Week 5
Bucs at Bengals
Kickoff: 1 p.m.
TV: WTVT Channel 13, DirecTV Channel 708. .
Radio: Buccaneers Radio Network (in Tampa WFUS-FM, 103.5 and WDAE-AM, 620); Sirius Channel 158.
Weather: Per AccuWeather.com, Cincinnati may be experimenting what the locals call “Indian Summer,” though it may be a bit early for that. Regardless, it will be summer-like in early October. Temperature at kickoff is expected to be 84 and is not expected to deviate from that much if at all throughout the game. Mild winds and virtually no humidity will make for a very, very, very pleasant day.
Odds: Per Bodog.com, Bengals -7.
Outlook: Joe is not as impressed with the Bengals as many seem to be. Attention-starved children Chad Johnson and Terrell Owens are past their prime. There may not be a more overrated quarterback in the NFL than Carson Palmer. Cedric Benson is, at best, inconsistent. Let’s be honest, the Bucs aren’t world-beaters either but the Bengals lost to the Browns (who the Bucs beat) for crying out loud so how can they be that great? The Bucs have to find running backs that not only can read the holes they are given by the offensive line, but hit those holes before the gaps are plugged by the linebackers, if not avoid tackles which Cadillac Williams has not been doing which is why the Bucs are scrambling, grasping for running backs. Can LeGarrette Blount and Kareem Huggins do that? Joe’s a “Show Me” kinda guy. Neither have shown Joe they can in an NFL regular season game outside of a handful of carries, so Joe is skeptical. While Joe mocks the children the Bengals have at wide receiver, look for them to test Cody Grimm early and often and why not? Until Grimm can demonstrate he is NFL starter-ready, teams will go after him. Hopefully with the bye week, the Bucs have figured out a way to mask the hole at safety.
Video: NFL Films has a preview of what to expect in today’s game.
Fun facts: Bengals cornerback Leon Hall has a three-game streak of an interception each game. … The Bucs have won five consecutive games at Cincinnati. … Kellen Winslow has at least five catches in his last four matchups again the Bengals. … Cincinnati has won five of its past six games against NFC teams.

Trey Wingo, Mark Schlereth and Tedy Bruschi of BSPN give their insiders’ view of the Bucs-Bengals game today.

Should the Bucs be concerned with Cincinnati running back Cedric Benson? Anwar Richardson and Woody Cummings explain in this TBO Bucs vlog.

In this TBO Bucs vlog, Anwar Richardson and Woody Cummings of the Tampa Tribune try to gaze into the Media General crystal ball and see what happens in today’s game.

In short, Cummings isn’t overly impressed with the Bengals. Richardson seems to think Cincinnati is a formidable opponent.

Richardson even gives a detailed forecast into the score, and how the game develops. You’ll have to see for yourself what they say, but please make sure you tell Joe what you think of their analysis.

Earlier this week, Joe caught an interview that Bengals coach angry Marvin Lewis gave to Bob Papa and Ross Tucker, co-hosts of “The Opening Drive,” heard exclusively on Sirius NFL Radio. Lewis talked about his opponent today, the Bucs.

Ross Tucker: Marvin, Tampa Bay will be coming off a bye week. You think they will have some new wrinkles?

Marvin Lewis: There will be some things they do a little bit different but we can’t concern ourselves with them so much as we need to concern ourselves with us.

Bob Papa: The Bucs are 2-1 but with basically no running game.

Marvin Lewis: I think they have some talented running backs. What Cadillac did early in his career… we know what he can be. Earnest Graham may be the most underrated player for a long time in the NFL. He has always been a productive player. It’s important for us that we stay gap sound and keep the quarterback in the pocket and tackle.

Ross Tucker: I like the way [Tampa Bay management] is building this team through the draft. They are young across the board with quarterback Josh Freeman as their leader, even how he carries them. What do you see?

Marvin Lewis: I think you are right Ross. I think Freeman is a talented young player and they have done a good job of building through the draft. They have had a complete revision of their football staff and put things around the quarterback. They’ve done a nice job of picking solid players who have nothing but solid upsides.

Ross Tucker: What about their defense?

Marvin Lewis: Their defense is very, very, very fast and atheltic and this is the key. They do the little things that they wnat to do within Raheem’s scheme and what he is comfortable with. They are very effective at what they want to do.

Bob Papa: What jumps out at you in their passing game? Is it Kellen Winslow? Is it Mike Williams?

Marvin Lewis: They have great athletes. We know what Kellen can bring as he was in our division. Mike Williams and the kid from Illinois who will play this week, Benn, are two powerful receivers. We watched them and scouted them in the draft too and we knew they would be powerful and strong and physical NFL receivers.

Joe and countless other Bucs fans are itching to see what rookie running back LeGarrette Blount can do today in Cincinnati after his strong debut against Pittsburgh.

Blount’s 27 yards against the Steelers were enough to inspire legions of Bucs fans who had forgotten what good running backs do. Joe figures he’ll get another 6 to 10 carries today.

Rick Stroud, of the St. Pete Times, penned a long feature today about Blount and his famous punching incident and assorted other details about the young man. Interestingly, after Blount punched a Boise State opponent in the face in September 2009, an incident that derailed his college career, he heard from the last two Bucs head coaches.

Unsolicited, he received phone calls and received encouragement from unexpected sources such as Tony Dungy and Jon Gruden.

Of course, the call from Dungy is no surprise. But Chucky?

“Look, bro, I’m sure Tony told you this is some freakin’ challenge from the Lord that you’re supposed to rise up to meet. But I’m just callin’ to tell you I understand that sometimes you gotta smack a mother fuc*er in the mouth, and that’s football. You just did it after the fuc*n whistle.  Jimminy Christmas, I love that sh*t, but this is the 21st century, man, the camera’s on and you gotta dial it back. I wanna punch Jaws in the head during the commercials, but I can’t because it’ll show up on fuc*n YouTube. You know what I’m sayin’?”

Joe is glad Dungy and Chucky were able to help the young man in some small way.

Late Friday, when not a whole hell of a lot of people were listening, the always entertaining and thought-provoking Stylez White was a live guest on Total Access on WDAE-AM 620.

The Bucs’ defensive end touched on a variety of subjects, and Joe’s got some highlights for you.

White said he played both ways in the Arena League, where he was a tight end and a sack machine. White said he once caught a screen pass and “looked like a big Barry Sanders out there.”

As most Bucs fans know, White had a long road to the NFL. He called his time playing in Germany in NFL Europe “a good culture shock.” He said he earned “$10,000 plus living expenses” in NFL Europe and his Cologne squad traveled mostly by bus and train. 

On being more fit in 2010 than he’s been in past seasons, Stylez said he’s been watching his diet and “slowing down from a little partying.”

Asked by JoeBucsFan.com-loathing host Scott Ledger about running backs Gregg Lumpkin and LeGarrette Blount, White talked about their different practice styles.

“Lump is more of a smoother back. He be all prettied up in practice, taped up, matching, have all red shoes on. A pretty boy in practice. Really smooth running and stuff,” White said. “Blount is Blount. He’s like the blue collar guy. He just goes out and works. He’s just one of those hard working in practice; he doesn’t say much in practice.”

As for how Stylez prepares for a home game, he said he picks up takeout from Mimi’s Cafe for his gameday breakfast. “I get my french toast and sausage, and scrambled eggs and cheese, orange and cranberry juice.” White picks up the eats  about 7 a.m. and then typically buys a newspaper “from the guys on the corner” before chowing down at home.

Joe found it funny that Stylez doesn’t have the newspaper delivered, but Joe, too, likes to support the hard-working guys on the corner.

The lovely Tiffany Simons has her take on former Bucs running back and skank Kardashian tail-chasing, infield-dirt-hating, responsibility-dodging Derrick Ward in this NBCSports.com video.

Recently, Joe had chance to chat briefly with Bucs right guard Davin Joesph. Joe tried to get an idea of how things are different this season for the Bucs offensive line and the offense as a whole than last year’s chaotic season.

Joe: How much better has it been that you and the rest of the offensive line had a coordinator to work with for a full year?

Davin Joseph: It was important for all of us to be here in the offseason. We had the majority of guys in and we were able to find out what our identity would be and what our strong points would be. Of course, as the season develops, we decide what type of offense we will be. That foundation is laid in the offseason and we took advantage of our offseason to the fullest. Lot of guys in OTAs, and working hard in minicamp and training camp. So it’s paying off for us on the offensive end. We are not scoring as many points as we would like but we know that our hard work is going to pan out for us.

Joe: Is the line doing anything different Xs and Os-wise? I know last year coaches tried to implement zone blocking. Is your blocking a hybrid?

Joesph: We’re just understanding what we like to do. Of course, it’s a hybrid offense where we can spread it out a little bit if we have the type of guys at receiver and of course if we have the type of guys in the backfield. So we have a combination of everything. We’re just trying to be able to move the ball and get first downs and stay on the field, which is the most important.

Joe: Is it less of a hybrid than last year?

Joseph: I think it’s better for us than last year. I think [last year] we were trying to do some things we were not accustomed to. Force feed? You could say that, especially with the change in coordinators. There were a lot of complications. With the offseason like we talked about earlier, it helped determine what kind of offense we want to be.

Joe: So this past year has been much smoother?

Joseph: Oh! Day and night!

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There are few bigger fan favorites among the Bucs than Cadillac Williams. There are fewer — maybe none — who have as big a heart as Williams has; a drive, a passion for the game.

Williams showed that in coming back from not just one, but two knee surgeries.

However, the NFL is about production, not warm and fuzzy hugfests. Cadillac hasn’t been producing, it’s that simple and the numbers don’t lie. Williams ranks among the bottom of running backs for average yards per carry.

In this TBO Bucs vlog, Woody Cummings and Anwar Richardson of the Tampa Tribune discuss the present and (if there is) the future of Cadillac Williams as a Bucs running back.

Look out. Pat Yasinskas, NFC South writer for BSPN.com, has been talking to people.

And Yasinskas is learning that his network of NFL “coaches, players and personnel people I talk to” doesn’t think Ronde Barber is a Hall of Famer.

In a mailbag offering for his Disney outfit, Yasinskas writes he personally doesn’t think Barber is Hall of Fame material, either. Heck, he’s not quite sure John Lynch gets in.

Kristen in San Diego, Calif. writes: It sounds like Chad Ochocinco respects Ronde Barber as if he was a Hall of Famer. Why don’t you think he will end up in the HOF? Personally, I think he is great.

Pat Yasinskas: I think Barber has been an excellent player for a very long time. I might be proven wrong down the road, but the coaches, players and personnel people I talk to don’t think Barber’s a Hall of Famer. They view him the same way I do, as a guy who has had a very good career in a system that was perfect for him. Besides, I think some Tampa Bay fans need to be a little more realistic in what being a Hall of Famer is really all about and how the system works. To date, the Bucs have one Hall of Famer, Lee Roy Selmon. He’ll be getting some company very soon. Derrick Brooks is a slam dunk the moment he shows up on the ballot. Warren Sapp will get in as well. That’s two guys right there from an era where the team won precisely one championship. They were not the Pittsburgh Steelers of the 1970s and that will come into play when that age of Buccaneers comes up for Hall of Fame consideration. You’re not going to see a crop of five Bucs from that time period go into the Hall of Fame. John Lynch? My guess is he’s got a chance and will probably get in after a period of time. Barber and Mike Alstott are the other two guys that some Tampa Bay fans talk about as potential Hall of Famers. I think they fall into the same category — guys with very nice careers, but not quite Hall of Famers. Should we throw Simeon Rice into the discussion, too?

As usual, Joe and Yasinskas live on different planets. The fact Yasinskas isn’t sure Lynch gets into the Hall is enough to make Joe wonder (again) what Yasinskas is doing on gamedays. Remember, this is the same guy who wrote Derrick Ward played pretty in Miami during the Bucs preseason after Ward had 12 carries for 20 yards and two fumbles.

Regarding Barber, he’s the got the numbers, the name recognition, the ring, and widespread respect. He’s no first ballot Hall of Famer, but it would be surprising if he doesn’t make it one day.

In an effort to try to will the Rays and the Bulls to wins today, Derek “Old School” Fournier, of WhatTheBuc.net, dons Rays and Bulls gear. Oh, he doesn’t forget about the Bucs, either.

Now Joe is sure all his readers fly to Vegas to wager legally, versus placing bets with the guy whose cell number changes every week. 

Regardless of how or why you wager, Joe knows there are many aspiring handicappers reading. So to please the gambling crowd, Joe has turned to superpicker Bob Fox. A writer for various sports publications over the years, Fox flashed his stellar picking skills back in 2008 on JoeBucsFan.com, when Joe had a contest here among sports media members.

Fox will be here weekly to give you a few games. Last week he was 4-0!

By BOB FOX
JoeBucsFan.com analyst

Florida Gators 20, LSU Tigers 10
 
There are some really interesting college games this week. Besides this one, there is also No. 23 ranked Florida State vs. No. 13 ranked Miami, plus 17th-ranked Michigan State vs. 18th-ranked Michigan. This particular game has the No. 12 LSU Tigers coming into the swamp to face the No. 14 Florida Gators. The Tigers got extremely lucky in their win over Tennessee last week, while the Gators self destructed in their 25 point loss at Alabama. I look for the luck to run out for the Tigers and for the Gators to correct their mistakes. It appears Tigers head coach Les Miles will keep Jordan Jefferson in as his starter at QB. Look for plenty of errors in the decision making process for Jefferson. Gators QB John Brantley got hit hard at Alabama, but still stayed in the game. Brantley is a much better QB than Jefferson, plus has better weapons to utilize. The Gators can also use change of pace QB Trey Burton, who has rushed for 7 TDs. The Tigers defense is very tough (ranked 6th nationally), but I expect Brantley, Burton and other Gators like RB Jeff Demps to make more big plays than the Tigers will on offense.
 
Green Bay Packers 27, Washington Redskins 20
 
The Packers come into this game like a MASH unit, as they have already lost RB Ryan Grant, S Morgan Burnett and probably ILB Nick Barnett for the season due to injuries. The Redskins haven’t escaped the injury bug either, as RB Clinton Portis will be out several weeks, plus had to place former Green Bay and Tampa Bay punter Josh Bidwell on IR with a hip injury. The reason I like the Packers in this game is their offense is still very lethal, with QB Aaron Rodgers and his assortment of weapons like TE Jermichael Finley, while the Redskins defense comes into this game ranked 30th in the NFL overall, including 30th vs. the pass. QB Donovan McNabb has had success against the Packers in the past (remember 4th-and-26), but I don’t see him matching Rodgers and company point for point. CB Charles Woodson of the Packers continues to amaze, as he returned his 10th pick for a TD last week vs. Detroit. Only Rod Woodson (12) and Darren Sharper (11) have ever returned more in NFL history.
 
New York Giants 27, Houston Texans 21
 
The Texans took a step back last week in their loss to the Dallas Cowboys, while the Giants showed what a formidable pass rush can do to an opponent. Ask Jay Cutler of the Chicago Bears, who is out this week with a concussion. The Texans have the 2nd ranked offense behind QB Matt Schaub, RB Arian Foster and WRs Andre Johnson and Kevin Walter. The bad news is that Schaub is sacked a lot (11), and that’s what the Giants do best. The Giants have the 3rd ranked overall defense in the NFL, plus lead the NFL in sacks along with Green Bay and Tennessee. Expect Schaub to get hit a lot. The Texans on the other hand, are ranked 31st in the NFL in defense, so expect QB Eli Manning to utilize his weapons at WR like Hakeem Nicks, Steve Smith and Mario Manningham quite often, as the Texans are also ranked 31st in pass defense. 
 
New York Jets 20, Minnesota Vikings 17
 
QB Brett Favre is coming back home to New York Monday night, where he played for one year after his messy divorce from Green Bay. I don’t think he will be treated kindly, either. The good news for Favre is that he finally able to get WR Randy Moss on his team, after two years of asking for that same scenario in Green Bay, only to see his hopes squashed. But Moss is indeed Favre’s teammate now, as he is back in Minnesota, after his trade by the New England Patriots.  Moss will definitely help Favre in the passing game, as will RB Adrian Peterson in the rushing game, but the Jets will make enough big plays both offensively and defensively to win the game. The Jets have won three games in a row and have put it together offensively behind QB Mark Sanchez, who has 8 TD passes and has not thrown a pick. RB LaDainian Tomlinson has also proven that he is still a force in the rushing game as well. Favre only has a 60.4 QB rating with two TD passes to six picks. I expect him to force some throws Monday night.

When the Bucs opened the season against the Browns, Bucs cornerback Aqib Talib was supposed to go to his room without supper, in so many words, thanks to NFL warden commissioner Roger Goodell for Talib’s cabbie-punching incident.

And as ordered, Talib did not play. Instead, he hung in his own private luxury box at the CITS, a luxury box he paid for out of his own pocket, and watched his teammates beat the Browns.

Trouble was, Talib was not even supposed to be in the stadium, wasn’t even allowed to buy a ticket off the sidewalk and watch his teammates, per NFL rules.

Talib professed ignorance of this Mickey Mouse rule and begged Warden Commissioner Goodell for forgiveness.

Last night while Joe was away from his computer, news came from Anwar Richardson of the Tampa Tribune, Twittering away on the TBO Bucs Twitter feed, that Goodell would not suspend Talib (again) for paying for his own luxury box while in detention.

CB Aqib Talib will not be suspended by the #NFL for allegedly attending a Bucs/Cleveland game while suspended in game one.

Joe just finds this rule that a player can’t even buy his own ticket to a game to watch his teammates play to be silly if not insipid. Joe’s with Talib every step of the way on this one.

Pat Kirwan and Jason Horowitz take a deeper look into the Bucs-Bengals game Sunday in this CBSSports.com video. Kirwan doesn’t like Cedric Benson but he does like “Mike Whatshisname.” Joe wonders if you do as well?

No surprise that Chad Ochocinco is acting like a big-talking diva wide receiver in anticipation of the Bucs-Bengals game Sunday.

It seems his comments to the local Cincinnati media reveal he’s counting on a very big day. 

After seeing double and triple coverage against Cleveland, Chad Ochocinco might not face as many multiple coverages against the Bucs.

“I see it as a respect thing (the blanket coverage from Cleveland). In games like Tampa Bay I will make my hay,” Ochocinco said.

Ochocinco enters Sunday’s game tied for 11th in the AFC in receptions (23) and ninth in yards (296). With his next touchdown, he will become the franchise leader with 63.

Ochocinco surely knows Aqib Talib won’t cover him all day, and he probably loves his odds with the rest of the Bucs’ secondary.

The Bucs’ pass rush will be extraordinarily crucial to victory Sunday. Without it, the Bucs are sure to give up their share of big plays. And pressure on the Bucs’ offense, on the road, is not going to lead to many victories this season.

Joe’s got a feel good blackout story today.

It seems the Bengals front office rallied their community partners to buy up remaining tickets to the Bucs-Bengals game at Paul Brown Stadium on Sunday. And that will get the game on local television in Cincinnati and surrounding areas, so reports the Cincinnati Enquirer.

Channel 19, which will air the game, Kroger, Fifth Third Bank, Bud Light, AT&T and Gold Star Chili helped ensure the sellout, and the Bengals purchased tickets for distribution to local military families.

Per the Enquirer, that makes 55 consecutive sellouts (term used loosely) in Cincinnati and there are some promotions in place to put some heavily discounted tickets in fans’ hands.

While Team Glazer apparently ate tens of thousands of tickets last year to ensure home sellouts (term again used loosely) , it seems that’s just not going to happen in 2010. One would think the near sellout against Pittsburgh last week, 61,000+ announced attendance, would have been the easiest game to make it happen.

Joe must confess that the Bucs’ bye in only Week 4 of the season has driven him absolutely crazy.

It’s just way too early for a bye, especially after waiting all those months for the real action to get going.

Week 4? C’mon. Thanfully, the great Bucs videos at BucStop.com have helped keep Joe sane.

Compounding the madness is the Bucs are in such a unique situation, in that so much more needs to be learned about the team. Tampa Bay squeaked out a win against Cleveland, crushed a quarterback-challenged, winless Carolina club on the road, and then got mauled by the Steelers at home. The 2-1 record is great, but it comes with a lot of question marks.

Joe is itching to get those answers, and those don’t come during bye weeks. 

Bucs great Scot Brantley echoed those sentiments during an interview on 1010 AM yesterday, stretching out his vowel sounds like only he can doooo,  “We’re really going to learn a whole lot about the Bucs over the next three games.” he said. “We have to see more.”

The next three games are in Cincinnati and then at home against the Saints and Rams. Joe only expects one win, but the Bucs need to really compete in every game to feel like the plan is working.

Yesterday Joe passed along word about bitter, delusional Kardashian-chasing running back Derrick Ward, who was stupidly (again) shooting off his mouth that the Bucs are not committed to winning.

Naturally this irritated a lot of Bucs fans but it also seemed to irritate professionals who cover the team as well. At least it seemed with eye-RAH! Kaufman of the Tampa Tribune.

Twittering via the TBO Bucs Twitter feed, Kaufman sounded off on what a hypocrite Ward is.

Derrick Ward has no business questioning Bucs commitment. Ward never seemed fully committed in Tampa once he was shown the money.

That’s about the only thing he was committed to doing, cashing his check, oh, and chasing skank Kardashian tail.

Where was this committed Ward when Josh Freeman was working into the wee hours of the mornings in April and May breaking down film with rookie wide receivers Arrelious Benn and Mike Williams?

Apparently, Ward was instead breaking bread. And a lot of it, getting a gut nearly as big as Joe’s. Some commitment, coming into training camp overweight.

Where was this committed Ward during most of OTAs when he was mostly MIA?

Typical Ward, everything and everyone else is to blame except the guy staring him in the face in the mirror.

What next, Ward’s next bad game — likely his next game — he will still whine about playing on a baseball infield in Miami (which never seemed to slow down Ricky Williams, Ronnie Brown, Kareem Huggins or countless great NFL running backs who regularly played on baseball infields)?

Of all the Kardashians to chase, Ward runs after the worst one.

That seems to Joe about par for the course.

Memo to Ward: The next time the word “Buccaneers” is in your mouth, it ought to be thanking the team for being naive enough to give you a trunkload of cash.

Fraud. An absolute disgrace you wore Warrick Dunn’s number.

Count Joe among those in great pain over the Rays looking the Jim Bates Experience today. So Joe thought an evening pick-me-up was in order.

USA Today has churned out a feature story exalting the budding superstarness that is Josh Freeman.

It’s a nice read.  

“We hit the jackpot in terms of his work ethic,” Buccaneers offensive coordinator Greg Olson says. “He’s got really good parents who talk about the value of hard work and preparation. 

“Here’s a kid that’s willing to come in and do what’s asked of him by the coaching staff. You don’t ever know how a kid will be when you pay him all that money. Will he be coachable? Will he do all the work?”

The article delves into how exactly Greg Olson had the nerve to ask Drew Brees to mentor Freeman and Josh Johnson during the offseason, as well as Brees’ response.

Joe hopes the Bucs reward Freeman with more talent at the skill positions. If the salary cap floor returns next year, Joe suspects that will be inevitable.

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