Week 2 brought a win, but no answers

So the Bucs beat the Falcons 24-9 on Sunday. (Joe told you to wager)

But what was learned from the victory? Absolutely nothing. Everything you can take away from this game is what we already knew:

• Brian Griese is a capable backup QB who won’t make anyone forget Jeff Garcia
• Rookie QB’s not named Marino or Elway are overmatched against the Bucs defense
• Earnest Graham and Warrick Dunn are sharp, ready and underused
• The Falcons will struggle to win four games this season
• The Bucs vertical passing game has yet to take the field
• Dexter Jackson slips and falls a lot

That about sums it up. This Bucs team – and its 18 penalties in two games – remains an enigma.

Tampa Bay’s game at Chicago next week should reveal much more.

The NFL Network has video highlights and postgame comments. Joe linked them below.

Just in case you haven’t seen the Bucs highilghts of their win over the Dixie Chicks yesterday, Joe has them.

Well, Joe actually doesn’t have them. The NFL Network does. Sadly, Roger Goodell’s IT nazis won’t let Joe embed the videos. But he can link them.

The NFL Network also has Chucky’s postgame press conference and quotes from Brian Griese..

Bucs defensive end Gaines Adams had a big day as he was frequently moved from left end to right end. Joe charted every play Adams logged on the field.

Joe tracks every play of secnod-year defensive end Gaines Adams. See how well he did in the Bucs win over the Falcons (hint: He did well).

NIP: Not in play.

NOF: Not on field.

Falcons first possession
First quarter, 14:46
1st-10, ATL23 14:46 Ryan incomplete pass to the right.
Playing right defensive end Adams runs outside and gets some pressure on Ryan.
2nd-10, ATL23 14:38 Ryan incomplete pass to the right.
Runs right past Falcons left tackle Todd Weiner as Ryan rolls left. NIP.
3rd-10, ATL23 14:29 ATL committed 5 yard penalty.
3rd-15, ATL18 14:29 Talib intercepted Ryan for 2 yards.
At left defensive end Adams runs right around the block outside but he is nowhere near Ryan as Ryan unloaded the ball right away.

Falcons second possession
First quarter, 12:16
1st-10, ATL20 12:16 Turner rushed to the right for 1 yard gain.
At left defensive end Adams got right past his block and was about to make the tackle on Turner when he got blown up by Falcons fullback Ovie Mughelli.2nd-9, ATL21 11:43 Norwood rushed up the middle for 5 yard gain.
Adams was handled by Weiner. NIP.
3rd-4, ATL26 11:20 TB committed 5 yard penalty.
Lining up at left defensive end, Adams was drawn offsides by Todd McClure.
1st-10, ATL31 10:35 Turner rushed to the left for 1 yard gain.
NIP.
2nd-9, ATL32 9:50 Ryan rushed up the middle for 4 yard gain.
Adams, lining up at right defensive end, cuts inside and tackles Ryan.
3rd-5, ATL36 7:44 Ryan rushed up the middle for 2 yard gain.
Adams slides to the outside from his left defensive end position and Ryan runs inside.
4th-3, ATL38 7:44 TB committed 5 yard penalty.
NOF.
1st-10, ATL43 7:44 Turner rushed to the left for 18 yard gain.
NOF.
1st-10, TB39 7:44 Turner rushed up the middle for 3 yard gain.
NOF.
2nd-7, TB36 7:44 Turner rushed to the right for no gain.
NIP.
3rd-7, TB36 7:27 Ryan incomplete pass down the middle.
Lining up at left defensive end, Adams runs inside on a stunt and begins to get pressure on Ryan.
Falcons third possession
First quarter, 3:40
1st-10, ATL30 3:40 Turner rushed up the middle for no gain.
NOF.
2nd-10, ATL30 3:26 ATL committed 5 yard penalty.
2nd-15, ATL25 3:05 Ryan incomplete pass to the right.
At left defensive end, Weiner takes care of Adams, NIP.
3rd-15, ATL25 2:35 Norwood rushed up the middle for 6 yard gain.
Adams takes the outside route from the left defensive end position and Norwood runs right past him to Adams’ right.

Falcons fourth possession
Second quarter, 10:55
1st-10, ATL22 10:55 Ryan incomplete pass to the left.
Adams gets some pressure but is not in time.
2nd-10, ATL22 10:45 Ryan incomplete pass down the middle.
Adams gets inside and Ryan can feel his breath.
3rd-10, ATL22 10:03 Piscitelli intercepted Ryan for 22 yards.
Adams, from left defensive end, runs an inside stunt on Atlanta’s right tackle Todd Clabo gets enough pressure on Ryan that the rookie quarterback knows what Adams ate for breakfast, maybe pushing him to throw too early as Piscitelli gets his first interception of the season.

Falcons fifth possession
Second quarter, 8:27
1st-10, ATL11 8:27 Turner rushed up the middle for no gain.
Lining up at right defensive end, Adams is manhandled by Weiner.
2nd-10, ATL11 8:10 Norwood rushed to the right for 3 yard gain
Adams gets past blockers by running around Weiner but Norwood runs to the other side of the field. NIP.
3rd-7, ATL14 7:40 Ryan incomplete pass to the right
From the left defensive end, Adams again cuts inside but doesn’t get any pressure on Ryan.
Falcons sixth possession
Second quarter, 6:41
1st-10, ATL13 6:41 Turner rushed up the middle for no gain.
Adams slides inside and nails Turner for the tackle.
2nd-10, ATL13 6:05 Ryan passed to R. White down the middle for 9 yard gain.
Lining up at right defensive end Adams sails past Weiner but doesn’t get any pressure on Ryan.3rd-1, ATL22 5:30 Douglas rushed to the left for 33 yard gain.
Adams runs right around Weiner to his right but in the process takes himself out of the play as Douglas runs past him.
1st-10, TB45 4:55 Turner rushed to the left for 6 yard gain.
Weiner owns Adams on this play.
2nd-4, TB39 4:20 Turner rushed to the right for 1 yard gain.
Adams is unblocked and swallows up Turner.3rd-3, TB38 4:09 Ryan incomplete pass to the right.
Adams runs right past Weiner and gets some heat on Ryan.

Falcons seventh possession
Second quarter, 1:20
1st-10, TB23 1:20 Ryan passed to Norwood to the right for 8 yard gain.
From right defensive end Adams gets inside but no pressure on Ryan.
2nd-2, TB15 0:29 Ryan rushed up the middle for no gain.
Adams blows past Weiner but Weiner recovers enough to knock Adams away from Ryan. 3rd-13, TB26 0:29 Ryan passed to White down the middle for 19 yard gain.
From left defensive end Adams runs right past Clabo and gets pressure on Ryan but not before the rookie completes a pass for a first down.
1st-7, TB7 0:36 Ryan incomplete pass to the right
NOF.
2nd-7, TB7 0:17 Ryan sacked by Adams.
From left defensive end Adams blows past Clabo for the sack.
3rd-14, TB14 0:23 Ryan incomplete pass to the left.
Adams again works over Clabo and gets enough heat on Ryan that he throws the ball away in order to save his life.
4th-14, TB14 0:17 Elam kicked a 32-yard field goal.

Falcons eighth possession
Third quarter, 11:05
1st-10, ATL10 11:05 Turner rushed up the middle for 3 yard gain.
Weiner owns Adams on this time. NIP.
2nd-7, ATL12 10:50 Ryan incomplete pass to the right.
Adams gets Weiner back by running past him and drilling Ryan as the rookie throws the ball away.3rd-7, ATL12 10:43 Ryan incomplete pass to the right.
From left defensive end Adams drops back into pass coverage in Atlanta’s right flat.

Falcons ninth possession
Third quarter, 7:15
1st-10, ATL16 7:15 Ryan passed to Robinson to the left for 3 yard gain.
NOF.
2nd-7, ATL19 6:40 Turner rushed to the right for 5 yard gain.
NOF.
3rd-2, ATL24 6:18 ATL committed 10 yard penalty.
NOF.
3rd-12, ATL14 5:45 Ryan passed to White to the right for 13 yard gain.
NOF.
1st-10, ATL27 4:35 White rushed to the right for 2 yard gain.
NOF
2nd-8, ATL29 4:35 Norwood rushed up the middle for 3 yard gain.
NOF.
3rd-5, ATL32 3:58 Ryan passed to Robinson to the left for 6 yard gain.
Playing left defensive end, Gaines doesn’t get any pressure but recovers nicely when gets the tackle on Robinson.
1st-10, ATL38 3:49 TB committed 15 yard penalty.
Lining up at left defensive end Adams drops back into pass coverage covering Atlanta’s right flat.
1st-10, TB47 3:41 Ryan incomplete pass to the right.
NOF.
2nd-10, TB47 2:30 Ryan passed to Robinson to the left for 13 yard gain.
NOF.
1st-10, TB34 2:30 Ryan passed to Douglas to the right for 21 yard gain.
NOF.
1st-10, TB13 2:30 Turner rushed up the middle for 1 yard gain.
NOF.
2nd-9, TB12 1:55 Ryan passed to Mughelli to the right for 6 yard gain.
NOF
3rd-3, TB6 1:15 Norwood rushed to the left for 3 yard loss.
NOF
4th-6, TB9 1:03 J. Elam kicked a 27-yard field goal.

Falcons 10th possession
Fourth quarter, 11:09
1st-10, ATL17 11:09 Ryan sacked by Carter and Adams.
Lining up at left defensive end, Adams runs right past Clabo’s block for the sack.
2nd-15, ATL12 10:40 Ryan rushed up the middle for 7 yard gain.
Gets past block but Ryan runs up the middle.
3rd-8, ATL19 8:25 Ryan passed to White down the middle for 18 yard gain. TB committed 15 yard penalty.
At left defensive end Adams gets some pressure on Ryan but not enough.
1st-10, TB48 8:25 Ryan passed to Turner down the middle for 6 yard gain.
At right defensive end Weiner owns Adams. NIP.
2nd-4, TB42 8:25 Turner rushed to the left for 4 yard gain.
NOF.
1st-10, TB38 8:25 ATL committed 5 yard penalty.
NOF.
3rd-6, TB44 7:50 Ryan passed to Robinson to the right for 23 yard gain
At left defensive end Clabo gives Adams some problems. Adams got no pressure by bull-rushing him, then tried an outside move on Clabo, no dice. Then he shot inside and Clabo stayed with him.
1st-10, TB21 7:05 Norwood rushed to the left for 4 yard gain.
NOF.
2nd-6, TB17 6:50 Ryan incomplete pass to the left.
NOF.
3rd-6, TB17 6:05 Ryan passed to Douglas down the middle for 13 yard gain.
At left defensive end Clabo controlled Adams. NIP.
1st-4, TB4 6:05 Ryan rushed to the left for 2 yard loss.
NOF.
2nd-6, TB6 6:05 Ryan incomplete pass to the right.
NOF.
3rd-6, TB6 6:05 Ryan incomplete pass to the right.
NOF.
4th-6, TB6 5:12 J. Elam kicked a 24-yard field goal.

Falcons 11th possession
Fourth quarter, 3:00
1st-10, ATL29 3:00 Ryan sacked by White and Adams.
At left defensive end, Adams runs right past Clabo for the sack.
2nd-14, ATL25 3:00 Ryan incomplete pass to the left.
No pressure. NIP.
3rd-14, ATL25 3:00 Ryan incomplete pass to the left
Adams runs right, all the way around the line of scrimmage as Ryan rolls to his left. Adams clocks Ryan just as he released the ball.
4th-14, ATL25 2:23 Ryan sacked by White.
Adams runs an inside stunt but doesn’t get any pressure.

Falcons 12th possession
Fourth quarter, 0:25
1st-10, ATL3 0:25 Ryan rushed up the middle for 1 yard loss.
It was the last play of the game and the Bucs made no attempt to engage in any combat.

Joe will have a few things later tonight about the Bucs win, including Gaines Watch.

Make sure to hit refresh and check back later this evening.

Joe has some quick thoughts on the first half play of the Dixie Chicks-Bucs game this afternoon:

* Just great to see Derrick Brooks start. Clearly he was hurting, but man, what a warrior!

* As rotten as Jeff Garcia played at quarterback last week it has made Brian Griese look halfway decent in the first half. Yikes.

* Chucky really needs to get Warrick Dunn worked into the game a bit more. While his touchdown was great, that shovel pass that set up the score looked like it was torn out of Mark Richt’s playbook when he was the offensive coordinator at Florida State.

* That late field goal by Atlanta can be placed on the lap of Rich Bisaccia. Exactly why did he have Josh Bidwell punt the ball right down the middle of the field late in the first half? PUNT THE BALL OUT OF BOUNDS!!! If Bisaccia has Bidwell punt the ball out of bounds the Dixie Chicks are at midfield, not within an easy field goal shot. This is idiotic. It was like begging Atlanta to have a decent run back. Not even Devin Hester can return a punt that is out of bounds!

* That belch by Tony Boselli with about seven minutes left in the first half was interesting. The grub in the Bucs press box must have been a bit spicy today.

* Oh, it looks like Mike Florio was right. Seems as though the Bucs offered Garcia to the 49ers this week but San Francisco passed. Ah, the pillars of honesty at One Buc Palace.

* Joe needs a cold beer.

Bucs cornerback Aqib Talib was the beneficiary of poor Atlanta Falcons coaching and a crappy pass by Matt Ryan.

As the Bucs head to the locker room leading the Falcons 17-3 at halftime,  players and coaches should be dropping off thank you notes to Atlanta Coach Mike Smith.

The Falcons opened the game with the ball and passed on their first three downs. Rookie QB Matt Ryan, who predictably had the jitters in his first NFL road game, tossed three passes that were way off the mark, with his third-down effort landing in the hands of Bucs cornerback Aqib Talib.

Tampa Bay quickly punched in a touchdown and grabbed a 7-0 lead.

To come out throwing against the Bucs, on the road, was horrendous coaching. The Falcons ran all over the Lions last week in their opening-day win, with Michael Turner rushing for a team record 220 yards.

Thanks, Coach Smith.

Dixie Chicks @ Buccaneers
Week Two
Kickoff: Sunday, 4 p.m.
TV: WTVT Channel 13.
Radio: Buccaneers Radio Network (in Tampa WFUS-FM, 103.5 and WDAE-AM, 620); Sirius Channel 107.
Weather: Typical late summer weather along Florida’s central Gulf Coast. Temperature at kickoff is expected to be 90 under partly sunny skies with a chance of thunderstorms near the end of the game. In other words, good beer drinking weather for the tailgate crowd. Joe is thirsty just thinking about it.
Odds: From Bodog.com: Bucs -7.
Outlook: It’s ridiculous to call the second game of the season a “must win game,” but there’s no question the Bucs don’t want to fall two games behind in the NFC South after only two games out of the chute.
Last week the Bucs blew a golden opportunity by not playing with their strength, that being the running game. Now Chucky has since said he was at fault with lousy play calling but it’s easy to say that after the fact. Is he really sincere or is he just trying to bullshit people? Sunday should tell.
The Bucs defense needs to reestablish itself as one of the fiercest in the NFL by hammering Dixie Chicks rookie quarterback Matt Ryan.
To paraphrase Lou Holtz, this ain’t no Georgia Tech.

With all the controversy surrounding Jeff Garcia and Brian Griese, Joe asked former Bucs QB Jeff Carlson to analyze the situation. And Carlson responded in a big way. This is a must read, Bucs fans.

Former Bucs QB Jeff Carlson Says Bucs Fans Should Be Concerned About The Future Of The Organization

Carlson was drafted by the Los Angeles Rams in 1989 out of Weber State.  He played for the Bucs in 1990 and 1991.  In 1992, he played for the New England Patriots and retired in 1994 while under contract with the Broncos.

Catch Carlson every week on ESPN 1470 AM. He hosts the Monday Morning Quarterback Show from 6 a.m. to 8 a.m., and a Bucs tailgate show Sundays at 11 a.m. For home games, the tailgate show is live on Himes Ave. behind RJS. It’s hard to miss, and there’s free food.

Carlson also trains aspiring quarterbacks through his company, America’s Best Quarterback. The firm also manages football- and golf-themed charity events.

Q. What concerned you most about Jeff Garcia’s play against the Saints? And do you think his play was cause for such dramatic concern by fans and coaches? 

Garcia’s play didn’t concern me that much at all.  He certainly wasn’t at his best, but he missed some passes on Sunday and he missed some last year, too.  I felt like his biggest problem on Sunday was his movement in the pocket.  A couple of times he seemed to move into a rusher and his poor mechanics (they’ve always been poor, but he has made the Pro Bowl with them) caught up with him.  The crossing route that was behind Joey Galloway–Garcia had his feet backwards, with his right foot in front of his left and couldn’t get any juice on the ball with Joey crossing his face.

Garcia unquestionably was the team leader in 2007. How might his benching affect the team, if at all?

Brian Griese had a near flawless preseason. How did you assess his play in August, and do you think that is any indicator of what we’ll see Sunday? 

Griese has a history of throwing picks. At 33 years old, does he correct that at this stage of his career?

What’s your prediction for this week? And what has to happen for Garcia to return to the field this season?

Seems as though Chucky and ProFootballTalk.com's Mike Florio are involved in a public pissing match.

Thursday Joe brought you news of how Mike Florio, the creator, curator and overall lord of ProFootballTalk.com has sources telling him the Bucs are shopping Jeff Garcia.

Well, Chucky was confronted with Florio’s report and had this to say, taking a backhanded swipe at Florio.

“No disrespect, football talk, political talk – I like action. I like firsthand knowledge. Other than that, I can’t comment on talk. I respect the people that do it because they have jobs to do, but rumors are rumors and I’m not going to address all of them. I don’t have that much time.”

This didn’t sit well with Florio who fired back on his blog.

“Sorry, Jon and whoever the writer was that lobbed the softball in his direction, but the rumor is true.

The more amazing aspect of Gruden’s quotes from Friday is that no one asked him about the bizarre situation involving Garcia’s status. On Wednesday, Gruden said that Brian Griese will play on Sunday because Garcia has an ankle injury. On Thursday, Garcia said he’s able to play.

Beyond ignoring the obvious contradiction between coach and quarterback, no one has grilled Gruden on why he felt compelled to announce on Wednesday that Griese will be the starter. Gruden could have merely said nothing, identified Garcia on the injury reports as not practicing due to the ankle, and then listed Garcia as questionable. That way, the Falcons would have been forced to prepare for either possibility.”

Whew. This is getting good. Joe is enjoying this. Now, Joe eagerly awaits Chucky’s next response to Florio.

Ahh, nothing quite like the Vegas sportsbook experience. Take the Bucs and give the points on Sunday.

It’s rare that Joe offers betting advice, especially for a Bucs game. But Sunday’s game has easy money written all over it. The Bucs will cover the touchdown spread.

Remember, betting lines are set initially on fans’ perception, nationally, of the matchup. They’re not rooted in on-the-field reality. In other words, Vegas only wants equal betting on either team. The oddsmakers don’t care about anything else.

So the perception out there is that these Falcons are reborn with Michael Turner eating up 200+ yards and rookie QB Matt Ryan looking like a veteran. Also, the perception is the Bucs’ defense is slipping and the team is in chaos with Garcia getting benched.

But the reality is the Bucs’ defense is quite strong and Monte Kiffin and Co. wil be salivating over taking on a rookie quarterback with an offensive line that has rookies starting, too. … Experts out of Atlanta last week didn’t expect much from the O-line.  Simply put, the Falcons surprised every expert with their dominant win against the Lions.

Ryan should struggle and there is no reason to think Turner can repeat his performance, or even come close.

On the Bucs side of the ball, Tampa Bay will be playing for their lives, with the home crowd and projected 93-degree temperatures at gametime.

While Joe isn’t the biggest fan of Gruden’s play-calling, expect Chucky to return to the running game  – the strength of this offense – and have great success with Graham and Dunn.

And he’ll no doubt keep Brian Griese dinking and dunking and out of situations where he’s known to toss pick after pick. If the Bucs grab the lead early, look for Ryan to reveal his rookie colors and the Bucs to run away with this game, scoring on offense and defense.

Bucs 27, Falcons 13

Bucs linebacker Barrett Ruud and his fellow defenders may have their work cut out for them Sunday against the Dixie Chicks' rushing attack.

In many areas, the Bucs’ defense last Sunday didn’t remind Joe of the D he is accustomed to seeing from the Pewter Pirates.

If the Dixie Chicks’ rushing attack is anything like it was in the season opener against Detroit, it could give the Bucs problems, so writes eye-RAH! Kaufman of the Tampa Tribune.

“We’d better get four or five hats to the ball Sunday,” Bucs defensive tackle Chris Hovan said. “You’d better wrap up Michael Turner, and we know Norwood’s very elusive. He can make you miss and look stupid.”

eye-RAH! also writes the Bucs “didn’t take proper pursuit angles in the opener at New Orleans. The Bucs didn’t tackle particularly well, either.” If the Bucs don’t correct that, eye-RAH! writes, it could be a long afternoon Sunday.

With Derrick Brooks likely out, Joe is concerned. Chucky better run the ball… and a lot. The Dixie Chicks can’t do a whole lot if they don’t have the ball.

Good news for Bucs fans not going to the home opener Sunday at the CITS. Though the Bucs game is not a sellout, the St. Petersburg Times reports via its Bucs Beat blog that the game will not be blacked out.

If Bucs fans are still planning on going to the game but don’t have tickets, there are unsold tickets “scattered” throughout the stadium Bucs officials said.

The Lakeland Ledger suggests Jeff Garcia's days with the Bucs are done.

The Lakeland Ledger posts a blog entry that suggests Jeff Garcia’s days with the Bucs are over. The paper is not citing sources, but basing the theory on recent Bucs history with Chucky.

The paper lists how Chucky has a bad case of quarterback flavor of the month and documents Chucky’s merry-go-round style of choosing starting quarterbacks.

Once again Joe is sad about the current situation. Garcia saved Chucky’s job and as a result of horrible play-calling, Garcia is now the scapegoat. Before that Chris Simms gave his spleen to Chucky. His reward? Getting cut.

Bucs cornerback Phillip Buchanon thinks he should have had more than one interception last week.

By most accounts, Bucs corner Phillip Buchanon had a solid game in the season opener last week which included an interception return for a touchdown. But Roger Mooney of the Bradenton Herald reports that Buchanon wasn’t exactly happy with his performance. He thought he should have done more.

“I could hardly sleep thinking about it,” Buchanon said Monday. “”I definitely look forward to scoring every time I touch the ball.”

Joe isn’t concerned about the Bucs defensive backs. He thinks that element of the team is the Bucs’ strongest.

The NFL Network is a wonderful enterprise, on TV, as well as nline. The only thing wrong with its online videos is that Joe cannot embed them for JoeBucsFans.com nation.

So with this link, you can view the video preview of Sunday’s home opener against the Dixie Chicks. Also, here is video of Chucky explaining his decision to bench Jeff Garcia.

Enjoy!

Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com reports Jeff Garcia's relationship with Chucky is so strained the Bucs are trying to trade him.

Mike Florio, the creator, curator and overall guru of ProFootballTalk.com claims there is talk amid league circles Jeff Garcia is being shopped around.

The price the Bucs are putting on Garcia? Anything.

Allegedly, the reason for dealing Garcia is that the relationship between him and Chucky is so strained that the Bucs have even contemplated cutting him.

“They’re “ready to kill each other,” the source said.

Joe is sad — not surprised — beyond words to learn this. Garcia saved Chucky’s job last year. The Bucs would not have gotten to the playoffs without him. And then Chucky sits Garcia down so that the Bucs don’t have to pay him a bonus, thus Garcia gets rusty and the Bucs lose the playoff game against the Giants.

Joe would also be sad to see Garcia go because that means no more Carmella.

JoeBucsFan.com analyst Steve Campbell wasn't overly pleased with Jeremy Trueblood's play Sunday, but thought it was serviceable.

While watching the Bucs/Saints game Sunday, I heard a color analyst talk a lot about the “pressure” the Saints’ pass rush was getting. And it did appear that Jeff Garcia didn’t have much time to throw.

But after further review, the Bucs’ offensive line had a decent game. They could have fared much better had Bucs coach Jon Gruden did them some favors with his play calling. Calling 41 passes and 19 runs is an absurd ratio when you’re not two touchdowns behind the whole game. The game was either tied, or the Bucs were winning. And as well as Earnest Graham and Warrick Dunn were running the ball, it should have been simple. RUN THE BALL!!! Not the best day for Chucky.

That said, after rewatching the game twice, Garcia was in a word, AWFUL.  There was typically a nice pocket for Garcia to stay in, but he had happy feet and wouldn’t set his feet when he threw which led to balls behind and at the feet of the receivers.

I think Griese may be the better option right now.

There’s a common misconception in football that a less mobile quaterback will be sacked more. But think back to the Bucs championship season of 2002. Brad Johnson had cement blocks for feet and Rob Johnson was one of the best athletes to ever play the quarterback postion for the Bucs. But Rob was sacked much more than Brad. It’s all about reading the defense and getting rid of the ball. Expect the Bucs to employ their “death by a thousand papercuts” offense and run the ball and throw short three-step passes this weekend. It’s boring but can be effective.

Now on the grades for the Saints game:

Donald Penn: Penn isn’t going to overwhelm you, but I was really surprised on how he graded out. He gave up the late sack to Bobby McCray, but that was defintely a coverage sack. He did a great job on Will Smith. Penn seemed to wear down late, and the Bucs resorted to helping him out with some chip blocks by the backs or tight ends. B-

Arron Sears: This wasn’t one of Sears’ best games, but he wasn’t bad either. Still struggles a little in pass protection. There are times where he just blows people up in the run game, but he needs to do it more often. C+

Jeff Faine: Faine was solid. Not an overpowering player, but his technique makes up for it. B

Jeremy Zuttah: As I expected, Zuttah struggled in his pass sets. Sedrick Ellis was giving him all he could handle. But I like what I saw, and you certainly couldn’t tell it was his first game. C

Jeremy Trueblood: Trueblood gave up an awful sack early to Charles Grant and committed two horrible penalties that killed potential drives. I like his aggresiveness and mean streak, but he has to be smarter than to set his team back 15 yards during a nice drive. Still, the Bucs ran right most of the day, and the results were over 10 yards a carry when they went that way. C-

The Bucs will see an active front this week for the Falcons. Atlanta right defensive end John Abraham recorded three sacks in the Falcons’ win againts Detroit Sunday, and the Bucs would be wise to give Penn some help this week. Zuttah will have his hands full with mammoth 340-pound Grady Jackson.

The other side of the Falcons’ line doesn’t scare me. Jonathan Babineaux and Jamal Anderson don’t bring much to the table. Anderson was a first round pick out of Arkansas last year, and has yet to make an impact in the league. Expect the Bucs to run away from Jackson and right up the hip of Jeremy Trueblood on Sunday.

Jeff Garcia is a bit angry as he claims he is healthy enough to play Sunday against the Falcons.

Now this is getting interesting. Bucs quarterback Jeff Garcia claims he’s healthy enough to play and doesn’t agree with, as Rick Stroud of the St. Petersburg Times writes, Bucs coach “Jon Gruden’s decision to bench him.”

“I’ve played through a lot worse before and that’s not anything new,” Garcia said.

Garcia also claims his poor play has nothing to do with the Brett Favre non-trade debacle and the Bucs denial of his contract bonus.

“”I feel like I’m emotionally stable. I’m not a basket case.”

Well, this would help any red-blooded American male remain emotionally calm if not stable and content.

(You knew this was coming, didn’t you?)

If Michael Clayton would hang onto a pass once in a while, maybe he wouldn't be yelling about not getting any playing time.

Though it has been four days since the Bucs lost to the Saints, Bucs wide receiver Michael Clayton is still smarting. But not so much because of the final score.

Clayton, a former first round draft pick, has had his ups and downs with the Bucs, mostly downs. And like Chris Simms a few weeks ago, Clayton is talking as if his days as a Bucs wide receiver are over. Woody Cummings of the Tampa Tribune reports part of the reason Clayton is upset is that he never got to play last week in New Orleans which was a homecoming of sorts for the former LSU standout.

“I don’t mind starting over with a team that would like to let me play,’’ Clayton said Wednesday. “If that’s what I have to do to keep my career alive, then that’s what’s given to me.”

Joe understands Clayton’s frustration. But now is not the time to be kvetching, especially after a loss. Maybe if Clayton could hang onto passes a little bit better he wouldn’t be whining about not playing.

Joe found an interesting video. Maybe the Bucs cheerleaders should try such a thing?

Enjoy!

(Florida State fans might recognize one of the original Cowgirls in this video. )

Sunday may be the first time in Derrick Brook's NFL career where he may miss a start.

It was really difficult for Joe to see linebacker Derrick Brooks watching most of the second half of last week’s season-opener from the sideline last week, which probably spoke volumes as to how bad Brooks was hurt. Roger Mooney of the Bradenton Herald noted that Sunday may be the first time in Brooks’ NFL career, now 14 seasons strong in a Bucs uniform, where he can’t answer the bell.

Sunday was his 193rd straight start, second only to Brett Favre’s 254. Brooks has played in every game since the start of the 1995 season, that’s 209 and counting, and Brooks is still counting.

On his weekly radio show with Steve Duemig on WDAE-AM 620 Wednesday afternoon, Brooks would not say whether he will start or not. He did say that his hands, or tongue if you will, were tied by the Bucs front office. In other words he was under a “gag order.” And, when Brooks does announce his playing status for Sunday, he will do so on his official website, hit55.net.