Given the sudden resurgence of the Bucs pass rush, Derek “Old School” Fournier of WhatTheBuc.net believes Joe Flacco may be in for a pounding. “Old School” brings his preview of the Bucs-Crows game.

During winter, Joe was not subtle when he hinted that Cadillac Williams may have lost the tread on his tires and that the Bucs’ lack of rushing was not due to the lack of an offensive line.

While LeGarrette Blount has been a major find for the Bucs rushing attack, Stephen Holder of the St. Petersburg Times suggests it has been the play of the offensive line, not so much Blount, that has resulted in a reborn Bucs rushing attack.

“It wasn’t all Cadillac early on,” Olson said. “Schematically, we’ve simplified some things a little bit. He had some looks early on where, some of it was unfortunate luck and (defenders) were in the hole.”

That certainly sounds familiar. There was not much room to run on many occasions. Of course, Blount has also encountered some similar issues and “made his own hole,” as Olson admits. But Williams was the victim of some offensive line miscues. Those miscues appear to have been eliminated now that coaches have made the necessary changes.

“If you (turn) on the film and watch us, you’ll see it’s night and day,” he said. “I think the offensive line is playing as one now. There’s lanes and alleys there. You have to give those guys up front a lot of credit because those guys are doing a heck of a job.”

Joe has long stated there were holes to run through for Bucs running backs. It appears those holes are there more consistently now.

Whatever is working, don’t stop. Joe is a firm believer in not fixing something that is not broken.

Joe knows this is an irritant to many Bucs fans. But like a nasty wart on the forearm, it’s not going to go away unless something is done about it.

The Bucs have yet to beat a team with a winning record. So it’s hard for anyone to objectively claim the Bucs are one of the best teams in the NFL when they can’t beat an opponent which has more wins than losses.

Tom Balog of the Sarasota Herald-Tribune notes that for the Bucs to lose this image, they have to have a signature win. Until then, Raheem Morris’ claim that the Bucs are the best team in the NFC is hollow.

You have to love the way Raheem Morris lives in denial. He’s so hunkered down into the NFL head coach, head-in-the-playbook survival mode, that he needs a shovel to dig his way up to reality sometimes.

Among Tampa Bay’s seven victories, I’m still looking for the one that shows that the Buccaneers convinced anybody that they are arguably “the best team in the NFC,” as Morris once proclaimed, before the loss in Atlanta.

”You make me laugh every week with your creative way to ask me, ‘Can I get a signature win?’ ” Morris said to me in his Wednesday press conference, downplaying the implications of Sunday’s upcoming game against the 7-3 Ravens in Baltimore.

It isn’t just Balog who is asking. It is the frauds on the take in Bristol. It’s the mousse-laden empty heads like Dull Patrick. It’s virtually every football fan outside of the Tampa Bay area.

With a win Sunday the Bucs can join the NFL elite. It’s really that simple.

Now go do it.

The lovely Tiffany Simons and Gregg Rosenthal discuss how the Bucs are one of the few consistently good teams in the NFC in this NBCSports.com video.

Breaking sports news video. MLB, NFL, NBA, NHL highlights and more.

1) If you visit Joe’s Win Stuff page right now, you’ll find out how to get your hands on one of four Aqib Talib jerseys. First drawing is TUESDAY.

2) The Blackout Tour is going to be a fun one on Dec. 5 for the huge Falcons game. The next person to buy three tickets on The Blackout Tour for the Atlanta game will get a Reebok replica Sabby Piscitelli jersey from Joe. That’s right, a Sabby jersey. Where the hell else can you get a Sabby jersey? Head to BlackoutTour.com now.

3) Rays news is always hot and heavy on JoeRaysFan.com. Baseball’s winter meetings are in two weeks. JoeRaysFan.com should be on your daily radar.

4) Joe wants to welcome Honey’s in Carrollwood to his family of advertisers. Featuring stunning food and wings from Buffalo natives, Honey’s is open late — Joe loves the wee hours — and Honey’s is a great sports fan experience. Their $1 drafts are a must for Monday Night Football. …Use the coupon on this page.

Maybe Joe’s being too sensitive? Maybe Joe’s just so fired up and filled with hope that the Bucs can match the smashmouth football of the Ravens that Joe’s ready to brawl right now?

Regardless, Joe was a bit pissed off by the way Ravens nose tackle Kelly Gregg mentioned rookie LeGarrette Blount’s famous punch in college last year that cost him dearly at the NFL Draft.

Gregg’s quote came in a Baltimore Sun story about the Ravens’ struggles against powerful running backs.

“[Blount’s] got some jumping in him,” Gregg said. “Also, you’ve got to watch out for that right hook.”

Blount, at least, has gotten Gregg’s attention.

“He’s a good young back. It’s hard to believe a good young back like that didn’t get drafted,” Gregg said. “But he’s definitely given them a spark.”

Part of Joe wants to see Blount deliver Gregg some nasty punishment on the field Sunday. For Joe, bringing up the punch in a joking way is not cool.

Joe can’t remember a time when an opposing team’s player — for any team — referenced an opponent’s life-changing misdeed to the media. Perhaps it’s fair game because it happened on the field in front of TV cameras.

Again, maybe Joe’s too touchy this morning. But Joe still wants Gregg to pay.

Ex-Bucs QB Jeff Carlson

By JEFF CARLSON
JoeBucsFan.com analyst

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

The Bucs’ “Race to 10” is 70 percent fulfilled with 37 percent of the season remaining (six games to get three wins) for Raheem Morris’ mantra to come to pass.

The season began with discussions on this website and other media outlets about the number of wins and/or the perceived improvement that would allow Morris to keep his job following 2010. By all accounts, 10 wins was beyond reach and quietly laughable, sans one young coach and his remarkably young football team. With seven wins and six games to go, as well as a schedule that still has three teams with .500 records or less, “The Race to 10” makes Morris more sage than propagandist. 

Through 10 games, the Bucs have won every game they should have won or could have been expected to win. No games have fallen through their hands and they almost pulled off a divisional road win at Atlanta. In that game, the goal for the pundits was to see this team simply “compete” against a decent team, something it didn’t do against Pittsburgh or New Orleans. It definitely did that and a little bit more.

Slim Chance, Major Test In Baltimore

Following Sunday’s impressive shutout of the Niners on a long west coast road trip, they now go back on the road and up against a team with an equally strong record and one of the best defensive teams in the entire league. 

To get to their team goal, the final six must also have no mistakes or they must win an unexpected game along the way. There is no expectation (from me) for them to win in Baltimore, other than to see if they have grown to competing with playoff caliber teams, and especially against a team that can put major pressure on, and confusion into, every quarterback in the NFL.

As Josh Freeman continues to be lauded and applauded for his heroic efforts thus far, the elemental question that still remains is his ability to handle a defense like the Ravens. All third down situations will be the critical aspect of the game to watch this weekend. How he and the offensive line handle those difficult adjustments will be key to their handling the rest of the games on the schedule and potential not only for racing for 10 wins, but for actually competing in a playoff scenario.

What?  That concept seemed absurd a couple of months ago, but that is where this team has come in just a couple months.

“Expecting 11”

Even with 10 wins though, making the playoffs will still be extremely difficult. They could accomplish their season goal and end up third in the NFC South and behind other Wild Card hopefuls like the Bears (7-3), Packers (7-3), Eagles (7-3) or even the Giants (6-4) to miss the playoffs. To succeed so far beyond expectations and then fail to make the playoffs, would truly be a shame.

For this scenario to not become reality, “Expecting Eleven” needs to become the new team catchphrase, because 10 may not be enough to get into the dance, even though dancing in January wasn’t on the card in September.

Expectations have increased for everyone with the maturity of their MVP-caliber QB and other pleasant surprises (Mike Williams, LaGarrette Blount). To reach 11 will require four consecutive wins down the stretch. Do not expect a win at Baltimore Sunday, but if they do, God bless them and watch out, because that will simply prove they are on a crusade from above.

But, when they do come home 7-4, they will play host to the Atlanta Falcons the following week and this is the game they really need for those playoffs to materialize.  There will still be scenarios that keep their hopes alive (beating the Saints in the New Orleans finale), but they will be greatly diminished.  Three more wins must be reeled off against the .500 Redskins, the lowly Lions and the mediocre Seahawks so that the regular season finale is not a “must-win” to get in. This scenario makes them 11-5 and secures a well-deserved playoff spot.

Any mistake along the way will most likely make them miss the playoffs and leave us applauding their ability to overcome the low expectations from the outside (of One Buc Place) world and give us much fodder for the offseason of much greater expectations in 2011.

Through the first 10 games they have taken care of business perfectly, winning all the winnable games.  Beating Washington, Detroit and Seattle are the remaining games that satisfy their coach’s hope of the improbable.

With the success thus far, renaming and refocusing their goal to “Expecting 11” secures the playoff game that would put the cherry on top of this quite unexpected season that has the QB and coach in the “Player Of The Year” and “Coach Of The Year” conversations as well as a couple of rookies that should be up for postseason honors.  I guess Morris’ “Race To 10” has also secured his place for 2011.

Now Joe is sure his readers fly to Vegas to wager legally, versus placing bets with the guy whose cell number changes every week. 

Regardless of how or why you wager, Joe knows there are many aspiring handicappers reading. So to please the gambling crowd, Joe has turned to superpicker Bob Fox. A writer for various sports publications over the years, Fox flashed his stellar picking skills back in 2008 on JoeBucsFan.com, when Joe had a contest here among sports media.

Fox gives you a handful of games here every week. To date, Fox is 27-17 on the season. Not too shabby.

By BOB FOX
JoeBucsFan.com analyst

Green Bay Packers 27, Atlanta Falcons 20
 
This game between the 7-3 Packers and the 8-2 Falcons could play a large part in determining the home field advantage for the NFC playoffs. The Falcons are 18-1 at the Georgia Dome behind QB Matt Ryan, plus are undefeated thus far in 2010 at home. However, the Falcons have shown signs that suggest that particular statistic might soon change. For instance, Atlanta only beat the 3-7 49ers by two points at home, plus needed a late goal line stand to beat the Bucs. And then they had to come back in the last minute to beat the Ravens, also at home. The Packers have been a very good road team under head coach Mike McCarthy, and have beaten the Jets and Vikings on the road this season — very difficult venues. The Falcons have the sixth-ranked offense in the NFL, behind Ryan, RB Michael Turner and WR Roddy White. The Packers lead the NFL in only allowing 14.6 points a game (along with the Bears) and have only allowed 10 points in their last three games. Green Bay’s defense also is tied for third in sacks (29), tied for second in interceptions (15) and is No. 2 in opponents’ quarterback rating (66.5). The Atlanta defense has issues in the secondary, as they are only ranked No. 24 in the NFL. That should excite QB Aaron Rodgers and WR Greg Jennings, who both have been on fire as of late. Bottom line, the Packers are finally getting their passing game to flourish and between that and the solid play of their defense, I see them getting out of Atlanta with a win — a win that should excite Buccaneer fans.   
 
 Baltimore Ravens 20, Tampa Bay Bucs 17

The 7-3 Bucs have another tough test Sunday in Baltimore against the 7-3 Ravens. Let me first say, that I am sold on the Bucs. The shutout win last week in San Francisco solidified that feeling, as the Bucs blanked the Niners for the first time since the Steve DeBerg era in the late 70’s (pre-Joe Montana and before DeBerg joined the Bucs). The Bucs have really rallied behind QB Josh Freeman, who has had a fine 2010 season with 14 TD passes to just five interceptions.  What makes Freeman’s numbers even more amazing is the fact that his leading WR is a rookie. A rookie named Mike Williams, who has 43 catches thus far, along with six TDs. The Bucs also now have a punishing run game behind rookie RB LeGarrette Blount too, as Blount has averaged over 80 yards a game the last five games. The achilles heel for the Bucs in 2010 has been their run defense, but last week the Bucs held RB Frank Gore to 23 yards in 12 carries.  The Bucs pass defense has been very solid, led by CB Aqib Talib (5 picks) and veteran Ronde Barber (3 picks). Still, the Ravens will be tough to beat on the road. The Ravens have the eigth-ranked defense in the NFL, which will be going against the Bucs 23rd-ranked offense. The Ravens have many weapons as well, led by QB Joe Flacco, RB Ray Rice and WR Anquan Boldin. I see the Bucs giving the Ravens a spirited battle, but I think the Ravens have too many weapons on both offense and defense and should win a close game.
  
San Diego Chargers 27, Indianapolis Colts 24
 
The 5-5 Chargers go into Indianapolis Sunday night to face the 6-4 Colts. The Chargers have been a real nemesis against the Colts recently, and this game should be no different. Both teams have also had significant injuries this year and will play this game shorthanded in many respects. But the Chargers still have QB Phillip Rivers and the Colts still have QB Peyton Manning, and both are MVP candidates once again in 2010. Rivers has thrown 23 TD passes compared to nine interceptions for a 105.0 QB rating. Meanwhile, Manning has thrown 20 TD passes compared to seven picks for a QB rating of 94.2. Manning has lost TE Dallas Clark for the season, plus has seen the injured Colts use their fourth-string running back at times. The Chargers too have had their share of nicks, as TE Antonio Gates has been hampered by toe and foot issues, plus starting rookie RB Ryan Matthews has battled ankle sprain. The good news for the Bolts is that WR Vincent Jackson will play his first game of the season Sunday. The big difference in this game will be defensively, as the Colts are only ranked 19th in the NFL in defense, including 29th vs. the run. The Chargers are ranked No. 1 both offensively and defensively overall, and No. 1 against the pass. This should be another classic battle between these two teams, but I see Rivers and the Chargers making more big plays than Manning and the Colts.

In case you are in a fantasy league that let you slide with the three Thursday games, Joe’s good friend Justin Pawlowski of WDAE-AM 620 has some tidbits for you.

A few weeks ago only the most devout, hardcore face-painters had ever heard of James Lee, short of the Georgia Bulldogs crowd and Mark Richt. Now, if some speculation is accurate, Lee could become the full-time starter at right tackle where he has played so well in his few starts with the Bucs.

Lee came from a very humble background. He’s from Muck City, Belle Glades where the only thing to do is play football and run down rabbits.

Anwar Richardson of the Tampa Tribune had a sit down with Lee who explained the tough road he took to get to the NFL and the Bucs.

Anwar: What was the biggest challenge of entering the league as an undrafted free agent?

James:  The playbook. It was so big. The playbook at South Carolina State was so simple. It was real simple and we made it happen, but going into Cleveland, I was overwhelmed. I knew I could play, but it was just learning it and understanding. You are hesitant because you don’t want to go full speed because you don’t know.

Now Joe doesn’t know if Lee will succeed Jeremy Trueblood as the new starter for the future but things said behind the scenes are sure interesting. Joe just likes to read about guys who came from nothing, kept their noses clean and busted their tails to reach their dreams.

Says a whole lot about a man.

Esteemed Bucs beat writer Woody Cummings of The Tampa Tribune has pounded his calculator and makes a case today that money doesn’t necessarily buy a high-caliber NFL team.

Of course, his story focuses on the Bucs’ puny $80 millionish payroll in 2010, and looks at the rarely talked about cost-per-win statistic. Joe suggests you read the entire piece.

Just last year, for example, the Giants ($137.6 million), Dolphins ($126.9 million) and Texans ($122.6 million) ranked Nos. 1, 2 and 3 in player payroll, according to USA Today, yet finished 8-8, 7-9 and 9-7, respectively, and out of the playoffs.

The same pretty much held true in 2008, when the Raiders ($152.4 million), Cowboys ($146.4 million) and Vikings ($133.4 million) ranked Nos. 1, 2 and 3 in player payroll, according to USA Today. The only team from that trio to make the playoffs was Minnesota.

This season, meanwhile, mirrors that one. The Redskins ($178.2 million), Cowboys ($166.5 million) and Saints ($145.0 million) had the three largest payrolls at the start of the year, according to Pro Football Talk’s figures, yet only New Orleans is on pace to reach the playoffs.

The Bucs are right there with them, though, with an identical 7-3 record, while Kansas City and Jacksonville are a game behind at 6-4. Granted, the season may not end that way, but the standings at this point reaffirm that success can’t necessarily be bought.

Joe’s never been one to think high priced free agents that drive up payroll are satanic, or a “dark path” as Joel Glazer once said. You just have to pick the right guys at the right time. High-stakes gambling, which in many ways is what Team Glazer has done successfully in England.

But none of that matters much now. The Bucs are 7-3 and have parlayed their rebuild and reload plan into a huge success, barring a total collapse to finish the 2010 season.

As Joe has written before, if the salary cap returns in 2011, the Bucs will have to spend a mountain of payroll money just to get to the new salary cap floor. It surely will be a wild, fun offseason for the Bucs, if that’s the case.

Why go shopping when you can drink beer, play poker, watch greyhound racing and win $250 a race just for breathing?

This is why Joe hangs out at Derby Lane in St. Petersburg. Great fun. Great food. Click below.

Jason Horowitz and Pat Kirwan discuss the Bucs game against the Crows Sunday at Baltimore in this CBSSports.com video.

Joe’s not quite sure how much the Bucs missed Quincy Black when he was out of the starting lineup for two weeks with an ankle injury, but they’ll likely find out Sunday in Baltimore.

Black practiced Wednesday and Thursday and he’s expected back starting after Adam Hayward and Dekoda Watson filled his role. On their watch the Bucs’ run defense showed up last week and nobody seemed to be crying for Black when he was gone.

Regardless, Black is probably better than his replacements. And at this point he might be playing for a job here next season.

The big guy with the big contract may be getting a big head.

Maybe he deserves it. 

Tom Balog, of the Sarasota Herald-Tribune, penned a strong feature on Donald Penn in which Penn talks about being not always getting his due around the league. Balog has others chime in, too. Good stuff.

Penn critiques the other left tackles in the league, and comes away convinced that he’s better than most.

“It bothers me sometimes,” Penn said. “I watch film on everybody. Some of these guys, it’s like, ‘Are you serious?’ I have my bad plays, too, though. I can’t talk. Their bad plays outnumber mine.

“I never had respect in this league as a left tackle and I love playing like that,” Penn said.

Penn, 27, will get his chance to earn league-wide acclaim Sunday in Baltimore, blocking Ravens outside linebacker Terrell Suggs, one of the league’s premier pass rushers.

“Terrell Suggs is a great player. He’s one of those guys that tries to intimidate you and stuff. I like playing against those guys,” Penn said. “That stuff is all show. You find out who the men are when you line up.”

Joe loves Penn. If you’ve got time to kill, here’s Joe’s chat with him about a month ago.

Joe thinks it can only be a huge positive for all the young Bucs to see Penn’s hard work, success and fat contract. Something to strive for. The guy’s made 53 consecutive starts right now, Joe believes.

Crazy as it sounds, if Penn does make the Pro Bowl at 27 this year, could he get on a Hall of Fame path?

All kinds of Aqib Talib love was flowing from Jeff Faine during an interview on WDAE-AM 620 on Wednesday.

Faine was laying it on super thick all over the place, from Greg Olson to Alex Van Pelt to Mark Dominik to Ronde Barber to Josh Freeman to Donald Penn to the Bucs’ medical staff, and to Cody Grimm and more.

And Joe hasn’t even listened to two-thirds of the radio show yet.

That’s just fine with Joe. Hey, at 7-3 it’s all good. And Faine is loquacious and vivacious (yes, Joe’s been listening to too much Walt Frazier lately).

Faine heaped especially high praise on Talib. Joe found it most interesting how big a role Faine thinks Talib played in the maturation of Mike Williams.

“I don’t know if I’d pick another cornerback out there in the league right now. I really don’t. I love his confidence and his [bravado] and just the way that he carries himself on the field. You know, it’s impressive. He definitely has it. That’s the type of attitude and character that you need for that type of cornerback. I think he’s exactly what this young defense needs. And exactly what we as an entire team needs,” Faind said.

“It’s healthy competition for our young wide receivers. During training camp it was actually pretty chippy. It was great. It was fantastic. And it helped our young wide receivers grow up fast. Because this guy was in their face, was jumpin’ them, was covering them, was talking trash, was giving them everything that they were going to see this year. For a guy like Mike Williams to have the opportunity to go up against Aqib Talib every single day two times a day during camp, it’s priceless.  Because now the guys Mike Williams is going up against are not as good. I really feel that Aqib is on the threshold of becoming the guy in this league at cornerback.”

Talib’s surely going to have every chance to prove he’s the guy, as Faine says, at cornerback against a tough crew of receivers Sunday in Baltimore. Anquan Boldin is having his typical stellar season.

It’ll probably take a Talib interception and more big plays on defense for the Bucs to score the upset.

Joe is tossing and turning and probably won’t sleep at all after the horrendous choke job by the Cowboys against the Saints last night.

Figures.

It pained Joe to root for the Cowboys, but the Bucs would have been greatly helped by a Saints loss. Joe suffered through it, pulling for Jon Kitna and the fumble-happy Dallas offense only to see Roy Williams give away the game in the final minutes.

Put two hands on the damn football!!!!!!!!!!

Ugh. The Saints nearly dropped their third NFC game of the season, a critical total for Wild Card tiebreakers. New Orleans (8-3) is 7-2 in the conference. The Bucs are 5-2 against NFC opponents.

Joe’s got a deal for you.

No catch. No BS.

Joe’s selling brand new white Reebok replica Josh Freeman jerseys.

They look just like the photo on the right. The price of $49 includes tax and shipping. All jerseys are new and will be shipped within two business days via certified mail to the address provided. Good luck finding this deal somewhere else. …Click below to buy.

Update: 7:51 a.m. – Very few left. Only in the sizes below. Check for more deals on a different player later.

Update: 11:02 a.m. – Sold out. Thank you. Check back later.

OK, Thanksgiving is supposed to be a fun day, despite the Lions’ putrid ways trying to ruin people’s feasts throughout the land. So let’s have some fun.

Yesterday, Anwar Richardson of the Tampa Tribune posted on the Bucs TBO Twitter feed that HBO should come to Tampa to document the Bucs training camp in its annual “Hard Knocks” series.

HBO should consider Hard Knocks Tampa Bay Buccaneers next year. Bucs coach Raheem Morris mic’d up would be must see TV.

Anwar is right with that and Joe’s had conversations with Anwar before about this, but the series needs more than just one personality to focus on.

Other than Raheem, is there really and Bucs player who has a larger than life personality? Stylez White would be one. Davin Joseph, maybe. Other than that, there really isn’t anyone on the Bucs who may be remotely interesting to non-football fans (and that’s who HBO/Hollywood producers are after).

The best time for HBO to have come to Tampa would have been the training camp after the Bucs won the Super Bowl. That was like a buffet to a TV producer. Chucky, Warren Sapp, Meshaun Johnson, Simeon Rice, John Lynch, Martin Grammatica (who had enough quirks to warrant a feature), damn, that would have been the best Hard Knocks to date.

Alas, it didn’t happen.

Oh, another potential hangup with Anwar’s suggestion: There may not be a training camp in 2011.

What Bucs fan could forget the absolute euphoria and excitement in the air when the Bucs were 9-3 in 2008 and heading to Carolina for a huge Monday Night Football showdown?

Of course, the Bucs were mowed over by the Panthers running game and Game 1 of the epic December collapse was in the books. Tampa Bay choked away the final three games to finish 9-7 and Team Glazer handed Chucky a paid vacation that he’s still enjoying.

Now the Bucs are giddy at 7-3, but Jeff Faine said those who remain on the squad from that 2008 season have made it clear to their young teammates that nothing has been accomplished this year and the world can crumble in a hurry.

Faine talked about this never-forget phenomenon on Total Access last night on WDAE-AM 620.

Who could have imagined that after the Bucs were ousted from the playoff picture by Michael Bush, JaMarcus Russell and the Raiders at home, that the humiliation would be helping ground the youngest team in the NFL with the youngest coach in the NFL as they try to get to the playoffs two years later.