It’s bad enough the Bucs are losing Monte Kiffin at season’s end. And how the Bucs fare in the coming weeks will likely determine Chucky’s future with the team.

If Mike Florio, the creator, curator and overall guru of ProFootballTalk.com is to be believed, this could also be the last season for the Bucs’ director of pro personnel.

Mark Dominik, a 13-year veteran of the Bucs front office, is rumored to be a key candidate to succeed departed Chiefs general manager Carl Peterson.

Another name to watch, we’re told, is Buccaneers pro personnel director Mark Domenik [sic]. There’s chatter that Domenik might be on the short list of candidates for the G.M. position.

Rumors also have Dick Vermeil coming out of retirement to take the vacant Chiefs position.

The rumor about Dominik may have legs if his personal history is any indicator. Dominik is a graduate of the University of Kansas, which is nearly a suburb of Kansas City. Dominik also worked for the Chiefs in their college and pro personnel departments prior to joining the Bucs.

Dominik preceded the Father Dungy era in Tampa Bay. His duties per Buccaneers.com:

Dominik was added to the Buccaneers’ staff in June 1995 as a pro personnel assistant. He served in that capacity through the 1997 season before assuming the title of pro scout in 1998. In 2000 he was elevated to the coordinator of pro personnel before being promoted to his current position.

Dominik has been the Bucs director of pro personnel for the past seven seasons.

E-mail Joe how many rushing yards Warrick Dunn will gain against the Chargers on Sunday. If you have the closest guess, within 15 yards of the actual total, you win a $20 gift card to Courtside Grille.

If you haven’t feasted at the Courtside Grille during football season, well, you haven’t taken on the Bay area’s best feeding frenzy and drinkfest on gameday.

TBO.com reports Jeff Garcia plans to hop around the pocket for the Bucs against the Chargers on Sunday.

Joe can’t bear the thought of watching another Son of Bob performance, especially just before Christmas. It just kills the goodness of the holiday season, or any season, in fact. 

According to TBO.com, Garcia practiced this morning and plans to play on his improving calf injury against the Chargers on Sunday.

“I feel OK; I’m going to practice,’’ Garcia said. “I’m going to practice so I plan on being ready for Sunday.’’

Joe desperately wants to be optimistic about Garcia’s chances to play Sunday, but banking on a nearly 39-year-old QB who has a fresh injury is difficult.

Now officially done for 2008 with a broken arm, Jermaine Phillips will wait for a contract offer from the Bucs. He's a free agent after the season. Joe hopes the Bucs open the vault for this guy.

Joe was holding out hope that strong safety Jermaine Phillips would return to the field this season, even after reports said he broke his forearm again in Sunday’s game against the Falcons.

But that hope is now gone. Today Phillips joined Earnest Graham on injured reserve, which means his 2008 campaign is over.

This is truly bad news.

Phillips was having a Pro Bowl-caliber season. It was clear how much he meant to the secondary when he was out with an forearm injury earlier in the season and Sabby Piscatelli filled in as the starter for a handful of games. Phillips hits hard, and he’s made his share of big plays. You could have made a good case for Phillips to go to the Pro Bowl last year, as well.

At 29 years old, Phillips should be a priority for the Bucs in the offseason. He joins a long list of soon- to-be Tampa Bay free agents , which includes cornerback Phillip Buchanon and reserve safety Will Allen in the secondary.

If the Bucs name secondary coach Raheem Morris to replace Monte Kiffin as defensive coordinator, then you have to think Phillips will definitely return in 2009.

Replacing Phillips on the roster, according to TBO.com, is DE Patrick Chukwurah, a relatively useless pass rusher who dabbled on the Bucs roster last year and earlier this season. They also signed LB Rod Wilson to replace reserve RB Noah Herron, who was signed last month after Graham was lost for the season.

"Hey dude in the third row, scream for Galloway all you want. We're going 11-5, and you can kiss my freckled ass."

There is no angrier Bucs fan than THE PESSIMIST, but at least he’s not running through life with his eyes closed and half a brain, like the legions of fans moaning about Bucs armageddon on sports radio this week.

Is it really possible that all of those clowns actually thought the Bucs were going to roll into Carolina and Atlanta and win those games? That’s why the Vegas sportsbook owners laugh every Sunday night, instead of cry.

Nobody in the freakin’ NFC South has won a road game in the division. NOBODY. Crap, most Bucs fans pleasure themselves to the thought of the NFC South being the best division in the NFL. Yet so many fans and radio hosts are blathering on like the season’s over after the last two games and Jon Gruden should have his tail between his legs.

Let’s compare. Hmmm. Like the Bucs, those fabulous Falcons have three road wins this season: at Oakland, at San Diego, and at Green Bay. Boy that’s special. Those teams are all below .500. At least the Bucs knocked off a winning team on the road, the (8-6) Chicago Bears.

Guess what. Those mighty, overrated Cowboys (9-5) also have three road wins, and not a one against a winning team (Browns, Skins and Packers).

If you’ve paid any attention to the NFL, you know that the road is tough for everyone, unless the team is truly dominant. And nobody with a clue  – before or during this season – should have thought the 2008 Bucs could be a world-beating, road-dominating machine.

The Bucs are poised to finish 11-5, after romping the Chargers and Raiders at home these next two weeks. Regardless of the painful, shameful Bucs offense with a coordinator who wets his panties in the red zone, the Bucs will win those games.

And no matter how much you’ll think the Bucs are a joke of a playoff team. They’ll be going to the party at 11-5.

Even THE PESSIMIST can’t complain with a straight face about an 11-5 season. Now if they can’t win a playoff game, or even get to 11-5, that’s another story.

Jeff Garcia must get his calf well enough to take the field on Sunday. It’s the biggest key to victory for the Bucs against the Chargers.

Joe is taking this opportunity to send Jeff healing vibes. Hopefully, Carmella Garcia is doing her part to help Jeff at home. If she can’t inspire peak performance, then there really is a serious injury.

Good luck, Jeff.

When an NFL player changes his name to a character's name from a 1985 movie, it's time to get a new hobby.

About the best way for Joe get over that horrid loss Sunday, and Chucky’s pathetic QB stunts and his lying ways, was to read that Bucs defensive lineman formerly known as Greg White changed his name to a character in the 1985 movie Teen Wolf.

White is now legally Stylez G. White after the character Rupert “Stiles” Stilinsk, as Chris Harry of the Orlando Sentinel points out.

And it wasn’t the Michael J. Fox character in that B-movie cult classic that made an impact on White, but rather Fox’s party animal buddy Rupert “Stiles” Stilinski, played by Jerry Levine.

“I always liked that name: Styles,” White said. “I just never really had the confidence to, you know, go with it.”

You would think White could have at least Googled to find the correct spelling of the name?

Aside from the obvious potential name changes to Bucs coaches and players, such as Chucky, Son of Bob, King of Turds, White Tiger and Cadillac to name a few, Joe offers his favorite suggestions:

Mr. (Derrick Brooks): Maybe you forgot the lyrics to his song?

Hands (Mike Clayton): Because he needs a pair.

Balls (Dexter Jackson): Because he needs a pair.

Houses (Warrick Dunn): Because he has bought so many houses for so many needy families.

Lucky (Jeff Garcia): Take a look at his head shot and tell Joe this guy can pull a chick like this.

WWE (Chris Hovan): Because the dude thinks he’s working for Vince McMahon on Sundays the way he paints his face up.

Bust (Josh Johnson): Self-explanatory

JoeBucsFan.com readers are welcome to offer up their suggestions.

Was there really any doubt Bucs linebacker Derrick Brooks belonged in the Pro Bowl?

So Bucs linebacker Derrick Brooks was named to the 2009 Pro Bowl. Not a surprise to Joe. In fact, it was well deserved.

While last year there were episodes where it appeared the game may have passed Brooks by, this year the veteran was a beast for one of the NFL’s best defenses. Vacation Man of BSPN.com agreed.

Tampa Bay’s Derrick Brooks made the squad as a reserve outside linebacker. Say what you want about this being a case of Brooks making the team based on his reputation. So what? It’s happened before and it’s happened to guys who didn’t have reputations as good as Brooks’. Yeah, Brooks might not be what he was a few years ago, but he’s still playing at a high level.

Joe doesn’t think this year’s nomination was by reputation at all. Brooks played a fantastic linebacker in 2008, as detailed by Peter King earlier this season in an expansive Sports Illustrated article. Although it’s always possible Brooks will only suit up for the Bucs for two more regular season games, the way he played this year and the leadership he provided, Brooks needs to be brought back next year.

Vacation Man of BSPN speaks on BSPNews about the current state of affairs in the NFC South, including the Bucs. Vacation Man talks about all the Bucs injuries and playoff hopes around the 3:30 mark. At the 2:00 mark, Vacation Man talks about Chucky going after a quarterback in the free agent market.

Vacation Man also discusses how the Chargers will give the Bucs some fits this week, “a big concern,” he says.

Clifton Smith and Derrick Brooks have won a trip to Hawaii for the 2009 Pro Bowl. They were the only two Bucs selected.

The votes are in from fans, players and NFL coaches, and Derrick Brooks and rookie Clifton Smith will represent the Bucs and the NFC at the 2009 Pro Bowl.

Joe salutes these guys who arguably are the best two stories on the Bucs this season, along with Antonio Bryant’s rise to stardom after sitting on his couch last season.

Bryant missed the Pro Bowl, as Joe predicted. The four wide receivers to go are Arizona’s Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin, as starters, and Carolina’s Steve Smith and Atlanta’s Roddy White will go as reserves.

Joe thinks the Lions WR Calvin Johnson got screwed. But the guys named are all deserving.  

For Brooks, this will be his 11th Pro Bowl, after not making the team last year. He clearly played better than in 2007, despite a hamstring injury in September. Brooks made his share of big plays, and this election shows he still has the respect of coaches and players.

Obviously, Smith making the Pro Bowl as a kick returner is all thanks to the votes of coaches and players. Heck, lots of casual Bucs fans don’t even know his name. If you go back and watch the tape of the Bucs-Panthers game on Monday Night Football, it’s clear that Carolina was clearly kicking away from Smith all night. That was major league respect.

Smith, an undrafted free agent out of Fresno State, fumbled in his first four games and only played half the season. But busting two touchdowns on returns and winning NFL Special Teams Player of the Month in November will get you to the Pro Bowl as a returner, especially in a year when Devin Hester was slowed by injuries.

Joe believes Asante Samuels, of the Eagles, who made the Pro Bowl as a reserve cornerback, likely nosed out Ronde Barber for the spot with his interception and touchdown return at a critical point in last night’s Eagles-Browns game.

That will hurt Barber’s Hall of Fame chances. Joe is sure he’ll be on the fence for Hall induction when his career is over, and Pro Bowl appearances help get you elected.

Joe never watches the Pro Bowl – does anyone anymore? – but he’s always happy when Bucs are represented. Click here for the full 2009 Pro Bowl roster.

The Backwards Hat, otherwise known as Rick Brown of the Lakeland Ledger, has returned. But this time, Backwards Hat throws us a curveball: He’s wearing his hat forwards! A stylish man he is.

After Backwards Hat finishes his report, he flashes viewers Winston Churchill’s “V for Victory” sign. Dude is original.

As Joe has pointed out in the post about Chucky’s press conference, Chucky claims he didn’t know how many reps Son of Bob took in practice last week, which Joe doesn’t believe for a split second.

Stephen Holder of the St. Petersburg Times has caught Chucky in another lie from yesterday.

Gruden said on more than one occasion last week that McCown was handling the majority of the practice snaps while Garcia did little because of his calf injury. That’s what led us to believe McCown would be the starter in the first place. I submit this quote from Thursday as evidence: “Luke has been taking a lot of snaps and Brian is going to work himself back in tomorrow (Friday). For the first time, really, in the past couple months we’re seeing him throw the ball as well as he is. So, that’s a good sign for us.”

But [Monday], Gruden changed his story. He said Garcia took lots of snaps in practice last week and, as a result, neither McCown nor Griese had adequate preparation to start the game. He said that’s why he went with Griese, because he had played the Falcons earlier this season. And Griese is obviously more experienced, which theoretically makes him better-equipped to handle the situation on such short notice.

Here’s Gruden’s quote: “We have a 90-play walk-through . . . which pretty much explains the game plan for the quarterback. And Jeff took all those. . . Neither one of those guys (McCown and Griese) was really prepared to be the starter in the game.”

Either Chucky doesn’t know what he’s talking about or he’s such a pathological liar he doesn’t even know when he’s telling the truth or not; or doesn’t even know what the truth is. As a result, he’s making life miserable for himself and possibly putting his own job in jeopardy.

It’s coming across that Chucky is over his head or is actually demented enough to believe he can get by with such lies, despite the fact people record his every word.

Not even a supergenius like Chucky or Wile E. Coyote can figure out the playoff tiebreaker formulas.

Confused in trying to determine how the Bucs can make/miss the playoffs depending on the final two weeks of the season? Well, you don’t have to be an offensive supergenius like Chucky to do the math. Let Peter King do it for you.

King, writing on SI.com, tries to tackle the tiebreaker formulas with the Bucs, the Dixie Chicks and the Cowboys.

If Dallas, Atlanta and Tampa finish tied at 11-5, here’s why Atlanta stays home, and why the Falcons need to be rooting very hard for Ray Lewis and the Ravens Saturday night in Dallas:

In a three-team Wild Card tiebreaker, the first issue is breaking ties between two division teams. So it’s Bucs versus Falcons, if they finish tied at 11-5.

First tiebreaker: head-to-head play. They finished 1-1 against each other.

Second tiebreaker: division record, which is a tie at 3-3.

Third tiebreaker: record in common games, which is a tie at 8-4.

Fourth tiebreaker: conference record, which is a tie at 8-4.

Fifth tiebreaker: strength of victory. Now it gets interesting. If you assume wins over each of their final two foes, that would give Tampa Bay a one-game edge in strength of victory?63 wins by Buc foes, 62 by Falcon foes. But you don’t know how many wins those foes will get, collectively, over the last two weeks, so this is an unpredictable tiebreaker right now. Which could lead us to …

Sixth tiebreaker: strength of schedule. And this is where it would end, because the Eagles tied the Bengals. Atlanta played the Eagles and Tampa Bay did not. So that tie would break the tie, because it would be factored into the winning percentage for the Falcons, and it would make the percentage, for better or worse, different than Tampa Bay’s.

Got that? I’m not sure I do.

Joe isn’t sure he has it either. In fact, Joe will take the easy way out, leave it to the braintrust of the NFL.com, crack open a few beers and wait until the regular season plays itself out.

The future of the Bucs franchise could change dramatically with a loss to the Chargers at home on Sunday

Joe is thankful the Chargers (6-8) still have something to play for when they take on the Bucs in Tampa on Sunday.

As fans, we would learn nothing about the Bucs if the Chargers came to RayJay with no incentive and the Bucs beat them by two touchdowns. That would be a truly meaningless result for assessing the Bucs’ playoff readiness.

Now, at least, the Chargers have a realistic shot at the AFC West title — they need to beat Tampa Bay and have the Broncos lose to Buffalo on Sunday, then Denver and San Diego would meet in Week 17 for the division crown.

The Chargers are a rough matchup for the Bucs because they can score points. And if the Bucs need Brian Griese to rally them from behind, well, let’s just say Santa Claus only comes once a year.

While the Chargers are possibly the NFL’s biggest flop of 2008, they are always competitive, losing their eight games by only a combined total of 34 points. 

This game could go a long way toward determining the direction of the franchise. The Bucs likely need to win their last two games to make the playoffs. And if they miss the postseason, Joe is convinced Chucky might join Barry Melrose at ESPN.

Joe is pulling for Jermaine Phillips to earn his first Pro Bowl nod, but it's unlikely the strong safety will make it when rosters are named at 4 p.m. today. Joe predicts fans, coaches and players will elect Ronde Barber and Barrett Ruud, as the only Bucs representatives.

In one of the more ridiculous annual NFL traditions, Pro Bowl selections for this season will be revealed at 4 p.m. today, with still two games remaining on the schedule.

Why the NFL can’t include an entire season in deciding who plays in its February all-star game is something Joe will never understand. They can’t wait two weeks?

Fans, coaches and players vote to select Pro Bowlers, and each group supposedly has an equal say in who goes.

Expect the Bucs to maybe send one or two players, from the defense only.

First, Tampa Bay fans are not among the fan groups who vote in droves for their favorite players. Sorry, Bucs fans, you are second rate in that category. Nobody will confuse you with Dallas and Green Bay. No Bucs were tops among fan voting last year or this year.

OFFENSE:

Despite the frequent accolades for the Bucs young offensive line, none has had a Pro Bowl-caliber season. The Bucs have no shot to send anyone from the quarterback, tight end or backfield positions.

That leaves wide receiver, where Antonio Bryant sits as the sixth leading receiver in the NFC (74 catches, 1044 yards, 6 TDs). Only four wide receivers go to the Pro Bowl, two starters and two reserves.

Statistically, Bryant is behind Atlanta’s Roddy White (82 catches, 1,310 yards, 6 TDs), Carolina’s Steve Smith (70 catches, 1,240 yards, 6 TDs), Arizona’s Larry Fitzgerald (88 catches, 1,200 yards, 9 TDs), Detroit’s Calvin Johnson (65 catches, 1,165 yards, 10 TDs) and Green Bay’s Greg Jennings (69 catches, 1.153 yards, 8 TDs).  Also, Arizona’s Anquan Boldin (89 catches, 1,038, 11 TDs) will get a lot of consideration.

Joe believes Bryant has little chance to make the team. He’s not popular among fans, and surely not among coaches, given his past troubles in the league.

Joe is sure Steve Smith, Calvin Johnson, Roddy White and one of the Arizona receivers will get the trip to Hawaii. So expect the Bucs to get shutout on offense.

DEFENSE:

The Bucs last two losses and their horrendous defense on the road through much of the season, especially the destruction of their run defense before a national audience on Monday Night Football, will keep nearly all of the defense home in February.

Ronde Barber and Derrick Brooks will get some veteran love from players, coaches and fans, but it might not be enough to get either of them a spot in the Pro Bowl. Brooks didn’t make the game last year, but he’s been better in 2008. Barber’s recent interceptions and improved play will help him a lot. Joe wouldn’t select Barber, but he’s pulling for him, regardless. 

Nobody on the Bucs defensive line has a shot, and Barrett Ruud might have lost ground among players and coaches during the Bucs last two games. But Ruud is fourth in the NFC in tackles, plus a couple of interceptions and growing respect around the league.

In the secondary, Joe really wants to see strong safety Jermaine Phillips get a trip to Hawaii. It was clear how much he meant to the unit when he was out with an injury earlier in the season and Sabby Piscatelli filled in as the starter for a few games. You could have made a good case for Phillips to go to the Pro Bowl last year, as well. He hits hard, has been more of a standout than the others, and he’s made his share of big plays. But he did miss four games, and that will hurt his chances.

Joe predicts Barber and Ruud make the Pro Bowl team as reserves.

This is the image of failure for the Bucs. If you see Son of Bob behind center any more this season, be afraid Bucs fans. Be very afraid.

As can be expected, Joe Henderson of the Tampa Tribune hits the nail on the head:

The Bucs need quarterback Jeff Garcia to have any hopes of playoff success. In fact, with Son of Bob, the playoffs are very much in doubt.

Graham isn’t around any more, though, and any semblance of a ground game by the Bucs pretty much has gone out the door with him. The Bucs don’t need a quarterback right now to “manage” a game. They need a change of pace, someone to force the issue and even make plays with his legs.

Garcia can do that. Luke McCown, who got the bulk of practice snaps last week, can do that, too.

Griese can’t.

Joe — as in Joe of JoeBucsFan.com — has been beating the drum all year that Son of Bob is a stiff beyond words and the Bucs have about as much of a chance of success with him calling signals as if Joe himself was taking snaps.

A guy walking around with a white cane can see Son of Bob can’t get the job done. How come Chucky can’t?

Mike Ditka, John Saunders and Merril Hoge of BSPN break down the Bucs loss to the Dixie Chicks.

Joe barely has the stomach to watch it.

Per NFL.com, if the season ended today the Bucs would squeak in to the playoffs as the NFC’s sixth and final seed. As a result, the Bucs would play a wild card game at Minnesota.

Despite losing to the Dixie Chicks Sunday, the Bucs still have the tiebreaker edge against the Falcons.

The top two seeds from the NFC of course would be the Giants and stinking Panthers.

In his weekly press conference yesterday, Chucky claims he doesn't know how many reps Son of Bob had at quarterback in practice last week. Joe was under the impression Chucky was the Bucs offensive coordinator. Strange?

Buccaneers.com has the Chucky press conference Monday in its entirety. Sadly, Roger Goodell doesn’t have embed codes in their entirety.

BTW, in the press conference, Chucky claims he doesn’t know how many reps Son of Bob had at quarterback in practice last week. Someone remind Joe who the Bucs offensive coordinator is again?

It was overtime. Dixie Chicks quarterback Matt Ryan fumbled. It appeared Bucs linebacker Barrett Ruud recovered at the Falcons-38, almost in field goal range of Matt Bryant which would have won the game for the Bucs.

But no! Somehow Falcons offensive lineman Justin Blaylock recovers. We all know the rest.

But do we?

Peter King of NBCSports.com offers an inside view of how Blaylock stole the ball away from Ruud at about the 4:30 mark of this video.

Justin Pawlowski

Joe has to dish out thanks to a couple of sports radio hosts. Joe warmly thanks Justin Pawlowski and J.P. Peterson (and his producer/co-host Dave Ortiz) for inviting Joe to appear recently on their respective radio shows.

Joe was a guest Saturday on Pawlowski’s, “The Blitz,” heard locally on WDAE 620-AM. Joe discussed with Justin, among other things, the potential tampering actions of Dolphins executive Bill Parcells on Bucs wide receiver Antonio Bryant.

Friday on “Happy Hour with J.P.,” heard locally on WQYK-AM 1010, Joe discussed the Bucs-Dixie Chicks game with J.P.

J.P. Peterson

Joe encourages readers to check out, “The Blitz,” normally heard Saturdays from noon-3 p.m. The show can also be heard via live steaming on the station’s website.

Joe also advises readers to give a listen to “Happy Hour with J.P.” weekdays 3-6 p.m. and on streaming audio via the station’s Web site. Also please check out J.P.’s own TampaBaySportsCentral.com, which offers plenty of local video features and news.