Even the most passionate of Bucs cheerleaders would admit that rookie middle linebacker Mason Foster still needs a little polishing on his pass defense.

Hey, it’s understandable. Foster has been an NFL linebacker for a grand total of a month. To expect Foster to have everything down after just four weeks on the job is horribly unreasonable.

Even Bucs head coach Raheem Morris, who moonlights as the Bucs defensive coordinator has Quincy Black at middle linebacker on obvious passing downs.

So early in the game when both teams’ first strings playing, when Foster was on the field, the Dolphins seems to try to expose him by throwing a lot of dump passes over the middle.

Foster wasn’t sure if the Dolphins were aiming for him if not.

“I don’t know,” Foster shrugged when asked if he was a target. “For the most part, they were not doing too much [offensively].

“I was just out there playing.”

And hurting opponents with bruising hits.

“Oh, yeah,” Foster said, acknowledging his physical style, a beaming smile spreading across his face.

Like countless others, Joe was looking to see if the Bucs could answer the bell and stop the run against Miami and prevent another Jim Bates era jailbreak.

Mission accomplished for the Bucs!

Sure, Miami only had nine carries in the first half — two by Chad Henne — but the Fins only had two yards on those nine carres. TWO yards! Joe was hoping for baby steps, but this certainly was a huge leap, even if it is preseason. Miami ran the ball very well in its last preseason game.

Joe caught up with defensive line coach Keith Millard to get his take. And the fired up Millard praised the entire line and singled out Frank Okam.

“Frank’s a big presence there obviously in the run game,” Millard said. So he’s always going to give us some of what we need to stop the run. Frank, he’s a space-eater. I mean he made some huge plays for us [against Miami] and those are the things we need him for. He made that big play on short yardage. He had a huge play on the goal line. I mean, the guy, he’s a blessing really, because he knows both positions, nose and 3-technique, and he’s had a really good camp for us.

“We take a lot of pride in stopping the run. … It’s a point of emphasis every single day. Always. With the D-line, we always tell them, ‘You can’t rush the passer unless you stop the run. You gotta earn the right to do it.’

Millard went on to say the Bucs stuck to their gameplan tonight and didn’t add any wrinkles this week to shore up their run defense. What a great thing to watch.

Joe suspects remote controls were spared across the Bay area and filthy language was kept to a minimum.

Outside of the endless the penalties, the scariest moment against Miami had to be Kellen Winlsow walking gingerly off the field.

Joe talked to Winslow after the game, and K2 says it’s all good. “I rolled my ankle a little bit. I’ll be OK,” Winslow said.

Winslow wasn’t icing the ankle at his locker and seemed fine. Bucs fans can exhale.

Aqib Talib was smiling and humble following the Bucs game tonight as he addressed a gaggle of reporters in the bowels of the C.I.T.S. following the Bucs win against Miami.

Talib said he believes Roger Goodell was fair and just.

“It was a great decision, man. I respect the commisioner’s decision and just focus on Sept. 11,” Talib said. “Happy it’s over with. A big burden off my shoulders, man, and I’m ready to get it in on that level.

“It was something I had to go through. Something I had to do. And it turned out good, man, so it’s kind of behind me now. I had no idea how it was going to go. I felt like the meeting went good. I’m just happy with the decision.

“It went down where [I gave] the Commissioner the rundown on what really happened and everything and my lawyer did a good job giving him information he really didn’t know about. I think it was a good meeting and we definitely respect the commissioner’s decision.

Talib also added his hamstring felt great and would be ready for “Calvin Johnson, man” on opening day.

Kellen Winslow was among many Bucs who expressed his pleasure at Talib’s new found freedom.

“He’s the X factor,” Winslow said.

Joe doesn’t need to see a box score to know the Bucs had a dozen or so penalties against the Dolphins. 

Ugly stuff. The Bucs racked up plenty of flags against New England last week, too.

This is all pretty bizarre from a team that was darn sharp and didn’t get many flags last year.

The dunderhead award tonight goes to Raheem Morris. After the Dolphins’ first touchdown, Raheem and co. threw the challenge flag, which drew a 15-yard penalty. Apparently, a new NFL rules says you can’t challenge any touchdown since they are all automatically reviewed in 2011.

Raheem and his staff weren’t vicitims of the asinine lockout. They got their paychecks and had a pile of time on their hands. Learning new rules should have been easy with all that time. Perhaps Raheem spent too much time talking about Napa valley with Merlot Joe Maddon this offseason.

Yeah, it’s just one mistake. But Joe knows the Bucs need to be sharp to make the darn playoffs.

Joe also as shaking his head at Jeremy Trueblood scoring an “illegal formation” penalty for not being on the line of scrimmage. The Bucs need to fix this sloppy stuff in a hurry.

Brandon Marshall beat E.J. Biggers, deked Cody Grimm and stiff-armed Quincy Black en route to the Dolphins' first-half touchdown tonight.

Joe’s heard countless aching from fans worried about what Detroit’s Calvin Johnson might do — again — to the Bucs when the Lions come to town on opening day.

These fans have cried about how the Bucs needed Aqib Talib (or Nnamdi Asomugha) in the lineup to win that game against the man they call Megatron. They scoffed at the thought that E.J. Biggers or Myron Lewis could be up for the task.

The bad news is the Biggers and the Bucs struggled tonight against a very Megatron-like receiver in Brandon Marshall. The good news is Talib won’t be suspended and likely will be 100 percent healthy for opening day.

Last week Joe mocked a BSPN columnist who had the gall to suggest that Bucs running back LeGarrette Blount was only the 22nd best running back in the NFL.

The main premise to his absurd (lack of) logic was that Blount was not a third down back and since he cannot catch passes, he is of little use.

Well, Joe is not sure if Blount read that column in question or not but Blount showed what an unmitigated piece of feces that notion was.

Blount blew up Saturday night against the Dolphins as a legitimate third down threat. He caught three passes for 62 yards and one of his catches was nothing less than a thing of beauty.

Blount caught a short pass from Josh Freeman along the right side of the field and just happened to be in the open field. As Bucs fans are well aware of, Blount in the open field is lethal.

Blount started barrelling upfield and once he saw defenders coming his way, he cut back to this left and rumble and stumbled down the field for a 52-yard gain.

Friends, if Blount can pull off a couple of these in the regular season, not only does that make him more dangerous, it makes the Bucs offense potentially that much more lethal.

As for BSPN, friends, if you are still of the mind that BSPN is a must-go for sports information and knowledge, Joe suggests you try a bottle of Bushmills instead.

Bucs rock star general manager Mark Dominik has spent heavily with Team Glazer’s coin on beefing up the defensive line.

But it may be yet another dumpster diving find by Dominik who could have the biggest impact in the early season.

Michael Bennett, signed off waivers in October 2009 who was a complete beast Saturday night. Though he left the game with an undetermined injury, there is no question who the starting left defensive end should be.

Da’Quan Bowers actually showed up Saturday with a sack and some good tackles but for now, unless he is too injured, it should be Bennett who starts and maybe work in Bowers and perhaps Kyle Moore as well.

Those looking for Josh Freeman to walk away from tonight’s game after a razor sharp outing were left disappointed.

By Joe’s count, Freeman threw four ugly passes, two of which easily could have been intercepted on the opening drive. Weren’t the Bucs focusing on starting strong?

Freeman finished 12-for-23 for 149 yards and didn’t look comfortable at times.

Freeman set such a high standard last year and, since it’s “all about No. 5,” it’s downright scary to think he might not earn all-world honors again this season.

Joe’s surely got a ton of confidence in Freeman. That’s not going to change. But he’s got to be damned perfect for the Bucs to get to the playoffs.

Bucs 17, Miami 13

Lots of interesting stuff out of sloppy Game 3 of the preseason. And Joe will have so much through the night and into the wee hours with reaction from the locker room.

Josh Freeman wasn’t sharp. The defensive line showed improvement. LeGarrette Blount is a third-down weapon. Arrelious Benn is healthy and hungry. Brandon Marshall ate up the Bucs’ secondary. Joe’s got plenty more to cover, as well.

Keep comin’ back.

It seems Aqib Talib is off the hook — for now.

Hatchetman commissioner Roger Goodell is waiting until at least after the 2011 season to suspend Talib, so reports Roy Cummings of The Tampa Tribune. He shot the news out via Twitter moments ago. The NFL apparently informed the Bucs today.

Joe is relieved and very pleased to learn that Goodell seemingly took the time to review the public record information on Talib’s case. It’s been clear to Joe that a reasonable commissioner would conclude what Joe did — that incriminating evidence against Talib was sketchy at best.

Now Bucs fans everywhere can stop moaning endlessly about how the Bucs will stop some guy named Megatron on Sept. 11.

Feel free to comment throughout the game as the Bucs host the Dolphins at The CITS.

Caution: Do not post, or try to post the URLs of any pirated Bucs video feeds of the game. Not even using spaces. Any and all persons who violate this rule will be subject to immediate banishment without warning. You may email URLs between yourselves but they are not to be posted on this site. They are illegal feeds and Joe does not need the hassle of getting a knock on his door from FBI agents in the middle of the night.

Thank you.

Preseason Game 3
Dolphins at Bucs
Kickoff: 7:30 p.m.
TV: WTSP-TV Channel 10 locally. The game is blacked out in the Tampa Bay and Orlando TV markets and will be broadcast several times on a tape-delayed basis with the first airing, tentatively at 11:30 p.m. tonight in the Tampa Bay region on WTSP Channel 10. Other airings will be Sunday at noon on WTSP and Sunday at 11 p.m. on the NFL Network.
Radio: Buccaneers Radio Network (in Tampa WFUS-FM, 103.5 and WDAE-AM, 620); Sirius Channel 93.
Weather: Please watche the detailed forecast video from Joe’s proud partner WTSP-TV Channel 10. Per Accuweather.com, temperatures will stay in the high 80s throughout the game under mostly clear skies.
Odds: Per Sportsbook.com, Bucs -3.
Outlook: This should be a dress rehearsal of the Sept. 11 season opener against Detroit. The Bucs will have for the first time this year Kellen Winslow, Arrelious Benn and Brian Price. How those three play will be critical to the Bucs, though we all know what K2 can do. … The offensive line must improve from last week’s debacle against the Patriots. The Bucs simply don’t have the defense yet to lock down opponents like the old Bucs did. If LeGarrette Blount has no holes to run through, if Josh Freeman doesn’t have enough time to throws, this is a major problem. The Dolphins quite frankly are not the Patriots so there should be some improvement tonight. … How the secondary plays will also be key, specifically the second and third string guys. The Bucs have depth at that position but Myron Lewis is hurt again and we all know about the very real possibility that NFL warden commissioner Roger Goodell will throw the book at Aqib Talib so solid play from guys like Anthony Gaitor and Larry Asante will go a long way to calming Joe’s fears. … Joe trusts you enjoy former Miami Dolphins cheerleader Fabiola, who is simply fab-u-lous! Fabiola is the Rachel Watson of Miami in Joe’s eyes. Trivia: She, along with Tampa native and traitor Jenn Sterger, were the original Florida State Cowgirls.

Joe’s friends at WTSP-TV, Ch. 10 have served up a gamenight weather forecast for Bucs fans. Here it is from Chris Suchan. And don’t forget, Ch. 10 has the tape delayed broadcast of tonight’s game starting at 11:30 p.m.

Last year wide receiver Arrelious Benn had a slow start. Understandable, coming from one of those garbage high school spread-option offenses at Illinois.

Just when Benn turned the corner and was making an impact, he blows out a knee.

During his rehab, laid up, unable to walk yet much less run, what did Benn do? He had his brother throw him passes when he couldn’t even get on his feet so he could work out in some manner.

That’s the word from Woody Cummings of the Tampa Tribune.

He was off the couch and back on a football field near his Washington D.C. home sooner than doctors and team trainers thought; sooner, perhaps, than they wanted.

“I was doing things during the lockout that I wouldn’t tell the trainers I was doing,” Benn said. “I did a lot of little things on my own just to keep my body going and keep it right.”

The results are visible. The 6-foot-2, 220-pound Benn is thicker through the chest and shoulders than a year ago and running so well [Bucs wide receivers coach Eric] Yarber often can’t tell which knee was injured. For the record, it was the left.

Joe thinks that Benn coming Back healthy is a very big thing for Josh Freeman and the Bucs. With Mike Williams, Kellen Winslow, Dezmon Briscoe, Michael Spurlock and Benn, that gives Freeman all sorts of dangerous toys to play with.

Bobby Fenton

Yes, it’s game day. The Bucs are playing tonight. At The CITS.

Being one of the two flagship stations of the Bucs, WDAE-AM 620 is pulling out the stops today. The good people of Clear Channel already had Joe’s good friend Justin Pawlowski on the air this morning with his sometimes Saturday show, “The Blitz.”

Now, from 2-5 p.m. leading into the Bucs pregame show is one of Joe’s favorites, Bobby Fenton. He’s bring his rapid-fire, well-researched information to the WDAE airwaves and Joe encourages his readers to call in.

After Bobby leaves the air, it’s Bucs game day brought to you by the co-hosts of Bucs pregame and postgame radio, Justin Pawlowski and Ryan Nece.

Those chained to a computer today can listen to Bobby at the station’s website at 620WDAE.com.

Ok, Joe’s trying to clean out his notebook before the Bucs host the Dolphins tonight.

After the Patriots beatdown, Joe got a chance to go back to the way back machine and talk to wide receiver/return specialist Jock Sanders. It was hardly the first time Joe has spoken with Jock. Joe remembers writing about him when he was a freshman at St. Petersburg Catholic, a terrific running back.

Joe vividly remember seeing his name and confirming with school officials, yes, his first name is “Jock.” Then, filing a story on deadline, Joe just knew copy editors would call within seconds screaming about his first name.

It happened like clockwork.

Last week was a special moment for Sanders, even he admitted it. He grew up worshipping the Bucs and went to some Bucs games as a kid. Now, he was returning punts wearing a Bucs uniform in a game at home, with his family in the seats. This is Hollywood stuff for a guy.

Joe, however, was impressed with Sanders in that rather than be giddy, he was upset with the loss.

“Yeah, it’s a dream come true but I have got to go out and handle business,” Sanders said.

By all accounts, Sanders making the squad is a long shot. He’s a 5-6 receiver in a crowded roster filled with talented receivers. The only ways Sanders will make the Bucs is as a return man.

Thus far Sanders hasn’t really exploded enough. He did have a nice kickoff return of 25 yards against the Pats but his punt returns have been nondescript.

He genuinely felt miserable after the Patriots loss.

“Of course we can do better,” Sander said. “Immediately after this game you were already down because you knew you could have played better.”

Joe likes the attitude. But Sanders will have to give Bucs officials more to like on the returns if he is to return kicks against the Lions come Sept. 11.

Joe will serve up his traditional “Gameday Tampa Bay” post up later this afternoon in advance of the Bucs-Dolphins game tonight at 7:30 p.m. The television replay, thanks to the asinine blackout, is at 11:30 p.m. on WTSP, Ch. 10.

During the live game, Joe will have an open thread here for you to comment, cheer, moan, etc. It was pretty popular last week.

And, of course, Joe will be at the C.I.T.S. covering and Twittering the action. So check back here into the wee hours after the game and all day Sunday, as Joe rips off all kinds of great stuff from the Bucs locker room and takes on the game.

Joe’s not big on anonymous sources, so take this from Yahoo! Sports as you will.

Jason Cole of Yahoo! says three sources “familiar with the situation” of Roger Goodell yearning to punish Aqib Talib are telling him that Talib will get a four-game suspension to open the 2011 season. The story is here, delivered by the good folks at ProFootballTalk.com.

Again, Joe’s not big on anonymous sources for major stories. Months ago, Joe remembers reading in the St. Pete Times about how the Bucs had decided to dump Talib after the asinine lockout ended. Uhh, that didn’t happen.

From the public record details of Talib’s assault with a deadly weapon case, Joe gets that hypocrite Goodell might be incensed that Talib didn’t call 911 before heading to his sister’s house to confront trouble. Joe gets that Goodell might be miffed that a police summary claims Talib wasn’t 100 percent truthful to police and apologized for a comment during questioning.

But beyond that, Joe can’t get why Goodell would want to drop a four-game hammer on Talib and the Bucs before all the facts of the case are known. Is the man’s ego and power trip that big?

Why not two games now and reserve the right for additional suspension time after the facts are out?

What really happened at Talib’s sister’s house in Texas is sketchy at best, and it was a sad family situation, not a night at a strip club gone bad or a sleazy event that bristles league feathers. Why Goodell is in such a hurry, if he’s really in a hurry, is a bigger myster than what happened in Texas.