Joe’s feels the excitement for running back Kareem Huggins everywhere.

He’s quick. He could be the savior. All he needs is a chance. Fans seem to be losing their minds over this guy, who’s got no more than few good preseason, second-half quarters under his belt.

Joe agrees that Huggins has earned a shot after being out of football in 2008 and busting his butt with the Bucs last year and in the 2010 training camp.

But that’s just the reason Joe is not excited, Huggins has not run behind a first-team line and against first-team defense.

Simply put, he’s never done it when it remotely counted.

Raheem The Dream said today that he needs to see Huggins perform when it counts, too. And that might come on Saturday against the Chiefs.

“We want to try to get him out there a little bit earlier to see if he can do it,” Raheem The Dream said during his news conference today. 

Joe is pulling for Huggins. He’s an easy guy to cheer for.

But Joe just doesn’t expect much. So don’t expect Joe to go all wild on Huggins if he turns in Derrick Ward-like numbers for his small handful of carries with the first team on Saturday.

And to the guy who keeps e-mailing Joe comparing Huggins to “Mr. August  Earnest Graham,” Joe just can’t compare Graham, who ran for 1,000 at the University of Florida to Huggins’ career at 1-AA Hofstra. Calm down, buddy.

Pressed to name a positive surprise in training camp, veteran Bucs beat scribe Woody Cummings, of The Tampa Tribune, was quick to evoke the name of Carlos Brown during an interview on The King David Show on WQYK-AM today.

Who?

Brown is a rookie free agent out of Michigan who rushed for 22 yards on four carries against the Dolphins’ third and fourth teamers on Saturday. The Bucs picked him up last week.

“They liked him out of Michigan,” Cummings said. “This guy, in training camp at least, on the practice field, has looked very, very good. Now I don’t think this is a guy that’s going to take a roster spot. Maybe Derrick Ward has something to do with that. Maybe if Derrick Ward suddenly gets cut; I’m not saying that’s going to happen. Maybe something opens up.

“I think the Buccaneers are looking at this guy as a practice squad guy.”

It’s fun to root for these off-the-street guys, but Brown;s odds are so slim on this Bucs team. Heck, Kareem Huggins’ odds are slim, and he was the “driving force of our football team” last year.

In the latest edition of the TBO.com Bucs Video Blog, beat writers Woody Cummings and Anwar Richardson engage in some intelligent debate about Derrick Ward’s future as as Buccaneer.

Richardson talks about the likelihood of Ward getting cut, explaining that Ward quickly is approaching “the dangerous Michael Clayton territory.”

It’s fun viewing, so check it out.

Joe thinks the likelihood of Ward getting cut rivals the chances of Joe being invited to the Playboy mansion this weekend for a Jell-O wrestling party.

Joe just finds it astounding that, based on a few practices, some crazed Bucs fans are ready to throw Arrelious Benn into Tampa Bay.

Just forget the fact that more often than not rookie receivers don’t shine right away, and that Benn played in a spread-option offense which is like a different language compared to most traditional NFL offenses.

Bucs coaches apparently are hearing and seeing the kvetching and have raced to Benn’s defense by way of Anwar Richardson of the Tampa Tribune.

Benn might be overshadowed by Williams, but coaches say it is an unfair comparison.

Williams is the “X” receiver and Benn is a “Z.” Williams’ responsibility is to beat double teams and make big plays, such as San Diego’s Vincent Jackson and New England’s Randy Moss. Benn is expected to run underneath routes and play physical, such as Baltimore’s Anquan Boldin.

“You shouldn’t compare those two,” Bucs receivers coach Eric Yarber said of Williams and Benn. “They learn at different paces. … One (Williams) can see it on the board and take it to the field. One (Benn) has to see it on the board, has to see it on film, then practice it on the field. It’s not fair to make a comparison of those two. I’m very pleased about where he (Benn) is at right now.”

Besides, Williams is the more flashy receiver. Bucs coaches and personnel from the day Benn was drafted noted Benn was a YAC kind of guy, taking short passes and busting through traffic.

So calm down, Benn haters. Give him some space.

In this St. Petersburg Times video, comrades The Mad Twitterer and good guy Stephen Holder discuss Josh Johnson’s struggles and the deal with Brian Price’s hammy.

Yesterday Joe brought you news that Father Dungy was upset when he heard that Jets coach Rex Ryan likes to use the F-word, as detailed in the NFL Films/HBO series Hard Knocks.

Father Dungy came to this conclusion despite not even seeing the show, he just heard about it. Then, he goes on the Dull Patrick Show and the smarmy empty head Patrick fanned the flames with Father Dungy.

Father Dungy even had the nerve to suggest NFL warden commissioner Roger Goodell should go after Ryan, if you can imagine such a thing. Apparently, Father Dungy believes the CBA, an 18-game schedule, players becoming vegetables and invalids in their 60s and quarterbacks who get way too handsy with women in college bars are a bit too trivial and Goodell should become some dime store FCC commissioner and wash out coaches’ mouths with soap.

This is just unbelievable to Joe.

Seems as though Ryan’s father, former NFL coach Buddy Ryan, has had enough of Father Dungy sticking his nose into places it doesn’t need to be.

Speaking on WPEN-FM in Philadelphia on Tuesday (via ProFootballTalk.com), Ryan had a great blast at Father Dungy when Ryan was told Father Dungy would not hire his son as an assistant because of his colorful vernacular.

“I don’t think he had applied for a job with what’s his name, either.”

Beautiful! But the elder Ryan wasn’t finished. When Ryan was told that Dungy wanted to sick Goodell after his son, Ryan had the following retort:

“Well, it’s none of Dungy’s business.”

Voila! This whole issue to Joe is a non-story, only brought to the surface that moussehead Dull Patrick.

Memo to Dull Patrick: Will ya’ just stick to that wretched non-basketball association and leave football to the men, OK?

Derek “Old School” Fournier, of WhatTheBuc.net, was able to watch both Bucs practices yesterday as One Buc Palace was open for club season ticket holders. Hence, his video report. Oh, and you’re more than welcome Derek! Joe’s always eager to help.

For those devoted few Michael Clayton lovers who cling to the slim hope of him being a Buccaneer next month, Joe is here to ruin your day.

At his Tuesday media powwow, Raheem The Dream was asked about wide receiver Reggie Brown, the veteran wideout the Bucs gave up a sixth-round draft pick for prior to the 2010 NFL Draft.

The head coach quickly became all smirks and smiles, as seen on the video at Buccaneers.com.

“A good route runner. I don’t want to throw the term around great, but he’s close to it without giving too many props,” Raheem The Dream said. “He’s a really good route runner. Today, he showed me some good mental toughness. …It was a depleted wide receiver crew. He went out there and took a bunch of reps as a receiver. He took a bunch of reps as special teams. Really showed some physical tough play. Showed some multiple receiver dimensions, as far as moving around from a Z to a zebra to an X.”

If Brown can contribute and be reliable and steady for Josh Freeman, then that will have been a heck of a trade by Mark Dominik. 

Joe hopes Brown, at 29 years old, can shake off the rust of two unproductive seasons buried on the bench in Philadelphia.

That’s a big question mark.

Since the Bucs announced that Saturday’s game against the Chiefs will be blacked out, the first time this has ever taken place at the CITS, Joe has absolutely been bombarded with questions about blackout policies via this very site and Twitter.

Please refer to the information below when wondering about the Bucs and blackouts.

If you live within the Tampa Bay/Orlando TV market:

* You will not be able to watch the game live, no matter the vehicle, no matter the network/channel. The earliest you can watch the game will be on a tape-delayed basis at 11 a.m. Sunday morning on WFLA-TV Channel 8. Orlando people, consult the station that broadcast last week’s Dolphins game.

* Do not rely on Out House Network’s DVR listings. These listings do not supersede binding contracts between separate entities.

If you live outside the Tampa Bay/Orlando TV market:

* If you have access to the live game feed you are safe (for example, if you live in the Kansas City TV market).

* If you subscribe to NFL.com’s Preseason Live, which allows viewers to watch all preseason games online, you are safe.

NFL Network viewers:

Men in Joe’s reading audience who have the NFL Network (yeah, Joe knows that’s a redundant statement) will not be able to watch the replay of the game until it is first aired on WFLA-TV Channel 8, which has the rights to preseason games. Once the tape-delayed game is broadcast by WFLA, then the NFL Network can broadcast the game, but not before.

This means if the game is scheduled to be broadcast on the NFL Network after, say, 3 p.m. Sunday you are safe.

As Tuesday came to a close, which is Joe’s deadline for reacting to a previous game, Joe noticed Derek “Old School” Fournier of WhatTheBuc.net uploaded his recap of the game. As a result, Joe brings the video to you, through the magic of YouTube.com.

To nobody’s surprise, Team Glazer is sitting on a mountain of unsold tickets for Saturday night’s preseason home opener against the Chiefs and the game will not be aired live locally, so reports TBO.com.

Most people call it a blackout.

WFLA-TV, Ch. 8 will show the game on tape delay Sunday at 11 a.m.

Of course, JoeBucsFan.com will deliver its typical in-your-face, hard-hitting game coverage Saturday night.  Last week, Joe delivered about 10 posts here before other media had two or three.

And while you deal with this news, Joe advises you checkout BlackoutTour.com. Don’t get screwed on opening day.

Maybe the Bucs are trying to light a fire under defensive end Stylez White, or maybe they really are down on him since training camp started 2 1/2 weeks ago.

Joe’s not sure.

Failing to quote a source on the record at One Buc Palace, Pat “Vacation Man” Yasinskas, NFC South writer for ESPN.com, labeled White the biggest disappointment thus far for the Bucs in 2010. Vacation Man wrote this in a comprehensive preview of the state of the Buccaneers today.

BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENT

Stylez G. White, defensive end. The Bucs know White never has been a very good practice player. But they thought he might come in with some inspiration this camp because he has a chance to be the top pass-rusher on team that doesn’t have any proven star in that area. That hasn’t happened. White’s been very ordinary in practice and doesn’t seem interested in being a leader for a young defensive line. Is that enough to cost him a starting job? Probably not because the Bucs really don’t have much behind him. They’re hoping White steps things up when the regular season arrives, but they’re a little worried that might not happen.

Now Joe’s not sure what the heck the Bucs wanted White to accomplish over the past 18 days, but it’s reasonable to think they expected him to fill a commanding leadership role as the old-man veteran (just turned 31) among a very young defensive line.

Beyond that, this is a very harsh label for White, who played well last year, leads the team in sacks over the last three years, and came into camp following a ramped up offseason fitness regimen.  

Entering his fourth season with the Bucs, the team knew White wasn’t a practice warrior. White himself, during a May interview on Buccaneers.com said, “I feel like Allen Iverson,” referring to the famous practice quote from the former superstar point guard who didn’t give his all in practice but gave extraordinary effort on gameday.

Today, Joe asked Stylez if he wanted to respond to ESPN claiming he’s been a training camp disappointment. Stylez offered up his take.

 “Well, what they say must be true [that I’m viewed as a disappointment]. The got their info. from somewhere or someone. I can’t [attest] to being an awesome practice player,” White said. “Clearly the Bucs have their standard of practice, and I have mine. I believe preparation (which the coaches do a great job of) will help me way further than the just my athletic ability. Pretty much the knowledge of the game or what position they put me in.

“From the looks of it we are going to have star quality players in our starters [and] draft picks low and high. Being a leader is something that is earned and people respect.  I can’t lie, I am not gung ho about being a leader because I don’t want to be a hypocrite. I have my down days, and I bitch and complain like the rest. I know the difference when it’s time to practice and when the lights go on on Sundays.

“I thank GOD that i am in this position to play on Sundays. I never would downplay practice, but like i stated before, the Bucs have their standards. I personally feel you prep for games during the week and win games on Sundays.”

Normally, Joe might start writing about how the Bucs are trying to light a fire under White via this kind of under-the-table critique. But considering it comes from Vacation Man, known for his recent cluelessness and bizarre behavior, Joe’s not sure what to believe.

Though Joe would bet on Stylez having an excellent 2010 season. 

Michael Bennett had a great game Saturday. No need to diminish the plays he made.

As most of Joe’s readers know, Joe is beyond humbled to have former Bucs defensive end Steve White write a weekly “Bull Rush” column for him. Steve’s insight, in Joe’s eyes, is second to none.

Steve also has his own forum to write additional posts. Recently, he tackled the defensive tackle position.

In short, Steve suggests let your eyes, and not your ears, tell the story of who is playing well and how a play develops.

What actually motivated me to write this post was a comment Buccaneer head coach Raheem Morris made on the side line during the Miami game this weekend when he was asked about Gerald McCoy. He had plenty of good things to say about him but then he said (paraphrasing) that when Michael Bennett got his sack, some of the credit should go to McCoy for drawing a double team.

Well first of all McCoy wasn’t even on the field for that play. I know because I watched both the local broadcast and the NFL Network broadcast which has the clearer view, and the 2nd team defensive line was in with Ryan Sims and Dre Moore inside. McCoy came on the field the next play because it was a third down.

Second of all while Moore did draw a double team it obviously had nothing to do with his reputation as a pass rusher around the NFL (which I will go out on a limb and say at the moment he has none) and everything to do with the Dolphins’ normal pass protection. 

And third of all even if McCoy had been on the field his presence wouldn’t have had any impact on the fact that Bennett made a nice quick inside move and sacked the quarterback.  That was just a great individual play by Bennett..

Football is a beautiful chess match and, sadly, in Joe’s line of work, he has conditioned himself not to look away from the ball, which depresses Joe.

It’s amazing what one can see on the second (or third?) viewing of a game. It’s why Joe wears out his DVR with football games.

Steve goes on the write about how strong play by the defensive tackles can make an entire line look good. It’s a great read and you should check it out.

In this FoxSports.com video with Jay Glazer, Bucs veteran and the lone holdout from the Bucs Super Bowl-winning team, Ronde Barber, admits he doesn’t offer younger teammates advice, and he also laments the decline in hazing.

With Mo Stovall out of Saturday’s game due to an ankle injury, Joe just assumed that blocking icon Michael Clayton would show Bucs coaches and fans alike why he will make the team this September.

But no! Instead, it will be a receiver brought in ostensibly to push Clayton. That would be Reggie Brown.

Per Woody Cummings of the Tampa Tribune, posting on the TBO Bucs Twitter feed, it seems Brown will get the starting nod from Raheem the Dream this week.

Word here is that Reggie Brown will get the start Saturday at WR in place of the injured Maurice Stovall.

To make Clayton’s day a bit drearier, Anwar Richardson of the Tampa Tribune, also Twittering, stated that Raheem the Dream decided to go one-on-one against Clayton in passing drills, the first pass thrown Clayton’s way with Raheem the Dream draped on him, Clayton dropped the ball.

For weeks, Joe has intensely defended his view that left guard Jeremy Zuttah did not have a poor work ethic, was not the Sabby the Goat of the offensive line, and was not earmarked to backup newly acquired Keydrick Vincent.

With the rest of the media piling on Zuttah (John Lynch included) while never quoting anyone from the Bucs, Joe was a bit of a lone warrior on this front.

And Joe took quite a beating in the comments forums on this here website.

Well, after reviewing film of the Bucs-Fins preseason game, Zuttah remains the starter on the offensive line, so said Raheem The Dream at his Monday news conference.

Asked about the competition with Vincent, Raheem The Dream said it did not compare with what’s going on at safety with Sean Jones and Sabby The Goat.

If the starting offensive line performs well again on Saturday, as it did last week, Joe thinks Zuttah will have locked up the starting job.

Every offensive lineman Joe has talked to or listened to always references the importance of continuity and familiarity on the line. So the Bucs aren’t just going to drop Vincent in there on opening day.

In what ranks as one of the biggest non-stories of the year — no surprise it originates from the mind-numbingly vapid Dull Patrick Show — it appears Father Dungy would prefer a garbage coach over a guy who uses the F-word.

Appearing earlier this week on the Dull Patrick Show, a virtual waste of electricity that is neither informative nor entertaining — the two main pillars of an interesting show — Father Dungy apparently was morally offended that Jets coach Rex Ryan uses the F-word a few times during the NFL Films-produced, HBO series Hard Knocks, documents Michael David Smith of ProFootballTalk.com.

Asked if he would hire a coach who talks the way Ryan does, Dungy answered, “I would not. I personally don’t want my players to be around that. I don’t want to be around that. . . . It’s hard for me to be around that, and if I were in charge, no, I wouldn’t hire someone like that. Now, I’ve been around ‘F’ bombs, so it’s not like it’s new. I just don’t think that has to be part of your every-minute, everyday vocabulary to get your point across.”

Dungy thinks NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell would be wise to give Ryan a call and ask him to think about how he’s representing the NFL.

“I would hope that he does,” Dungy said of the possibility of Goodell getting involved. “I don’t know that he will or not but I hope that he does because I just don’t think the league needs that. I don’t think our young people need to hear that that’s what’s done to be successful. Because it doesn’t have to be that way.”

What next, Father Dungy believes Ryan should tuck the players in for nap time?

Give Joe a friggin’ break!

So Father Dungy thinks Goodell — who has a full plate of far more significant issues than if someone uses the F-word — needs to start policing the vocabulary of coaches?

Joe is sitting in front of his computer shaking his head, at a loss for words including the F-word.

So Father Dungy believes some of the biggest, strongest, fastest men in the world who are locked in near-mortal combat, who go down in the heat of battle with, say, a broken leg, should instead of uttering profanities, say, “Oh, gosh darn. I suppose I may need an aspirin?”

Or maybe Ryan, when a player messes up in a critical playoff game, should pat said player on the back and whisper sweet nothings into his ear, the kind Joe dreams in the wee hours of the night of doing to Rachel Watson some day?

This my friends is Exhibit-A of why Joe always said Father Dungy was more priest than coach. Now he expects Ryan so recite the Act of Contrition to his players?

Joe just knows of a coach with profoundly more success than Father Dungy, a man who was never shy about using the F-word, Bobby Knight. A member of the Basketball Hall of Fame, Knight was fond of colorful language. The all-time winningest college basketball coach who holds an English degree from Ohio State, has famously stated many times how the F-word is the greatest word in the English language.

[CAUTION: The link above and the video below contain very NSFW language. Father Dungy would not approve of you watching/listening.]

Plenty of love from Raheem The Dream on Monday for many of his defensive linemen out of Saturday night’s preseason opener in Miami.

Raheem The Dream stood tall in his news conference and even mentioned the words Tim and Crowder in a sentence during his chat with the beat writers following afternoon practice. 

The head coach was asked if he was happy with what he saw along the D-Line after watching Saturday’s game film. Here’s Raheem The Dream’ verbatim response off the video at Buccaneers.com:

Raheem The Dream: Those guys played with great motor. You know, Kyle Moore was more of a standout than I remembered in the game. He flashed and showed up a little bit on the quarterback with quarterback hits and pressures. Tim Crowder always gives you great effort. You know, some of those ends, Michael Bennett, he showed in the game; you kind of felt him in the game. Those three ends that we kind of talked about, kind of questioned a little bit, they made some nice plays. Young [Erik] Lorig came in, split a double team and made a big time play in the backfield. We had another great play by Roy Miller, saved us on a breakout out run by Rickey Williams. [Miller] came out of a double team and split it really well. Gerald McCoy played with good pad level, really played well against the run. …I’m really impressed with what they were able to do, especially in those conditions, playing out there in that mud bowl.

At this point, Joe’s happy when a Bucs game doesn’t involve the defensive line getting steamrolled and the opposition’s second rate running back becoming an instant Hall of Fame candidate.

Small steps are good.

Raheem The Dream went on to say that rookie defensive tackle Brian Price, he of the tender hamstring, had an encouraging practice on Monday and fingers are crossed that he’ll play on Saturday in the blacked out preseason home opener against the Chiefs.

Easily the story of the first few practices of Bucs training camp was the play of rookie defensive tackle Brian Price.

Dude was an absolute animal. The second round pick was flying all over the place wreaking havoc and causing disruption. So much so that Bucs general manager Mark Dominik even commented on this when he was interviewed on Sirius NFL Radio last week.

But then that damned hamstring started bothering Price. Again.

Price was hindered by his class requirements at UCLA in the spring and did not participate in all offseason workouts. When he did, he was bothered by a hamstring that limited his practice time further. This recurred in the first week of training camp.

The hamstring has bothered Price so much, he didn’t make the trip to Miami last week in the Bucs first preseason game.

Though he is expected to be ready for this weekend’s game with the Chiefs, the prospect of tweaking that nasty muscle looms over Price’s head. It’s enough of a worry that eye-RAH! Kaufman of the Tampa Tribune, posting on the TBO Bucs Twitter feed, believes the Bucs are a little more than concerned with Price’s status.

Bucs have to be holding their breath that Brian Price’s tender hamstring holds up in this oppressive heat. He’s missed a lot of time.

Joe heard this point about Price and the lack of practice time prior to training camp, and it is a legitimate issue. But then Price starts training camp like a man possessed. So Joe wonders if Price is truly this talented, that perhaps missed practices aren’t as problematic for Price as they might be for lesser players.

It seems all but one person who watched the Bucs lose to the Dolphins Saturday night came away outraged at the play (or lack thereof) of Kardashian-chasing Bucs running back Derrick Ward. In this St. Petersburg Times video, comrades The Mad Twitterer and good guy Stephen Holder debate Ward’s predicament. Holder believes people may be overreacting to Ward’s subpar play Saturday.

The Mad Twitterer, aka St. Pete Times Bucs beat writer Rick Stroud, has caught slumping Derrick Ward issuing a decree of forthcoming greatness.

Strangely, this decree is not of the Bucs winning games or moving the chains effectively as an offense. It’s a proclamation that he, Mr. Ward, will have a great game against the Chiefs on Saturday in the preseason home opener. This comes on heels of his horrible outing in Miami.

“I don’t feel it will hurt me,” Ward said. “I’ve been in this league for awhile and I know what it takes to win. I know what it takes to get back on track. That was just a fluke game. But I guarantee you this weekend, I’ll have a great game.

Huh? Joe can’t remember ever hearing a second-string running back talk about how much he’d kick ass in a meaningless game.

Wait a minute, Pat “Vacation Man” Yasinskas, of BSPN.com, seemed convinced Ward already played pretty well in Miami, despite 12 carries for 20 yards and two fumbles. Those BSPN guys are so lost. Even Ward knows he was awful.

Joe understands Ward wants to make up for his ugliness, but Joe’s not sure of what to make of all this big talk.