If anyone dared question Jeff Garcia’s heart much less guts, any such suggestions ended today.

Playing with a bum calf where just days ago he couldn’t run forward, Garcia got absolutely lit up by the Chargers’ Quentin Jammer with blood running down his face. Most quarterbacks, including Son of Bob, would have just gone down like the scared little girl he is. But Garcia, knowing the playoffs are possibly on the line, scrambles for a first down and knows he’s going to get clobbered.

He takes the hit like a man and continues to play.

A warrior!

Terrell Owens can kiss Joe’s rear end!

Yet another example of how the Bucs defense let the team down Sunday.

If one is a masochist, Joe has lowlights of the loss to the Chargers. Roger Goodell still doesn’t have embed codes.

First up is the NFL Network offering the game lowlights with analysis from Tom Waddle. He asks the question of the day, “What has happened to this Buccaneers defense the past three weeks?”

That’s a question that Bucs fans would love to have answered.

Next are the lowlights from NFL Films with the voices of Gene Deckerhoff and whoever is doing the Chargers radio broadcasts.

Lastly is Chucky’s postgame press conference which include’s Jeff Garcia and his new facial fashion attire.

As always, Bucs fans can count on Joe to provide video highlights of a game long before the 11 p.m. TV news… in this case some five hours before the 11 p.m. news.

An all too common sight Sunday: Antonio Gates getting open behind the Bucs secondary.

Face it: You are frustrated. Joe is frustrated. Just about every Bucs fan is likely frustrated.

So is Joe Henderson of the Tampa Tribune. So upset is Henderson, he’s ready to give up on the season. To be honest, Henderson — as always — makes a lot of sense. Does anyone think the Bucs can win a playoff game?

Granted, Joe thinks a game against the Desert Rats is winnable. They are a paper lion if there ever was one. But still, the Bucs’ defense downright stinks right now and the offense isn’t a whole lot better, something Henderson is not bashful about pointing that out.

In fact, Garcia IS the running game right now. Considering that he’s playing on a bad wheel, that’s a little frightening. Give the man high marks for effort; his bloodied face looked like he had gone 12 rounds with Freddy Krueger at the end of this one.

Bloodied and unbowed.

No, actually bowed too.

That’s basically where the Bucs are right now. Three weeks ago they were 9-3 and on track for a division title, first-round bye, and a chance to make the Super Bowl a home game. Now they’re 9-6 and holding on by their fingertips.

But then, what do you expect with an offense that consists of Garcia trying to find Bryant – they hooked up six times for 127 yards before Garcia left to get his bloody face tended to once the game was out of hand. They have no running game, no other receivers, and the defensive collapse of late makes it even more important that they find balance on offense.

Henderson’s copy is just dripping with bitterness and anger. Joe — as in Joe of JoeBucsFan.com — doesn’t blame him and echoes most of his feelings.

But as JoeBucsFan.com analyst Steve Campbell rightly pointed out Saturday, running against the Chargers is almost folly. The Chargers were fighting for their playoff lives and the Bucs defense caved. Your resident Joe of JoeBucsFan.com is frustrated and unnerved too. But he can’t blame the running game.

Instead, where was the defense, specifically the pass defense? Rivers could have ordered a pizza he had so much time to throw on too many occasions.

Chargers 41, Bucs 24

The Bucs — specifically, the defense — coughed up a winnable game and as a result the playoffs are not a sure thing. Sadly, the vaunted Bucs defense was shredded by Philip Rivers and the Chargers.

Joe will have more later on this disturbing home loss. The Bucs are now in the midst of a three-game losing streak at the worst time of the year: December.

Chargers (6-8) at Bucs (9-5)
Week 16
Kickoff: 1 p.m.
TV: WTSP Channel 10, DirecTV 707.
Radio: Buccaneers Radio Network (in Tampa WFUS-FM, 103.5 and WDAE-AM, 620); Sirius Channel 126.
Weather: Per AccuWeather.com, the game will be played in near-perfect conditions. Temperature at kickoff is forecast for 78 under partly cloudy skies. The only potential issue is that wind speeds are expected to pick up as the game progresses with gusts maybe reaching 20 mph. Temperatures will slightly dip into the lower 70s by the end of the game.
Odds: Per Bodog.com, Bucs -4.
Outlook: This game will be interesting from several angles. First, who will play quarterback?

Chucky has said Jeff Garcia is “expected to start,” but we know how that goes. Chucky also said that Luke McCown would be the backup. Rather than speculate, Joe will just wait and see. But if Son of Bob starts, God help us all.

Don’t hold your breath on Garcia starting.

The Bucs rush defense has been giving up way too many yards but most of that was because tackles Jovan Haye and Chris Hovack were dinged up. They seem to be healthy now so that should help a great deal.

Even with LaDainian Tomlinson the Chargers haven’t been running the ball well. Instead, they are going more to the passing attack which just might play right into the Bucs hands as the Bucs pass defense has been lights out. Of course, the Bucs will miss Jermaine Phillips who is out for the year. Joe does like his backup, Sabby Piscitelli, a great deal. But Piscitelli is prone to making some bonehead mental errors.

Another advantage the Bucs have is that Norv Turner is the Chargers coach. How this guy continues to get head coaching gigs in the NFL Joe cannot fathom. How many worthless coaches are still collecting paychecks thanks to the coattails of Jimmy Johnson?

In short, Garcia needs to suck it up. If he plays, the Bucs should be fine on offense. With Haye and Hovan somewhat healthy, the rush defense should be improved. Unless Son of Bob starts, Joe can’t see the Bucs losing unless they completely melt down.

With a win, by the end of the day, the Bucs may be in the playoffs.

Also, Joe has press credentials for the game so check back later in the day for some unique insight from behind the scenes as well as some player interviews.

On an unrelated matter, Joe is hoping somehow WTSP can work in the talents of Heather Van Nest and Tammie Fields on its pregame show.

Joe takes a weekly look if the Bucs may have benefitted from the services of Brett Favre.

In 31-27 win over Buffalo at the New Jersey Swamplands, Favre connectd on 17 of 30 passes for 207 yards with one touchdown, two interceptions and no sacks.

Son of Bob hooked up on 26 of 37 passes for 269 yards, one touchdown, one interceptions and four sacks most of which were pathetic and ill-timed.

Joe still would have taken Favre’s less than appealing numbers over Son of Bob’s girlish sacks.

The NFL Network still produces top quality video. Roger Goodell still won’t provide embed codes.

The NFL Network has a couple of videos for Bucs fans. First up is NFL Films’ preview of the Chargers-Bucs game with the frightening thought that Son of Bob might be at quarterback (again).

Next up is a weather forecast by AccuWeather.com for the game. Pretty close to perfect weather.

In a preview of the Chargers-Bucs game, Scott Smith of Buccaneers Inside features how the Bucs pass defense locks down quarterbacks at home.

Lastly, Smith has a feature on the playoff possibilities left for the Bucs.

By BOB FOX

JoeBucsFan.com analyst Bob Fox takes a weekly look at the NFC playoff picture. Fox writes for numerous sports publications. He brings an insightful take on the conference. 

There are now just two weeks remaining in the 2008 season, and it is getting close to the midnight hour for playoff spots, especially in the NFC.  The Bucs are attempting to secure a Wild Card berth down the stretch, as the Bucs face a very dangerous opponent Sunday in the San Diego Chargers, who still have post-season aspirations themselves.  The Bucs still have an outside shot at the NFC South crown.

JoeBucsFan.com analyst Bob Fox says the Vikings' loss of Pro Bowl DT Pat Williams will devastate their chances of beating the Falcons on Sunday, in a criticial NFC matchup for both teams, as well as the Bucs playoff future.

The biggest threats to the Bucs in the Wild Card chase have big games themselves this weekend, as the Dallas Cowboys host the Baltimore Ravens on Saturday night in what should be a VERY physical game.  Meanwhile, the Atlanta Falcons go north to play the Minnesota Vikings, minus DT Pat Williams who is a big time run stuffer.  Michael Turner and the best running game in the NFL will certainly not miss the Pro Bowl mass of humanity that clogs the run so well for the Vikes.  In addition, the supremacy of the entire NFC is at stake, as the Carolina Panthers play the New York Giants in New Jersey for the right to be the No. 1 seed in the playoffs.

NFC East
New York Giants 11-3
Dallas Cowboys 9-5
Philadelphia Eagles 8-5-1
Washington Redskins 7-7

It wasn’t that long ago when just about everyone had annointed the Giants as the best team in the NFL, if not, CERTAINLY the best team in the NFC.  But then Plaxico Burress had his Barney Fife moment and shot himself in the leg and was suspended.  Since then, the Giants have lost two straight games, plus RB Brandon Jacobs has had injury issues.  So now the Giants are faced with a game  Sunday night against the Panthers for the right to be the No. 1seed in the conference playoffs. The Cowboys face a stiff test themselves on Saturday night as they face the very physical Ravens in Big D.  QB Tony Romo was battered and bruised last Sunday vs. the Giants, and he won’t feel much better after he faces Ray Lewis, Ed Reed and company.  Plus, the Ravens have to feel a bit peeved about the way they lost last weekend to the Steelers in the last few seconds.  The Eagles are still riding high and will now finish the season against two NFC East opponents, the Redskins and the Boys.  I expect the Eagles to continue their winning ways against their big rivals behind the likes of Donovan McNabb and Brian Westbrook.  Even with the big Cowboys’ win against the Giants last weekend, I still expect the Eagles to be the Wild Card team that comes out of this division. 

NFC North
Minnesota Vikings 9-5
Chicago Bears 8-6
Green Bay Packers 5-9
Detroit Lions 0-14

The Vikings showed me something last week in their big win in Arizona.  Tavaris Jackson looked very good at QB, as well.  But the win came at a price, as DT Pat Williams. a 2009 Pro Bowl pick, was lost for several weeks with fractured shoulder.  That situation could cause the Vikings problems this week as they will host exceptional rookie QB Matt Ryan, plus Michael Turner and the rest of the Falcons, which leads the NFL in rushing.  Plus the Vikes will have to face the Giants next week, and the Giants are second in the NFL in rushing.  The Bears get their chance to make up ground on the Vikes as they host the Packers on Monday night.  The Bears were embarrassed in Green Bay earlier in the year 37-3.  Any game with the Packers and the Bears is a pride type of game, no matter the playoff consequences, as this will be 176th meeting between these two squads.  The Bears will also face a tough task in week 17 as they travel to Houston to play the Texans.  At this point, I would say the Vikings will probably squeak in and win the NFC North.

NFC South
Carolina Panthers 11-3
Tampa Bay Bucs 9-5
Atlanta Falcons 9-5
New Orleans Saints 7-7

It was just three weeks ago when the Bucs appeared to be in prime position for the playoffs as the NFC South divisional winner. The Bucs then had to face three very tough NFC South opponents. The Bucs took care of the Saints at home, but then lost two straight to the Panthers and Falcons on the road.  The Bucs are now two games behind the Panthers in the NFC South  race, but still can be a Wild Card team if they win out based on tiebreakers with Atlanta.  But the road won’t be easy.  The Bucs  face a very dangerous obstacle in the San Diego Chargers at the Ray Jay on Sunday.  The Chargers will play hard for 60 minutes, as they still hope for the postseason as well.  The Chargers are 6-8 right now, but could very well have a record of 9-5 with a couple of breaks here and there.  Right Ed Hochuli?  The Falcons travel to Minnesota where Vikings’ DT Pat Williams will NOT be there to help stop their vaunted ground game.  So it is imperative that the Bucs win this weekend and keep their narrow lead on the Birds from Atlanta.  One way or the other, either the Bucs or the Falcons will be another Wild Card team in the NFC, but this weekend will play a HUGE part in that outcome. 

NFC West
z- Arizona Cardinals 8-6
San Francisco 49ers 5-9
St. Louis Rams 3-11
Seattle Seahawks 2-12

The NFC West division champion Cardinals were embarrassed last weekend by the Vikings at home, but the loss probably had something to do with the Cards clinching their first divisional title since 1975 the previous week.  The Vikings probably smelled the champagne oozing out of the Cardinals players.  The Cards will probably rest their key players down the stretch as they attempt to stay healthy for the playoff run.  But as Tampa Bay fans know, it also important to have some momentum going into the playoffs, even if one is hosting a playoff game at home in the first round.

z- Clinched Division Title

Joe takes his weekly look at what some of the national football scribes have to say about the Bucs as Tampa Bay prepares for its Week 16 home game with San Diego.

Jason McIntyre of TheBigLead.com is more impressed with the site of the Super Bowl than the team that plays in the same stadium. He has the Bucs at No. 16.

Anyone looking for a Super Bowl party stripper should contact this woman.

(Joe’s disclaimer: No, to the best of Joe’s knowledge, Evan Longoria’s girlfriend is not for rent.)

Peter King of SI.com has the Bucs at No. 12 and seems to be concerned with the Pewter Pirates.

Not time to bury the Bucs, but you’ve got to be extremely worried about their ability to stop the run if they make the playoffs. Last two games versus the run: 37 carries for 299 yards for Carolina, 43 carries for 175 yards Sunday in Atlanta. The Bucs have the proverbial must win coming up Sunday at home against San Diego, and they’d better wear their big-boy pads for that one because the Chargers will come in rushing.

Pete Prisco of CBSSports.com has the Bucs at No. 10.

Two consecutive division losses have them in playoff-elimination mode the rest of the way. They can’t afford another. The good news is they close with home games against San Diego and Oakland.

Vacation Man of BSPN.com also has the Bucs at No. 10.

The Bucs remain very much in the playoff race with home games against the Chargers and Raiders. But those games can’t be taken for granted, with injuries piling up and the Bucs on a two-game losing streak.

Adrian Hasenmayer of FoxSports.com lists the Bucs at No. 9.

How has Tampa Bay gone from 9-3 and first place in the NFC South to 9-5 and fighting for its playoff life so quickly? Untimely injuries are creeping up, like the calf injury that forced QB Jeff Garcia to miss Sunday’s loss at Atlanta. The defense is hurting, too — both health-wise (LB Derrick Brooks’ rib injury might force him to miss his first career game, Jermaine Phillips’ broken forearm – out for the year). Luckily, the Bucs come home to finish the season, where they are 6-0 in ’08. COOL STAT: Tampa’s normally-stout defense has allowed an obscene 474 rushing yards over the past two losses.

Former Bucs beat writer and current SI.com columnist Don Banks, who has grabbed the torch for the fallen Dr. Z, ranks the Bucs at No. 10.

December wasn’t too kind to Jon Gruden’s team last year either, with Tampa Bay dropping three of its last four to limp into the playoffs with zero momentum. Now the Bucs of ’08 are 0-2 this month, with consecutive road losses in the division. But that’s where finishing with a pair of games at home against AFC West teams (San Diego and Oakland) should come in very handy.

There wasn't much to like with the Bucs loss to the Dixie Chicks last week. But JoeBucsFan.com analyst Steve Campbell was fond of Davin Joseph's play.

By Steve Campbell
JoeBucsFan.com analyst

It was another step backwards for the Bucs offensive line in the 13-10 loss to Atlanta. It wasn’t all poor physical play, but mentally, the Bucs shot themselves in the foot with some horrible penalties. Twice the Bucs had a third-and-one turn into a third-and-six because of procedure penalties. The Bucs went from a very manageable second-and-seven on the Falcons-8 to a third-and-28 on the 30-yard line thanks to penalties and a sack.

Only a nice 10-yard run by Warrick Dunn on that third down allowed the Bucs to get into high percentage field goal range and send the game into overtime.

The pass protection was spotty at best in Atlanta. John Abraham had three sacks; the last one on the aforementioned second-and-seven play hurt the most. Penn was beaten by Abraham on a move that was so devastating, that I don’t even know how to describe it.

The other two sacks by Abraham were coverage sacks. The last one on the third down on the Bucs only possession in overtime was all on Griese. Trueblood actually kept Abraham outside the pocket in which Griese could have stepped up into. But Griese inexplicably stepped to the right and into the path of Abraham.

The Bucs did a decent job of running the ball when they decided to. Of the two Bucs running backs, Cadillac Williams looks like the fresher and more effective runner compared to Dunn. I think Jon Gruden is being cautious with Williams, but I would like to see him get a few more carries if he is up to it. Some of his better runs were in the fourth quarter on Sunday.

Before going on to the individual grades, I have a word of advice for Bucs fans: RELAX.

Yeah, these last two games really hurt, and more than likely the chance of winning the division and gaining a first round playoff bye are out the window now. But the Bucs are still 9-5 and have a real good chance of finishing 11-5. Who knows? The Bucs could beat San Diego Sunday and then the Panthers could very easily lose at the Meadowlands to the Giants. The Panthers then would have to beat a dangerous New Orleans team on the road (do I need to remind you of the NFC South home record this season?) while the Bucs host a putrid Oakland Raiders team on the last week of the season at the CITS.

At 9-5, the Bucs are about where they should be this year. Face it; Carolina is just probably a little bit better than the Bucs are right now. I still like the Bucs as a team better than the Falcons, but with the amount of mental mistakes the Bucs made last Sunday, the outcome was inevitable.

On to the grades:

Donald Penn (LT): Penn had his troubles with Abraham, but who doesn’t? Maybe my eyes are deceiving me, but it looks to me like Penn has been packing on the pounds as the season has progressed. This is not a good sign. To play left tackle in this league and to be paid well to do it, you need to have quick feet and not be a slob. Maybe the extra weight has affected his play in the past few weeks?

Arron Sears (LG): Lately, the only time I see Sears look really good is when he pulls. He also handled Jonathan Babineaux a lot better than he did in September. But he still struggles in pass protection. The sack he gave up to Grady Jackson was a case of this. Jackson is not known for his pass rushing ability. With a big strong, slow player like Jackson, you’re always ready for the bull rush, because that’s all he has in his arsenal. You step back, lower your hips, and anchor your back foot. Somehow, Sears let Jackson get under him and push him right into Griese. I won’t go into Griese’s pocket presence — or lack, thereof — but the word “statue” springs to mind.

Jeff Faine (C): Before last week, I was thinking if any of the Bucs offensive lineman made the Pro Bowl, it would be Faine. While he isn’t overwhelming, he has been the most consistent member of the line. Well, maybe the Pro Bowl voters watched the Falcons game. This was the first bad game I can remember Faine really having.

Faine really struggled with Grady Jackson in the run game. Not real surprising given Faine’s lack of size and that Jackson weighs about 370 pounds. It doesn’t get any easier this week when big Jamal Williams, who anchors the Chargers 3-4 defense, comes to town.

Davin Joseph (RG): It was hard to find much wrong with Joseph’s game. I love his aggressiveness in the run game. Several times I saw a massive body with flying dreads come crashing into the pile. He also held his own in the passing game.

Jeremy Trueblood (RT): It’s really been a rough couple of weeks for Jeremy. But I’m hearing some crazy stuff from uninformed callers on radio show and fans on various Bucs message boards. People are ready to throw this third year player under the bus and already talking about who might be are right tackle next year. That is CRAZY talk. Trueblood struggled with Abraham this week and Julius Peppers last week. He’s also shut down a few top notch defensive ends this season. Players like Adawale Ogunyele, Aaron Kampman, and Patrick Kerney.

Why are fans so quick to give up on such young players? I’m actually more concerned about the amount of penalties by Trueblood in the past few weeks.

Game ball: Joseph.

Bob Garcia, Jeff Garcia's dad is reporting that Jeff can't run forward.

Bucs quarterback Jeff Garcia and his father, Bob Garcia, are very close. They talk regularly about life and football, Jeff Garcia told joeBucsFan.com in October. Dad is a legendary high school and college football coach in the Garcias hometown of Gilroy, Calif.

Their usually private relationship has been a bit of an open book this season. Weekly, Bob Garcia has been interviewed extensively by the Gilroy Dispatch for a football column about Jeff Garcia, the NFL and local prep and college football.

Bob Garcia hasn’t held back much all season when talking about Jeff’s mindset and condition, and in October Jeff told JoeBucsFan.com that he’s just fine with his dad speaking his mind.

On Thursday, Josh Koehn, sports edtor of the Gilroy Dispatch was kind enough to send JoeBucsFan.com the full transcript of Bob Garcia’s interview this week.

In the transcript, Bob Garcia says Jeff could backpedal and throw but not run forward during his pregame warm-up against Atlanta and was literally in tears on the phone with him right after giving it a go.

The elder Garcia also said Jeff Garcia has the exact same calf injury as during the preseason, which contradicts reports in the Tampa Bay media.

There are other comments that don’t bode well for Garcia’s return on Sunday against the Chargers. 

Below is a majority of the interview transcript, including all talk about Jeff Garcia.

Joe will share more details with Steve Duemig on 620 AM, The Sports Animal, on Friday about 4 p.m.

G: Yeah, Jeff called me last week, Wednesday. They were out there at
practice and he was just jogging, and all of a sudden he came up and
there’s something wrong with his calf. I guess the same one he hurt in
the preseason and it started really bothering him. It was a
walk-through so he was able to walk through everything. And on
Thursday, they kind of taped it so it wouldn’t be much pressure on the
heel. He said he was able to throw the ball some and move around a
little bit so he still thought he had an opportunity to play. Sunday
morning he went out there and he couldn’t. He said, ‘I can throw the
ball, dad, but I can’t run forward. I can’t.’

K: That’s weird.

G: Yeah, my nephew, my sister’s son, is a doctor at one of the
hospitals in San Jose, and he said it’s gotta be something deep inside
to cause it to come back. That muscle, that calf muscle … it might have
been a real deep tear and he said, ‘Hey, it probably never healed
right.’

K: So, it’s the exact same injury?

G: Yeah, yeah.

K: When did he know for sure he wasn’t going to be able to play Sunday?

G: Sunday morning.

K: So, right before the game.

G: Yeah, right before the game he called up and the guy’s a man, he’s
38-years old. Boy, I tell you, he was in tears.

K: Really?

G: He was really disappointed.

G: I said, ‘You know what, what are you gonna do? You can’t do anything about it. If you can’t run, if you’re not ready to go 100 percent, there’s no way you can play, Jeff.’You know what? (Brian) Griese came in and did a good job. I don’t know if those sacks, especially that last one in overtime, if it would have been any different. Who knows?

K: Does Jeff think he’s going to be out this next week?

G: He doesn’t know. He doesn’t know.

K: Wow.

G: You gotta play it by ear. He’s gonna continue to get treatment and
everything. The last time all he could do was stay off that thing and
it took about two weeks of staying off of it.

K: The Bucs don’t really have two weeks do they?

G: No. Now their backs are against the wall and they have to win their next two and hope that somebody is gonna get knocked off. Or else it’s going end up a tie and it’s going to go to scores and so on.

K: I think right now, if they were able to win their last two games,
they would get that six-spot from what I saw on TV last night. But it’s going to be close because they got the Chargers this week, who have their backs against the wall, too.

G: That’s right. Every game now, hey, I thought Tampa Bay had a shot to take care of Atlanta. They did a pretty good job considering what happened the week before at Carolina, but still that guy (Michael) Turner ran for a few yards against them.

K: He had 175 yards.

G: Yeah, and he ran over some people. There were some missed tackles. Oh, whatever.

K: Jeff’s going to be getting treatment on his calf all week, and a lot of people don’t understand what that means because they hear that these guys are putting in long hours, but what are some of the things Jeff is going to have to do this week to get that calf as ready as possible?

G: The majority of the time he’ll still go to all the meetings and
probably all the practice, but he wont participate in them. And then
he’ll have to go in (for treatment) before practice and stay after
practice. They’ll put the stem on him, it’s the thing that breaks up
the stuff and gets the blood flowing in there. He’ll probably utilize
the hot and cold, whatever, he’ll still be working out completely on
all the other parts of the body but they’ll really concentrate on
targeting that one area. I don’t know what’ll be the best thing they
decide for him to do, but it will be something.

K: How many hours a day do you think he’ll spend in the training room.

G: It’ll probably be at least three or four hours a day. And then
there’s all the other things.

K: Did you get the sense at all, with how upset he was before the game Sunday, that this could be something that’s going to last more than just this one game?

G: He said he’s hoping he’ll be ready to go this weekend. You know, I’m sure every athlete has that feeling, ‘Hey, I’ll be ready to go next weekend.’ But you got no control over a muscle or if something is really torn inside. It may take you two weeks, three weeks until you’re ready to go full strength. And it’s really sad because him and Antonio Bryant were really starting to connect, had some pretty good games. He wasn’t turning the ball over. There were some good things happening.

K: You know, a guy like (Tampa Bay receiver) Antonio Bryant, he made
comments recently after his big Monday night 200 yard, 2 TD
performance. He got upset because Emmitt Smith and Trent Dilfer, they
were saying that he’s got off the field issues and he needs to get his
life right. And by all accounts, he hasn’t been in trouble since he got
a DUI while with the Niners. And [Bryant] said, ‘Who are these guys to
be criticizing me?’ What do you think of that?

G: It’s true. And you know what, he has had to get his life squared away,otherwise he wouldn’t be playing in the NFL. And he sat out and paid the price for whatever he did, whether it was the DUI or the alcohol or whatever. You know what? Everybody has problems, but those guys can sit up there and say he’s gotta get his life squared away. Well are they living with him? Do you know what he’s doing to get his life squared away? The guy is probably doing everything possible so he can stay eligible to play, so I don’t think those guys have the right to say anything.

K: Let’s talk about another thing, the Niners barely lose at Miami —

G: You know what, that’s a reflection of the coach. The guy has made
all the difference in the world. They played a hell of a ballgame
against Miami, a team that’s been hot and playing really well, has
things going. Aside form that last play, they can look back and say,
whoever that right tackle is, (Barry) Sims, we should have given him
some help. (Jerry) Porter went over to the right side and that was his
only sack of the game. But you know what? If they would have made that block, completed a pass and got a score, it’s a different scenario.

K: Ann Killion for the Mercury news wrote a column (Monday) that Vernon Davis said if he had been in the game he would’ve been able to block Porter.

G: Well, you know what, that’s true and it’s water under the bridge. It happened. Porter basically played on the left side, and then in that package he switched over to the other side. So, I mean they were trying to utilize him because he’s their sack leader and a big-play potential guy. He had been playing on the other side against (Joe) Staley. The tackle had been doing a pretty good job on him and with the back coming out and chipping him. But it just so happens that with the formation with all wideouts and no running back, that probably called for Davis to be out. Why? I don’t know. If you lined him up, Davis would probably be the fastest of everybody on that team, including the defensive backs and the receivers. If it’s supposed to be an offensive set, why isn’t he in there? But then again, I heard something about his hands. But I don’t know. He dropped that one on the sidelines. I think it was the Examiner mentioned something about his hands. But I was under the impression he had pretty good hands.

K: Well, he’s dropped a lot of balls in his time but he’s coming around
and he’s definitely a solid player they should hang on to.

G: Hey, they were in the right defense and maybe the Niners were in the wrong offense. They lost. But you know what? They battled and showed a lot of (Mike) Singletary traits. I think they’re moving ahead, I really do.

K: Now the Raiders game, that was an ugly start and then they kind of
came around. I was watching the game and I couldn’t tell if JaMarcus
Russell is being sold out by his receivers dropping balls at key
moments or if he just cant overcome those kind of mistakes. What do you
think?

G: When things are going bad, everything goes bad. And when things are going good, everything goes good. And, consequently, things have been going bad for the Oakland Raiders for quite a while now. And it’s not just one guy. Maybe Russell threw the ball pretty well but his receivers didn’t catch it. Another time, Russell doesn’t throw it well and the receiver would catch everything he throws at them. I don’t know. There’s a team there that — they need to get somebody, whether it’s going to be (Tom) Cable or not, who knows? Is Davis still going to be involved? They just need to wipe the slate clean and come in with an attitude that this is the way it’s going to be, and go from there.

There’s just too many little things (going wrong). Hell, the first five drives the Patriots scored and they said they would have scored on the sixth one but it went off the guy’s helmet and the Raiders intercepted it.

K: Yeah, it was pretty ugly.

G: But, then again, they came back and scored a couple times against a pretty good Patriot defense. I don’t know if it was all the rain or whatever, a lot of things happen. Along the same lines of other football things (going bad), the end of Arena football, closing down it’s doors for the year.

K: What do you think of that?

G: I thought they were in pretty good financial shape. Probably because I only read the local paper about the SaberCats, but they have a pretty good following. They pack people in there.

K: Yeah, I went to a game. It’s a pretty lively crowd. They have the
SaberKitten cheerleaders, who basically outnumber the players, they
have a lot of bells and whistles to keep people excited.

G: There’s some pretty good owners at other clubs. Bon Jovi, and what’s that other quarterback over in Denver?

K: John Elway

G: Yeah.

K: Did you ever see a championship ring for the SaberCats. I met the
wife, the owner, Muni Fry, and she has this ring — it was the size of
my fist. They really treated their players great. San Jose wasn’t one
of the clubs in trouble financially, apparently. It was the other
clubs.

G: But there was a lot of other clubs that were having a tough time.

G: And I guess Monte (Kiffin) is headed to Tennessee to be with his son Lane Kiffin).

K: Yeah, that was kind of a foregone conclusion. He’s going to make his son look a lot better and provide just one more tough SEC defense. What did you think of (Sam) Bradford winning the Heisman?

G: It was surprising. I really thought (Tim) Tebow would have gotten it.

K: He got the most first place votes, but Colt McCoy came in second.
Here’s the crazy part: Over 100 people that voted for the Heisman, out
of 900, left Tebow off their ballot.

G: Really? Why was that?

K: I have no idea. You gottta get him at least second or third, if not
first.

G: Definitely. I didn’t realize that. And that’s what hurt him, huh?

K: But, really, the Heisman Trophy doesn’t matter that much. It’s an
individual award for whoever is on the best team. And the quarterback
position is always made to look better with good players around him.

G: That’s true. All those teams had great players around those quarterbacks.

K: What do you think of this whole big controversy in Dallas this last
week? I mean, obviously, they got the win so everybody can say
everything is fine, but ESPN’s Ed Werder reported that Terrell Owens
and Jason Witten get into a confrontation, and Tony Romo likes Witten
more than he likes TO.

G: Well, in crucial situations, who’s going to catch the ball? You’re
going to go with the guy who’s consistent. A ball is close to Witten —
he’s catching everything. Terrell Owens, he makes some great catches
and stuff, but hey, a lot of times he drops them.

K: That’s true.

G: That’s a big deal, you know. There’s still a rotten apple in that barrel. There really is. And things like this will always come up. It will smooth over and everything, but as soon as something (bad) happens the smoke will start rising again.

K: When Jeff played with TO, how often did he have to deal with this
kind of stuff? Was it often?

G: All the time. As a matter of fact, coming off the football field,
the coaches would say, ‘Hey, how come you threw the ball there, Jeff?’
‘Hey, it was man-to-man. Terrell was supposed to keep going. He
stopped.’

And then they’d go, ‘Oh, that’s right. Hey, Terrell, that was that
play. You’re supposed to keep going.’

‘Oh, shut up.’

He would tell the coach, ‘Shut up. I’ll do what I want to do.’ It was
unbelievable.

K: Was that Greg Knapp, the offensive coordinator?

G: Yeah. And I would say, ‘Jeff, really, the coach didn’t say
anything?’ And he would say, ‘Yeah.’

K: So, TO would really tell his coaches to shut up in San Francisco and
they wouldn’t do anything?

G: Yeah. Hey, listen, I’m on the cell phone and there’s a highway
patrol or sheriff behind me so I better get going.

K: OK, Bobby, you have a good one and we’ll talk real soon.

Catch Joe on Steve Duemig's show this afternoon about 4 p.m. Joe will break some fresh news about the Bucs' QB situation.

Joe wants to send a big “thank you” to Ron Diaz and Justin Pawlowski for inviting Joe on the air this morning on The Ron and Ian Show on 620AM WDAE.

Joe talked about today’s breaking story about ex-Bucs Michael Bennett and Antonio Davis getting sued in civil court this week for allegedly beating a man at an International House of Pancakes in Tampa.

About 4 p.m. today, Joe will appear with The Big Dog, Steve Duemig, on The Sports Animal. Joe will break some Bucs news exclusively on the Big Dog’s show.

Bucs fans, you don’t want to miss it.

BSPN’s drunken badgirl Dana Jacobson talks with actor Jerry Levine, who played the character which inspired Greg White’s name change to Stylez G. White. Among the many things Jacobson asked Levine was how White misspelled the character’s name.

Ruud's great, but not that great.

Joe loves Barrett Ruud. The guy’s a stud, and the only reason he didn’t make the Pro Bowl is because the Bucs’ defense was embarrassed in the last two games and Derrick Brooks understandably took votes from him.  

Ruud is sixth in the NFL with 117 tackles, 89 solo and 28 assists, according to the stats at NFL.com. Joe even counted the game-by-game reports to verify. The Bucs official Web site shows Ruud with 124 tackles. 

Now the St. Pete Times, Lakeland Ledger and Pewter Report are all reporting that Ruud has 154 tackles. It’s bizarre that they all gave him an extra 37 tackles.

It’s likely due to an error on a Bucs media relations report, or the Bucs in-house stats keeper is working the games like a high school girl who adds rebounds every night to her boyfriend’s line in the basketball scorebook.

Either way, Joe is perplexed and disappointed. What makes this troubling is that the newspaper stories are about Ruud and his greatness. And the readers no doubt assume that Ruud has wrapped up opponents 154 times this year. That didn’t happen.

The three writers and multiple editors of these stories should be embarrassed. They typed and read the No. 1 stat for Ruud or any linebacker — tackles — in a story about Ruud, and none thought it odd that Ruud had a whopping 154 tackles.

Joe will patiently wait for their published corrections.

BSPN’s vodka-swilling Dana Jacobson, Newsday’s Bob Glauber and orthopedic surgeon Dr. Michael Kaplan talk about Jeff Garcia’s injured calf. This subject comes up at about the 3:00 mark.

It seemed Chucky foolishly cut Michael Bennett last month, but perhaps it was because Bennett is accused of brandishing a gun and beating a man at an International House of Pancakes in Tampa.

There may have been a lot more to the Bucs cutting Michael Bennett in November than Jon Gruden simply not wanting to give Bennett a shot to shine in his backfield.

There also may be more to why former reserve offensive tackle Anthony Davis was cut by the Bucs on Oct. 25.

Both Davis and Bennett are accused of maliciously assaulting and beating a man at the International House of Pancakes’ property on Spruce Street in Tampa on or about Oct. 13, according to a civil suit filed in Hillsbourgh County Circuit Court on Monday.

The suit filed by plaintiff Brian Gordon and Tampa attorney Jeffrey “Jack” Gordon also alleges Bennett threatened Brian Gordon with a gun. According the suit, the plaintiff claims Bennett acted like a Clint Eastwood wannabe and “brandished a black handgun in a holster and said, ‘Is there a problem?'”

It is unknown whether the plaintiff and the attorney are related, but Joe surely would bet a few bucks on that.

Davis and Gordon were dining late night at the IHOP, according to the suit, and Davis was “intoxicated, belligerent, profane, verbally abusive, physically threatening, disorderly, hostile and continuously and persistently harassed restaurant staff and patrons for an extended period of time.”

Among other things, the suit clams Davis identified himself as a Buccaneers player and addressed two female patrons as “sluts” and “whores” and said, “I got my civil rights and I can say whatever I want to say. You ain’t my mother.”

Davis also is accused of yelling at the cook and waitress in the back of the restaurant saying “Where’s my mother fuc*ing food! Give me my food! Mother fuc*er!” (Joe substituted the letter “k” to protect the innocent)

The suit alleges Davis telephoned Bennett and an unknown person to come and assist him at the restaurant.

Why Davis needed help is unclear. Davis was listed at more than 320 pounds on the Bucs roster at the time. So Joe doubts he felt threatened. And besides, there apparently were food, sluts and whores around to keep him happy.

Of course, the plaintiff is seeking damages from Bennett and Davis, as well as IHOP ownership.

Joe has no clue whether Bennett and Davis are guilty of anything. And Joe no is longer a full-time reporter who gets paid $43,000 a year to pull police reports and knock on doors. But Joe was a cops reporter for The Tampa Tribune, and he’s knowledgedable about the court system. So Joe will tell you with a good degree of certainty and credibility that there is going to be a lot of juice to this incident.

It’ll be fun to read about it in the MSM in the coming days.

Charlie Casserly and Jason Horowitz of CBSSports.com previews the Chargers-Bucs game. The duo talk about how beat up the defense is and how this puts the Bucs rush defense in a pinch.

Watch CBS Videos Online

Trent Dilfer has found a young lover on Tampa Bay sports radio

No hesitation today by ESPN analyst Trent Dilfer when  asked whether the Bucs would take care of business at home against the Chargers and Oakland to close out the season and make the playoffs.

Dilfer, speaking on Tampa Bay’s ESPN 1040 AM, said the Chargers will beat the Bucs.

Dilfer was an excellent interview, but Joe was particualarly disturbed by Killer B’s host Marc Benarzyk treating Dilfer as if he should be waiting for his Hall of Fame induction. 

Benarzyk even had the nerve to compare Dilfer to Peyton Manning  – all while Dilfer was on the line and probably shaking his head in disgust that ESPN makes him talk to radio clowns like Benarzyk all week.

Dilfer was a .500 quarterback who threw more picks than touchdowns and was blessed to quarterback the 2000 Ravens, who won the Super Bowl with a legendary defense.

Joe probably shouldn’t be so surprised by Benarzyk gushing for Dilfer; He is the same sports radio host who doesn’t understand why so many fans loathe Jon Gruden.

While Joe doesn’t despise Gruden, he at least gets why so many fans can’t stand the guy and think he’s a horrendous communicator, destructively stubborn and wets his pants in the red zone.

Earlier today, as in 12:30 a.m. today, Joe posted a rumor he found on ProFootballTalk.com that Bucs director of pro personnel Mark Dominik is in line to replace recently departed Kansas City Chiefs general manager Carl Peterson.

By doing some research, Joe thinks this is more than just empty talk or speculation.

Joe has found a website called BobGretz.com, that seems to focus on the Chiefs. The name “Bob Gretz” rung a bell with Joe but he couldn’t put two-and-two together until he did more research and the light bulb went on.

Gretz is a former longtime Chiefs beat writer who also worked for Sports Illustrated and is currently a selector for the Pro Football Hall of Fame. In short, this guy has contacts and he’s not the proverbial blogger in his underwear posting in his mom’s basement (for the record, neither is Joe).

Gretz has a post on his site where he documents a list of candidates to replace Peterson. Dominik is on that list.

Joe suspects given Gretz’s background and sources, Gretz just didn’t hear Dominik’s name whispered at some watering hole in Kansas City’s plaza district.

"Yo, If you think sore ribs are going to end my streak of playing every game since I got here, you're one dumb SOB."

First, Joe never believes injury reports unless a player is listed as, “out,” or on injured reserve. So when word started circulating after Sunday’s Falcons-Bucs game that Derrick Brooks had seriously injured ribs, Joe didn’t flinch.

Brooks sat out practice on Wednesday, but on his evening radio show, he gave fans a vote of confidence that he’ll be out there patrolling the field Sunday against the Chargers.

Talking with co-host The Big Dog, Steve Duemig, on 620 AM, The Sports Animal, Brooks said he felt a lot better on Wednesday and expected to feel even better today and expects to play on Sunday.

Joe finds it amusing that local media outlets prefer to report on Brooks’ status by asking Jon Gruden, who is not known for forthright communication, rather than just tune in to Brooks and The Big Dog for first-hand information.

For those who have NFL Network (and for those that do not, why not?), viewers already know that NFL Network analysts Marshall Faulk and Deion Sanders are not shy about how they feel.

Currently, they don’t like the Bucs.

In a teleconference this week, both Faulk and Sanders explained they’re not fond of the Bucs chances in the postseason, provided they make the postseason, so reports TBO.com.

“The first thing you think about with the Bucs is their defense and I think at some key positions there they are a little long in the tooth,’’ said Sanders. “Offensively, without Jeff Garcia making plays on the go when things break down, they’re a very basic football team, with no explosiveness. I’d love to see Antonio Bryant paired up with a Joey Galloway, but that’s just not the case right now.’’

This irritates Joe too: Why in the world can’t supergenius Chucky find ways to involve White Tiger Joey Galloway on the field at the same time as Antonio Bryant? Remember, this was a coach who somehow found a way to get Jerry Porter, Tim Brown and Jerry Rice on the field at the same time. If Chucky is actually telling the truth about how he cannot bend his mind enough to find the White Tiger and Bryant on the field on the same play, then that tells Joe that Al Davis was telling Chucky who to play.

“Those guys aren’t tackling,’’ Faulk said. “For Carolina to run the ball on them like that on a Monday night and then to see Michael Turner rip off big runs in Atlanta, that’s an attitude and a mindset they have to correct. The past two games, they have been manhandled inside. I see their defensive tackles getting knocked back six or seven yards from the line of scrimmage. Right now, when it comes to run fits, they’re not being accountable.’’

Faulk is right. But Joe is convinced the reason the Bucs all of a sudden are coughing up so many rushing yards is that tackles Jovan Haye and Chris Hovan have been hobbled or out of the game completely. Throw in the fact Derrick Brooks is hurt, it doesn’t take a Monte Kiffin to figure out that would hurt any defense.