Raheem the Dream was one steamed at halftime of the Bucs-Dolphins game as well he should have been.

The zebras screwed over the Bucs just before the half when Michael Clayton caught a pass to the right side from Freeman for a first down when, after he was down, the ball was ripped from out of his hands.

Replays clearly showed he was down. Clearly. Yet the referees claimed he fumbled.

Raheem the Dream erupted and got hit with an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty, but it was warranted by Raheem the Dream. This enabled the Dolphins to score 10 points in the final two minutes and likely will be the difference in the game.

Asked at halftime on the Bucs radio network what explanation the zebras gave him for the horrible called, Raheem the Dream barked twice, “I never got one.”

Each week on the NFL Network, the NFL’s head of officiating Mike Pereira has a show where he breaks down the most controversial plays of the week and explains why the calls were made.

Joe would love to hear his explanation of this crap. It likely cost the Bucs a win.

* Since early in the game, save a couple of plays, the Bucs defense has been playing well.

* The Bucs, not a good defense at all, are proving why running the option in the NFL is a worthless attempt.

* Damn. Third and 16 and the Dolphins convert. Barrett Ruud was playing centerfield for some reason and wasn’t anywhere near a receiver.

* Joe likes the diversity of the Dolphins offense. Wildcat, option, pro-style. Fun to watch, so long as your team isn’t playing the Dolphins.

* Phins are starting to figure out the Bucs have no pass rush and as a result Henne is starting to carve the Bucs up.

* Bucs are doing OK, not great, not good, but OK against the run.

* Well, three points is still a helluva lot better than a touchdown and the game is still a one-score game. Com’ on Tito, now hang on to the ball this series.

* Third fumble by Freeman!!! This is getting ridiculous.

* Caddy up the middle. Let’s try that again soon.

* Wow, nice run by Freeman, somehow escaping a jailbreak rush by the Phins. Somewhere, Carmella Garcia is smiling. First down.

* First down run to the left by Cadillac after a fine block by Penn.

* Four-yard gain by Derrick Ward up the middle. Hhhm, this is a good sign.

* Let’s see what Tito can do on third-and-five.

* Dave Moore on the Bucs radio network claims Freeman is taking too long to make a decision on his three-step drops.

* Great catch by Sammie Stroughter though it is a yard short of the first down. Why not go for it? Raheem the Dream doesn’t. The way Freeman is fumbling, a quarterback sneak is not smart.

* Joe thinks the Bucs have found a kicker. He boots a 53-yard field goal to pull the Bucs within three. This is after he nails a 51-yard field goal. Connor Barth.

* Good play on holding the Dolphins to a short gain on the pass play but Joe thought he saw a clip on the play.

* Tim Crowder was about ready to smother Henne when he dumped the ball off for an incompletion. Sure helps to get heat on the quarterback.

* Draw play. Tanard Jackson with a massive collision to save a first down.

* OK, 95 yards in two minutes down three. Do the Bucs just run the clock out? Freeman better not fumble again here.

* Nothing for Cadillac. Timeout Fish. Joe smells at least a Dolphins field goal coming.

* Oh, geez! Bucs REALLY dodged a bullet. Joe has never been so happy to see Michael Clayton drop a pass. That was a catch on the replay. That should be a touchdown. Damn.

* Gene Deckerhoff that Connor Barth made Bucs history. The Bucs place kicker is the first to make two field goals in the same game over 50 yards.

* Wow. Clayton looked like he was down. This is a game-changer.

* Well, there is six points Miami can thank the zebras for. Terrible. Bucs got royally hosed.

* Man, the last two minutes have been awful for the Bucs. Could be a 10-point swing.

* Hayes is playing amazing this first half, now breaking up a pass play that would have been a first down.

* Ronnie Brown gets first down on a perfect screen pass. Quincy Black did his best to see that Brown’s play was successful.

* Aqib Talib got schooled by a guy that was just pulled off the practice squad. It was good coverage but man the guy made a move on Talib. That written, Talib wasn’t going to give up the long pass.

* Get Sabby out of the friggin’ game!

* Yep. That’s a 10-point swing in the final two minutes. Now it’s a two-touchdown game. Was a three-point game until the zebras decided to screw the Bucs.

Computer issues wiped out Joe’s first quarter notes but Joe will try to write a few thoughts here:

* Freeman is going to have to start taking care of the ball. Two fumbles so far in one quarter. The defense saved Freeman the first time thought it may have cost the Bucs at least a field goal, maybe more.

Donald Penn bailed Freeman out the second time which could have been a disaster.

* On the first fumble scrub, Joe could have swore he saw Kellen Winslow take a swing at someone.

* Dolphins, initially, just ran at will on the Bucs defense.

* Sabby Piscitelli is having a shitty game so far. He bit on a pump fake that nearly went for a monster pass gain on the Dolphins first play of the game if not for the drop by the Michael Clayton of Miami, Ted Ginn. Later, he whiffed on a tackle that resulted in a huge run by Ronnie Brown.

* Geno Hayes is all over the field. The play he made on Chad Henne on a fleaflicker was amazing, as if he knew the play was coming.

* After Freeman’s first fumble, the Bucs defense may have had its best series all season. Miami couldn’t do anything. When Henne tried to pass on third down, he was about to be beheaded when he threw the ball away.

* There was a huge stop by Barrett Ruud. Joe wonders what Justin Pawlowski had to say about that?

Joe was in a rush this morning because he likes to sleep in on Sundays after a full day of college football and Caybrew. So he missed the following, but Michael David Smith, writing for ProFootballTalk.com, did not.

Seems that this morning on the NFL Network, analyst Steve Mariucci said the reason why the Dolphins suspended mouthy linebacker Joey Porter was because the Dolphins are playing the Bucs.

Mariucci also pointed out that the Dolphins made this move during a week in which they were preparing to face one of the league’s worst teams.

“When you suspend a guy, you want to make sure you can win without him,” Mariucci said. “Who they playing today? Tampa.”

Joe has never had a problem with Porter generally because he often spoke the truth and backed up his words. Now that Joe has learned Tuna and Tony Sporano (“What part of the boot are your from lady?”) think so little of the Bucs, Joe would love to see the ‘Phins pay for their ways.

Week 9
Bucs at Dolphins
Kickoff: 1 p.m.
TV: WTVT Ch. 13, DirecTV 709
Radio: Buccaneers Radio Network (in Tampa WFUS-FM, 103.5 and WDAE-AM, 620); Sirius Channel 158.
Weather: Per AccuWeather.com, it will be hard to improve on the weather. Glorious Florida football afternoon under sunny skies and 80 degrees at kickoff. Temperature is expected to remain steady throughout the game with gentle breezes.
Odds: Per Bodog.com, Dolphins -10
Outlook: Finally, the Bucs got a win last week. Rookie quarterback Josh Freeman got his first start and when he played in a shotgun formation, he was fantastic. When Freeman took snaps from center, he was Dilferesque. Joe expects the Dolphins to blitz early and often. Given the fact the Dolphins are banged up in the secondary and have two rookies playing there, it’s possible the Bucs try to take advantage of that. Key to this game will be the Bucs running game. If the Bucs run well, the Bucs keep the ball out of the Dolphins hands. It’s simple, but despite the Bucs racking up three interceptions and six sacks, the defense still gave up a terrible amount of yards. The Bucs cannot count on three interceptions and six sacks every game. So a solid rushing game by the Bucs will be critical. Keep in mind Dolphins linebacker Joey Porter feasts on the Bucs with seven sacks in three games.
Fun facts: The adorable lass above is Dolphins cheerleader Fabiola Romero. Readers with a keen eye should recognize her. She was one of the three original Florida State Cowgirls along with hometown girl and Bucs traitor Jenn Sterger, who took off her filthy Jets clothes and no longer works for Gang Green. Simply put, Fabiola is… fabulous!

Kellen Winslow Jr. is one of the more colorful players in Miami Hurricanes history, so it’s understandable why the South Florida MSM is interested in his return to Miami with the Bucs on Sunday.

Carlos Frias, of the Palm Beach Post, blew out a feature story on Winslow in his new role as mentor to Josh Freeman. 

Morris watched as Winslow stayed late in the film room and just talked football with Freeman, weeks before the rookie took over. They would go over the young quarterback’s progressions, Winslow teaching him how to use the film to help him on game day, Morris said. And when Freeman finally got his shot last week, he showed what he had learned, throwing for 205 yards and three touchdowns — one of them to Winslow — in the 38-28 upset of Green Bay.

“I have watched him bond to Josh, grab Josh by the neck and bring him into the room with him and those two sit for hours at a time and go through the process … whether Josh is playing or not,” Morris said. “It has been fun to be able to watch those two work together.”

It’s a well-written feature that Joe highly recommends.

One of the more compelling quotes comes from Dophins head coach Tony Sparano, who called Winslow a “tenacious blocker.”

Joe can’t help but mention that former Bucs defensive end and JoeBucsFan.com analyst Steve White recently lauded Winslow’s blocking in his weekly film breakdown.

Kellen Winslow. This guy has made a believer out of me. Not only because of his great day catching the ball. But also because of the effort he gives as a blocker. Now nobody will ever confuse him with an offensive tackle but he goes hard on every running play and you can see that it matters to him when he doesn’t make his block.

Aside from Sparano and White, Joe hasn’t seen or heard that assessment of Winslow, who came to Tampa Bay with a reputation as a disinterested blocker, anywhere else.

At this rate, if Joe were still referring to Winslow by a different name, Joe would up his rank to Major.

Not much for Joe to set up with these comments about Josh Freeman by the Dolphins’ defensive coordinator.

The Palm Beach Post caught up with Paul Pasqualoni, who apparently has a Raheem The Dream like crush on Freeman.

…Pasqualoni has been impressed with the first-round draft pick since he watched tapes of him in college.

Pasqualoni related how he watched Freeman play for Kansas State against Oklahoma his senior year.

“Rolled to his left, got his feet reset, threw the ball down the field, big play. I remember that play.” He said it reminded him of two of his quarterbacks during his lengthy tenure as head coach at Syracuse: Marvin Graves and Donovan McNabb.

“With Josh Freeman, things slow down. The guy’s gonna have a chance to be a good quarterback. You can’t underestimate him because he’s a rookie. You’re gonna have to play, you’re gonna have to cover the receivers, you’re gonna have to do everything you do. Last week (against Green Bay), everybody can say they had a short field, they turned the ball over, all that. But they scored touchdowns in the red zone. They weren’t kicking field goals. And this guy was making plays. That’s a long way of saying we’re very impressed with the guy.”

Joe can’t wait for kickoff.

Fresh off the Buccaneers official Twitter account, Antonio Bryant (knee swelling) and Stylez G. White (shoulder) did not make the trip to Miami.

Joe’s bummed out. These are two of Joe’s favorite Bucs. Joe’s had his share of private chats with each one. Both good, fun guys.

White’s a huge loss, given the recent success of the D-line and White personally (three sacks in the past three games).

If nothing else, this opens up another huge opportunity for Maurice Stovall to make a statement about his future in Tampa.

Joo has heard some speculate about whether Bryant is really motivated to help the Bucs and not just out for himself. Joe believes Bryant is simply hurt. It does him no good personally to be on the sidelines, and despite his bonehead comments at times, he seems like a team-first guy.

Also, Bryant is a Miami kid. Joe can only imagine he was dying to play back in his hometown.

After some digging, Joe found that Bryant last played a game in Miami with Cleveland in 2004. He had two catches that day from Browns rookie starter Luke McCown.

Clifton Smith is on his way to becoming the most prolific return man in team history

Joe just had a rare 2009 moment of Bucs pride that didn’t involve gawking at the orange-clad cheerleaders.

Reading a Bucs-Dolphins preview in the Sun-Sentinel, Joe learned the Bucs kickoff return and coverage teams are each ranked No. 1 in the NFL.

That’s damn good.

As Joe has written previously, Bucs fans are downright spoiled to have Clifton Smith and Sammie Stroughter behind him on the depth chart. Special teams guru Rich Bisaccia gets major kudos for taking his various units up to a near championship-caliber level in recent weeks. 

Now if the Bucs could only land a top-flight kicker …

Of note from the Sun Sentinel, the Dolphins’ Ted Ginn, Jr. is the top-ranked kickoff returner in the NFL (Smith is third).

Joe suspects the Bucs coverage team will win out against Ginn and company. Joe’s just hoping they get plenty of opportunities.

By the time you are reading this, Joe will be awash in Caybrew and college football. Joe, however, always remembers his loyal readers so Joe is bringing you videos from NFL Network previewing the Bucs-Dolphins.

First up is a preview produced by the solid work of NFL Films. Also there is an interview of Dolphins linebacker Joey Porter talking Bucs.

Former Broncos cheerleader and current NFL Network analyst Michelle Beisner counts down the top 10 highlights of last week’s games and Josh Freeman is No. 5.

Scott Smith of Buccaneers Insider takes a look at the Bucs kickoff coverage unit which Smith cites as possibly the most overlooked element of the Bucs solid special teams.

From the enemy, MiamiDolphins.com, is a breakdown on the health of the Dolphins and a look at the Bucsfrom Dolphins head coach Tony Sporano (“Paulie, this information better be right. You give me the news as if I was Jesus Christ himself.”)

Back in his college town of Manhattan,Kan., Josh Freeman is still a BMOC despite not being on campus.

The Manhattan (Kan.) Mercury has a feature story on Freeman about his first NFL start last week, a victorious one at that. Freeman’s teammates seem to love him, including his former roommate, rookie wide receiver Sammie Stroughter.

Maybe some will recognize the author’s name?

Being his roommate, I know where his mind is,” Stroughter said. “He’s a quiet assassin. He doesn’t get rattled and he loves to play the game.

“The one thing about him is from the OTAs he was taking charge. He was going to start. He had that mindset even from rookie camp. He prepared for that every day, that he would be a starter. His standards are so high, if you ask him about his performance, he expects more.”

The cool thing about Freeman is he doesn’t seem to be stuck on himself. Freeman seemed more concerned about becoming a better quarterback than he was reveling in the win. Joe loves the kid’s attitude, or more importantly, the lack thereof.

Bucs center Jeff Faine had a few curious comments yesterday while speaking with WQYK-AM 1010’s J.P. Peterson.

Faine talked about what great people both Josh Freeman and Sammie Stroughter are, and then remarked about the personalities of the current crop of Bucs rookies.

“I have to hand it to [Bucs general manager] Mark Dominik,” Faine said. “The character of the guys that were drafted this year is really good. They’re not a bunch of young punks.”

Faine went on to say this year’s rookie class is not a collection of players that veterans are close to only because they are teammates yet distanced themselves from off the field.

So just who was Faine throwing darts at?

Was it a shot at Bruce Almighty who didn’t factor in character when drafting players? Was it a stab at Chucky, who didn’t give a damn if a player was a felon so long as he could play football? Or were Faine’s comments indirect shots at Aqib Talib?

This is information Joe would like to know.

Vacation Man of BSPN.com gives Bucs fans an inside look in this NFC South roundup at what members of the Bucs administration and coaching staff thinks about rookie quarterback Josh Freeman. Hint: It’s a four-letter word.

It’s been well documented the Bucs are transitioning more to Chucky’s playbook with Greg Olson’s spin, away from the much hyped simplified Jeff Jagodzinski model built on downhill running and play-action passing.

So it’s not surprising to learn the zone blocking system, a key to the Bucs’ offseason overhaul, is losing its prominence in the offense.

Bucs center and offensive captain Jeff Faine said as much on Friday, speaking on 1010 AM.

Faine agreed with a caller who asked whether he was indeed seeing less and less of the zone blocking. Faine explained the zone blocking system is still being used “but we’re focusing on more of the man-gap schemes.”

Faine went on to say Greg Olson continues to add more plays into the system each week.

Faine also raved about Josh Freeman. “In my mind it was a very average game for him,: Faine said. “And I say that to [illustrate] how talented and he is and based on what I see from him every day.”

It’s a sleepy Saturday morning yet Joe is here to provide his weekly look at what the national scribes think of the Bucs. Let’s just say it’s a bit better than last week.

THe Bucs bumped up slightly from last week in the eyes of BSPN’s Mike Sando with the Bucs at No. 31.

Give the Bucs credit for winning a game against a significantly more talented opponent.

Former Bucs beat writer and current SI.com columnist Don Banks gave the Bucs a big boost after beating the Packers, ranking the Bucs all the way up to No. 28.

Josh Freeman looked good in the shotgun and on the move against the Packers, showing some nice touch on his passes. That’s what the rookie quarterback was used to in college at Kansas State, and the Bucs would do well to maximize his comfort zone. After a week of Johnson being told he’s the next big thing in Tampa Bay, let’s see how the kid responds on the road against a Dolphins team that’s better than its 3-5 record.

Adrian Hasenmayer of FoxSports.com isn’t overly impressed with the Bucs first win, ranking the Bucs at No. 31.

FIRST-HALF BLESSING:Did you ever think Tampa fans would be thankful for those hideously beautiful orange jerseys? The Bucs are 1-0 so far going old school, let’s make it a weekly thing!

FIRST-HALF CURSE:Sure, the Bucs have been cursed with arguably the toughest schedule in the league. But still, with a young team it would have been smart to give rookie QB Josh Freeman the keys to the wagon in Week 1 to accelerate his learning curve.

The Bucs were promoted two spots in the eyes of Pete Prisco of CBSSports.com ranking the Bucs at No. 30.

Josh Freeman showed that he might be their franchise passer of the future. He made some plays in the victory over Green Bay. Maybe they should keep the throwback jerseys they wore that day.

Kevin Blackstone of Fanhouse.com seems to be smitten with Freeman, having the Bucs ranked at No. 28.

Tampa Bay proclaimed the future of the franchise, Josh Freeman, their new starter and threw him into the lion’s den as close to defenseless as possible in Week 9. The first-round pick from Kansas State responded by throwing three touchdown passes and leading “his” team to their first victory of the season.

Veteran NFL scribe eye-RAH! Kaufman of the Tampa Tribune updated the Bucs small injury list today and a new name has appeared: Derrick Ward.

Ward joins wounded teammates Antonio Bryant, who continues to struggle with knee swelling, and Stylez G. White, who’s battling through a shoulder injury to keep his consecutive games played streak (40) alive.

“Ward’s got a knee tweak,” [Raheem] Morris said, “but I think he’ll be fine. He practiced all week and looked pretty good.”

Joe finds it awfully convenient for Cadillac Williams that Ward has come up with a tweaked knee, considering a busy day in Miami for Ward likely would cost Caddy a good bit of cash.

No, Joe doesn’t think there are any shenanigans at play. But this further illustrates why players shouldn’t be wagering five-figures on their personal stats.

Like all real men in the Tampa Bay area, Joe watched the Bears-49ers game last night on the NFL Network (don’t have the NFL Network? Then grow a pair and don’t be such a woman).

After watching bratty Bears quarterback Jay Cutler throw five interceptions, Joe slept well last night.

(Or maybe Joe’s sound sleep was due to his vivid dream about the Bucs cheerleaders?)

Joe remembers not that long ago, Bucs general manager Mark Dominik made a play for the spoiled child, Cutler. Joe feared Dominik might be “successful” and get him.

But Dominik didn’t. And the move he failed to make may just be the move that saved his career as the Bucs general manager.

The Bears foolishly gave up two first round picks and their starting quarterback, Kyle Orton, for Cutler. At the time, pundits lauded the Bears and mocked the Broncos.

Who is laughing now? The Broncos are likely playoff bound. The Bears are circling the drain, dragged down by Cutler’s interceptions and juvenile attitude.

At one point last night after an interception, Cutler took off his helmet, stared into space and scratched his head, looking like Joe when he ponders how he could somehow lure Rachel Watson into his lair.

People point to the Bucs for giving up so much to land Meshawn Johnson and Chucky and suggest the Bucs are paying for it now. But at least the Bucs got a Super Bowl out of those deals.

Joe’s pretty convinced that Cutler will not bring the Vince Lombardi Trophy to the shores of Lake Michigan.

Joe expresses his deep appreciation to Dominik for not pulling the trigger on Cutler.

The Professor says Barrett Ruud must play bigger than the four tackles he mustered against Green Bay

Don’t worry if you missed “The Professor’s” inaugural column on JoeBucsFan.com, Cork Gaines is back for his second go-round.

The creator, curator and Mr. Everything at the popular RaysIndex.com is a hardcore Bucs fan and the premier Tampa Bay Rays blogger/analyst/wiseass fan on the planet. Joe is honored to have The Professor join him for a weekly feature at JoeBucsFan.com.

RaysIndex.com is a site Joe visits often. It’s an absolute must for Rays fans.

Everybody relax, I’m here. This is The Professor in the Pork Chop Express, and I’m talkin’ to whoever’s listenin’ out there…

FIRST QUARTER (a look back)
The Bucs finally picked up their first win since last November with a 38-28 victory over the Packers…How big was this win?

There was Lee Roy Selmon’s induction into the Ring of Honor, the ’79 Bucs reunion, Josh Freeman’s first start, the 4th quarter comeback, a win over the Pack, shutting up the cheeseheads and ending talk of going 0-16. And of course there was the classic Swashbucklers, er, I mean the orange uniforms and Bucco Bruce. This might have been the most fun I had watching the Bucs since the opening week of the 2003 season when the Bucs beat the Eagles 17-0 on Monday night in their new stadium…BIG

SECOND QUARTER (looking forward)
Lee Roy Selmon was the first member of the Bucs Ring of Honor. Who should be the next? 

Let’s skip any members of the Super Bowl squad. It is far too early to be immortalizing guys like John Lynch, Mike Alstott and Derrick Brooks. Warren Sapp deserves it, but nobody is in a hurry for that one. That leaves Ricky Bell, Doug Williams, James Wilder, John McKay and Donald Igwebuike. But we will go with the biggest poster from my bedroom as a kid…DOUG WILLIAMS

THIRD QUARTER (outside the pocket)
With the Bucs taking on the Dolphins this weekend, what other game should Bucs fans follow closely?

As bad as the Bucs were in the first 7 games, they are still only 2 games behind Carolina for not-last place. Of course, if the Bucs have any hopes of getting out of the South’s cellar, they will have to beat the Panthers in Carolina in week 13. Tough task, but not impossible with Josh FreeMan-Bear-Pig under center…ATLANTA @ CAROLINA

FOURTH QUARTER (no huddle)
The Bucs are currently one of 5 teams at 1-7. If the Bucs end up with the top pick in the draft, what will they do with that selection?

Raheem Morris would love to trade the top pick for about 20 6th and 7th round picks…TRADE DOWN

That was a pretty exciting first week for Josh Freeman.What can we expect for an encore?

That was a nice performance, but let’s temper the excitement a little bit. Freeman had nine weeks to prepare for one opponent…MORE MISTAKES

Who needs to have a huge performance this week on defense?

It will be on Barrett Ruud and the other linebackers to shoot through developing holes to stop the Wildcat. Ruud needs to make much more than the 4 tackles he had last week…BARRETT RUUD

Who needs to have a huge performance this week on offense?

Miami only allows 95 yards per game on the ground. But the running game needs to keep Miami honest to give Freeman a chance to make plays…CADILLAC WILLIAMS

We have heard you pick a beverage for each game based on the matchup…What is the drink of choice for week 10 against the Dolphins?

Let’s go fishin’…FISHERMAN’S BREW

Joe is hankering for an early lunch.

But Joe’s going to hold out to feast on the most incredible buffet in the Tampa Bay area tonight.

If you can handle it, click here to check out Derby Lane’s menu this weekend at the Derby Club.

Joe’s got his eyes set on the Asian BBQ baby back ribs, gorgonzola crusted filet mignon, spinach and sundried tomato orzo, and fried zucchini.

Awesome food, poker, greyhound racing and more every day at DerbyLane in St. Petersburg.

Trey Wingo, Mark Schlereth and Tedy Bruschi of BSPN discuss the Bucs-Dolphins game. None of the three like the Bucs but Bruschi loved the creamsicles.

This one got past Joe’s crack team of naughty interns Bucs news gatherers. But Joe’s not going to let it go.

Chris Harry, the former Bucs beat writer for the Orlando Sentinel (before the newspaper made massive cuts to its Bucs coverage) caught up with Ike Hilliard a few weeks ago.

Chucky’s favorite third-down option is now a receivers coach with the Florida Tuskers of the UFL.

Asked about a comeback, Hilliard said, “I’m done.” Harry explains Hilliard was not pleased with his ouster from One Buc Place following a good 2008 season.

Though never a superstar, Hilliard was always one of the most dependable players on the field. Jon Gruden nicknamed him “Third-and-Ike,” thanks to 111 of his 178 catches as a Buc resulting in first downs.

“Everybody looked up to him,” said Tuskers wideout Paris Warren, a former Buc. “He was a leader.”

Still is. Only the role has changed.

“I’m thankful for the opportunity,” he said.

Hilliard wasn’t crazy about the circumstances surrounding his exit from the NFL. He was part of the Bucs’ bloody offseason purge of veterans, along with Derrick Brooks, Warrick Dunn, Joey Galloway and Cato June.

It took some soul-searching to come to terms with his future.

“You always want to write your own ending to the story … but I’ve hung up the cleats for good,” he said. “If I’m going to be fortunate enough to have an opportunity like this, you can’t have one foot in the door and one out. You have to be all in.”

Joe’s glad Hilliard, just 33 years old, is at peace.

Joe has fond memories of talking international soccer and Bucs football with Hilliard last season. And Joe remembers how, in true Hilliard fashion, he held onto the ball over the middle after literally being knocked unconscious when Seattle’s Leroy Hill drilled him in the chin on the play.

Joe suspects Hilliard might be offered one more crack at the game next year if Chucky returns to the sidelines.

For intelligent football fans who were watching the NFL Network last night just prior to the Chicago-San Francisco game — and if you don’t have the NFL Network, what’s the matter with you? Be a man! — viewers witnessed a discussion about the future of Chucky.

As Joe has stated time and again for months, the two best prospects for Chucky to land would be Dallass and Washington. Both owners love the splash a high-profile coach would bring and both owners have no problems cutting checks for players, a perfect scenario for Chucky.

Jason La Canfora of the NFL Network, a former Redskins beat writer for the Washington Post, reported he hears strong rumblings from his sources on his old beat, and from his sources “inside the Buccaneers organization” that there is strong indication Redskins tyrant/owner Danny Snyder is in discussions to lure both Bruce Almighty and Chucky to Washington as part of a package deal.

It makes too much sense. Dallass, unless the Cowboys totally collapse, likely won’t can Wade Phillips since the Cowboys are playing so well. There is no organization in the NFL that fits better for Chucky than the Redskins.