Joe can’t wait to see LeGarrette Blount get the rock again. Damn, it’s not for another two weeks after next Sunday’s bye.

The undrafted rookie running back showed up against what might be the NFL’s top defense. He runs hard. And, frankly, he was getting it done where Cadillac Williams couldn’t find any space. That’s not coincidence. Joe loves Williams, but he’s a below average running back in the NFL at this point. 

Blount led the team today with six carries for 27 yards and a hard-fought touchdown, flashing some angry effort and great will. Caddy had six carries for 13 yards.

Joe’s really pulling for Blount. In the grand scheme of the Bucs’ rebuilding plan, it would be glorious if they’ve found a gem here and won’t have to draft a running back in 2011, especially now that they probably have to grab a safety.

But screw next season. The Bucs are 2-1, and Joe would love to see Blount run downhill on the Bengals on Oct. 10.

Count Joe among those surprised the Steelers put up 38 points behind Charlie Batch — Charlie Batch!

Jeez, the Steelers in first half posted three touchdowns during a stretch of only 10 offensive plays.

Most distressing was Pittsburgh giving the Bucs a 2009 flashback with 200 yards on the ground, with much of that coming when the Bucs were looking for it. The Bucs needed to have Batch throw more than 17 times to have a shot, and that didn’t happen.

No surprise Tampa Bay’s offense offered barely a whimper beyond one strong drive.

At least Bucs fans won’t have to see all those Steelers fans the rest of the season. … Sure looked like a sold out show.

Stay tuned for massive postgame coverage right here.  

As if Bucs fans didn’t already have enough venom for suspended, drug dabbling safety Tanard Jackson, seeing his replacement, Cody Grimm, get embarrassed on the Steelers’ first touchdown, a 46-yard strike to Mike Wallace, surely evoked a new round of F-bombs Jackson’s way.

It was the first thing that hit Joe’s mind when Grimm looked lost in the end zone.

Joe can’t be too upset with Grimm losing the ball. The guy’s a rookie seventh-rounder learning a new position. The Bucs opted to roll with a lot of those kind of guys, and they’ll inevitably get moments like that all season.

Thanks again, Tanard.

Week 2
Steelers at Bucs
Kickoff: 1 p.m.
TV: Locally, blacked out. For those outside the Tampa/Orlando TV markets, DirecTV Channel 708. Game will be streamed on a delayed basis in its entirety on NFL.com for free at midnight via NFL Game Pass.
Radio: Buccaneers Radio Network (in Tampa WFUS-FM, 103.5 and WDAE-AM, 620); Sirius Channel 158.
Weather: Per AccuWeather.com, temperature at kickoff is expected to be 91 with moderate humidity under sunny skies with little to no wind. This will hold steady through the game with a chance of thunderstorms towards the end of the game.
Odds: Per Bodog.com, Steelers -3.
Outlook: If all goes well for the Bucs this should be a close, low-scoring game. The Steelers have yet to score an offensive touchdown in regulation yet, which is stunning in today’s NFL that they could rack up two wins, especially since they forced as many turnovers as the offense had first downs last week in a win over Tennessee. That’s because the Steelers defense is frighteningly good. They smothered Matt Ryan and Michael Turner in the first week and drove Vince Young out of the game while holding Chris Johnson to less than 40 yards rushing last week which doesn’t bode well for Josh Freeman and Cadillac Williams. If the Bucs are going to win this game it will be the same way the Steelers won last week: force turnovers for a short field for Freeman to work with. Freeman claims he has studied the film of the crazy blitzes employed by Steelers mastermind defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau. But seeing first-hand and watching on film are two different animals. Freeman said the same thing last year against the Jets and the crazy blitzes of Rex Ryan and Joe remembers the very first play from scrimmage Freeman threw a pick. If the Bucs somehow pull off an upset, it’s not outrageous to believe they could be playoff bound. A loss should not send the team into a tailspin. This is one of the best defenses of our generation. There is no shame losing to a juggernaut like this. For more on the game, please watch Derek “Old School” Fournier’s game preview on YouTube.com.
Fun Facts: The Steelers are 9-0 when James Harrison has two-plus sacks in a game. … The last time the Bucs beat the Steelers, the Bucs defense made Kordell Stewart cry. … Hines Ward needs two TDs to move into second place on the franchise’s all-time list. … The Bucs are 13-0 when Cadillac Williams has at least 22 carries. … Tampa Bay’s Kellen Winslow leads the NFL this year with eight third-down receptions.
Bucs inactives: Kareem Huggins, Rudy Carpenter, Myron Lewis, Maurice Stovall, Michael Bennett, Ted Larsen, Niko Koutouvides.

Trey Wingo, Mark Schlereth and Marcellus Wiley of BSPN break down the Steelers-Bucs game. After listening to their analysis, what say you Bucs fans?

In the latest TBO Bucs vlog, eye-RAH! Kaufman and Woody Cummings of the Tampa Tribune discuss the Bucs-Steelers game Sunday.

Among the subjects the duo touch upon are the relationship between Steelers coach Mike Tomlin and Bucs coach Raheem Morris, and who they learned defense from, the Bucs offensive line, Dick LeBeau’s defense and more.

Joe’s been a Tim Crowder cheerleader since first seeing him on the field last season.

Raheem Morris called him “The King of Hustle,” and Joe is always a fan of guys who play like that in any sport. Crowder brings effort at a different level than most high-motor guys.

Appearing on the Buccaneers Radio Network last night, on WDAE-AM 620, Crowder was asked by host Scott Ledger to name a couple of defensive line coaches who gave him some great guidance and what he learned from them. Crowder took the answer in another direction.

“I actually learned more from than the veteran players than I would say as coaches,” Crowder said. “You know, I played with Ebenezer Ekuban [formerly of the Cowboys, Browns and Broncos], you know that’s one thing he used to always tell me, ‘Bust your tail. Always run to the ball. That’s how you make so many more plays.’ Once I figured that out … hardly anybody beats their man clean. Guys are too good. If you just keep working throughout the down, you can make so many more plays. Once guys start realizing that in their head, it becomes contagious. If you ask anybody, I practice that every day. I run to the ball, and I’m trying to get the ball out, anything, because that carries over to the game.”

Some other nuggets from Crowder:

On Donald Penn: “He’s top 5 offensive tackles in the league. I love doing scout team, because I love going up against him every day. Come Sunday it’s night and day, because he’s that good.”

On whether Ronde Barber or Roy Miller has a better shaved head: “Ronde Barber. He shaves his every day. Roy can come in with the chili bowl type of look. “

On the best tattoos on the Bucs: “Brian Price has the best ink in the locker room. … I take that back. [Practice squad offensive lineman] Brandon Carter, he has tattoos on his head.”

Much like his head coach, Bryan Glazer seems very committed to his core beliefs.

On Thursday and Friday, Team Glazer took heat on the local sports radio airwaves, and from various national pundits, for not buying up what appeared to be only a few thousand available tickets to Sunday’s Steelers-Bucs game in order to avoid a local television blackout.

Also on Thursday, the Glazer family hosted a gala event to celebrate the opening of the Glazer Children’s Museum in Tampa. The Glazers gave more than $5 million for the project, which has been many years in the works and will become a destination attraction for the city.

Bryan Glazer shared some thoughts with Tampa Tribune NFL writer eye-RAH! Kaufman, who apparently attended the gala.

“People will look back and see the things we’ve done,’’ said Bryan Glazer. “I’m not worried about whether everyone likes me or doesn’t like me. We’re the team owners. We’re never going to be loved, but our family goes to bed thinking that we give back. We’re proud of what we do.’‘

Joe finds the “we’re never going to be loved” line from Glazer a little odd. Why not, Bryan? You can be loved. You probably would have been hugged and kissed all over town after the Super Bowl victory.

Regarding Sunday’s blackout, Joe’s going to wait until Monday before issuing a complete opinion after seeing how many tickets are actually sold for the game. There are a lot of unknown elements to this blackout story that Joe is working on clarifying.

It’s easy to say the Glazers should have gobbled up the remaining seats, but that may not have been the smartest move. From a business standpoint, it really depends on how they plan to handle future Bucs games that come close to being sold out.

For Joe, it’s easy to tell the Glazers to spend money on players, but buying up tickets, that’s another animal.

"Francesa, I'll never go on your chickens(p)it show again, you two-faced lardass!"

Yesterday, Joe brought you the interview that Bucs coach Raheem Morris gave to bloated Mike Francesa of WFAN-AM radio prior to the Carolina game.

Now comes word that Francesa, a blowhard of the first order, continually ragged on Raheem Morris both before and after the interview, even though he played kiss-up with Raheem Morris during the interview.

No less an authority than the voice of reason, the great Phil Mushnick of the New York Post, documents what a scumbag this Francesa is, to ridicule and rip a man like Raheem Morris behind his back, yet try to suck up to him on the air.

Our man Mike Francesa was at it again, first ridiculing the Bucs as a horrible NFL team, then, Sunday with Bucs coach Raheem Morris as his on-air guest, Francesa spoke of how promising the Bucs look. Then, with Morris gone, Francesa again claimed that the Bucs stink. Then the Bucs went out and won on the road, to go to 2-0.

The gall of this Francesa knows no bounds! First, he did his best to service Bill Parcells for years. Then, when Parcells got tired of the bootlicker, Francesa is a nothing (again), just a windbag full of ego and vile.

If Raheem had any common sense, or if the good people in the Bucs media relations office know better, Raheem will be totally off limits to this Francesa and, if he must do an interview in New York, it should be with Chris “Mad Dog” Russo of Sirius radio.

For those wanting more evidence of what a slob this Francesa is, please listen to how he was taken down by the notorious “Hateman,” courtesy of the King of All Media, Howard Stern, who knows exactly what a fraud this Francesa is and someone who Francesa knows better than to tangle with.

Revealing that he’s “a big fan” of Mike Francesa, the main man of New York sports radio, Raheem Morris called in for an on-air chat with Francesa on WFAN-AM in New York last week.

Joe’s got the audio below for you. (Warning: Francesa’s accent has been known to annoy millions.)

[audio: morrisonWFAN.mp3]

During the interview, Morris was clearly fired up to be talking to the massive audience of the sports radio station he probably listened to as a kid, and as a college man at Hofstra University in New York.

Raheem dropped some extremely hefty praise on Gerald McCoy.

“He’s come in here and absolutely shocked me with his ability to take it and run with it,” Morris said of McCoy. “You know, I knew he was a good student of the game. I had no idea he would be this concientious this early and be able to play multiple positions, do different things for us, and provide is such flexibility that he’s been able to give us on our front line.

Joe hopes you enjoy the interview.

In this CBSSports.com video, Pat Kirwan and Jason Horowitz discuss which is the most surprising undefeated team, Pittsburgh or Tampa Bay. Horowitz makes a compelling case for Pittsburgh.

Thursday, newly minted Bucs starter, rookie seventh round draft pick Cody Grimm, appeared with Joe’s good friend the dean of Tampa Bay sports radio, “The Big Dog,” Steve Duemig, of WDAE-AM 620, to talk about his good fortune. Of course. Joe jotted down notes on the interview for Joe’s readers.

Steve Duemig: It’s going to be exciting for you.

Cody Grimm: Definitely, going to be exciting.

Duemig: Do you have to play special teams, too?

Grimm: I’m pretty positive I have to play both. That’s nothing different. I did that in college, I played all special teams [and starting linebacker].

Duemig: That means you are special because special teams is so special at Virginia Tech. Will your football knowledge make up for lack of experience?

Grimm: Yeah, I’m definitely confident. Football is football, yeah. This is obviously a different level but if you put in the right preparation it will make up for experience. Sure, there will be things you learn but if you put in the hard work and the knowledge of what you are doing, you can make up for [experience].

Duemig: Are you doing anything different to get ready?

Grimm: The preparation at this level, it’s a job. You have to be prepared to be a starter every week. Only thing different is the number of reps you take at practice. I’m studying the same. It’s the same as you treat every week.

Duemig: Were you shocked about TJ? [Tanard Jackson was suspended by the NFL for a year due to failing a banned substance test.]

Grimm: I didn’t find out until I left [Wednesday]. The team is disappointed. It stinks we will not have Tanard. I will do my best to fill in for him.

Duemig: Are you guys treating this like a season-ending injury?

Grimm: Every team faces adversity. It stinks when it happens but you have to move on.

Duemig: You ever imagine being a starter in your first year as a seventh round draft choice?

Grimm: The way Tanard plays, not exactly. But in the NFL people go down each week, it’s pretty ridiculous how physical it is. You see how many people go down in just a short amount of time here. You are one snap away. I am ready to go and I’m excited.

Duemig: Judging by what you said, physically, were you in awe at the beginning?

Grimm: Oh, yeah. There are a lot of big, strong people up here and something has to give. It seems [injuries] seem to happen quite a bit.

Duemig: How did you learn of the news?

Grimm: They just told me this morning when I got in that I was going to start. They told me to be ready to go. I was told by [Bucs defensive backs coach Jimmy] Lake earlier that I was going to be the second string free safety so I had to be ready.

Duemig: What do you expect with the Steelers?

Grimm: The Steelers are a smashmouth team. They love to run. They love run first. So you have to be strap on the pads and be ready for that.

Duemig: Did you tell your dad? [Grimm’s father is Hall of Fame offensive lineman and current Arizona Cardinals offensive line coach Russ Grimm.]

Grimm: I haven’t had the chance yet, but I am sure someone told him.

There have been times during the Raheem Morris regime when the Bucs’ head coach has been critical of his team’s practice habits and intensity.

Right now, it seems like that’s old news. Maybe winning changes things. The Bucs have won four of their last five.

The Bucs’ defensive mastermind/head cocah showed a very confident demeanor during his news conference today, talking about the maturity of his young team. 

“Proud and impressed with our preparation this week,” Morris said. “You can see the guys developing and growing, even on the practice field.”

Joe is pulling what’s left of his hair out at this point, waiting for kickoff on Sunday. This game is no doubt the biggest the Bucs have played since the December collapse of 2008. 

A “W” Sunday, by any means, lets the Bucs ride an extraordinary high for the next two weeks, one that could transform the franchise. If you’re not out of your mind fired up for this Steelers game, Joe suggests you call your physician.

In this Pittsburgh Post-Gazette video, Steelers beat writer Ed Bouchette and columnist Gerry Dulac discuss this Sunday’s Steelers-Bucs game and the troubles the Steelers had with the heat in Nashville last week. This video takes some time to load so please be patient.

The Bucs will need to be much more stout against the run on Sunday

Thankfully, the quote in the headline belongs to super Steelers wide receiver Hines Ward, a blocking icon who catches the ball. What a concept!

The Steelers are fully aware of the peril that exists at their quarterback position, while sleazy Ben Roethlisberger tries to not be be too handsy with women and serves a four-game suspension.

Ed Bouchette, of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, detailed the woes of the Pittsburgh offense today and talked to Ward about it.

At least they hug the bottom. The Steelers are next to last in passing yards per game (116), next to last in total yards (240.5) and in a last-place tie in touchdowns scored with two, but they are the only offense in the league that has just one touchdown. They also are third from the bottom in sacks allowed at seven.

One area on offense in which they have improved is the one Art Rooney, their president, prodded them to do better — on the ground. The Steelers, who ranked 19th in the NFL in rushing last season, are 10th after two games.

With the way their defense has smothered their first two foes, the offense has gotten away without Ben Roethlisberger and with little production.

“For us, there’s nothing wrong with punting the ball,” Ward said. “We know we haven’t scored a touchdown. We have a lot of prideful guys. I don’t like to be at the bottom of the list. At the same time, you have to be smart about things.

“We’re 2-0 right now without our starting quarterback. We have two more games. We just have to find a way to try to pull it together in these next two games.”

So it’s pretty obvious the Steelers are going to line up and try to run the ball right down the throats of the Bucs. And the Bucs know it’s coming.

If the Bucs can stop the run, and Josh Freeman can maintain the incredible poise he’s shown thus far, the Bucs should have a great chance to go 3-0.

Sam Wyche's 2-0 start in '92 was quickly forgotten. THE OPTIMIST takes a look at past 2-0 starts for Tampa Bay.

You’ve all read THE PESSIMIST, who spews his Bucs-related anger like no other. But Joe also wants you to know THE OPTIMIST. 

THE OPTIMIST is Nick Houllis, a Bucs fan and an accomplished writer whose steadfast allegiance to the team goes back to the 1970s. Houllis is the founder, creator and guru of BucStop.com, a place Joe goes to get lost in time via Houllis’ stunning video collection.

THE OPTIMIST will shine that positive light in your eyes. Some will love it. Some won’t.

Good new, JoeBucsFan.com readers. You won’t need to sit down for this one, because by now you’ve heard it all over the radio and seen it all over the internet; the Bucs are 2-0.

So before you change the proverbial channel, just let me tell you no “I told you so” speech is coming from me; not for several more weeks at least! Why is that?

Because these Buccaneers we cheer for have been 2-0 a few times before, and it didn’t end up in the Super Bowl, nor did it end up being 2-14 either; just about everything in between, though.

On the positive side, it did end up in an NFC Championship game appearance once, but that was 31 years ago. The 1979 Bucs team was the first to go 2-0, and they extended that to 5-0, something only one other Bucs team has ever managed to match.  Those ’79 Bucs made it as high as 9-3 before a three game losing streak almost led to the nickname “The Chokeneers” by then Tampa Tribune columnist Tom McEwen. That team lost to the Rams of Los Angeles 9-0, which leads us to our next Bucs 2-0 team: 1980.

Before you write this off as ancient history, hear me out, because this is the part of the story I hope the Bucs can avoid. The ’80 Bucs beat Cincinnati on the road with a Doug Williams-to-Jimmy Giles touchdown in the last two minutes. Then they came home on Monday Night Football’s special Thursday edition and beat the Rams on a TD that also occurred in the last two minutes of the game.

Both times the Bucs needed a last minute score to win, but no one cared, they were 2-0. Well guess what, they finished 5-10-1! And mind you, this was a very good Bucs team, that to this day no one knows why they finished so poorly. Did they let the ’79 season get to their heads?

Every one of those players was gone and forgotten by the time the next Bucs team went 2-0, Sam Wyche’s first Bucs squad of 1992. That team was led by six-year veteran QB Vinny Testeverde who wore his Orange pants while surprisingly yet efficiently passing the Bucs to a 23-7 win over the Cardinals at Tampa Stadium. Week 2 came around and the Bucs totally toasted the Green Bay Packers 31-3, with Vinny going a career best 22-of-25 for 363 yards and two TDs!

Now repeat after me- A 2-0 Bucs team with a combined scoring difference of 54 to 10, and a Vinny Testeverde with ZERO interceptions in two games! Finally, Vinny had arrived, as had the Bucs, and all we needed was a good coach like Sam Wyche!

Sure!

Because this was the same Sam Wyche that won only eight more games over the next two years, and finished with a 5-11 record.

What happened? A 3-1 Bucs team lost at home to an Indianapolis Colts team that was considered very weak righht before the bye week. The loss festered during the bye week because of obvious poor coaching and, when the team returned to action, it was beaten 31-14 by Chicago and 38-7 by the Lions. No one remembered the 2-0 start after that, and we would have to wait five more years and a whole generation of players later for another chance.

1997 featured the birth of Pewter Power, and an opening day win over San Francisco followed by a road division win against Detroit set the Bucs up at a similar 2-0. Like that magical ’79 season, the Bucs got as far as 5-0 before suffering their first loss. This was a young team of hungry players that had great coaching and even better management. Players like Warren Sapp, Derrick Brooks and John Lynch came into their own and forged a relationship with the Bay Area fans that lasts to this day. A Wild Card playoff game win leading up to a divisional playoff loss to Green Bay was the reward for a 10-6 season.

After the 11-6 loss to the Rams in the NFC Championship game in 1999, the Bucs added offensive firepower, the likes of Randal McDaniel, Jeff Christie and, of course Keyshawn Johnson. They not only started out 2-0, but 3-0 in brilliant fashion blowing out the opposition at times. But a Week 4 loss to the NY Jets at the last minute led to a four-game losing streak, and a Week 16 loss prevented the Bucs from claiming the division and a first round bye, settling for a Wild Card instead; at Philadelphia.

We all know what happened to Tony Dungy, and how Jon Gruden led the team to it’s Super Bowl. That 2002 year started out saw the Bucs lose their opener. In fact, every Jon Gruden team here with the Bucs featured a home opening day loss. But 2005 did start out 2-0, the last time it’s happened around here. That record stretched to 4-0, and an 11-5 record, the second best ever.

Amazing as it may seem, only five times have the Bucs been in this 2-0 chair. They made it to the playoffs three of those five 5 times.

So celebrate if you want, or be pessimistic and hold your breath for a while; But act like you’ve been there before, because we have. We just don’t know which ending the Bucs are going to take us to.

Wherever it is, we’ll add it to the list for the next time 2-0 comes up; as it doesn’t happen anywhere often enough for this Bucs fan!

Comrades Rick Stroud and good guy Stephen Holder discuss the recent day’s events at One Buc Palace in this St. Petersburg Times video.

Interesting piece of information from Tom Balog of the Sarasota Herald-Tribune concerning yesterday’s news that rookie seventh-round pick Cody Grimm will replace suspended Tanard Jackson in the Bucs starting lineup.

Many observers thought it would be Sabby who would get the nod. But no! Bucs coach Raheem Morris thought more of Grimm.

Morris bypassed veteran safety Sabby Piscitelli, who lost the strong safety job to Sean Jones in training camp.

”We definitely thought about Sabby,” Morris said.

Piscitelli ought to start thinking about his future, because Morris’ decision so much as tells him that he doesn’t trust Piscitelli, who missed a league-leading 19 tackles last season, as the team’s last line of defense.

Interesting. So is this a sign by Morris that Sabby should start looking for another team to play for, or perhaps this is intended to be a wake up call for Sabby?

Look, Joe will be the first one to admit that Sabby calling out Morris, when Sean Jones was named a starter, for rigging the competition between the two safeties did Sabby no favors.

But did the public tongue-lashing of his coach burn a bridge that cannot be repaired?