Hate to wish injury on anyone. But Joe openly admits to being pleased Saints running back Reggie Bush and starting defensive tackle Sedrick Ellis are officially out of Sunday’s Bucs-Saints game at the C.I.T.S, according to Adam Schefter of BSPN.

A miracle just got a little more likely.

As Joe referenced earlier about Bush, his greatest impact was to the Saints’ offense, not their return game. Bush has the lowest yards per return (3.8 yards) of any NFL returner this season with more than 20 attempts.

Joe keeps wondering why Jim Bates and Raheem The Dream offer fundamentally different interpretations of the Bucs' defense

Not again.

Not yet another contradictory statement about the Bucs’ defense from the guys who run it, live it, and believe in it.

Joe would love to get off the subject of the Bucs’ horrendous defense. If the Bucs would just get a few sacks and hold a team to under 300 yards en route to a victory, or at least show some improvement that would put the defense in the below-average realm, that would be easy.

But in addition to the poor play, there’s this annoying, ever-changing public interpretation of the defense by Raheem The Dream and Jim Bates that leads Joe  — and probably most thinking people — to believe they may not be on the same page.

Just yesterday, Joe spelled out many of these contradictions. The latest was the Raheem The Dream saying on Wednesday, during a media conference call, that Monte Kiffin was progressing toward the current scheme last year and there’s “not much difference” between the 2009 defense and that of year’s past.

“The previous regime we worked with we tried to transform it a little bit to this package we’re in right now. We just transformed over to it. There’s not much difference. There’s a lot of the same coverages, little different verbiage, different teachings and some more understanding of different things we may not have talked about before. We have all the stuff we had before. We’ve just added some things we needed to add from before and now we’re just putting it all together. We have a bunch of young guys that have to buy into it and grow into it together and see where we can go.“

But wait a minute. Now Jim Bates now tells Tom Balog, of the Sarasota Herald-Tribune, that his defense is a complete overhaul.

“The hardest thing has been it’s a total change,” Bates said.

This Abbott and Costello routine is getting old fast.

Joe prefers the real thing:

Pat Yasinskas, aka “Vacation Man” of BSPN takes a look at the NFC South. In his math, Josh Freeman + Antonio Bryant + Kellen Winslow, Jr. + backup Saints cornerbacks = lots of offense.

Joe’s already told you about the major injuries in the Saints’ secondary. Now all signs are pointing toward Reggie Bush’s latest knee injury severely limiting his action in Tampa on Sunday.

Bush hasn’t practiced all week. And while Saints head coach Sean Payton seems confident Bush will suit up Sunday, he’s on the record saying Bush will not return punts, reports the Times Picayune.

Payton said Bush knows the Saints’ offense well enough that he would be able to play Sunday even without practicing all week. But at the same time,  he doesn’t want to risk any setbacks if he’s not close to 100 percent.

Bush declined to speak to reporters Friday.

Whether or not he is active Sunday,  Payton indicated that Bush might not be available to return punts. That leaves the Saints thin in that department. Their backup punt returners are receiver Lance Moore and cornerback Tracy Porter,  both of whom are sidelined with injuries.

Receiver Devery Henderson,  tailback Pierre Thomas and safety Darren Sharper have been taking reps in practice as punt returners. Henderson and Thomas have never returned a punt in the NFL. Sharper hasn’t returned one since 2004.

Joe’s really not sure if this is such great news for the Bucs. Bush is only averaging 3.8 yards per punt return, dead last in the NFL among players who have returned 20 punts or more. Clifton Smith averages 9.5 yards per return, on 21 punts.

Of course, Bush is much more productive in the offense with 29 catches and averaging five yards per carry.

Joe’s hoping the Saints play it safe and sit him down. The Bucs are due for a break like that.

You want them, you’ve got them. Joe’s weekly look at the national media’s rankings of the Bucs.

Mike Sando of BSPN.com has the Bucs bumped up to No. 29 thanks to their rookie quarterback.

Josh Freeman has made the Bucs competitive for now, which stands as an improvement.

Former Bucs beat writer and current SI.com columnist Don Banks isn’t as impressed ranking the Bucs at No. 30.

It was another nice fourth-quarter comeback for Bucs rookie quarterback Josh Freeman at Miami, and it appears Tampa Bay may have something here. Freeman didn’t lead the Bucs to a second straight win, but that had more to do with Tampa Bay’s defense bending on the Dolphins’ game-winning field goal drive. It’s not far-fetched to imagine a scenario in which we end this season with Freeman’s future generating more excitement within the league than that of Mark Sanchez’s or Matthew Stafford’s. You heard it here first.

Pete Prisco of CBSSports.com is likeminded with Banks ranking the Bucs at No. 30 as well.

They have to be thrilled with the way they are playing with Josh Freeman at quarterback. That bodes well for the future. Now it’s time to fix the defense.

Adrian Hasenmayer of FoxSports.com is less enamoured ranking the Bucs at No. 31.

Some QBs get their teammates noticeably excited to play alongside them. So far, young Josh Freeman seems to have that quality, evidenced by his upset over Green Bay and near-win at Miami. Freeman’s passing will only improve, and he can already write in skills such as escapability and leadership into his resume.

Knox Bardeen of Fanhouse.com has the Bucs ranked as high as No. 29.

Josh Freeman is showing signs of brilliance and the Buccaneers — who lost a heart-breaker in Miami last week — are slowly pulling themselves out of the cellar in the standings. They have no hope for 2009, but if the final seven games go like the last two, the Bucs can be taken off of life-support.

BSPN’s Trey Wingo, Herm Edwards and Mark Schlereth have their say. You will want to watch the whole video.

It’s a new defense with a new coordinator.

No, it’s the old defense with some new wrinkles, tweaks, terminlogy changes and a desperate need for bigger personnel at linebacker and defensive line.

No. Wait.

Before the Packers-Bucs game, Raheem The Dream told the Green Bay media, “We’re implementing his system,” Raheem The Dream said, referring to Jim Bates. “We’re getting the players in place that he needs to be successful. And once we have that opportunity to do that, Jim Bates will be feeling pretty good about being here, loving life. And we’re just glad we can work together.”

No. Wait again.

Now Raheem The Dream defines his defense another way, as he told the New Orleans media reported by New Orleans.com. You see, it’s really the system Monte Kiffin was moving toward.

Q: Have you changed much of your defense from the previous regime? 

A: The previous regime we worked with we tried to transform it a little bit to this package we’re in right now. We just transformed over to it. There’s not much difference. There’s a lot of the same coverages, little different verbiage, different teachings and some more understanding of different things we may not have talked about before. We have all the stuff we had before. We’ve just added some things we needed to add from before and now we’re just putting it all together. We have a bunch of young guys that have to buy into it and grow into it together and see where we can go.

Frankly, Joe’s head hurts.

First, Raheem The Dream has to learn to just answer a question like this simply.

Here’s some help, Rah, from Coachspeak 101: “Oh, yeah. It’s a new defense with a new coordinator and  athletic, young bodies.  But a lot of was carried over from the previous regime. There was great success under Monte Kiffin, and we didn’t just throw it all out.”

Just call it what it is, Rah. Stop flopping around like a nearly-dead fish.

You and Jim Bates are the architechts of this mess, thanks largely to the talent put in your laps and your inability to work successfully with what you have. This is your 2009 defense — written, directed and choreographed by you and Mr. Bates.

Joe hopes the Bucs can turn it around on defense quickly. And Joe suspects, if they do, Raheem The Dream will redfine the defense once again.

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.

RaysIndex.com is a site Joe visits often. It’s an absolute must for Rays fans.

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)

You have officiated a few football games in your day…What are your thoughts on the “interception” at the end of the first half against the dolphins?

By the NFL rules, it was indeed an interception. But here is where the NFL tries to hard to control every single aspect of the game. They add all these caveats to the rules. Why? Because about 5 times over the course of the season, there is one of those “grey area” catches that apparently needs a specific rule. But the problem is, the alteration of the rule is messing with plays that are not in that “grey area.” Did Michael Clayton catch the ball? Yes. Did he control the ball? Yes. Was he down on the ground before the ball came out? Yes. How in the H-E-Double Hockey Sticks is that not a catch? That is a catch in every other league in the universe. Stevie Wonder knew that was a catch. But because the NFL is so worried about not having a specific rule for something that might happen on national TV in an important game, it is not a catch in the NFL…

THAT’S NOT FOOTBALL  

 

SECOND QUARTER (looking forward)

Ira Kaufman of the Tampa Tribune said this about Barrett Ruud: “…he has yet to develop into a difference-maker on the order of a Ray Lewis or even a Patrick Willis”…Why does this statement upset you so much?

C’mon Kaufman. I usually don’t pay much mind to these Q&As but this statement is borderline crazy. It is insulting to Lewis and Willis because anybody with a pulse knows Ruud will never be Rays Lewis or Patrick Willis. But more importantly it isn’t fair to Ruud because he will never be Lewis or Willis. Heck, he will never be Hardy Nickerson. But that is ok. He just needs to be a productive linebacker in the NFL, and making this throwaway comment is only going to set up the fanbase for even more disappointment…

RUUD DOESN’T HAVE TO BE RAY LEWIS TO BE GOOD  

 

THIRD QUARTER (outside the pocket)

The Bucs take on New Orleans this weekend at RayJay…What other game should Bucs fans pay close attention to?

Thanks to the Dolphins last night, the Bucs are still only 2 losses behind the Panthers for not-last place. Outside of the divisional standings, there are a couple of familiar names that could have their hands under a fat guy’s butt this weekend. That is Bruce Gradkowski starting for the Raiders against Cincy and our old friend Chris Simms might get the start for the Broncos against the Chargers. We were never the biggest Simms fans. I mean what kind of leader has the tattoo of another man’s initials on his leg? Still, we always kinda liked the kid and felt Gruden kinda did him wrong…

SAN DIEGO @ DENVER  

 

FOURTH QUARTER (no huddle)

Bruce Gradkowski is now the starting QB in Oakland…What does this tell us about Jamarcus Russell?

Yikes. It would be one thing if your backup was Daunte Culpepper or Matt Leinart or Vince Young. But when you are a former #1 pick and the coach thinks Bruce Gradkowski is a better option, that’s not a good sign…

THAT DUDE SUCKS  

 Is this interview with Josh Freeman the worst interview you have ever read?

I once saw somebody try to interview a gorilla. I think that had more substance…

YES

I tried to get Mrs. Professor to read this book for about a year and she wouldn’t do it. Turn it into a movie with Sandra Bulluck, add some sappy music and make up some fake gang drama and all of the sudden she is all “oooooo, that looks amazing!”

…UNFORTUNATELY

 

Gasparilla will never be Mardi Gras, but that won’t stop us from honoring Jose Gaspar..

GASPAR ALE

"Coach, stop cursing at me. That's not very polite."

The Saints have major injuries in their secondary.

Maybe they don’t need a secondary, with as many points as their offense rings up. But nonetheless, the Bucs have the opportunity to go after a rookie cornerback with an ankle injury making his first start, reports Mike Triplett, of the Times-Picayune.

That rookie would be Malcolm Jenkins, the Saints 2009 first round pick from Ohio State. Before the Saints last game, Jenkins was burned mulitple times in very limited action.

Jenkins saw the most extensive playing time of his young career Sunday, first filling in as the nickel back because of Jabari Greer’s groin injury, then moving into an every-down role after Tracy Porter suffered a knee injury early in the third quarter.

He held up well, not giving up any significant plays in the passing game or in run support. This week, he’s expected to follow up by making his first career start at Tampa Bay.

“He did well. He did really well,” Saints defensive coordinator Gregg Williams said. “And I tease him a little bit this week as he steps up again in this role that it’s a rookie quarterback (Tampa Bay’s Josh Freeman) against a rookie corner. So we’ll see who steps up the most and how they do.

“But he’s progressing very well. He’s stayed healthy (after a nagging ankle injury). And what I hope you and the fans will get to see is that he’s one of those rare cornerbacks that’s physical like a safety. Not only can he play the cornerback position, but he plays it in his aggressive style, like a safety or a small linebacker. And that’s what attracted me to him when I started watching the college film, anyway.”

If the Bucs have any chance to win Sunday, they’re going to have to light up the scoreboard — a lot.

Joe’s not sure whether the running game will ever return, but the opportunities will no doubt be there for Freeman down the field. Joe’s tipping his Caybrew in the direction of Greg Olson, hoping he gets mighty aggressive on Sunday.

Pat Kirwan and Jason Horowitz of CBSSports.com break down the Saints-Bucs game Sunday. Kirwan also takes a in-depth look at Bucs quarterback Josh Freeman.

Thanks in part to Maurice Stovall's touchdown pass, the Bucs nor the fans should blame the zebras.

Like a number of Bucs fans and Joe, Woody Cummings of the Tampa Tribune is suspicious of the “Michael Clayton interception” against the Dolphins last week.

But Cummings, in a TBO podcast, says anyone who pins the Bucs loss on the crazy call just before halftme is “a copout.”

Those Bucs tidbits and more can be heard on the podcast.

Saints quarterback Drew Brees is supposed to go on a date with Bucs quarterback Josh Freeman.

Seems as though Bucs offensive coordinator is more than just a football coach. Off the field, it appears he’s a matchmaker of sorts.

In the Bucs team report on FoxSports.com, an article details how Olson was an offensive assistant at Purdue when the Boilermakers had a quarterback named Drew Brees.

Now that Olson is coaching in the NFL and has a pupil named Josh Freeman, Olson has set the two up for a date once the season ends.

Bucs offensive coordinator Greg Olson coached a young, skinny quarterback at Purdue named Drew Brees. Now he has asked Brees if he could spend some time in the off-season with Bucs rookie quarterback Josh Freeman.

Brees said even if the teams are in the same division, he will give a few pointers to Freeman in the off-season.

The question Joe would like to ask is, could there possibly be a way that Olson might take the edge off of Brees this week because, maybe, Brees doesn’t want to show up his BFF Freeman?

When you’re new the savior/franchise rookie quarterback of a 1-8 team, the opposing team’s media wants to talk to you.

Who else would they possibly care about on the Bucs?

Per NFL protocol, the beat writers of the Bucs’ opposition get to pick the Buccaneer they want to interview via conference call on Wednesdays. Of course, Freeman was their guy yesterday.

You can read’s Freeman’s edited comments here, from the Times-Picayune. Joe thought this Freeman quote was particularly interesting:

What have you seen in the growth of Raheem Morris as a head coach?

“Coach Morris has done a good job. He demands respect from the team. The team respects him, and everybody plays hard for him. He’s found a way to be a player’s coach, but at the same time maintain the respect he has for everyone.”

It seems like Freeman entered the NFL not believing there was such a thing as a player’s coach who could be successful, especially one who throws around F-bombs and chest bumps with the fellas, often with rap music in the background.

It’s an interesting observation from a heady, conservative young kid.

Joe sincerely hopes Freeman is on the money with his latest assessment.

Arron Sears is back at One Buc Place from whatever caused his mysterious absence and he’ll be working with the Bucs’ condidtioning staff for at least a week to get into shape. And then he’ll presumably work toward getting into football shape and onto the practice field.

Woody Cummings, of the Tampa Tribune, was among those in the MSM given an official update on Sears on Wednesday.

Sears will spend this week working out on his own. It will be next week at the earliest before he returns to the practice field and possibly next season before he sees game action again.

As for the problem that has beset the Bucs young guard, the Bucs still aren’t saying. Nor is Sears. As part of his slow indoctrination back into pro football, the Bucs plan to keep him away from the media until next week at the earliest as well.

Sears returned to the Bucs on his own, according to Bucs general manager Mark Dominik and is “hungry’’ to get back on the field.

Joe’s pleased to hear Sears is “hungry” to play, and it’s understandable the Bucs don’t want to put any pressure on him to play this season.

But Joe has to go on the record and say Sears has must get on the field this year not only for himself, but for the team’s best interest.

It seems Sears is understandably way out of shape. So if it takes him two weeks to feel like an athlete again, and then three weeks to practice and get in better shape and study the playbook, that’ll put him at two games left in the season: at New Orleans and home for Atlanta on Jan. 3.

If Sears remains in a state of mind that allows him to work full-time at his job, then there’s no reason to keep him out of the lineup on Jan 3.

Imagine the positive feeling for Sears to line up on the field at that point alongside Jeff Faine and Donald Penn. Joe believes he’ll get quite an ovation from the home crowd.

What a rush of confidence heading into next season. And frankly, the Bucs need to see him play at least a half, recover and still want to play football.

Joe’s rooting for Sears big time. And if his head is OK, he’s got to get on the field this season. 

Once upon a time the Bucs had a balanced rushing attack and ran for 174 yards on just 31 carries and not one handoff went for a loss.

That was opening day against Dallas.

Since then the Bucs running game has been one of the true bottom-feeders of the NFL. Tampa Bay is now ranked 25th in rushing. And they’d probably be last if not for the run-for-your life yardarge gained by Josh Johnson and Josh Freeman. 

Call Joe old-school. But Joe firmly believes a good running game is a young quarterback’s best friend.

Never mind that Raheem The Dream has repeated over and over how the Bucs want to be that downhill running, play-action team. So far, the only guys running downhill consistently are linebackers chasing opposing running backs.

Is the offensive line totally overrated? Nobody can blame the struggles on Jeff Faine’s absence anymore.

Remember the most dangerous running back threeseome in football? While every Bucs fan loves Cadillac Williams (3.9 yards per carry), he and Derrick Ward (3.7 ypg.) and Earnest Graham are not getting it done. The Bucs found a way to get Mike Allstott carries at fullback. Why not Graham?

Evaluating the running game — and hopefully establishing a legitimate one — is a top priority for Joe for the rest of the season outside of developing Freeman.

If the O-line stays healthy and the Bucs can’t run the ball, there’s something terribly wrong that a bunch of talk will never fix.

Joe so looks forward to Thursdays. Not so much because it means the weekend is a day away but it means the gorgeous Jenny Dell of BSPN graces Joe’s site. Naturally, Jenny talks about the Bucs game with New Orleans Sunday. Joe’s watched the video now twice and the only thing he really heard Jenny say was “Drew Brees.”

If Jenny doesn’t brighten your morning, Joe doesn’t know what to think.

Last week Joe brought you, via Vacation Man of BSPN.com, about how much better Bucs rookie quarterback Josh Freeman threw out of a shotgun formation than he did taking snaps from center.

Despite Freeman playing in only two games, the numbers he puts up out of a shotgun formation compared to taking a direct snap are significant. Vacation Man notes how only Philip Rivers of the Chargers throws for a better passer rating out of a shotgun than Freeman.

He’s at his best when operating out of the shotgun formation. Of the league’s 44 quarterbacks who have taken at least 20 snaps out of the shotgun, Freeman has the second-best passer rating. His 105.0 rating is second only to San Diego’s Philip Rivers (105.2).

Freeman’s completed 27 of 45 passes for 352 yards with four touchdowns and one interception out of the shotgun.

New Orleans’ Drew Brees (98.9) ranks sixth in the NFL. Atlanta’s Matt Ryan is No. 22 with an 81.3 rating and Carolina’s Jake Delhomme is 25th with a 79.3 rating.

Maybe this explains why the Bucs were able to rally late the past two games? The Bucs had to start passing, i.e. shotgun formation.

Former Bucs defensive lineman Dave Pear is among a growing list of ex-NFL players who physically suffer from the beatings they took as players.

Not a whole lot of Bucs fans — except the diehards — will know who Dave Pear is.

Pear, a defensive lineman, was the Bucs first Pro Bowl player. He was one of the original Bucs.

Today, Pear is a shell of himself, a physical wreck wracked with chronic pain from the beating and abuse he took as an NFL lineman.

As documented by Doug Fernandes of the Sarasota Herald-Tribune, Pear is a walking example of how the NFL, filthy rich beyond any average person’s imagination, turns its backs on ex-players, as if they are human chattel. The same players who enabled NFL owners to become the billionaires they are today.

Pear said he’s spent more than $500,000 of his own money — more than he made during his career — on medical bills and prescription drugs.

The NFL, he said, ignores its own by failing to pay ex-players the disability payments they so desperately need, deserve and are owed.

“The NFL is delay, deny and hope we die,” Pear said. “We don’t want them to give us anything other than what they owe us.”

In Pear’s case, he wants the 25 years of benefits, plus penalty and interest, he believes were illegally withheld.

Joe cannot believe the NFL and the NFLPA cannot set aside, say, one percent of players’ gross salaries, matched by NFL owners, to be set aside to assist ex-players who are suffering from the physical beatings they took in their playing days.

Joe does know that if the NFL doesn’t start doing something, the feds will get involved.

Bucs fans who would like to connect with Pear can do so via his blog at DavePear.com.

Joe still can’t figure out how in the hell the NFL officials dreamed up that “interception” by Jason Taylor on Michael Clayton’s catch last Sunday.

In short, Clayton is to blame because he never got both feet down. Seriously.

Joe learned this by watching NFL vice president of officiating Mike Pereira go through the replay in great detail in this special NFL.com video, explaining how the officials determined it was an interception.

Pereira called the play “fascinating.” Joe’s not so sure he’d use the same word.

It seems Bucs special teams coach/associate head coach Rich Bisaccia is being talked about among NFL heirarchy and executives as a potential head coach in 2010.

Joe has no intimate knowledge of this. However, in a live chat today on NFL.com, senior NFL writer Jason LaCanfora tossed in Bisaccia’s name as a prime candidate for teams looking to stay away from the available big name head coaches like Bill Cowher, Mike Holmgren and Chucky.

Ryan, Rochester, NY 1:18 PM ET
Cowher the next bills head coach?

Jason La Canfora, NFL Network
Would be totally stunned. Don’t see that happening. Don’t see any of the big name guys ending up there. I would be going after a Leslie Frazier or Mike Zimmer or Rich Bisaccia.

Joe highly doubts LaCanfora, who is new to his leaguewide beat and hardly a Bucs insider, would drop Bisaccia’s name like that if he wasn’t hearing it from the unnamed NFL “executives” he’s always sourcing and quoting.

Perhaps Bisaccia is having his agent stir the pot. He did say last week in an interview on 620 WDAE-AM that he wants to be considered for a head coaching job.

Obviously, losing Bisaccia would be a blow to the Bucs, whose kick return and kick coverage teams are tops in the NFL.

Joe admits up front these are not Bucs items, but they are so funny Joe thought he’d share.

Joe came across these yesterday. First, in the photo above, how trashed in Jerry Jones? Wonder if that photo was shot at some Channelside hotspot after the Cowboys hammered the Bucs in Week One?

The video below floored Joe. Never did Joe expect Moammar Gaddafi to be such a frustrated Bears fan. Joe is very happy Mark Dominik failed to acquire bratty quarterback Jay Cutler.