Yes, Joe finally got to type “highlights” after a Bucs game rather than “lowlights.”

There’s no need to stay up until the middle of the night waiting for Bucs highlights of their first win of the season over the Packers when Joe can bring them to you, all courtesy of the good people of the NFL Network.

First are the Bucs highlights replete with the calls from Gene Deckerhoff. Second are touchdowns by Sammie Stroughter and Tanard Jackson.

Also is Josh Freeman’s first touchdown pass and his second touchdown pass.

Other highlights include Ronde Barber’s touchdown of Geno Hayes’ blocked punt and Aqib Talib’s interception. Elbert Mack also had a pickoff.

The NFL Network also highlights Clifton’s Smith’s 81-yard kickoff return and a highlight packages of Freeman’s top plays.

More: there are commments from Raheem the Dream and Freeman.

Lastly, NFL Network analysts Jamie Dukes and Tom Waddle discuss the Bucs win.

If Bucs fans are like Joe, they are awash in Caybrew.

And for good reason: The Bucs won their first game of the season, wearing the creamsicle unis and in front of legend Lee Roy Selmon no less.

Additionally, the Bucs won on Josh Freeman’s first start. Could this be a harbinger of things to come? Could this be the beginning of a glorious era for Bucs fans?

What may be intersting is that Freeman’s first win could be the beginning of the end of the Mike McCarthy era in Green Bay. That’s what Mike Florio, the creator, curator and overall guru of ProFootballTalk.com believes.

Coupled with a sweep of the Packers by Brett Favre, a loss to the woeful Bucs could be enough to spark loud calls in the vicinity of Lambeau Field for a new General Manager and a new head coach.

Joe doesn’t know if McCarthy should lose his job just yet. Joe does know Packers fans have become irritated with McCarthy. If the dominoes are actually beginning to fall for McCarthy to lose his job, Joe finds it rich with irony that the first start of the Bucs new franchise quarterback was the tremor that began the McCarthy’s downfall.

Following his sideline shower, Raheem The Dream stayed remarkably cool in his postgame interview for the Bucs radio network.

Raheem The Dream was surprisingly mellow following the Bucs comeback win against Green Bay.

Considering the head coach is ramped up like a mouse who just ate a chocolate bar most of the time, Joe was very surprised to hear Raheem The Dsream speak rather smoothly and confidently during his postgame interview on the Buccaneers Radio Network.

Raheem The Dream seemed to be careful not to raise expectations on Josh Freeman, taking more of a he’s-progressing-nicely approach.

Joe was impressed. The head coach was under control. Joe suspects Raheem The Dream wanted to say something like, “I told you he’s a No. 1 quarterback in this league, mother fu**er. That’s why we drafted him. That’s my bride. He’s got the goods, and he’s just a baby.” (Editor’s note: Raheem The Dream drops F-bombs when enjoying happy talk with Aqib Talib, so Joe assumes that’s what he was thinking).

Raheem The Dream talked about his confidence going for the touchdown on fourth down late in the game rather than kicking a field goal. (For those in the toilet at that time, the result was the winning touchdown toss to Sammie Stroughter).

Raheem The Dream said he tried to keep his happy locker room focused on preparing for next week’s game in Miami. “Ronde Barber presented me with a game ball. Ownership was there and they wanted to present me a game ball,” Raheem The Dream said.

As for more games in the Creamsicle jerseys, Raheem said his player are on board. “I’m sure the guys will be politicking to wear them a little bit more.”

Yes, Green Bay allows lots of sacks. Yes, Aaron Rogers holds the ball too long, and their O-line is hardly a group of great pass blockers. But who the heck cares — it’s the Packers.

The Bucs defensive line had six sacks. Hallelujah!

Former Bucs DE Steve White will offer up the finest D-line breakdown on earth in his weekly Bull Rush feature on JoeBucsFan.com tomorrow. You don’t want to miss it.

For now, Joe’s got some perspective from Stylez G. White, as he spoke on the Buccaneers Radio Network.

“We put [Aaron Rodgers] in situations with 3rd and long. We was going. We felt like we played the Patriots and got good pressuue and we could keep it going, ” said White, who recorded 1.5 sacks. “That week off was huge. …We’re not good enough to come from behind right now. We need all three phases. We need to do that early. …Going in Monday for work, now it’s not as gloomy as the other days going in. …Hopefully, it’s going to be contagious.”

Chris Hovan said on the Buccaneers Radio Network that the Bucs’ D-line simply had success at the line of scrimmage. ” We won the one-on-ones to win the game,” he said.

Hovan threw in some high praise for Josh Freeman. “He didn’t look like a rookie to me.”

As for the D-Line success, Joe believes there’s a bit of a Gaines-is-outta-here thing going on.

Joe’s played on his share of teams. And when there’s a guy like Adams getting a lot of playing time who ain’t getting it done and not looking good, that drags down an entire unit.

That’s just human nature. And Joe’s sure there was a liberating feeling in the D-line room after Adams left, and it’s showing on the field.

Hats off to Michael Clayton for making a huge adjustment on a Josh Freeman 29-yard bomb caught in the wind to make a huge catch to set up the winning score.

Following the game, Clayton said on the Buccaneers Radio Network that he made more than just a great adjustment on the ball. He made changes this week in his personal life that he believes are paying off.

“Spiritually I took some steps this week. … Fasting,” Clayton said in the radio interview. A surprisingly mellow Clayton, now sporting a beard, finished his brief comments by praising the Lord. 

Josh Freeman gave a more Xs and Os explanation of Clayton’s big catch, his only one of the game (plus the 2-point conversion).

“Al Harris wasn’t really respecting Clayton on that vertical route all day. Clayton was just saying, ‘He’s just sitting. He’s just sitting,’ Freeman said. ”  …I just threw it up, the wind caught it. …[Clayton] made a great adjustment, it was great.]

Joe would love to learn more about Clayton fasting. Whatever works, Mike. Everyone will love you if you don’t drop balls.

Kellen Winslow, Jr., sent a message to critics of his head coach and to Bucs management following the game.

In an energetic locker room interview on the Buccaneers Radio Network, Winslow told the world the Bucs are behind their head coach.

“I haven’t won in a long time, coming from Cleveland. We just wanted to win for these players and these coaches. Especially for Rah. We know he’s under a lot of pressure. We’re not letting him go nowhere,” Winslow said.

Joe finds it interesting that Winslow was feeling the heat on Raheem The Dream. Joe knows Winslow’s lovely wife reads JoeBucsFan.com.

Perhaps Winslow does, too.

Joe suspects that in the hoopla surrounding Josh Freeman and the Bucs’ first victory, it will be easy for the media and fans to forget about Clifton Smith.

The guy shook off his ugly concussion suffered against Carolina to return to the lineup today and flat out dominate in the return game, including busting an 83-yard kickoff return, another strong return and four punt returns for 54 yards.

His rookie quarterback was appreciative very early in his postgame interview on the Buccaneers Radio Network.

“It’s hard to say if we get this thing done without Clifton Smith, giving us great field position all game,” Freeman said on the Buccaneers Radio Network after the game.

Joe’s fired up about Smith. Great game.

And it’s comforting to know the Bucs have Sammie Strougther behind him on the returner depth chart. No doubt Stroughter could be a starter in that role on other NFL teams.

The Savior

Damn, if feels awesome to win. Joe’s got the Caybrew flowing!

Amazing that so much of this win falls on the shoulders of 21-year-old Josh Freeman.

Unbelievable!

The Bucs came up big in all facets of the game, yet there’s so much room for improvement. Now that’s encouraging!

Joe’s got his usual powerhouse postgame coverage all day, night and into tomorrow. Check back early and often.

* Bucs had Rodgers for a sack but he slips away for a first down to James Jones even with Bucs dropping eight back in coverage.

* Nice tackle for  loss by Tanard Jackson!

* Big time sack by Roy Miller! Can the Bucs hold the Packers?

* Gee, Rodgers didn’t have enough time to decide to run did he?

* OK, now Freeman has to get some offense going here. Bucs are down two scores.

* Peanut Smith with a big time return. Bucs should at least get a field goal out of this.

* Freeman just threw a hair behind Ryan Clark otherwise it was six points. Broken up by the Pack.

* Freeman barely — barely! — missed a penalty by almost running past the line of scrimmage. Smart play by Freeman in that he kept looking downfield when he possibly could have run the ball for a score.

* Why the hell did Raheem the Dream go for two? No need for that nonsense.

* Ted Nugent blaring through the speakers of the CITS.  It certainly is a 1970s day.

* Dave Moore on the Bucs radio network just remarked how he loved the Bucs cheerleaders big… pom-pons.

* Packers pounding the ball and eating clock. Can you say “Carolina?”

* Packers are basically telling the Bucs: We’ll run till you stop us. The Bucs aren’t.

* Even when the Bucs get players on the Pack’s running backs the Pack still get a couple of yards.

* Bucs dodge a bullet. Rodgers had time but was rushed when no one was open. Rodgers was hit as he was throwing and as a result, the pass was incomplete.

* A toe tackle stopped what would have been a monster gain by Peanut Smith.

* Very, very, very nice catch by Winslow on Freeman’s pass to the right sideline. First down.

* Freeman’s second interception waived off by a holding call. Dave Moore claims Freeman never should have thrown across  his body in in midfield.

* Freeman dodges another interception. Dropped by Al Harris.

* Michael Clayton with a catch. Michael Clayton of all people! Bucs in the red zone.

* Third-and-four. Joe says a rollout would be good here.

* Sammie Stroughter gives the Bucs a lead with 4:14 with a remarkable catch in the right far corner of the end zone.

* Michael Clayton was so wide open Joe thought sure he would drop the pass. Bucs lead 31-28 lead. Can the defense hold for the Bucs first win. Joe is having a difficult time believing what he is seeing, with apologizes to Jack Buck.

* Crowd is alive.

* Another sack!

* On Rodgers sack the Pack held worse than on the previous play when there was holding called.

* Once again there is no room to run right. What the hell Olsen?

* Almost a dangerous fumble by Freeman.

* Joe just got a message from a good friend Vitto in Pittsburgh. He has the Pack in a survival pool he is leading in. He is just a handful of weeks away from winning $277,000. That is if the Bucs lose. Vitto said he’s about to commit suicide.

* Balls call here by Raheem the Dream to go for it.

* Dumbasses, false start. No excuse for that. NONE!

* OK. If the Bucs have any cajones on defense, now is the time.

* Sixth sack by the Bucs. Unreal.

* Bucs win! Joe cannot believe he’s typing this. Tanard Jackson with a pick six. Much, much, much more later. Stay with Joe.a

* This running to the right won’t get the job done.

* Hello, Greg Olson, don’t run to the right!

* Stovall was open briefly for a touchdown but Freeman was rushed out of the pocket.

* Geez, can the Bucs buy a field goal?

* Ronde Barber with the blocked punt.

* Off the top of Joe’s head, that’s the second blocked punt in two seasons for Geno Hayes, and Hayes only played a handful of games last season.

* K.C. and the Sunshine Band is blaring out of the CITS public address system instead of Ozzy Ozbourne. Joe likes Ozzy but Joe finds Ozzy at the CITS very stale. Welcome change in tunes by the Bucs.

* If the Bucs are going to have a shot of winning this game — and it’s tied — the defense has to tighten up.

* Good protection on Jennings by Ronde Barber who was on Jennings like a blanket.

* Third down and six. Bucs need a stop, maybe some pressure perhaps?

* Geez, and when they do put pressure on Rodgers, the Bucs can’t get him on the ground. First down Pack.

* Good cutback by Grant against a swarming Bucs defense.

* At times, Joe sees better high school defenses against the run on Friday nights than what the Bucs just tried. Got the ball shoved up their rear ends for a massive gain.

* And then Donald Drive was so wide open most people would have called the Coast Guard because they are lost.

* Joe hears the cries of the Cheeseheads, “Go Pack go… go Pack go… “

(Column intermission: The Swashbuckler uniforms are rather, um, kind to Jamie Hanna. Binoculars are a great thing at football games.)

* Smart move to unload the ball by Freeman rather than risk a sack.

* Next play Freeman should have unloaded it but didn’t. Massive loss.

* Near disaster on the fumbled snap.

* Guess Olson decided to get some room for the punt team on the draw play.*

* Old school Van Halen on the CITS PA system, “Running with the Devil.”

* Thankfully some defense now that the Packers have a short field after the shanked punt.

* Stylez White and Roy Miller chase Rodgers, nearly a sack, forcing a throwaway by Rodgers.

* First time Joe remembers the old “Tampa… Bay… ” cheer by the crowd.

* Nice read by Barber on the draw play. Fourth down. Whew, about time for a solid defensive stand.

* Nice dump by Freeman over to Stovall.

* Freeman throws a rainbow into a crowd and Nick Collins picks  it off. When Freeman tossed that ball Joe feared it was picked off.  Only Joe Montana could get away with lofting passes like that and Freeman is no Montana.

* Joe thought Sabby Piscitelli was going to get whistled for having a hand on a receiver when he batted down a Rodgers pass.

* On the near-pick by Barber, the Bucs ran a stunt left and it was so freaking slow in developing Joe thought the Bucs were doing a walk-through.

* With 95 yards to go and just over two minutes left in the half, Joe’s now sure why the Bucs are running.

* Good play by Stovall except he did not get out of bounds.

* Nearly a bomb completed to Clayton, only a touch too much on the ball by Freeman.

* So far Stovall and Winslow are Freeman’s favorite receivers.

* Real nice run by Freeman for a first down.

* Great catch by Stovall but he couldn’t get both feet down.

* Winslow squirms his way to a first down catch.

* The CITS public address system blares “Jungle Love” by Steve Miller whenever the Bucs make a first down.

* Stroughter wiggles his way to a near first down. Maybe time for one shot before a field goal attempt.

* This is gutless football. You have 11 seconds left and you decide to kick a field goal instead of taking a shot at the end zone? Crazy!

* This running to the right won’t get the job done.

* Hello, Greg Olson, don’t run to the right!

* Stovall was open briefly for a touchdown but Freeman was rushed out of the pocket.

* Geez, can the Bucs buy a field goal?

* Ronde Barber with the blocked punt.

* Off the top of Joe’s head, that’s the second blocked punt in two seasons for Geno Hayes, and Hayes only played a handful of games last season.

* K.C. and the Sunshine Band is blaring out of the CITS public address system instead of Ozzy Ozbourne. Joe likes Ozzy but Joe finds Ozzy at the CITS very stale. Welcome change in tunes by the Bucs.

* If the Bucs are going to have a shot of winning this game — and it’s tied — the defense has to tighten up.

* Good protection on Jennings by Ronde Barber who was on Jennings like a blanket.

* Third down and six. Bucs need a stop, maybe some pressure perhaps?

* Geez, and when they do put pressure on Rodgers, the Bucs can’t get him on the ground. First down Pack.

* Good cutback by Grant against a swarming Bucs defense.

* At times, Joe sees better high school defenses against the run on Friday nights than what the Bucs just tried. Got the ball shoved up their rear ends for a massive gain.

* And then Donald Drive was so wide open most people would have called the Coast Guard because they are lost.

* Joe hears the cries of the Cheeseheads, “Go Pack go… go Pack go… “

(Column intermission: The Swashbuckler uniforms are rather, um, kind to Jamie Hanna. Binoculars are a great thing at football games.)

* Smart move to unload the ball by Freeman rather than risk a sack.

* Next play Freeman should have unloaded it but didn’t. Massive loss.

* Near disaster on the fumbled snap.

* Guess Olson decided to get some room for the punt team on the draw play.*

* Old school Van Halen on the CITS PA system, “Running with the Devil.”

* Thankfully some defense now that the Packers have a short field after the shanked punt.

* Stylez White and Roy Miller chase Rodgers, nearly a sack, forcing a throwaway by Rodgers.

* First time Joe remembers the old “Tampa… Bay… ” cheer by the crowd.

* Nice read by Barber on the draw play. Fourth down. Whew, about time for a solid defensive stand.

* Nice dump by Freeman over to Stovall.

* Freeman throws a rainbow into a crowd and Nick Collins picks it off. When Freeman tossed that ball Joe feared it was picked off. Only Joe Montana could get away with lofting passes like that and Freeman is no Montana.

* Joe thought Sabby Piscitelli was going to get whistled for having a hand on a receiver when he batted down a Rodgers pass.

* On the near-pick by Barber, the Bucs ran a stunt left and it was so freaking slow in developing Joe thought the Bucs were doing a walk-through.

* With 95 yards to go and just over two minutes left in the half, Joe’s now sure why the Bucs are running.

* Good play by Stovall except he did not get out of bounds.

* Nearly a bomb completed to Clayton, only a touch too much on the ball by Freeman.

* So far Stovall and Winslow are Freeman’s favorite receivers.

* Real nice run by Freeman for a first down.

* Great catch by Stovall but he couldn’t get both feet down.

* Winslow squirms his way to a first down catch.

* The CITS public address system blares “Jungle Love” by Steve Miller whenever the Bucs make a first down.

* Stroughter wiggles his way to a near first down. Maybe time for one shot before a field goal attempt.

* This is gutless football. You have 11 seconds left and you decide to kick a field goal instead of taking a shot at the end zone? Crazy!

* Little too much in front to the pass to caddy in the right flat on the first play of the game.

* Nice start by Caddy to the left off tackle for a good chunk.

* Good run when Freeman decided to run. Slid too quick though to avoid getting his head knocked off.

* James Jones just walked past Elbert Mack once Jones caught the ball. If, as Gene Deckerhoff said, Mack has a bad ankle, than what is he doing on the field?

* Bucs are doing a nice job running the ball. They should stay with it.

* Bucs seem to want to run the ball to the left. Keep it up.

* Freeman’s second pass batted down at the line. Strange from such a tall guy. He also telegraphed it.

* Caddy getting stuffed to the right might be why they are running left. Now it’s third-and-long.

* Close to a pic-six by Woodsen.

* Mack makes a nice pick almost for six to make up for his roasting earlier.

* A Derrick Ward sighting!

* Now Ward, wide open in the right flat, accurate pass and Ward dives to the pylon. Freeman races in to embrace Ward.

* That wonderful Bucs rush defense is getting the job done (again).

* Ruud makes a tackle… after a four-yard game.

* After the long gain the Bucs have buckled down on the run.

* Ahmad Green muscles for a first down screen reception.

* Pack looks to be about to score. Nice possession by them, taking wht the Bucs give.

* OMG, Barrett Ruud may have gotten a tackle for a loss!

* On the Pack’s second touchdown, Joe believes he could have run the ball in. Very good push up front by the Pack’s offensive line. Imagine?

* Bucs have no running room to the right.

* Very nice roll out to the left by Freeman with a pass to a wide open Kellen Winslow. With those creamsicles, it looked to Joe just like Doug Williams.

* Pass was on the money to Brian Clark but Tremaine Williams knocked it down. So far, to Joe, the passes seem to be on target but Dave Moore thought the pass was behind Clark.

* Escapability by the rookie and he hits a wide open Derrick Ward as Freeman kept his eyes downfield. Freeman seems to be a cool cucumber so far.

Fans in a couple of hours will get a treat on TV. The CITS is all decked out in creamsicle.

The Bucs cheerleaders are all wearing orange. A giant Bucco Bruce helmet is at midfield.  The end zones have white “TAMPA BAY” with orange trim.

Even the sides of the CITS on field level have an orange and white banner circling the stadium.

It will look cool to Bucs fans on TV. Joe is already impressed.

Week 8
Packers vs. Bucs
Kickoff: 1 p.m.
TV: WTVT Ch. 13, DirecTV 710
Radio: Buccaneers Radio Network (in Tampa WFUS-FM, 103.5 and WDAE-AM, 620); Sirius Channel 138.
Weather: Per AccuWeather.com, despite the wind, absolute dynamite weather. Temperature at kickoff expected to be 82 with winds at 15 mph. If Raheem the Dream had stuck to his run-first, throw-deep offense, this would be perfect. Joe knows it’s not in the 80s in the daytime in Green Bay in November. Winds may actually slightly increase during the game. While kickoff is expected to be sunny, the skies are expected to turn cloudy before the end of the game.
Odds: Per Bodog.com, Green Bay -10
Outlook: Finally, the Ring of Honor is unveiled today, and no less an inductee than the lone Bucs player in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Lee Roy Selmon, is the initial inductee. Props to Lee Roy. Also rather fitting, the creamsicle unis are unearthed. Good timing since those unis signify the horrible Bucs years. Given the fact the Bucs are chasing a winless season, it’s rather fitting the creamsicles are broken out again. Given the fact Josh Freeman will be making his first NFL start at quarterback, the only way the Bucs win this game is if the Bucs can dominate in the running game. Joe expects at least one pick-six. If Freeman throws less than 12 passes, that means the Bucs have a prayer. If Freeman throws more than 20 passes, the Cheeseheads will have a fine time today with their Miller Lite (given the fact Joe is from the St. Louis area, the thought of drinking Miller Lite as opposed to Caybrew is nauseating to Joe, no matter how kind the Packers fans are.

Joe’s brought up the subject of Josh Freeman getting booed before. But as Freeman wets his pants prepares before his first start today, it’s worth another look.

Bucs fans have endured 11 consecutive losses. Ownership isn’t spending enough money on players. The head coach and general manager haven’t proven squat yet. Few players are shining on the field. And home games are typically soiled by thousands of fans for the opposition. 

If all that doesn’t make for a testy fan base, Joe’s not sure what would.

And that brings Joe to 21-year-old Josh Freeman. How much time does he have before Bucs fans turn against him, assuming he struggles like most rookie quarterbacks do?

Joe believes Freeman gets a pass on Sunday, no matter what happens. And Freeman likely will be left alone if the Bucs win a couple of games.

But if the Bucs drop their next two, then the team is 0-9 and at home for New Orleans, a game that could see Freeman playing from behind early and throwing his share of interceptions. 

Might the boos rain down on him that soon? Could he handle it?

Consider that Detroit Lions fans are already ripping Matthew Stafford a new one, so describes the Journal Sentinel (Milwaukee). And he’s actually won a game and had some strong peformances.

In case you missed it, Stafford, the first overall pick in the 2009 draft, was booed heavily as he completed 14 of 33 passes for 168 yards and threw one interception in the Lions’ 17-10 loss to the previously winless St. Louis Rams on Sunday at Ford Field.

Never mind that Stafford had missed the previous two games with a knee injury and fought like heck to get back into the lineup.

Never mind that in his two starts before the injury, Stafford posted respectable passer ratings of 87.8 and 89.6.

Never mind that Stafford led the Lions to a victory over the Washington Redskins on Sept. 27 – at home – to break the franchise’s 19-game losing streak.

It’s like Lions fans never learned anything from the tortured existences of previous would-be franchise quarterbacks such as Joey Harrington, Andre Ware and Chuck Long.

But they booed anyway – and then taunted Stafford as he stood on the sideline inside the “friendly” confines.

Joe thinks Bucs fans are, unfortunately, an angry lot that will go after Freeman if he struggles and the Bucs don’t win a couple of games.

Personally, Joe doesn’t think he could boo Freeman this year. It just doesn’t seem fair.

But if the Bucs are winless in late December and Freeman looks like a bust, Joe’s not sure he could refrain from booing anyone in the organization who isn’t female, half naked and dancing on the sidelines.

The Bucs breaking out the creamsicle uniforms is a mere hours away and Joe has the previews for you, courtesy of the good people of the NFL Network.

What’s that? You don’t have the NFL Network? What’s the matter with you? Be a man and get the NFL Network! Don’t let slimeballs dictate what you can watch in your own home!

First the fine folks of NFL Films get fans ready for the game.

Next, Joe Theismann, Sterling Sharpe and knothead Brian Baldinger talk about the reincarnation of “The Bay of Pigs.” Even though Joe is not a Baldinger fan, he shows in great detail how Jim Bates’ two-gap system is a joke with the players the Bucs have. If a clown like Baldinger can figure this out, then how come Bates can’t?

A preview of the game is not complete without a weather report from AccuWeather.com

Also, Bucs rookie quarterback Josh Freeman talks about how he’s ready to “let it rip.”

Lastly, Scott Smith of Buccaneers.com details how the Bucs want Freeman to take chances downfield.

As Antonio Bryant moans about a long, cramped flight from England two weeks ago delivering his surgically-repaired knee a setback, per Woody Cummings of TBO.com, Joe wants to remind readers of how screwed up Bryant’s knee, in fact, is.

They guy’s not dogging it.

Joe sees him as damaged goods who knows he needs to play to rack up numbers and get a fat contract somewhere next year. As we know, $10 million guaranteed isn’t enough for Antonio and his family to live comfortably for the rest of their lives.

Here’s a flashback from the JoeBucsFan.com archives; Bryant’s own words about his knee on the Buccaneers Radio Network about five weeks ago:

Antonio Bryant on his injured knee: “Everybody thinks it’s the same injury. It’s not. What happened is, in the Dallas game when I cut back, because of the difference [after the preseason surgery] and the amount of tissue that was between my knee, I actually bruised the bone. Bone on bone from making the cutback on the skinny post. And that’s what aggravated my knee again. Actually, the swelling comes from the bone being swollen. But it’s actually healing so that the swelling is more so on the inside as opposed to the outside. It was actually all through the bone. But you could touch it on the outside. But you can’t touch it anymore. So it’s just, it’s a process, man. It’s a bone.

“It’s functional as far as I can go out there and do the certain things that we have to do to go out there and play. But I can’t practice because it will aggravate it. I can’t go out there and not practice full speed and not practice the way I play. But it’s just a matter of being at practice day to day doing minimal reps. Actually this week I took some reps just to get the feel.  …The only problem is now I don’t have any pain, it’s just the swelling. By having fluid in the knee it’s keeping me from actually running the way I want to run. So every Sunday I have to go in there and go ahead and say bye-bye to my little fluid thing and get ready to play.

“I definitely think I’m going to feel a whole lot better this week. That’s why I went out there. They don’t want me to practice. But i just felt like just for my teammates and just for Josh that, you know, it bothers me that I can’t go the way I want to. …Josh, especially in the state of mind he’s in, and being kind of thrown in there right off the bat, it’s a mindset. I want to be out so he can visibly see me, visibly see my number run those routes and not another receiver. So when the game comes, it’ll click, it’ll register, it’ll be like practice. So that’s why I’m urging, I’m trying to really pushing to get out there [in practice].”

As usual, Joe brings you how the national media types think of the Bucs. Brace yourselves Bucs fans, this will be brutal.

Mike Sando of BSPN.com has the Bucs dead last.

This is officially the worst team in the league now that the Rams have finally won a game.

Adrian Hasenmayer of FoxSports.com also has the Bucs dead last.

Man, even on a bye week the Buccaneers still lost — with both the Rams and Titans winning their first games of the year, Tampa remains as the league’s only winless crew. Only nine more to go…

Former Bucs beat writer Don Banks of SI.com isn’t as harsh, rating the Bucs at No. 31.

Let’s all lower the bar of expectation for rookie quarterback Josh Freeman as his era begins in Tampa Bay. Freeman doesn’t have to look as good as Mark Sanchez, Matthew Stafford, Joe Flacco or Matt Ryan looked as rookie starters. He just has to look a tiny bit better than Josh Johnson and Byron Leftwich looked for this year’s Bucs.

Pete Prisco of CBSSports.com also has the Bucs at No. 32.

The Josh Freeman Era begins, and it’s the right thing to do. They have to get him going for the future. Why wait?

By Bob Fox

[Regular listeners to WDAE-AM 620 will know the calm, quiet yet informed tones of “Green Bay Bob,” the Tampa Bay area’s No. 1 source of Wisconsin sports. Naturally, given his on-air moniker, Bob is an avowed Cheesehead, bleeding green and cheddar. Bob takes a look back at the history of the rivalry between the Bucs and Packers.]

I’m sure you all remember the “Bay of Pigs” era between the Green Bay Packers and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. It all started about 20 years ago.
 
In the late 1980s, when ESPN was doing its “NFL Primetime” show, Chris Berman and the late Pete Axthelm borrowed the phrase “The Bay of Pigs” when talking about matchups between the Packers and Bucs.
 
Like the botched “Bay of Pigs” invasion of Cuba in April 1961, the Packers and Bucs in the late 1980s were woeful. It started for the Packers in 1986, when coach Forrest Gregg gutted the team to add youth to the roster. The Packers suffered seasons of 4-12, 5-9-1 and 4-12 from 1986 through 1988, when Lindy Infante took over as coach.

The Bucs will host the 4-3 Packers this upcoming Sunday and wear their throwback Creamsicle uniforms that will also have the infamous “Bucco Bruce” helmet.  This time the game will be held at Raymond James Stadium, as opposed to the “Big Sombrero,” also known as Tampa Stadium, where the Bucs played from 1976-1997.
 
The Packers used to call the old stadium “Lambeau South” as legions of Packer fans would be at the game and the Packers usually won the contest.  The Packers were 11-7-1 at the “Sombrero.”,
 
Things have changed at the “Ray Jay.”  The Packers have won only one game since 1998 at the new digs for the Bucs and are overall 1-6 at the venue.

Besides the throwback uniforms on display for the Bucs on Sunday, the team is also honoring Hall of Fame defensive end Lee Roy Selmon and making him the first inductee into the team’s Ring of Honor.  It is a well deserved honor.
 
Ironically, the man who drafted Selmon was none other than Ron Wolf, the man that helped to transform the Packers in the Holmgren era, when he was GM with the Packers from 1991-2000.  Wolf started his NFL career in the front office of the Oakland Raiders from 1963-1975, then joined the Bucs in their infancy in 1976.
 
Wolf drafted players such as Selmon, quarterback Doug Williams, running back Ricky Bell and others that would get the Bucs to the NFC championship game in 1979.  Wolf wasn’t around though to see that, as he resigned for “personal reasons” in 1978 (some say he had issues working with owner Hugh Culverhouse) and re-joined the Raiders until he came to Green Bay.
 
Wolf lives in the Green Bay area, after making the Annapolis area his home for many years.  Wolf’s son Eliot, is now the Assistant Director of Pro Personnel for the Packers.

Sunday’s game should see a full house at the Ray Jay, which has been somewhat rare in 2009, even though all games have been classified as “sellouts”.  But there have been plenty of open seats.

With the proper induction of Selmon to the Bucs’ Ring of Honor, the throwback jerseys and another large expectation of Green Bay fans, Sunday’s game should be a near-packed house.
 
Yes…as I will gaze onto the field Sunday, it will seem like old times.  Going back to an era that was bleak for both franchises.  The Bucs are trying not to copy their 1976 counterparts and go winless for a season.  The Packers are trying to bounce back from maybe the most painful regular season loss in franchise history.
 
Yes…it will be a game between two Bays, and both are trying to get away from the trough.

Trey Wingo, Mark Schlereth and Tedy Bruschi discuss if the Bucs have a prayer of beating the Packers. Schlereth thinks they may have a prayer.

A nod to the good folks at BucStats.com for this one (Yes, Joe realizes it’s just a blog by one guy who apparently despises JoeBucsFan.com).

So it seems wide receiver Kelly Campbell was cut from the Bucs recently without a peep from One Buc Place. The veteran speedster was listed with a quad injury late in the preseason and landed on injured reserve (2 months with a quad?). Apparently, the Bucs reached an injury settlement with him as he just signed a multi-year deal with his old CFL club, the Edmonton Eskimos.

But it seems Campbell got cold feet and was a no-show in Edmonton after inking his deal.

So why is Joe giving so much ink to Campbell?

Well, in many ways, Campbell played a huge part in the Bucs season. You see, he let what would have been a long Luke McCown touchdown pass go right through his hands in the back of the end zone during the win-the-starting-QB- job preseason game against Miami.

If Campbell catches that ball, Joe believes McCown would have been named the starter.

And maybe the Bucs would have won one of their first three games. And maybe McCown would have still been in there now with the Bucs at 3-4 entering Sunday’s game, and Freeman where he belongs as No. 2 QB.