarterback Cam Newton is so dangerous yet so versatile, if you (somehow) stop Newton, a defense will actually stop the Panthers’ rushing attack.

Schiano was quick to add that Newton is so talented, a defense cannot expect to shut him down only limit his effectiveness.

Bucs defensive tackle Gerald McCoy reinforced Schiano’s theory when Joe got a chance to chat with him after practice.

“Yeah, that guy, man, he is a different breed of player,” GMC said of Newton. “It’s rare to see a guy come in and do the things he did as a rookie and have so much focus. He has a lot of vet in him already; he had it as a rookie. That is not something that is just given, it is earned. He works. It will be a challenge. He is an escape artist and we are putting in the work and we have a few more days to prepare for him.”

So how true is it that if you bottle up Newton, the Panthers rushing attack struggles?

“Yeah, because they have a lot of gun-and-run stuff they do where it all starts with him and his decision-making and he is a great decision-maker. Not just with the passes he makes but the runs he makes, too,” GMC said. “He is good, he is good. In order to get anything done we will have to stop the run. Have to!”

The Bucs’ defensive staff recently finished watching film of every Cam Newton scramble of 2011, so said Bill Sheridan today at One Buc Palace.

And the assessment was that the prime danger from the Panthers’ offense is when Newton leaves the pocket. Sheridan said the Panthers’ conventional running game can be devastating like “the gun runs” but the greatest challenge is when Newton is on the move in the run or pass.

Sure, Joe expects the Bucs’ linebackers to get abused a handuful of times Sunday. Joe imagines Lavonte David is going to have some wide eyes. But there’s hope the Mark Barron can shake up Newton with a good stick, and perphaps Gerald McCoy can change the game as a “dynamic playmaker,” as Sheridan is certain he will be.

Got tickets for Sunday’s Bucs-Panthers game? Joe’s friends at Tilted Kilt in Clearwater are going to get you there — in style.

Bucs fans can start their opening-day tailgate at Tilted Kilt and then get on a chauffeured luxury bus at 3 p.m. to Raymond James Stadium for the 4:25 p.m kickoff against Carolina. Then the luxury bus will return you right after the game to Tilted Kilt, where you can keep the party going into the night.

And best of all, a seat on the luxury bus costs only $3.95 roundtrip per person!!

That’s a huge savings! Crap, parking at the stadium would cost you $15 to $25.

Parking is safe, easy and convenient at Tilted Kilt. And you can bring Tilted Kilt food on the bus, and your own adult beverages. … Joe’s friends at Paradise Worldwide Transportation are doing the driving, which means it will be top-shelf service.

Buy your seat now below. After purchase, you’ll get an instant receipt and parking/pickup specifics emailed to you.

The Bucs defensive coordinator put some hefty pressure on Gerald McCoy today

Bucs defensive coordinator Bill Sheridan minced no words today at One Buc Palace when it comes to Gerald McCoy and his greatness.

Sheridan said Bucs fans will see “dynamic player” and one that will be moving around and stunting. The D-coordinator went on to say McCoy will be “really, really productive” and produce like “a dynamic playmaker. He will be.”

There’s officially no wiggle room for McCoy any longer.

Joe’s unsure how Derek Hardman fell off the radar. As a rookie he was the heroic replacment for Davin Joseph as the Bucs were a top-10 offense in the second half of the 2010 season.

He was back in 2011, but now he’s been cut, even with Joseph out for all of 2012. The Bucs announced the move this morning and the re-signing of veteran cornerback Brandon McDonald, who previously was cut the other day.

The Bucs also signed G Julian Vandervelde to the practice squad, another guy who was cut a few days ago, and released WR Bert Reed from the practice squad. What a bummer for Reed. The Florida State product just did a TV interview in the panhandle talking about how he was so happy to be joining his beloved Buccaneers.

With reservations, Joe is bringing you this story via eye-RAH! Kaufman of the Tampa Tribune that is bound to draw forth ire from Bucs fans.

Part of the reason Joe is typing this up is that he has been overwhelmed with questions about the looming blackout of the opening week against the stinking Panthers.

No, there is no update on how many tickets need to be sold. And there likely won’t be until the 4:25 p.m. deadline rolls around tomorrow. (In the unlikely event of an update, Joe will have it here on this site ASAP.) On Friday, the Bucs were some 9,000 tickets short of the 85 percent threshold needed for non-premium seats.

Simply put, that’s a ton of tickets to move in a short period of time, short of Van Halen or Bruce Springsteen.

This has not stopped Team Glazer from pitching tickets to turn Sunday’s game into a serious home-field advantage and one seen on local television.

Speaking at a Chamber of Commerce “Chalk Talk” luncheon at the Grand Hyatt, Glazer and Schiano implored fans to provide the Bucs with a boost in Sunday’s regular-season opener against an NFC South division rival that romped past Tampa Bay twice last season.

“We’d love to see everyone take advantage of our revamped pricing and our enhanced fan experience at Raymond James Stadium,” Glazer said. “We’re going to need you in our corner when we kick off at 4:25 this Sunday so we can re-establish a stadium atmosphere that fuels our team and frustrates our opponent.”

Joe is not telling anyone how to spend their money. Unlike some lazy local sports radio hosts who just cannot stop talking about this inane subject and are of the misguided notion that the last line of a box score (attendance) is somehow more important than the first line (the final score), fans can spend their cash however they deem fit.

Joe has no more business telling people how to spend their cash than someone telling Joe he should buy tickets to the Dali Museum in St. Petersburg.

Joe just doesn’t get the outrage people have for others not going to games. The NFL average attendance has dropped four years in a row yet each season the NFL sets TV ratings records. Joe’s not a math major but he can sure add this up.

Fueled by a rotten economy and the scourge of fantasy football, more and more people prefer the at-home, HDTV experience with the NFL Sunday Ticket and the Red Zone Channel than the in-game experience. In short, it’s a cultural change. The facepainters will always go to games but the casual fan isn’t as inclined any longer, and that, friends, is what determines sellouts in transient areas where blackouts are common such as Florida and California.

And though Joe is hardly an apologist for Team Glazer, no way they should buy any remaining tickets to ensure a game be televised locally. Team Glazer is graciously offering some free parking and half-off concessions for Sunday’s game. Those are generous enough enticements as it is.

So Joe just cautions Bucs fans who want to watch the game live, don’t depend on others and don’t bank on the game being televised live locally. Either be prepared to buy a ticket, or brace yourself to watch a rebroadcast at midnight Sunday night on NFL.com or NFL Sunday Ticket.

Hopefully, the Bucs will look better on the field this season and quickly snap their 10-game losing streak. But if the Bucs’ struggle, at least the stadium experience will have more sizzle.

Free Wi-Fi (so fans can monitor NFL Sunday Ticket and the Red Zone Channel on their smartphones), upgraded customer service, top-shelf stadium replays, fancy fan giveaways in the parking lots and expanded club seating hours are all part of Team Glazer’s drive to improve the gameday scene for fans that don’t stay home. About those replays, the Bucs described them like this:

a brand-new replay system, as well as several new cameras installed to increase the number of angles for improved replays. Also new this season, fans will have the chance to go Under the Hood, as the stadium BucVision boards will display the same replays that the field officials view on sideline monitors. These advancements will ensure that fans in the stands receive the best quality gameday atmosphere.

Joe would like to take this opportunity to recommend tripling the size of the cheerleading corps, the unit on the field stays, and the two new ones are dispatched to roam the upper and lower bowls.

Your crappy tire tread won’t magically go away, and neither will the lousy alignment you think is no big deal. This is why Joe is steering you to Ed Morse Cadillac Tampa, so you can get everything taken care of at a low price and with confidence, convenience and comfort.

Look, you’ll get superior service and a guaranteed price at Ed Morse Cadillac Tampa, plus you won’t have to suffer in filth in a chain tire shop waiting room. At least take advantage of the amazing FREE and fast digital alignment check at Ed Morse. No appointment needed. Joe promises you’ll be impressed at Ed Morse Cadillac Tampa.

Even an Englishman can appreciate Doug Martin.

Now Joe knows just the mere mention of football in London gets Bucs fans’ antennae up. It wasn’t that long ago that local conspiracy theorists were convinced Team Glazer was going to pull up stakes and move the Bucs to London only because Team Glazer owns some kickball team over there and people enjoy playing connect-the-dots even when there are no dots to connect.

So when an Englishman decides to break down the NFL without using the word “rubbish,” Joe knows this will be a volatile subject.

Neil Hornsby, the man behind ProFootballFocus.com (yes, he’s British born and bred and a proud resident of the empire), traveled to just about every NFL training camp (Joe met him when he visited Tampa with Peter King), and has broken down all NFL preseason games and is critiquing every first round draft pick from this spring.

So far, Hornsby really likes what he sees from Bucs rookies safety Mark Barron and running back Doug Martin.

Mark Barron: Not seen that much of him in coverage but his work elsewhere has been very good. Not afraid to take on blockers, closes quickly and made his tackles. A huge upgrade for Tampa Bay at an area of need.

Doug Martin: Excellent avoidance skills and balance allows him to run through multiple glancing blows and keep his feet. Very much a north-south runner who gets up-field in a hurry. An impressive start.

Joe actually has been more impressed with Barron than Martin, and that is no knock on Muscle Hamster who looks to be a stud.

Joe is just struck by how quick, how physical and how punishing Barron is. When Barron blew up a couple of Patriots running backs in preseason, just flying in from seemingly nowhere, Joe told Barron later he looked like John Lynch with wheels.

Let’s just say Barron liked that compliment.