UPDATE: Saturday at 12:59 p.m. – You can still get your tickets! Treat yourself!

In the spirit of the holiday season, Joe has decided to buy everyone on The Blackout Tour this Sunday an additional TWO draft beers.

Whoa! Way to go Joe!

So now you can take the roundtrip Paradise Worldwide Transportation luxury bus to watch the blacked out Bucs game in Fort Myers at Lee Roy Selmon’s and get THREE free beers total and a free plate of delicious wings.

But the best part is watching the Bucs game in glorious HD and hanging out with other Bucs fans.

If you can’t get to the stadium to watch the blacked out game, get on board The Blackout Tour. Click below to buy your tickets or visit BlackoutTour.com.

Joe’s good friend, “The Big Dog,” Steve Duemig of WDAE-AM 620 is taking some well-deserved, hard-earned time off for Christmas. Pinch-hitting for him is another of Joe’s close friends, “The Commish,” Justin Pawlowski, the sometimes Saturday host of the critically acclaimed “Blitz.” Justin will field your calls from 3-6 p.m. and you just know Justin will talk Bucs and perhaps, the name “Barrett Ruud” might be heard?

The Lions haven’t had back-to-back wins in three years.

They’ve lost 26 straight on the road.

But in this excellent Grand Rapids Free Press video, two Detroit talking heads go deep into the Lions, and one explains why this is the week the Lions turn the corner. The other explains why the Lions won’t score a touchdown against the Bucs.

Ndamukong Suh hasn't made the Lions a winner. Nobody's that strong.

Joe’s getting worn out by those who say the Lions are a dangerous team.

Reality says the Lions have lost 26 consecutive road games — 26! —  have no starting quarterback and are at the end of another lost season. But they did beat a team with a winning record last week, tripping up the Packers 7-3.

Lions head coach Jim Schwartz admitted it was ugly but praised his defense and running game, per quotes the Detroit Free Press snatched from his radio show.

On beating the Packers, 7-3: “The object’s not to play pretty, the object’s really not even to play good. The object’s to win. We’ve played well at times this year and haven’t won, so we’ll take any way we can get a win. I think overlooked in the fact that our offense didn’t play well until the fourth quarter and really didn’t get any momentum going was the fact that our defense kept us in the game. And that includes when Aaron Rodgers was in there basically the entire first half. Our defense had shut them out, and we couldn’t have sort of stuck with it on offense and continued to run the ball – we ran the ball for 190 yards – we couldn’t have done that if our defense had given up two or three quick scores to Aaron Rodgers.”

Joe, of course, is fearful that the Bucs find a way to turn Jahvid Best into Barry Sanders and Maurice Morris into Mercury Morris.

Outside of that, it would be a major upset if the Lions win this game. And, to rub salt in the wound, BSPN surely would make a massive deal out of Detroit breaking the streak.

Yes, it’s Thursday. Yes, it’s the gorgeous Jenny Dell. Hard to believe but Jenny, a former UMass cheerleader, won’t be gracing Joe’s site but for two more times until next September. Enjoy Jenny and her statistical rubbish while she lasts in this BSPN video.

"Jimminy Christmas, Raheem. You're saying I won ugly. You're out of your freakin' skull. That was the best @#$%'n Super Bowl team of the decade. I put Brad Johnson in the @#$%'n Pro Bowl. You give me Josh Freeman and you think I'd win ugly? If I'm so ugly, then why don't you throw out my damn playbook already and get off my damn coaching tree."

Some things are sacred among Bucs fans. One would be the memories of the 2002 Super Bowl season.

These great moments are tattooed on the brains of legions of Bucs faithful. Joe’s getting chills.

Now Raheem Morris was a young man on that Super Bowl winnng staff. But it seems Raheem has forgotten just how dominant that team was.

Speaking on The Raheem Morris Show this week on WDAE-AM 620, Raheem talked about his 2010 Bucs winning ugly and divulged one of his memories of the ferocious 2002 squad.

“I was here in 2002, and I don’t remember ever having a pretty win. I think they all were ugly. You know, every single game we played up until the Philadelphia game out there [in the playoffs], they all were ugly. They were all grinders,” Raheem said. “We called it Buc Ball or Torture Ball, whichever one you prefer. They were all like that. We enjoy it [in 2010]. We play an exciting brand of football. If you come out and stadium and see, it’s dynamic.”

Now Joe nearly fell off his chair hearing this nonsense. First, Joe’s hoping Raheem isn’t comparing the two teams. Joe doesn’t think so. Joe’s memory recalls suffocating wins in 2002, when you felt the opposition had no prayer against the Bucs defense.

In fact, the 2002 Bucs won eight of their 12 regular season games by 14 points or more, then walloped San Francisco 31-6 in the playoffs before winning in Philly, the game Raheem referenced above. That’s hardly winning ugly every week.

Joe wonders if Chucky seethed while hearing Raheem’s comments on the air from his palatial Tampa estate.

It seems like “The Professor,” John Clayton of BSPN, one of the few guys Joe can stomach at the Disney outfit, might be losing his fastball.

In this video and the accompanying story, Clayton says that even if the Bucs get in the playoffs, they are not worthy of the honor because a better team like Green Bay, New York, Chicago or Philadelphia would be watching at home.

What a tool. So if the Bucs earn a playoff berth, they still don’t deserve it? Please.

And Mr. Clayton, it’s “Gerald” McCoy, not “Gerard.”

There are a lot of things to like about Arrelious Benn.

Dude is big.

Dude is fast.

Dude can catch.

Oh, and dude is one helluva nice guy.

Joe’s had the luxury of speaking with Benn a few times since he’s been drafted out of Illinois this past spring and every time Joe came away impressed with the guy. Doesn’t hurt that Benn — Joe enjoys typing “first and Benn” into Joe’s live chat whenever Benn gets a first down — is starting to blow up as a receiver.

Joe follows Benn on Twitter and came across this little nugget yesterday:

At children’s hospital in Tampa. Such a great thing to go visit the patients and spend time with them.

Well, actually it was All Children’s Hospital in St. Petersburg, but Joe will let that minor detail slide.

The photo Joe used above was one Benn attached with his Twittering.

Of course, Benn wasn’t the only Bucs player there. You will notice Myron Lewis, Mike Williams and there was also a Brian Price sighting, among others! Hey, Price could have gone back to Los Angeles after being placed on injured reserve earlier this year, and instead stayed in the area.

Not only does this show not all the Bucs get in the headlines for the wrong reasons, but many of the Bucs selected by Mark Dominik appear to want to be part of the community.

Joe doesn’t think he has to detail just how a lot of sick kids’ days — maybe years — were made yesterday. Christmas time is for kids and Joe can’t imagine how much it must suck for a kid to be in the hospital this time of the year, especially if a kid has something terribly wrong

Nice gesture guys.

Josh Freeman tried to make a case today before the local media that Raheem Morris bears no responsibility for his players off-the-field screwups.

Nice try.

A good effort from the young quarterback, so documented Victoria Lim, of BHSN as well as Anwar Richardson of the Tampa Tribune.

“We’ve got to stop screwing this guy over by getting in trouble off the field,” said quarterback Josh Freeman, referring to head coach Raheem Morris and criticism Morris faces in the wake of the third arrest this season by one of his players.

Freeman said Morris has done his job, leading the team to win games. What happens after practice, meetings and games, Freeman said is up to the player.

“When we get done football, Raheem – you can’t expect him to go by everybody’s house at a certain hour. We have to take a higher level of responsibility for ourselves from college.”

To Joe, this is like not putting any blame on a parent who doesn’t have all his youngsters in line.

Raheem’s youngsters don’t always behave. Whatever he’s doing isn’t working effectively.

A lost cause with this young roster? Maybe.

But the head coach still needs to fix it and still deserves some of the blame.

Joe is quite sure the discipline issue will be a negative mark on the head coach’s postseason evaluation from his bosses.

How could it not be?

After making Joe cringe last night while talking about watching his off-the-bone left bicep rolling up on his arm, Gerald McCoy offered some takes on the Bucs’ second half revival Sunday against the Redskins.

Speaking on the Buccaneers Radio Network on WDAE-AM 620, McCoy said manhood was a big factor in the Bucs transforming Skins running back Ryan Torain from the second coming of Terrell Davis to Cadillac Williams circa September.

“Just pride, man. Just pride. It’s just our defense saying, ‘Look, why does this one guy have 170, 180 yards in the first half on us?’ They said, ‘This has to stop now if we want to win this game.’ And that’s all it was,” McCoy said. “They went out there and they made those tackles. They made those fits and the things they needed to do. They did it.”

Of course, this is a recurring theme for the Bucs. Get abused on defense in the first half and come out at halftime and dominate.

Seems like it would be an easy fix, since obviously the ability is there. Perhaps they should this little pride chat before the game.

Joe sincerely hopes the Bucs don’t make the Lions ugly running game look like worldbeaters Sunday. Joe would feel very good about having the game in Drew Stanton’s hands.

Jay Glazer chats it up with Bucs running back LeGarrette Blount in this “After Party” video on FoxSports.com.

Video: After Party: LeGarrette Blount

Former Bucs QB Jeff Carlson

By JEFF CARLSON
JoeBucsFan.com analyst

Former Bucs quarterback Jeff Carlson (1990 & 1991) writes The QB Blast column here at JoeBucsFan.com. Joe is ecstatic to have him firing away. Carlson is often seen as a color analyst on Bright House Sports Network, and he trains quarterbacks of all ages locally via his company, America’s Best Quarterback.

Every road win in the NFL is difficult. A road win in bad weather is even more so. The Bucs survived in D.C. against a struggling Redskins team and notched another fourth-quarter comeback win and got their eighth overall. Simply surviving to win against a subpar team like Washington was just fine by me, especially with their recent close battles against good teams like the Ravens and Falcons.

Those two losses showed that they are competing at a higher level than in those bad losses earlier in the season. They also won Sunday while losing a couple more of their major contributors, this time it was Quincy Black and Gerald McCoy. 

Underutilized Weapon

I was happy to see the Sunday newspaper article that explained Raheem understands there is an entertainment aspect to the game and their offense, as they have implemented a few unique-looking plays over the weeks.

Greg Olson has rightly been given credit for coming up with some effective plays, but the people of Tampa Bay are scratching their heads over his short yardage play-calling (people that admit they know nothing about calling plays are stopping me on the street to ask what he is doing).

This week they went deep on their first third down of the game. Going into shotgun on 3rd-and-1 was curious enough in the bad weather (even though Freeman had a chance to throw a TD to Kellen Winslow after buying some extra time in the backfield and would have with a little better throw) and seems to make a statement that they don’t have much confidence in any of their running backs or offensive line in short yardage situations, as they went to shotgun again on their very next 3rd-and-1 situation.

The Bucs offense could become very entertaining and effective if they would implement Josh Johnson into the backfield as a receiver in motion behind the formation. 

Even though he won a Super Bowl here in Tampa while quarterbacking the Baltimore Ravens, I was never a big fan of Trent Dilfer under center. But, as an analyst, I think he is really good, perhaps the best on the network. Recently he was talking about Michael Vick and the Philadelphia Eagles offense and how impressive it is by stretching defenses to defend absolutely every inch of the field. This, of course, is because of Vick’s dynamism and diversity.

I know I have beaten this drum before, but because I know who reads this column, I am going to keep beating it so that the Buccaneers offense will be included in Dilfer’s conversation of dynamic offenses around the NFL, because the potential is there! Josh Johnson must do more than run a decoy route once a game.  He needs touches.

Not by pulling Freeman out of the game, but by moving Johnson across the formation behind Freeman and taking a pitch at full speed, thus pulling linebackers out of position and creating bigger holes for Freeman to throw into and for Johnson’s passes or runs as well. It will also help the running game, even though Blount has helped it immensely.

Redskins Executed

I know Barrett Ruud is the current poster-boy for what is wrong with the defense, but I must come to his defense a bit. Against the Redskins, the Bucs defense was being gashed because of their alignment and the other team’s execution, not because Ruud wasn’t filling the holes well enough. On early downs, the Bucs were regularly lining up a cocked noseguard on the center and an end outside of the tackle, virtually giving away both the “A” and “B” gap, which Ruud cannot defend by himself. This is allowing a guard to get onto the linebackers down the field. 

The television announcers called it “zone” blocking, but there was a lot more going on there than just zone blocking, as the Redskins pulled, trapped, kicked out different defenders to open huge running lanes for Torain. If the Bucs continue to line up like they did Sunday, there will be a few more running backs with big days on the ground, even if the Bucs were able to get Ray Lewis to step into the middle linebacker spot.

Still Competing Off The Field

Eight wins with three to play is really a fabulous situation for this team.

Unfortunately the stadium will not be filled again this Sunday as a win will guarantee them a winning season and triple last season’s win total, but the Tampa Bay market has legitimate, multi-factor reasons for spending its time watching other NFL teams on home TV screens.

Fortunately, the Bucs recognize the need to increase the entertainment value of their ticket. Because they are competing for entertainment dollars, and in this market’s economy, those dollars are scarce or nonexistent for many and must be used wisely.

Former Bucs defensive end Steve White (1996-2001) has yet again graced the blogosphere with another manbeast of a post out of a Bucs game. Of course, this time it’s his take on Sunday’s messy win in Washington.

White churns out plenty on many aspects of the game, including a good look at the Redskins’ success in the running game.

But most intriguing to Joe was White’s look at Michael Bennett, who likely is the Bucs new undertackle with Gerald McCoy under the knife. It seems White is salivating to put the 25-year-old under his wing. Here’s an excerpt:

… If I could get that kid in the lab for a week or two I guarantee you I’d turn him into a monster. Basically I’d just teach him to unleash the beast that he already has shown he has in him and he would end up destroying people.

But since I don’t have that kind of contact with him let me write one piece of advice for him at the under tackle position in hopes that somehow some way he gets to see it.

When in doubt, haul ass!!!

One of the things that drove me crazy about McCoy here lately is that he started relying too heavily on inside moves. For one they rarely worked. For two he was basically running himself into a double team if the center had any awareness about him.

With the undertackle you want a guy that pierces the heart of the offensive line’s pass protection. That means a guy who is getting upfield and making the quarterback move in the pocket. It doesn’t always matter if the undertackle gets a hand on the quarterback or gets the sack. If he can get around the guard and make the quarterback feel him then more than likely he will give the other three defensive linemen an opportunity to get the sack or force the throw.

I’ve talked before about a natural game where the undertackle gets up field and the defensive end sees the quarterback stepping up and just falls back inside to make the sack. Well that will never happen if the undertackle is never trying to get around the corner on the guard. And so you end up with everyone just stuck on blocks and the only guy really having a legitimate shot at pressure being the backside end who could possibly have a one on one.

This is where Bennett can really shine though, especially against play action pass. If he can start back flying off the ball and getting up the field as an undertackle he will be able to help not only his fellow defensive lineman but the secondary tremendously.

And really, if he isn’t hauling ass and using his speed and quickness which are his best assets, what’s the use of having him in the game anyway?

Joe wonders whether Bennett will be wise enough in the offseason to seek out White’s sage wisdom. There’s more in White’s blog on the subject.

If Joe were a 25-year-old, third-year defensive end looking for a payday, and there was a savvy dude like White who knows the Bucs defense and was eager to help, you better believe Joe would be embracing the opportunity.

THE PESSIMIST is a diehard Bucs fan whose negative writings appear occasionally on JoeBucsFan.com. His views do not necessarily reflect those of Joe. However, Joe sure gets a kick out of them.

Ha! Forget about Adriana Lima schmuck. You get to wake up to THE PESSIMIST this morning… before THE PESSIMIST has even had his morning coffee. Boy, are you in for a good one.

THE PESSIMIST is fired up and it’s not yet 8 a.m.!

Now THE PESSIMIST has read where Joe has BSPN blocked on his DirecTV. That freaking cheap arse still has standard-def but he can urinate enough money away at a chicken wing joint on a Friday night Twittering about Courtney the Bartender, who he claims is a Brooklyn Decker lookalike, to pay for two high-def TVs.

Maybe if Joe wouldn’t be such a drunk and be so horny and quit drooling over some hot, well-endowed babe he has absolutely no shot of bedding, he’d have a high-def TV, or maybe he doesn’t understand just what type of private entertainment can be viewed on a high-def TV?

Anyway, Joe may not have BSPN but THE PESSIMIST does. And let THE PESSIMIST tell you it’s getting about as bad as watching some old woman drop a deuce: You know it’s going to be ugly, you know it’s going to smell and you know what the end result will be.

THE PESSIMIST habitually turns BSPN on Sunday mornings and there’s sweaty-ass Chris Berman screaming at THE PESSIMIST for some unknown reason, working himself into a lather about Peyton Manning. Then BSPN has to flip to “goddamned Ed Werder” who is breaking some sort of story about Brett Favre picking his nose. Then, Berman tosses it to SalPal who is reporting from Philadelphia that Jerry Jones is frustrated with Jon Kitna.

Frustrated? THE PESSIMIST is frustrated just watching the slug. Joe’s frustrated because he can only look at Courtney the Bartender. THE PESSIMIST isn’t the fool paying Kitna seven figures. This is news?

Not to be outdone, there’s the never-blinking Rachel Nichols, breathlessly talking about how Tom Brady doesn’t need servants to tie his shoelaces, straining to contain herself as if she’s Melissa Rivers talking about some backless number Reese Witherspoon is wearing.

Damnit you SOBs! You cover the NFL, not three teams (Dallass, New England and the New York Jets)! You are supposed to cover the NFL, not five friggin players (Manning, Brady, Favre, Terrible Owens and Chad MuchoStinko)!

What about the Bucs? A team that came out of nowhere? Worst to almost first. A team some predicted would win two games is fighting for a playoff berth in the middle of December. This is Cindarella stuff! But no, you have to shove down THE PESSIMIST’s throat the 752nd story about the friggin’ Patriots. Jerks!

What about Josh Freeman who is shaming Mark Sanchise with his uncanny ability to win games in the fourth quarter? Dude’s so clutch THE PESSIMIST is going to have to start calling him “Montana.” Where’s that story? Or is it more important to “report” how Capt. Lou Albano Rex Ryan towels down Sanchise after a steambath?

What about Mike Williams, who is leading all rookie receivers in yards? What about Arrelious Benn who is starting to light things up? What about LeGarrette Blount?

Wait a minute. THE PESSIMIST may not want you to do anything on Blount. THE PESSIMIST can just about guarantee the first thing out of Pedro Gomez’s mouth would be “punch.”

THE PESSIMIST would just love to punch Norby with this shinola the four-letter calls coverage. Cover THE PESSIMIST’s arse! That’s not coverage what BSPN has, that’s slurping. Friggin’ disgrace these people!

Speaking of people THE PESSIMIST wants to punch, Dull Patrick is almost as bad. What’s the erection these friggin’ suits in Manhattan have with Dallass? The Cowboys suck! You mean you can’t flex a better game for a Sunday night (you know, maybe the Bucs?) that football fans would rather watch? Football fans that is, not Long Island yentas who would rather talk about jewelry and Palm Beach and their tennis club memberships, who wouldn’t know the difference between a down marker and a goal post!

Well, maybe Joe has it right after all? Maybe THE PESSIMIST should block BSPN and start watching more NFL Network? At least people there use common sense.

Hey Joe, when is Courtney the Bartender working? Next time you Twitter about her at midnight on a Friday, would you at least please get her picture you lowlife standard-def drunk, huh?

Help THE PESSIMIST out, will ya?

Jason Fernandez of Clearwater is one happy JoeBucsFan.com reader.

This proud Bucs fan is the winner of the latest prize giveaway from Joe’s partners at Topper Town. Fernandez snagged the $150 gift certificate or Standard UWS Toolbox, the final holiday giveaway from Topper Town. But can still check out Topper Town online for great deals.

Fernandez said he drives a 2010 F-150 FX4. Joe suspects it’s going to look a lot sharper real soon.

Joe’s giving away more Bucs jerseys right now from Ed Morse. Get all the details here. The next drawing is Dec. 20.

Redskins holder Hunter Smith gave the Bucs a win by botching a snap on a conversion that may have sent the game into overtime Sunday. In this CSNWashington video, the Bucs have sent the Redskins reeling so much, Donovan McNabb is about to be benched, thanks in large part to the Bucs second half defense. Whoops!

Raheem Morris has talked about building the Bucs the way Father Dungy did back in the day.

The 2010 season was going to be 1997 all over again, Year 2 of the dream, building and developing through youth and patience, firming up the core beliefs, etc. (or “yadayadayada” as Raheem likes to say)

Mark Dominik has referenced the same kind of rhetoric. And both have talked about drafting college captains and men of great character and building a team that would make the community proud. 

But then there’s the off-the-field scoreboard, the one that counts arrests, civil suits, assorted funny business and how the Bucs regime reacts.

There’s a big difference between the Raheem era and the Father Dungy era.

Dungy ran a tigther ship than Raheem does. That’s undeniable. Is one better than the other? Is one better for fan support or on-field performance? That’s for fans and Team Glazer to judge for themselves.

Former Bucs guard and WDAE-AM 620 host Ian Beckles says off the field behavior is important and that a head coach shouldn’t get a pass when his team is behaving irresponsibly.

“If we’re going to applaud Tony Dungy for having tight reigns on a young team, then don’t be so quick to let [the Geno Hayes arrest and other incidents] go,” Beckles barked at a caller today on the WDAE airwaves.

The overall take by Beckles is that there’s a problem with Bucs discipline and it falls on the head coach.

Yes, the Bucs roster is disproportionately young and young guys do stupid things. Joe gets that. But Joe also gets that the players are failing their head coach. For some reason, too many don’t respect him enough to behave. Jeff Faine said keeping the young guys on the right track is a constant challenge.

Maybe that’s not Raheem’s fault, but he still gets the blame. This isn’t 1997 all over again.

Though happy with the win Sunday, Derek “Old School” Fournier of WhatTheBuc.net isn’t overly giddy with Greg Olson’s gameplan Sunday.

Bucs rookie Derek Hardman took blame for a fumble on the goal line last Sunday.

It was distressing enough for Joe to throw an empty beer bottle at his standard-def TV.

The Bucs had just got a first down and goal after a remarkable Josh Freeman to Arrelious Benn 43-yard pass. It looked like the Bucs were about to go up 16-9, pending an extra-point.

But rather than do the smart thing — which Bucs offensive coordinator Greg Olson finally did later — the Bucs decided to get fancy at the least desirable place on the field and had Derek Hardman, starting at right guard in place of injured Davin Joseph, pull.

In doing so Hardman knocked the ball out of Freeman’s hands. The ball rolled into the end zone and the Redskins recovered.

Thankfully, the Bucs rallied later and won. Still, Hardman didn’t try to hide from his mistake, so reports video star Anwar Richardson of the Tampa Tribune.

“I was trying to get off fast and we’ve never had that problem. It just helps that we were able to come back and score.

“That was a big deal at the time and would have been a big deal if we weren’t able to come out with a win.”

That’s way cool of Hardman to man up and take the blame but Joe can’t fault Hardman. There was no reason to call that stunt of a play — with a rookie starting his first game no less! Joe has asked this before live on WDAE-AM 620 for all the world to hear and will ask again:

“Why is Olson so allergic to having Freeman run the ball up the center’s arse on short-yardage situations?”

Look what the Bucs have done to the Redskins crowd as a result of the Bucs win at FedEx Field Sunday in this CSNWashington.com video. Joe is amused.