Bucs rookie quarterback Josh Freeman took a few moments after an awful loss to speak live on the Buccaneers Radio Network to talk about the game.

In particular, Freeman defended his offensive coordinator’s call on third down late in the game that proved mortal.

“From an offensive standpoint, we couldn’t get things going in the second half and that is why we lost,” Freeman said.

“When we had third down with three minutes to go (Derrick Ward running to the right for three yards on third-and-seven from the Falcons-36) was a good play call. We just have to find a way to get the yards when you need them and keep the chains moving.”

Joe is absolutely flabbergasted by the playcalling of Greg Olson and Raheem The Dream. Make no mistake; their second-half insanity cost the Bucs the game.

TWICE they took the ball out of the hands of their quarterback, who was playing well, when he could have iced or nearly-iced the game.

First, it was the horrendous fake punt call, which Joe already has broken down. So Rah, you’d rather have Dirk Johnson throw it on 4th-and-8 than Freeman?

Joe could have understood if Rah went for the 55 yard field goal there, but Johnson to throw?

Second, it was handing off to Derrick Ward on 3rd-and-7 to run off right tackle on the Bucs’ final meaningful drive to set up a 51-yard field goal to tie the game.

So much for being that aggressive, go-for-the-win football team that you talked about so much, Rah. You chickened out. Not only that, no question the odds were probably better for a 3rd-and-7 throw then a 50+ field goal.  

On top of that mess, the Bucs are afraid to run the damn ball on first down. They can’t run the ball consistently, and either Cadillac Williams and Ward are on the downsides of their careers or the Bucs offensive line is terribly overrated.

The Falcons kicked a third-quarter field goal to pull the game to 17-13 with the Bucs still leading. Starting the next series on their own 20, the Bucs send Freeman back to pass and he’s nearly sacked and the Bucs are flagged for a holding penalty.

Where was the run?

Then they run on 1st and 20 with Derrick Ward for a two-yard loss. Second down was a dropped short pass to Antonio Bryant, followed by a seven yard dump off to Kellen Winslow on 3rd and 22.

After the punt, Barrett Ruud forced fumble and a turnover. Then the Bucs ran on first down for eight yards — hooray — then convert first down. Then they go ahead and throw on first down againt for two yards out of the backfield to Ward, who then ran for two yards on second down followed by a too-short dump off to Winslow and a punt.

Then in the fourth quarter, with first down on the Atlanta 40 up 17-13, they throw again on first down incomplete, which led to a 3-and-out and the fake punt from hell.

Joe is frustrated beyond words. This was a game taken away from the team by the head coach.

Raheem The Dream revived the defense, but that doesn’t mean he knows how to be a head coach.

Joe’s played a lot of sports. Some guys just win — whiffle ball, pickup basketball, or NFL football, it doesn’t matter. Raheem The Dream just isn’t one of those guys.

Bucs veteran cornerback and overall good guy Ronde Barber was so upset and frustrated after the loss to the Dixie Chicks Sunday afternoon, he could barely talk.

He ended each of his sentences, heard live on the Buccaneers Radio Network, with deep sighs and often mumbling to himself as in disbelief.

In particular Barber was peeved over a cheesy five-yard penalty on cornerback Derrick Roberson that gave the Falcons a first-and-goal from the Bucs five when it should have been fourth-and-goal from the 10.

“To get a penalty away from the ball… [sighs]… whatever. I better not make any comments. I mean… [sighs]… whatever… [heavy sighs].

“Hey, [Falcons quarterback Chris] Redman has played in this league before. It was a Bucs type of game: bend but don’t break. it worked out for us most of the game. But they dialed it up to Gonzalez late [sigh].

“This one is very frustrating. It was our style of a game. I wish we could have found a way not to make it so exciting at the end.

“We are 1-10. We are obviously not a good football team.”

Falcons 20, Bucs 17

* Just great special teams play by the punt team. Outstanding. Now the defense has to slam the door shut on the Dixie Chicks.

* Redman didn’t throw it away, he just missed the receiver. Come on Bucs, exploit how this guy Redman was on the streets.

* Solid interior defense there to stuff the run.

* Geno Hayes may have gotten away with a pass interference but Joe isn’t so sure if Gonzalez had a first down even if he caught it.

* Big stop by the Bucs. Big stop!

* If the Bucs have to pass why not play-action passes?

* Great. Two yard gain. A potential quick three-and-out.

* Terrible play calling. Terrible on this drive. Why not run the ball?

* Idiotic. The Bucs could have pinned the Falcons (again) deep in their own territory. Now they have the ball near midfield. What, is Greg Olson trying to keep the Falcons in the game?

* How the hell is that crap quarterback tearing up the Bucs? He should be in the UFL. Maybe.

* OK, come on defense. Third down. Make Redman look like the stiff he is. An interception would be nice.

* Nice play by Roberson to break up the pass which would have been a first down. He may have gotten away with interference. Seems like the zebras are letting the defensive back play.

* Joe doesn’t like the play call but Joe loves the result. First down, clock runs. Run clock, run.

* Caddy couldn’t bust through as the Falcons stuff the middle.

* Lot of clock. Over nine minutes. Caddy for three.

* Bucs are 2 of 9 on three downs and it’s third down. Let’s see if the rookie can come through.

* What the hell? A fumble??? Come on Tito, PROTECT the ball!

* How big of a moron is Jeremy Trueblood? This guy is supposed to be smart since he went to Boston College, but for a smart guy pulls some stupidass stunts.

* Bucs are doing their best to keep the Falcons in this game.

* Challenge that incompletion Rah, challenge it! Challenge it!

* Terrible that they are not challeging that play unless one cannot challenge it.

* Falcons 80 percent on fourth down.

* Just terrible. Good coverage on Gonzalez but couldn’t someone jam him at the line of scrimmage?

*  Good pass rush by the Bucs. Need to keep it up.

* Oh, no. Talib is hurt.

* Batted down pass! Solid, solid work by the Bucs defensive front. By far, by FAR the best game the defensive front has played. And Jim Bates is in Tampa. Coincidence?

* Wow, did the Bucs dodge a bullet. Jason Elam missing a kick? Unthinkable.

* First down Bucs, Antonio Bryant. Who was that dumbass on WQYK-AM 1010 this morning who said Bryant is the worst receiver in the league? Please!

* Under five minutes. Gotta keep the clock running.

* WTF a timeout???

* How the F’ can you get a false start after a timeout???

* Nice gain, clock running. Keep it up Bucs.

* Sweet first down catch by Sammie Stroughter. First down. Keep the clock moving boys.

* Should the Bucs go for a field goal or pin the Falcons in their own corner?

* Guess it’s a field goal attempt. And a miss. Wow. Falcons have good field position but they still need a touchdown.

* Time for the Jim Bates-less defense to shine.

* Did two injured corners force Raheem’s hand in trying a field goal?

* This doesn’t look good to Joe.

* Can anyone stop Tony Gonzalez?

* Man, this two-bit quarterback is absolutely carving up the Bucs. Pathetic.

* Joe is watching a frigging high school defense. Unreal.

* Why call a timeout there? If the Falcons score, the Bucs will need that timeout.

* What are the odds that Gonzalez catches the touchdown pass on this drive?

* A hold on the other side of the field. Nice job Einstein. First and goal from the five. Man!

* If Gonzalez doesn’t catch a touchdown Redman will run it in.

* Joe doesn’t like that timeout. Why give the Falcons a chance to set up a play when they were reeling? Joe suspects some trick run knowing Mike Mularkey, the Falcons offensive coordinator.

* Freaking Chris Redman. Chris FREAKING Redman. Unreal.

Joe is having an absolute tantrum right now at Raheem The Dream calling for a fake punt.

C’mon, Rah.

You passed on a 55-yard field goal in a dome for Dirk Johnson to throw a pass? Are you nuts?

This is the fourth quarter. You’re winning. You’ve got a hot field goal kicker and great punt coverage teams. You’re defense is playing well.

This was a horrendous call. Go for the field goal or punt the ball. If you insist on going for it, wouldn’t Josh Freeman and the offense have been a better option?

* Interesting call on first down. Joe hopes they don’t forget Caddy.

* There you go, Caddy with a run. Pound him!

* Joe thought Freeman was going to run for a first down. Good gain though.

* Not a good throw there by Freeman. Threw into traffic and short-hopped it.

* Sabby was burned but he made a nice recovery and nearly got a pickoff. Joe gives him credit for recovering.

* Ryan Sims with a nice tackle. He got good penetration and never gave up his ground and bulldogged Turner.

* Beautiful block. Beautiful. Bucs should get some points out of this.

* Nice touchdown pass to Caddy. Way to go Caddy. Good, accurate throw.

* Let’s go Bucs, can’t let Turner get loose like that. Black bit inside when he should have gone outside to stop Turner.

* Oh, no, the guy off the street Redman is starting to carve up the Bucs. Should have been offensive pass interference.

* Ronde Barber with the Bucs sixth sack and there’s a lot of clock left.

* If Davin Joseph didn’t get that holding penalty, it likely would have been intentional grounding on Freeman. Still first down.

* Um, there’s a reason Derrick Ward hasn’t been playing much.

* Good thing Bryant dropped that bubble screen. He may have gotten three yards and then clobbered.

* Bucs defense has to come up big here. Falcons should have decent field position.

* Michael Turner may be done for the day with a leg injury, so claims the Bucs radio network.

* Good start. Norwood for basically nothing.

* Terrible that a scrub quarterback with an injured starting tailback pulled off the streets may beat the Bucs.

* Wow, the Bucs dodged a bullet with the fumble recovery/stripped. Barrett Ruud with the strip.

* Good run by Ward. Second-and-short. Now pound the ball!

* Why not a play action on second-and-short?

* Winslow is playing a helluva game today.

* Doesn’t look good: Third-and-long.

* WTF, why throw short when you know Winslow was going to be tackled?

* Way to go Quincy Black. Thanks to your ignorance, looks like the Falcons are going to score.

* Third sack of the game. Granted the Bucs were helped that Redman fell down.

* Geez. A scrub from off the streets comes in for an All-Pro and the dude is schooling the Bucs.

* Thankfully, the Bucs got away with an interference call by Geno Hayes since the Dixie Chicks got busted for holding.

* Was that Barrett Rudd with the bulldog stop of Turner?

* Dave Moore on the Bucs radio network just said the defense is tired. Give Joe a friggin’ break Dave, the second quarter just started, geez!

* Fourth sack of the game and it’s early in the second quarter! Against one of the NFL’s best offensive lines no less. Hhhmmm, two-gap front was the only scheme that would work, huh Jim Bates? No wonder you aren’t showing your face in Atlanta today.

* There’s that douchebag “Mike” again! What, you couldn’t even find a cap with a Ford logo? Get off my TV! Who the hell is “Mike” and why the hell would he move Joe to buy a Ford truck? Joe already has a Ford truck. If anything, this clown makes Joe want to trade my truck in for a Nissan.

* Stovall is having a solid game thus far.

* Big third down here, and not for the reasons Dave Moore suggests.

* Damn, Sammie Stroughter was open. Just a bad throw by Tito.

* Pretty awful punt. Too good of field possession by the Falcons.

* Geez, Redman had all sorts of room to run.

* Here we go: Running up the gut for chunks of yardage. Dave Moore is crucifying Sabby Piscitelli because, per Moore, Sabby was supposed to fill a gap that Norwood ran through. Had Sabby done his job, says Moore, that’s not much of a gain. Is there a worse starting safety in the NFL than Sabby?

* Good job of stuffing the run. Can’t blame the Falcons for trying.

* Man, nothing like a scrub quarterback killing you.

* Why are the Bucs defensive backs playing so soft? Force this scrub quarterback to make pinpoint passes.

* Wow. Barrett Ruud cleared out of the middle and Atlanta totally exposed him and the area he exposed. Gotta give the Dixie Chicks credit. That was a beautiful play call.

* Major pass to Antonio Bryant for a huge gain. Damned near a touchdown.

* Touchdown Tampa Bay with a sick catch by Antonio Bryant. Two plays, two bombs to Bryant.

* Joe was listening to some show on WQYK-AM 1010 this morning and some idiot, who Joe has no clue who he was, claimed Bryant was one of the worst receivers in the league and cannot catch. Hey moron, I hope you are watching this game. What a friggin’ DUMBASS!!! Why must local program directors put guys behind a mic who have no clue what they are talking about?

* Come on Bucs defense!

* Holy SHIT! Barrett Ruud with a tackle for a loss.

* Stylez White gets the Bucs fifth sack of the half — the half! Kiss Joe’s ass Jim Bates! Two-gap this…

* Nice pass for a good gain on first down by Freeman to Stovall.

* Good pinpoint pass to Winslow by Freeman but most important, good pass blocking.

* Man, was Greg Olson pissed at Donald Penn for that false start?

* Nice pass to Sammie Stroughter for a good pickup and a late hit helps. First down Bucs.

* Freeman threw a rainbow to Stroughter in the left flat which enabled the Falcons defense to swarm. Freeman needed to drill that ball.

* Damn. Stroughter was open and it appeared there was someone breaking open in the end zone. Dave Moore is saying Freeman has been a bit too inconsistent, especially on third downs.

* Tie ball game.

* Matty Ice got away with what should have been an interception by Aqib Talib on the first play.

* That’s interesting. Matty Ice had to call a timeout on the second play of the game because he clearly saw something from the Bucs defense he wasn’t expecting.

* Same old Bucs defense: Michael Turner guts them up the middle for a first down.

* Well, after getting torched for a first down on the ground the Bucs have stopped the run on the next two plays.

* Damned near a sack and should have been intentional grounding. How can Ryan be falling down from from a sack in the pocket and toss the ball into the ground and not be a penalty… unless the play was called dead for illegal formation?

* The pride of Leto High School, Michael Jenkins is burning his old hometown team.

* A sack! Mark the tape. Not only was the sack solid, but there was very good coverage downfield.

* Nice gain by Caddy gives the Bucs some breathing room.

* What happened to Matty Ice? Fox just showed Chris Redman — who is dreadful — warming up.

* Nice work by Kellen Winslow to hustle for a first down. Joe believes he is Josh Freeman’s favorite target.

* Solid catch by Mo Stovall in traffic. First down!

* Incredible hole on the left side for Caddy.

* Keep feeding Caddy the ball! He’s hungry!

* Nice catch by the King of Turds with defenders draped all over him. He had to climb a ladder to get it.

* Damn. If Caddy doesn’t fall down, who knows how many yards he would get. First down Bucs!

* Did Freeman throw the ball away or did he just horribly overthrow Winslow?

* Almost a helluva play by Freeman. After running right, he just missed Graham for a first down as the ball was off Graham’s fingertips. Not a bad-looking drive by the Bucs albeit resulting in a punt.

* Wonderful play by Ronde Barber. Came on a quarterback blitz but nailed Michael Turner on the handoff for a huge loss.

* A Quincy Black sighting! The fact his name was called in the first quarter tells Joe something is working.

* Tony Gonzalez just schooled Barrett Ruud for a first down. Awful coverage.

* Geno Hayes runs down Turner for a minimal gain!

* Second sack of the game… and still in the first quarter… and by Quincy Black no less! What happened to Matty Ice?

* Bucs force a three-and-out.

* Damn, Bucs just gave the Dixie Chicks a first down with a penalty. Idiots.

Speaking on the Bucs radio network, Bucs general manager Mark Dominik admitted what many people had been saying for months: The Bucs didn’t have the players to play Jim Bates’ defense.

“It’s a significant deal because it allows us to play a defense we are more familiar with. We’re looking forward to seeing that and excited for coach Morris to be both calling the plays for the defense and his responsibilities as the head coach.

“We are still undersized [on defense]. Styles White played under [the Tampa-2]. Geno Hayes played under that. Jimmy Wilkerson should succeed in that. That’s part of the reason we went this route.”

Dominik also suggested that Bucs rookie quarterback Josh Freeman did not struggle against the Saints.

“What makes Josh special is that he comes in the office at 6 a.m. even after a loss. Then he sits down with his coach and then with the staff. He is in early every day looking at as much film as possible. So after last week’s loss he was immediately focused on Atlanta.

“He was making good decisions last week. He just wasn’t accurate.”

Week 12
Bucs at Falcons
Kickoff: 1 p.m.
TV: WTVT Ch. 13, DirecTV 707
Radio: Buccaneers Radio Network (in Tampa WFUS-FM, 103.5 and WDAE-AM, 620); Sirius Channel 158.
Weather: The game is played in a soulless dome. But if any Bucs fans will be in Atlanta to tailgate, per AccuWeather.com, it will be jacket weather in northern Georgia. Temperatures prior to kickoff will be in the lower 60s under sunny skies with the same conditions expected after the game.
Odds: Per Bodog.com, Falcons -12
Outlook: Joe doesn’t know what to expect from this game. Prior to this week, Joe expected Matty Ice of the Falcons to light up the Bucs defense and it’s sorry two-gap system. But that’s changed since Raheem the Dream defrocked Jim Bates as the defensive coordinator. Now, the Bucs are to be a full-blown one-gap Tampa-2. Joe isn’t so sure how that will work with just a few days’ practice, even though the secondary has been using a cover-two format often in recent weeks. Throw in the fact that Michael Turner is expected back for the Dixie Chicks, and the Bucs run defense is beyond porous, well, Joe expects the Falcons to run up the score, but Joe isn’t sure if the switch back to the Tampa-2 defense can or will work on such short notice. It seems the Bucs will have to win a shootout. Can Freeman match Ryan pass-for-pass? Joe isn’t so sure.
Fun facts: Matty Ice has lost just one home game in his short career with the Dixie Chicks. … Antonio Bryant averages 18 yards a catch against the Dixie Chicks. … John Abraham has seven sacks in his last five games against the Bucs. … Joe loves to eat at Gladys Knight’s Chicken and Waffles joint when he is in downtown Atlanta.

The good people of NFL Network are happy to bring you video previews of the Bucs-Dixie Chicks, therefore, Joe is happy to bring them to you.

First up is NFL Films preview of the game. Next up is the weather forecast, though the game will be played in a godless dome, from the fine folks of AccuWeather.com.

Also, there is Scott Smith of Buccaneers Insider who has his unique view of the game.

Bucs rumormonger-in-chief Dan Parr, of ProFootballWeekly.com, has dropped his latest bombshell.

He claims the Glazer Boys are souring on Raheem The Dream.

Word is the team’s ownership has been embarrassed by Morris’ handling of the club and its performance this year, and his decision to take over the defense may have been an indication that Morris is beginning to realize what his fate will be if he doesn’t show dramatic improvement as a coach in the final stretch of the season. Morris opted to respond by taking more ownership of his failure.

As usual, Parr cites nobody as a source of his insider information. However, Parr usually is quite accurate, and Pro Football Weekly is a legitimate, established publication.

So it seems Jim Bates has told his boss to go jump in a lake.

Woody Cummings, of The Tampa Tribune, is reporting Bates will not be in Atlanta to ride shotgun with Raheem The Dream. Cummings notes this news comes despite the head coach’s Friday optimism that the recently defrocked Bates would serve as a game-day advisor tomorrow.

This whole scenario reminds Joe of once sitting in the 300 level of the CITS next to a crazed Bucs fan who routinely yelled the following sentence at the referees after every questionable call: “After further review, f#*k you.”

Bates clearly wants no part of the next step in The Dream regime.

Joe also is reminded of Bates making a critical defensive call against Miami that set up the Bucs’ late go-ahead score, as described by Raheem The Dream himself.

Don’t be confused. Joe is pleased to see Bates move on, which appears to have happened. But Raheem The Dream sure could have used his input on Sunday as he transitions into taking over the defense.

Perhaps Bates didn’t want to see old friends in Atlanta. Remember, he was the Falcons defensive coordinator in 1994, and they sent him packing after one season, too.

Unless the Bucs have a drastic change in how the season is going, Vacation Man of BSPN is of the belief Raheem the Dream will not be back in 2010.

In a recent post on his NFC South blog, Vacation Man spells out his premise.

Chris in Columbia, SC writes: Pat, love the blog. Question: you have deep ties to Tampa and know the team pretty well. That said, do you honestly see them bringing in their third head coach in three years? I know Morris has been bad, and the circus at One Buc Place is beyond ridiculous, but can they honestly afford to do that? As much as I’d like to see it, and it would be better for the franchise, it doesn’t make sense to me personally from a realistic stand point.

Vacation Man: I still think there’s a decent chance that some things will start to click for the Bucs over the final six games and that would mean Raheem Morris stays and continues the rebuilding process into next year. However, I’ve got to be totally honest and say that if the final six games go like the rest of the season, I think Morris will be out. Yes, the Bucs still would be paying Jon Gruden, Morris and a new coach and that would be expensive. But can they afford to stick with Morris if there isn’t at least some hope on the horizon for this team? I live here in Tampa and see a fan base that’s incredibly down on this franchise right now. Understandable because the Bucs sure haven’t done much to encourage anyone this year.

Joe is still of the mind that if Chucky is still in the broadcast booth for BSPN, Raheem the Dream will still be on the sidelines for the Bucs.

Raheem the Dream’s best job security is Chucky’s unemployment.

Joe provides his weekly peek at what the lords of the national media seem to think of the Bucs in their weekly power rankings.

Mike Sando of BSPN.com doesn’t seem overly enthused with Raheem the Dream’s defrocking of defensive coordinator Jim Bates, ranking the Bucs at No. 30.

Firing the defensive coordinator with six games remaining isn’t going to fix the Bucs’ talent problems.

Former Bucs beat writer and current SI.com columnist Don Banks seems to be of the same mind as Sando, ranking the Bucs at No. 31.

Well at least now Jim Bates and Jeff Jagodzinski go can go out and grab a beer together and talk about their days as Bucs coordinators under rookie head coach Raheem Morris. And I do mean days. Weeks at most.

Not even the solid performances of rookie quarterback Josh Freeman can give the Bucs a boost in the eyes of Adrian Hasenmayer of FoxSports.com who has the Bucs at No. 31.

After two solid outings, rookie QB Josh Freeman got his first true rookie hazing by the Saints last weekend. That’s OK fans, give this kid some time and talent and you just may have something here.

Though Pete Prisco of CBSSports.com was not surprised at the firing of Jim Bates, the move by Raheem the Dream was not enough for Prisco to promote the Bucs in his rankings. He has the Bucs also at No. 31.

Josh Freeman played like a rookie against the Saints, but he will have those days. It’s hard to believe that’s a Bucs defense we’ve been watching. It tells us why Jim Bates was fired.

Knox Bardeen of Fanhouse.com isn’t enamoured with the Bucs either, placing them at No. 31.

Tampa Bay took a big step backwards on Sunday as rookie Josh Freeman was hit often and threw three interceptions and the team flailed around most of the day against New Orleans. The remaining schedule doesn’t get a whole lot easier with Atlanta twice and the Saints again, meaning the Buccaneers may be ready to get the 2009 season behind them. Be thankful it’s almost done.

In this FoxSports.com video, NFL analyst Erik Kramer give his two cents on what he thinks of Bucs quarterback Josh Freeman. Feel free to fast forward to about the 3:45 mark.

An interesting story that was too much for Joe on a slow Saturday morning appeared today in the St. Petersburg Times that seemed an attempt to discredit an earlier story in the Wall Street Journal that the Bucs are less than thrifty.

Given the fact the high priests within the politburo of the Poynter Paper seem perpetually irritated at the Wall Street Journal in general (“those satanic  capitalists!”), this doesn’t surprise Joe.

In short, the article attempts to explain the financial gymnastics spreadsheet warriors use to play games with the NFL salary cap, both for good and for bad.

“The first rule of getting out of salary-cap problems,” said Mark Dominik, the general manager, “is to stop spending.”

Which the Bucs did.

From the 2004 season to the 2008 season, the Bucs ranked 32nd of the 32 teams in the NFL in total dollars spent on players, according to NFL.com. The Bucs in those five years spent almost $120 million less on players than the team that spent the most. The Dallas Cowboys spent $566 million.

At the same time that the Bucs were paying less than every other team in the league, they also were drafting worse than most. Of the Bucs’ 47 draft picks from ’04 to ’08, only 17 are still with the team — an abysmal rate.

This is Dominik’s first year. He opted not to blame his predecessors for any poor decisions they might have made, at least not explicitly, but when asked earlier this month how many years in a row the Bucs have drafted poorly, he stared at a reporter, smirked and paused for effect, then said:

“That’s a good question.”

Look, Joe doesn’t think, at least this season, that the Bucs are “cheap.” Mark Dominik himself has thrown millions of dollars of good money away in just a few short months on players that are either grossly overpaid (Michael Clayton) or are no longer with the team (Mike Nugent, Luke McCown).

Joe learned back in high school that, if one is so inclined, one can twist numbers virtually any way in order to prove a point.

Joe just knows there is one set of numbers that not even the most astute of spinmeisters can bend:

1-9.

Joe remembers Raheem The Dream's first two major decisions on defense: moving Jermaine Phillips to linebacker and hiring Jim Bates to install the defense.

Make no mistake. Sunday’s game in Atlanta is critical to the future of Raheem The Dream.

The Jim Bates defrocking can be looked at many different ways, but two things are very clear about the move:

1) Raheem The Dream is sure he can do better — right now — with the Bucs defense.
2) Raheem The Dream believes he is the best defensive coordinator for the Bucs moving forward.

So what if the Bucs don’t improve on defense over the last six games?

Raheem The Dream will have proven that he’s not capable of improving a unit he’s familiar with intimately, and that he’s the wrong guy for the D-coordinator job in 2010 and beyond.

Remember, Raheem The Dream didn’t label himself interim defensive coordinator after kicking Bates to the curb. He’s the guy. And he’s damn happy about taking full control, reports Woody Cummings of the Tampa Tribune.

“It’s kind of your strength, and it’s kind of what I missed, being a head coach, to be honest with you,” Morris said after running the Bucs through a nearly two-hour workout Thanksgiving morning. “(I had) to be a director and the general and the leader and the manager (but) now I can pick up another title and be back on the field and be hands-on again.”

Joe suspects the Glazers are not about to let Raheem The Dream and Mark Dominik go coordinator-shopping in the offseason if the head coach can’t bring the Bucs up from putrid to below average on defense.

This is it for Raheem The Dream.

If he can’t perform better than Jim Bates, then what good is he?

The Professor explains why it might be wise to root for the Saints

The creator, curator and Mr. Everything at the popular RaysIndex.com is not only the premier Tampa Bay Rays blogger/analyst/wiseass fan on the planet, but a hardcore Bucs fan.

Joe is honored to have The Professor, Cork Gaines, join him for a weekly feature at JoeBucsFan.com. His column delivers far more punch than any Andy Sonnenstine fastball.

The Professor is here to ask, and answer, the tough questions.

Everybody relax, I’m here. This is The Professor in the Pork Chop Express, and I’m talkin’ to whoever’s listenin’ out there…

FIRST QUARTER (a look back)
Earlier this week, Jim Bates became the second coordinator to lose his job with the Bucs this season. Unlike Jeff Jagodzinski, Bates is still employed by the Bucs…Why wasn’t Bates fired? 

Based on the initial 2-year deal the Bucs gave Raheem Morris to coach the defense and the 2-year deal the Bucs gave Jeff Jagodzinski to coach the offense, we can guess that Jim Bates also had a 2-year deal for $2.0-2.4 million. While the Bucs gave Jagodzinski $1 million to walk, Bates may be less inclined to accept anything less than the full amount of his deal. He is 63, and his last two D-coach gigs lasted a total of 26 games. Bates may realize that he is not getting another big-time coaching job, so this may be his last big payday. On the other hand, the Glazers are trying to embarrass Bates into quitting so that they don’t have to pay him. So now we have to wait and see which side blinks first…..MONEY

SECOND QUARTER (looking forward)
The Bucs are one of three teams at 1-9, and yet if the season ended today, tiebreakers would leave the Bucs with the 3rd pick in the draft…Is this a bad break?

A look at Mel Kiper’s latest draft board shows that the top 4 players that will be available are all on the defensive side of the ball. Certainly the Bucs have holes on D, but the Bucs also have a lot of holes and owners that may not want to pay the salary a top-3 pick will command. So trading out of their spot may be their first choice. The top pick can potentially command more in a trade. But it may be more difficult to move the top pick without a clear No. 1 and with so few teams wanting to pay No. 1 money. The Bucs may be better off at No. 3…NO

THIRD QUARTER (outside the pocket)
The Bucs are 1-9 and 3 games behind Carolina for not-last place in the South with 6 to go…What other game should Bucs fans pay close attention to this weekend?

Catching the Panthers is unlikely at this point. The tie-breaker for the NFL draft is strength of schedule with the team having the weaker SOS getting the earlier pick. So, if the No. 3 pick is indeed better than the No. 1 pick, the Bucs need all of the teams on their schedule to do well, especially within the division. Carolina is at a Jets squad that is sinking fast and, of course, Atlanta plays the Bucs. That leaves the Saints taking on the Pats on Monday night…NEW ENGLAND @ NEW ORLEANS

FOURTH QUARTER (no huddle)
There is some rumbling that Raheem Morris will be out after just one season as head coach…Does this seem likely?

The Morris signing always puzzled me because of the infatuation the Glazers have with big-name coaches. My guess is that the Bucs will send out some back-channel feelers to Bill Cowher and one or two others…ONLY IF A BIG NAME WANTS IN

Raheem Morris is now running a professional defense for the first time in his career…If he is out as head coach after the season, is there any chance he will be back next year as the Defensive Coordinator?

If Morris loses his Head Coach title, it will only be because a big-name coach is brought in. And any big-name coach is going to want to hand-pick his staff. I suppose that the new coach may want Morris as a D-Coach. And of course Morris does have 3 years left on a deal the Glazers may not want to buy out…LESS THAN 50%

Josh Freeman has had most of his success in the shotgun…Should the Bucs stick with the shotgun even if it hurts the running game?

Anybody that has raised a baby knows that early on you just do whatever it takes to keep the baby from crying, and then worry about the details later…GOOD GRIEF, I NEED TO GET OUT OF THE HOUSE MORE OFTEN

Kellen Winslow is selling T-shirts to benefit The Kellen Winslow Foundation…Is it OK to make fun of the “Consistency” theme considering how the Bucs have played this year?

Want. To. Make. Joke. *Joe distracts Prof with pic of Nina Stauffer*…THAT WAS CLOSE

We have heard you pick a beverage for each game based on the matchup…What is the drink of choice for week 12 against the Falcons?

It seems like every week I get my hopes up only to end up with a bad taste in my mouth after the game. So why wait? Why not just spend the entire game with a bad taste in my mouth?...PORKSLAP PALE ALE

"Don't worry Donald. You'll never be my scapegoat. I'm working defense-only now."

It appears Brad Biggs of the NationalFootballPost.com is no fan of Raheem the Dream.

In a scathing article, Biggs calls out Raheem the Dream for blaming everyone but himself and suggests Raheem the Dream has put himself in front of the NFL guillotine by his own mistakes.

Raheem Morris played the blame game again, forcing defensive coordinator Jim Bates to walk the plank in Tampa Bay, the second coordinator he’s ousted since August. A day after the Buccaneers were blown out 38-7 by the New Orleans Saints, Morris rid himself of one of the problems in the team’s 1-9 start. The belief is that the Bucs will return to their Tampa Two roots that Bates trashed when he arrived—under the guidance of Morris.

Now, the head coach who had never been a coordinator before will be the head coach and the coordinator. Got it? It’s a gutsy move by Morris but eventually these are the kinds of moves that gets the coach canned. Morris fired offensive coordinator Jeff Jagodzinski in August and promoted quarterbacks coach Greg Olson. It’s unclear if the original hires were made solely by Morris or if general manager Mark Dominik was also heavily involved.

In short, Biggs suggests that Raheem the Dream has put himself on an island. Any and all mistakes from now until the end of the season will fall squarely in Raheem the Dream’s lap. No more coordinators are left to oust.

"Don't worry coach. We'll save your job... somehow."

Good guy Michael Silver of Yahoo! Sports, though a Maoist, like many Bucs fans, believes Raheem the Dream is on very, very thin ice.

Though many, like Joe, believe there are many factors that will determine whether Raheem the Dream returns next season — including Chucky’s job status, it’s not out of the realm of possibility that if the Bucs finish 1-15, Raheem the Dream could be a goner.

Logic suggests that the Bucs’ owners, Bryan, Joel and Ed Glazer, will give Morris at least another year to prove himself, especially given their role (via a sudden cessation of aggressive spending) in the team’s demise and the recent promise displayed by rookie quarterback Josh Freeman.

Yet the Glazers have behaved impulsively in the past – firing Tony Dungy after three consecutive playoff seasons, shamelessly wooing Bill Parcells while Dungy was still employed, reneging on general manager Rich McKay’s handshake deal to hire Marvin Lewis and instead making a blockbuster trade for Jon Gruden.

Besides, a disastrous year in today’s NFL can derail the most diligent of long-range plans. Just ask Cam Cameron, who was fired after going 1-15 in 2007, his sole season as the Miami Dolphins’ coach.

In short, Silver explains, there’s only one way for Raheem the Dream to secure a second season as the Bucs head coach:

His players have to win for him.