Bucs-Dixie Chicks First Quarter Thoughts

December 14th, 2008

Joe has some quick first quarter musings:

* On long pass from Matt Ryan to Michael Jenkins (Tampa native; Leto High School) freaking Jermaine Phillips tried another junior high school move trying to hit Jenkins so hard he would fall on his own. Of course Jenkins broke the tackle for about five extra yards. Memo Phillips: How difficult is it to learn to WRAP UP THE BALL CARRIER??? Or are you just that stupid?

* So far — so far! — Son of Bob is playing OK. You know it’s a matter of time before he throws three picks. He already got away with one on the second possession when he threw to Alex Smith who was covered like a blanket.

* Nice of the Bucs offense to play so disciplined that they continue to back themselves up and dig a hole for themselves.

* Both Jovan Haye and Chris Hovan are out. Looks to be a long day for the Bucs rush defense.

Gameday Tampa Bay Week 15

December 14th, 2008

Bucs (9-4) at Falcons (8-5)
Week 15
Kickoff:
1 p.m.
TV: WTVT Channel 13, DirecTV 709.
Radio: Buccaneers Radio Network (in Tampa WFUS-FM, 103.5 and WDAE-AM, 620); Sirius Channel 147.
Weather: Per AccuWeather.com, despite the game being played in a souless dome, outside for tailgaters the weather will be a bit crisp with temperatures in the low 50s under mostly cloudy skies. Fans leaving the some after the game will experience temperatures in the upper 40s.
Odds: Per Bodog.com, Falcons -3.
Outlook: Joe doesn’t like the over-used cliche of “must-win” but that cliche certainly applies today. The Bucs will likely make the playoffs even with a loss but a loss pretty much dooms the Bucs to a wild card game and playing on the road. Given the Bucs putrid struggles on the road that’s not a good thing.

Joe doesn’t like the vibes he’s getting from this game. First is the Bucs are traveling after a road Monday night game. Rarely do teams play well on the road after a Monday night game.

Then of course are the Bucs struggles on the road.

Throw in the fact the Bucs are banged up on the defensive front, well, let’s just say Joe is more than a little concerned. If Jovan Haye and Chris Hovan can’t go today that puts the Bucs in a terrible position defensively.

Also, starting quarterback Jeff Garcia is hurting. Joe fully expects him to start. It’s too important of a game not to test the waters for Garcia, who has a person six-game winning streak over the Dixie Chicks.

Joe just doesn’t have a good feeling about this game. Of course, a few turnovers for the Bucs could change his mind.

Bucs Videos To Prepare For Dixie Chicks

December 14th, 2008

Joe has a few videos to take readers to ease them into the final minutes of a Saturday night and into a Sunday morningFirst up is a game preview by the good people of NFL Films.

Next, NFL Films has a clip of Chucky taking about Jeff Garcia’s injury.

Scott Smith of Buccaneers Insider has a look at the current NFC playoff picture.

Smith also has a report on the health of the Bucs defensive tackles Jovan Haye and Chris Hovan.

Lastly is a weather report for the game from AccuWeather.com. Sure the game is played in a godless dome but Joe understands some Bucs fans may want to travel to Atlanta and tailgate.

BREAKDOWN: Offensive Line

December 13th, 2008
Not only does JoeBucsFan.com analyst Steve Campbell have a solid synopsis of the Bucs offensive line play in his weekly analysis, he also breaks down each sack the Bucs gave up against Carolina and describes why it happened. Campbell like Faines last Monday night.

Not only does JoeBucsFan.com analyst Steve Campbell have a solid synopsis of the Bucs offensive line play in his weekly analysis, he also breaks down each sack the Bucs gave up against Carolina and describes why it happened. Campbell liked Faine's play last Monday night.

By Steve Campbell
JoeBucsFan.com analyst

It was another mixed bag result for the Bucs offensive line in the loss to Carolina. The alarming trend of giving up sacks continued, but I will break down each sack in this article to show, once again, that all the blame doesn’t lie on the feet of the offensive line.

Sack No. 1 by Tyler Brayton: This was, quite frankly, a horrible pass set by Jeremy Trueblood. The Bucs left tackle guessed on an outside rush and Brayton crossed him up with an inside move. Trueblood didn’t take the right set or step, and he couldn’t recover. This looked like the Jeremy Trueblood of 2006.

Sack No. 2 by Richard Marshall: This was a corner blitz by Marshall. The Tampa offensive line was in “slide” protection to the left. Slide protection is when every lineman steps in the same directions and is responsible for the gap they are stepping towards. In this instance, by sliding left, they are giving help to the left side, specifically Donald Penn, who was blocking Julius Peppers. Marshall blitzed from the right side and was matched up on the blitz pick up with Warrick Dunn. Dunn totally whiffed on the block, and Marshall sacked Jeff Garcia.

Sack No. 3 split between Julius Peppers and Charles Johnson: This was in the two-minute drill before halftime. This was a seven-step drop by Garcia where he had all day to throw. Garcia saw nobody open and started running around for another few seconds before going down. This was the ultimate coverage sack.

Sack No. 4 by Peppers: This was another sack given up by Trueblood. Not too much you can say about this one. Just an example of probably the best defensive end in the game doing what he does best. It looked like Trueblood was gearing up for a speed rush by Peppers and got crossed up with a bull rush. Trueblood was a little high in his pass set, and with someone as strong as Peppers, you’re going to get pushed back in that situation.

Sack No. 5 by Damione Lewis: Lewis simply beat Arron Sears here with an elementary hand slap move and Sears got caught not moving his feet.

So, as you can see, two of the five sacks were not the fault of the offensive line. Giving up three sacks is not great, but in 38 pass attempts against a great defensive line, it’s not real poor either.

On to the individual performances.

Donald Penn (LT): Penn did OK for the most part against Peppers. He was given help in the form of chip blocks about half the time. He didn’t give up any sacks, but he did have a costly tripping penalty when Peppers beat him with a bull rush. It may not be any easier Sunday when Penn faces John Abraham and his 12.5 sacks. Abraham is questionable for the game with an injury.

Arron Sears (LG): Resorted to his early season form. He was equally mediocre in the passing game and running game. He had trouble getting any push on Panther’s defensive tackle Maake Kemoeatu on the inside runs. Sears was pretty effective when he pulled on runs to the right, especially on Cadillac Williams’ four- yard touchdown run. Sears pulled and blew Na’il Diggs about five yards deep into the end zone. Sears will face Jonathan Babineaux this week, and will need to play better against him than he did in Week 2 in Tampa

Jeff Faine (C): Played really well on Monday night. He was really aggressive and showed incredible effort on the second level blocking the linebackers of the Panthers.

Davin Joseph (RG): Like Faine was very aggressive on Monday night and I liked what I saw. He struggled with Kemoeatu as Sears did, but Joseph was much more aggressive than Sears was. I like his effort and I like how he’s always looking for somebody to hit near a pile. Joseph will face Grady Jackson Sunday so he better bring his lunch pail. Jackson is at least 350-pounds and an anchor in the middle of the Falcon’s line.

Jeremy Trueblood (LT): This was a forgettable game for Trueblood. He was pretty good as always in the run game, but resorted to his rookie season form where he was too stiff in his pass sets. Luckily for Trueblood, he gets second year man Jamal Anderson this week from the Falcons. Anderson is on his way to being a major first round bust. I like Trueblood a lot in this matchup.

Game ball: Faine.

Peterson Claims Bucs Linebacker (June?) Is Dirty

December 13th, 2008

Minnesota running back Adrian Peterson claims a Bucs linebacker tried to take me out.

Minnesota running back Adrian Peterson claims a Bucs linebacker "tried to take me out."


Vikings running back Adrian Peterson must still be smarting over the beat down his Vikings took when they lost to the Bucs earlier this season.

Speaking with Arizona reporters via a teleconference call, Peterson called out a Bucs linebacker claiming the unnamed linebacker was trying to take out his legs while others held him up, reports Sean Jensen of the St. Paul Pioneer-Press.

“I was being stood up by three or four defenders, and the guy just came out of nowhere and intentionally went for my leg,” Peterson said. “I felt it, and I watched it over and over again.

“He intentionally went for my leg, and tried to take me out,” Peterson said. “It was by the grace of God that my foot wasn’t stuck in the grass and was able to give. I looked at that play and really started thinking that, ‘Hey, whether you believe it or not, guys are out there trying to take you out. So you got to be smarter and protect yourself.’ ”

Peterson would only state the player in question wore a number in the 50s. All but one Bucs player wearing a number in the 50s is a linebacker. The lone player who has a number in the 50s who is not a linebacker is center Jeff Faine.

Joe thinks it’s pretty safe to assume Faine was not the culprit.

UPDATE: Stephen F. Holder of the St. Petersburg Times suggests Cato June is the Bucs linebacker who Peterson is claiming tried to take out his legs.

Tape of the Bucs’ Nov. 16 game against the Vikings show LB Cato June is apparently the player accused by RB Adrian Peterson of attempting to hurt him with a late hit to the knees. June couldn’t be reached for comment.

UPDATE II: Jensen also writes that it was June and claims the specific play happened in the third quarter.

He said the incident occurred in the third quarter of the Vikings’ 19-13 loss at Tampa, just before a failed Vikings fourth-down attempt. A tape of Peterson’s third-down run shows multiple defenders forcing him back after a 1-yard gain.

Defensive tackle Chris Hovan is on Peterson’s back.

Defensive end Greg White is on the ground, holding Peterson’s left leg.

Cornerback Ronde Barber is also on Peterson, toward his right side.

That’s when June — who had been blocked on the right edge by tight end Jim Kleinsasser — runs toward the pile and dives at Peterson’s right knee. A moment later, the ball pops loose.

Hear Joe on The Radio (and Internet)

December 13th, 2008

Joe will appear this afternoon on “The Blitz with Justin Pawlowski” at roughly 1:30 p.m. The show can be heard locally in the Tampa Bay area on The Sports Animal, WDAE-AM 620. It also can be heard on the Internet via streaming from the station’s website.

Among many Bucs stories Joe is expected to discuss with Justin is the all-important Bucs game with the Dixie Chicks Sunday and other top Bucs stories that can also be found on JoeBucsFan.com.

Please tune in.

Is Tuna Tampering With Bucs Players?

December 13th, 2008
The Tuna, Dolphins executive Bill Parcells, is sending messages to Bucs receiver Antonio Bryant through intermediaries. Since Bryant is an unrestricted free agent after the season, Joe considers this tampering.

The Tuna, Dolphins executive Bill Parcells, is sending messages to Bucs receiver Antonio Bryant through intermediaries. Since Bryant is an unrestricted free agent after the season, Joe considers this tampering.

Not sure if JoeBucsFan.com visitors have read the fantastic piece on Antonio Bryant yet, about how the embattled wide receiver found his way to Tampa Bay. But please do yourself a favor. It’s a fascinating read.

After a second look at the story, an element jumped out at Joe that disturbed him concerning Bryant’s relationship with current Dolphins executive Bill Parcells, the Tuna, who Bryant refers to as “The Godfather:”

Yet Bryant says he and Parcells cleared the air, with the coach informing the receiver of his clashes with former Giants linebacker Lawrence Taylor. Bryant says he has spoken to Parcells “on several occasions” and that the current Dolphins executive vice president “sends messages to me through other coaches.”

Among the messages: “Keep it up,” Bryant says.

(Parcells declined interview requests for this story, a Dolphins spokesman said last week.)

Of course, Tuna won’t comment. He’s dangerously close to tampering. And if Tuna thinks so much of Bryant, why go through secondary sources? Oh, that’s right. That would be tampering, no?

Joe suggests Bucs fans keep an eye on this. If some how Bryant winds up on the Dolphins roster next year, Bruce Almighty should press tampering charges.

Thank You, Alex Smith

December 13th, 2008
Its difficult to argue that the best development of the Bucs this season was the emergence of wide receiver Antonio Bryant.

It's difficult dispute that the best development for the Bucs this season is the emergence of WR Antonio Bryant.

Clearly one of the bright spots of the season, no matter how it ends for the Bucs, is the emergence of wide receiver Antonio Bryant into an elite NFL player. Bryant, who has a checkered history in the NFL, last played in San Francisco where he was paired with one of the greatest NFL draft busts in recent years, quarterback Alex Smith.

Partially, the 49ers and coach Mike Nolan cut Bryant because of Bryant’s inability to mesh with Smith, as Sean Jensen of Yahoo! Sports writes.

Bryant says Smith operated under a different set of rules and that he was slow to pick up the 49ers offense.

“You go to practice, and you go over something over and over again,” Bryant says. “When are you going to figure this out?”

Then-49ers coach Mike Nolan says he mishandled his receiver and regretted the team’s decision to release him.

“He was the best receiver we had in San Francisco, in the time I was here,” says Nolan, fired by the 49ers in October. “Looking back on it, I actually made a mistake in letting him go. I think I put too much blame on Antonio, as far as his relationship with the quarterback.

“As it turns out, it was not all his doing. I blamed him for more than he should have been blamed for. There’s no question he was making more effort than I was made aware of. I truly regret that.”

Bryant was no angel prior to coming to the Bucs and whether he would even make the team was very much up in the air during the preseason. Thankfully, Bryant proved he was more than capable.

Joe’s not sure if the Bucs would be in the playoff hunt without Bryant.

Of course,  who can forget this catch:

Eagles Soaring As NFC Contenders

December 13th, 2008
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 three weeks to go in the regular season, and the playoff race is really getting interesting.  Only two teams, the New York Giants and the Arizona Cardinals have officially clinched anything right now in the NFC, as they have won their respective divisions.  Everything else is still on the table.  The Saints and Bears played on Thursday night, in a game in which the Bears won 27-24 in OT.   That loss severely shot down any playoff hopes for the Saints, while the Bears are still alive to at least possibly win the NFC North.  Let’s take a look at the possibilities, division by division.

NFC East
z- New York Giants 11-2
Dallas Cowboys 8-5
Philadelphia Eagles 7-5-1
Washington Redskins 7-6
  
JoeBucsFan.com analyst Bob Fox picks the Eagles to nab one of the two NFC Wild Card spots. Fox says Brian Westbrook and Donovan McNabb are at the top of their games.

JoeBucsFan.com analyst Bob Fox picks the Eagles to nab one of the two NFC Wild Card spots. He writes Brian Westbrook and Donovan McNabb are at the top of their games.

The Giants have clinched the East, but they still haven’t clinched the No. 1 seed in the playoffs.  The Cowboys seem to be imploding, as their loss in Pittsburgh illustrated, plus you have owner Jerry Jones questioning the manhood of Marion Barber, and Terrell Owens is performing his usual childish and paranoid act that calls out his quarterback (this time it’s Tony Romo).  The Eagles, a team that went through the tired T.O. act once, is playing the best football in the division now. QB Donovan McNabb and RB Brian Westbrook are razor sharp, playing their best football of 2008 right now.  The Redskins lost a key game last week against the Ravens last week that would have set up their playoff chances.  Right now, I would bet on the Eagles to be the Wild Card team that comes out of this division, as they have to play Washington (road) and Dallas (home) one more time apiece, after a date with the suddenly QB-less Cleveland Browns at home on Monday night.

NFC North

Minnesota Vikings 8-5

Chicago Bears 8-6

Green Bay Packers 5-8

Detroit Lions 0-13

The 2008 season may be one of the rare times a division winner will end up 8-8.  The Vikings are not playing that well, but are winning close games they probably should have lost.  The Vikes finish against the Cards on the road, and then host Atlanta and the Giants at home.  It would not surprise me to see Minnesota lose its last three games to finish 8-8, especially because the Falcons and Giants may have need those games.  The Bears won a key game Thursday night against the Saints at Soldier Field, but they finish with the Packers on Monday night and then finish at Houston.  Again, I would not be surprised to see the Bears lose their last 2 games to finish 8-8.  The Packers would need a miracle finish –  three straight – to finish 8-8, as they play at Jacksonville and Chicago and then finish at Lambeau against the lowly Lions.  However, if the Packers do finish 8-8, which isn’t likely, they would win the divisional tiebreaker if the Vikings or Bears are also 8-8.

NFC South

Carolina Panthers 10-3

Tampa Bay Bucs 9-4

Atlanta Falcons 8-5

New Orleans Saints 7-7

The Panthers won a key game Monday  as they dominated the Bucs in the ground game, as both DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart had over 100 yards rushing.  To me, that was a fluke or an aberration against the usually stout Buc defense.  The Bucs can still make the playoffs, and even the NFC South crown a reality, if they run the table.  But it ALL starts at Atlanta.  That will be a huge game for both teams.  The Falcons are the Bucs biggest rival for the Wild Card spot, along with the Cowboys, who beat the Bucs earlier this year.  If the Bucs beat the Falcons, it certainly will impove Tampa Bay’s Wild Card chances.  Atlanta will bring an attack like Carolina did; The Falcons are second in the NFL in rushing with Michael Turner and Jerious Norwood leading the way.  If the Bucs win on Sunday, then the pressure is on the Panthers, who have to face the dangerous Denver Broncos and their big play passing game Sunday, and then travel to face the Giants on the road and then to New Orleans, where the Saints are very tough.  The Bucs meanwhile, close the season at home against the Chargers and the hapless Raiders.  The Bucs are 6-0 at the Ray Jay this year, as well.  If the Bucs run the table, and the Panthers lose to either the Giants or the Saints, then the Bucs win the NFC South and probably a No. 2 seed in the NFC playoffs.  I still think either the Bucs or Panthers will gain a Wild Card spot in the NFC, but look out for the Falcons if they win Sunday vs. the Bucs in Atlanta.

NFC West

z- Arizona Cardinals 8-5

San Francisco 49ers 5-8

St. Louis Rams 2-11

Seattle Seahawks 2-11

The Cardinals have clinched their first division title since 1975, and will host a home playoff game for the first time since 1947.  What does that tell you?  Tampa Bay fans have complained about Hugh Culverhouse and also about the Glazer family, but those owners have NOTHING on the Bidwell family that runs the Cardinals organization.  The Bidwell’s have also moved the Cards from Chicago to St. Louis to Arizona.  The Cards have been in the NFL as long as the Bears (1920) and and were around a year earlier than the Packers (1921).  But the Cards have won just two championships, compared to 12 by by the Packers and nine by the Bears.  The reason?  It starts with the owners.  The Bidwell family has owned the team since 1932.�

z– Clinched Division

If Favre Were Here Week 14

December 13th, 2008

Last Sunday was one of the few days the Bucs were better off without Brett Favre. In a 24-14 loss to the 49ers in San Francisco, Favre connected on 20 of 31 passes for a paltry 137 yards. Favre also had an interception.

Monday against the stinking Panthers, Bucs quarterback Jeff Garcia threw two touchdown passes and hooked up 24 times in 38 attempts for 321 yards.

In a rare feat, last week the Bucs were better off with Garcia than Favre.

BSPN Previews Bucs-Dixie Chicks

December 13th, 2008

A trio of BSPN personalities, including Mike Golic, preview the Bucs game Sunday against the Dixie Chicks.

Hear Joe on The Radio (and Internet)

December 12th, 2008

Joe will appear this afternoon on “Happy Hour with J.P. Peterson” at roughly 3:45 p.m. The show can be heard locally in the Tampa Bay area on WQYK-AM 1010. It also can be heard on the Internet via streaming from the station’s website.

Among many Bucs stories Joe is expected to discuss with J.P. (and his co-host/producer Dave Ortiz) are Chucky waffling on starting quarterback Jeff Garcia and Warrick Dunn’s all too big heart.

Please tune in.

Garcia Will Start For The Kids

December 12th, 2008

Joe has learned Bucs quarterback Jeff Garcia will start Sunday at Atlanta not because Chucky needs him; not because his teammates need him; not because this game may be critical for a Bucs playoff appearance.

Garcia will start because the kids need him.

Faced with the unthinkable — no football — due to a lack of funds for youngsters playing Pop Warner football in Garcia’s hometown of Gilroy, Calif., a local watering hole has decided to take care of matters, so reports Josh Koehn of the Gilroy (Calif.) Dispatch.

Realizing how tough times have gotten to raise money during the current economic crisis, Stubby’s Sports Bar & Grill owner John Steiber recently decided to pitch in by asking customers if they were interested in making a donation for each touchdown Garcia pitches in the month of December.

As of kickoff for the Monday Night Football game between Tampa Bay and Carolina, Steiber has garnered a pledge total of $237.60 per touchdown pass.

Koehn also writes that interested parties wanting to donate can contact Steiber at (408) 848-3455. So now Bucs fans have twice as many reasons to pull for a Garcia touchdown.

Surprise! Carmella’s Husband Expected To Start

December 12th, 2008

Joe was suspicious from the word “go” when rumors began floating out of One Buc Palace that Bucs quarterback Jeff Garcia may not play due to missed practice time from a sore right calf. And if Woody Cummings’ report on TBO.com is to be believed, Joe’s cynicism was accurate.

Garcia is expected to start.

“He was limited,’’ Gruden said. “He didn’t do a lot but after talking to the trainers and talking to Jeff we think he’s got a chance to play. We’re hopeful he can play. Jeff’s our starter and we’ll leave it at that. If we have to make an adjustment we will.’’

Unless Garcia was missing a right leg, Chucky was going to start him. And Garcia wasn’t going to let Chucky take him off the field, 100 percent or not. This may be the Bucs’ biggest game of the season.

Joe is confident Camella is pleased with the news.

Warrick Dunn And Fantasy Football

December 12th, 2008

Tiffany Simons and Gregg Rosenthal debate whether to play Bucs running back Warrick Dunn in your fantasy football league roster moves.

Joe is not a fantasy football player. He’s bringing you this video only because he likes to look at Simons. Through exhaustive research, Joe found Simons finished sixth in the Miss Florida pageant in 2005. Additionally through the same research, Joe is led to believe — but cannot confirm — she was a cheerleader at Florida State.

Joe is not familiar with Rosenthal but finds it curious he discusses the attributes of an NFL player’s private anatomy with Simons.

Luke Lovers May Get Their Wish

December 12th, 2008
http://sports.espn.go.com/photo/2008/0103/nfl_g_garcia_300.jpg

"I'm smiling now. But if that sawed off little Vince Lombardi wannabe with a visor sits me in Atlanta, Im going to go ballistic. That SOB."

Luke McCown has taken most of the snaps at quarterback during practice this week because a calf injury has limited Jeff Garcia, reports both the St. Petersburg Times and Tampa Tribune.

Joe’s not taking the bait that Garcia has anything resembling a serious injury.

That’s something for Falcons’ coaches to stress about and prepare for McCown, and that’s why the Bucs are playing this injury game. Tampa Bay needs every edge it can muster to churn out a road win against the Falcons on Sunday.

This is nothing more than Chucky playing mind games with Mike Smith. Then again, when isn’t Chucky playing mind games?

Matt Ryan’s A Transformed QB

December 12th, 2008
Since Atlanta quarterback Matt Ryan first played the Bucs in September, he has gone from an inexperienced rookie to a stud NFL quarterback.

Since Atlanta quarterback Matt Ryan first played the Bucs in September, he has gone from an inexperienced rookie to a stud NFL quarterback.

When the Bucs hosted Matt Ryan and the Dixie Chicks in Week 2 of the season, the former Boston College star and rookie Atlanta quarterback was more familiar with Mickey Andrews’ defensive schemes than he was Monte Kiffin’s; more familiar with linebacker Geno Hayes than Derrick Brooks.

But a lot has changed in the past three months writes Carroll Rogers of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Ryan has gone from a former All-American with limited experience to a potential Pro Bowl quarterback with significant savvy. And Ryan’s play is a big reason why the Dixie Chicks are pounding on the NFL playoff door.

For the first half of that game in Tampa, Ryan looked about as overwhelmed as a quarterback can look. Playing in only his second NFL game, he threw nine times before he completed a pass to one of his teammates.

By the time he hit Roddy White for a 9-yard gain with 6:22 left in the second quarter, he’d thrown two interceptions, which led to 10 Tampa points. He’d also had a pass slip out of his hand and bounce backward for an 11-yard loss.

The Bucs rattled him with the blitz and old-fashioned physical intimidation.

They sacked Ryan a season-high four times and delivered 14 other quarterback hits. Ryan took one helmet-to-helmet blow following an interception, which got cornerback Elbert Mack a one-game suspension.

Just to give Bucs fans an idea of how well Ryan has played this season, he has more passing yards (2,940) than some of top quarterbacks in the game including Brett Favre and Ben Roethlisberger.

Joe has a very bad feeling about this game. And the development of Ryan into an elite NFL quarterback is one of those reasons.

The Professor Writes About Bucs

December 12th, 2008
Bucs defensive lineman Kevin Carter needs to have a monster game for the Bucs to burn Atlanta Sunday.

Bucs defensive lineman Kevin Carter needs to have a monster game for the Bucs to burn Atlanta Sunday.

The Professor, better known as BSPN’s John Clayton, took a brief look at the Bucs-Dixie Chicks game this week.

Monday night was a wake-up call for the Bucs’ defense. Though Tampa Bay’s defense has been solid all season, the Panthers overpowered the Bucs with 299 rushing yards in a 38-23 pounding. Big, powerful, no-nonsense offensive lines can take advantage of the light Tampa Bay defensive line.

Joe is more than a little concerned about this game. The Bucs D-line is banged up, and Tampa Bay is traveling after a short week, and we all know that no NFC South team has won a division game on the road.

CBSSports.com Previews Bucs-Dixie Chicks

December 12th, 2008

Charley Casserly and Jason Horowitz of CBSSports.com preview the Bucs-Panthers game. BOth talk about how no NFC South team has beaten a division foe on the road this season.


Watch CBS Videos Online

Dunn Is Answer To Sagging Economy

December 11th, 2008

The way Warrick Dunn is going, he will fix the housing crisis single-handedly. Yet again, the little running back with the big heart bought a needy family a house. While this is hardly the first time Dunn has done such a thing — he’s been buying houses for the less fortunate since the Bucs drafted him 11 years ago — it never gets old.

Here’s his latest gift:

Jeff Garcia Is a Winner

December 11th, 2008
Clark Judge of CBSSports.com suggests Carmellas husband is underappreciated.

Clark Judge of CBSSports.com suggests Carmella's husband is "underappreciated."

It seems as if Clark Judge (not to be confused with Mike Judge of “Beavis and Butthead” fame) has dug up an old wound. He writes for CBSSports.com that Garcia is “underappreciated” and recounts how he had to fight for his starting quarterback job back after being benched for Son of Bob perhaps the most mind-blowing of too-many-to-count decisions from the deranged mind of Chucky.

It’s always something with him. When he became a free agent a year ago, only Tampa Bay, Oakland and Houston showed up at his door. So he proved to Tampa Bay that he was the quarterback it needed. Then, when he was benched a year later for Brian Griese, he was forced to swing into a familiar course of action.

“I felt like I had to re-prove that I belong as a starting quarterback,” said Garcia, whose contract expires after this year, “and that I’m capable of leading this team and doing the necessary things to help this team win games.

“As much as I can say, ‘At this point of my career why do I have to continue to prove myself?’ it just seems like that’s the battle I have to face every single year. It does get tiring, but it’s nothing new for me.”

And that’s what I don’t get. He makes the Pro Bowl three consecutive seasons in San Francisco and wins a division title there. He takes over for an injured Donovan McNabb in Philadelphia and leads the Eagles to a division championship. Then he steps into the Tampa Bay huddle and takes the last-place Bucs to the top of the NFC South.

Let’s see, that’s three Pro Bowls and three division titles. Something must be right, and that something is Jeff Garcia.

Joe is on record as a big Garcia booster. He saved Chucky’s job last year and we have all seen how rancid Son of Bob is behind center. If not for Garcia, not only are the Bucs not in the playoff hunt, Chucky is working with his brother in the arena league.

Sure, Garcia might set himself up for more sacks than necessary and he may not look downfield enough. But without him, the Bucs are screwed.

Speaking of underappreciated: