Joe noted yesterday that he saw quite a few positive things out of the Bucs loss to the Panthers.

No, throwing five picks is not among the positive things. But consider:

* The Bucs racked up 469 yards of offense. Not too shabby… if you are able to put the ball in the end zone.

* After a dismal first quarter, the Bucs’ defense buckled down and held the Panthers to just one field goal in the third and fourth quarters each. That’s solid footall.

* Also, for the second straight game, the Bucs have held their opponents to less than 25 points, something that didn’t happen for six straight games. This rebound began when Raheem the Dream took over the defense.

The improvements are not lost on the Bucs, as documented by Woody Cummings of the Tampa Tribune.

For weeks Mondays at One Buc Place were downright painful. They still sting quite a bit, but the sting isn’t quite as bad as it once was.

Improvement will do that. It will take some of the sting out of the Monday routine, and in recent weeks the Bucs have shown some incremental signs of improvement.

Though they still aren’t winning, the Bucs have been moving the ball better and stopping it faster and as a result they’ve been staying alive in games a lot longer – in most cases, right to the end.

Baby steps. Baby steps. Now if the Bucs don’t screw up and win a couple of games, Joe can see Ndamukong Suh in pewter and red. What a beast that guy is.

If Joe were to grade the Bucs in their loss to the Panthers, he would give the Bucs a “C.” The Bucs, with the exception of five interceptions, played well.

But Joe is not Pete Prisco of CBSSports.com. Prisco graded the Bucs out with a C- for the loss.

Josh Freeman moved the ball, but he made some bad decisions inside the 20. Five interceptions is a lot to overcome for a young passer. The defense actually played a decent game to keep the Bucs around.

Joe believes that in Sunday’s loss, that was the best the team had played all year outside of the win over Green Bay.

Joe’s hiring. Feel free to e-mail Joe at joe@joebucsfan.com for details.

Former Bucs DE Steve White

By STEVE WHITE
JoeBucsFan.com analyst

Steve White spent every season of the Tony Dungy era playing defensive end for the Bucs. He’s spent countless hours in the film room with the likes of Warren Sapp, Rod Marinelli and more. Joe is humbled to now have White, also a published author and blogger, as part of the JoeBucsFan.com team. Below is White’s weekly Bull Rush column that breaks down all things defensive line. It’s simply a can’t-miss read for the hardcore Bucs fan.

Same song, different day.

With the Carolina Panthers missing their starting quarterback and starting running back along with one of their starting offensive linemen, I had this crazy idea that we might actually win this game. What in the hell was I thinking?

Now to be sure it wasn’t quite all the defense’s fault. After all, if you just look at the stat sheet it doesn’t look so bad. We only gave up 16 points. The Carolina offense had a little over 300 yards total, which isn’t great but better than what we had been averaging earlier in the year. And, of course, we know the offense turned the ball over four times in the redzone.

Blah Blah Blah.

The truth is this, if they don’t score they don’t win, and that has to be our defense’s mindset at this point.

We came out flat in the first half and the Panthers’ offense moved the ball up and down the field at will because of it.

When we weren’t missing tackles, we weren’t fitting up in our gaps. When we weren’t doing a sorry job of defending the run, we were giving backup QB Matt Moore all day to throw on play-action pass. I mean seriously, how in the hell does Matt Moore complete 70 percent of his passes on our defenses, including a bomb to Steve Smith in the second half to for all intents and purposes seal the deal?

But hey, this is supposed to be a post about the defensive line so I will confine my critique there.

First of all, Chris Hovan did not have a good day. He missed a tackle on Jonathan Stewart at the line of scrimmage that ended up being a 28 yard run.

Hovan also got out of his gap earlier in the game on a counter play where he crossed the guards face and Stewart cut back where he was supposed to be and gained 11 yards on 2nd-and-3. He was ok on the run other than those two plays, but where he was very average was his pass rush. Now all year I have said that the guy getting the most consistent pressure inside has been Hovan, but yesterday we didn’t get a lot out of him in that regard.

Trampling the run on the way to the pass

The truth is, we didn’t get a lot of pass rush yesterday from anybody on the defensive line. We had a few hurries and we got one sack on a play when Tim Crowder simply wasn’t blocked, but for the most part our guys were hesitating instead of creating.

Now I am not willing to make any excuses at all, but if they are still stuck in that wait-and-see approach of the Jim Bates scheme, then they need to get that out of their mind. Whether its run or pass in our one-gap scheme, you have to get off the ball and get up the field. We used to call it trampling the run on the way to the pass.

Instead, way too many times all of our guys are coming off looking in the backfield waiting to see if it’s draw or pass and then trying to speed up into a pass rush after they see the quarterback still has the ball.

Even in the run game at times you see defensive linemen peeking inside, only to see Stewart bounce it outside where they are supposed to be and getting positive yardage. I realize there isn’t a playoff berth or anything like that to play for right now, but hell, at least play for pride and stay in your own damn gap!

Missing run blitzes on first and second downs

Second of all, it was very disappointing that Roy Miller and Michael Bennett were both out with injuries. This was exactly the kind of game that it would have been helpful to use to evaluate those two guys. Instead, Kyle Moore and Dre Moore got their reps and neither guy was especially impressive. But then again, who was yesterday?

On the coaching side of things, I liked the fact that we went to a six-man line on the goal line, but I didn’t like the way the guys were lined up. You need a big guy on the end of the line to keep all runs inside and to be able to rush the passer. You also need at least three linebackers off the line to cover the remaining gaps. Otherwise, as we saw yesterday, when you only have two linebackers they both end up going to lateral instead of downhill and by the time they get to the ball carrier they aren’t able to change his momentum.

What I didn’t like was that we didn’t run blitz enough on first and second down, and the blitzes we did run didn’t make a lot of sense to me.

For years and years we have run what was called a “bark” or a “frisco” run blitz which consisted of a zone blitz with an outside backer and the middle backer blitzing one side of the line and a defensive end slanting all the way inside to the A-gap. The nosetackle cross-faces the center, the 3-technique tackle gets upfield in the B-gap then loops outside to the C-gap for contain. And the other defensive end has a drop.

Not only are these two blitzes good ways to get in the backfield and screw up blocking schemes against the run, they are also great ways to get pressure on a quarterback should they go play-action pass.

For whatever reason we haven’t run these zone blitzes in the last two games, yet they were a staple of our defense for years and years.

And to be honest with you, several of the blitzes we HAVE run haven’t really made much sense to me nor have been gap-sound. Too many times yesterday our defense was lined up just like they would be on a chalkboard, and without having any movement we made it relatively easy for the Panthers to know their blocking assignments.

Like I wrote a few weeks ago, our defensive personnel right now is built to play 3rd-and-long. If we aren’t getting teams in 3rd-and-long situations, then we are usually going to get in trouble. Running these zone blitzes can help get us in our most favorable situations, and hopefully Coach Morris realizes that and starts putting them back in the game plan.

Another game, another loss and it’s getting harder and harder to watch these games.

But I am going to hang in there for the rest of the season if for no other reason than sick curiosity, and I hope you will, too.

Raheem The Dream says his postgame "handshakes across the field are getting easier." Joe suspects postgame handshakes for Joel Glazer are getting more painful.

For months Joe has advised Raheem The Dream to stop talking so much. He needs to realize that making sense to the media is not his strength.

Just recognize it and clam up, coach. It’s for your own good. Joe is trying to help.

For example, today Raheem The Dream tried to explain that losing lately is a little easier to tolerate because his team is improving.

“Handshakes across the field are getting easier,” Raheem The Dream said, referring to his team being more competitive. [Opposing coaches] understand. …[And the Bucs’ players,] they know. They got a feeling.”

Sorry, coach. This is ridiculous, although Joe understands what you’re trying to spit out.

Joe could understand if Raheem The Dream busted out this kind of moral victory garbage after the Bucs, say, lost to the Saints in overtime or played New England to the wire in London. 

But these Bucs just choked away two games to non-playoff teams starting backup quarterbacks. Those postgame “handshakes” should have been the most painful of Raheem The Dream’s career, not “easier.”

Former Bucs DE Steve White

If you haven’t read former Bucs defensive end Steve White’s weekly Bull Rush columns on JoeBucsFan.com, you are just not the football savvy Bucs fan you think you are.

White’s Bucs takes and Xs and Os are razor sharp.

It might be time to catch up now before White’s latest column is posted tonight or tomorrow. Whatever you do, check back to JoeBucsFan.com later. You’ll be glad you did.

Joe had a great laugh during Raheem The Dream’s news conference this afternoon.

The head coach dropped a gem sure to evoke Amen head nods from the legions of Michael Clayton bashers, aka Bucs fans who expect a well paid veteran wide receiver to catch the ball.

Before the priceless quote, Raheem The Dream was asked about starting Maurice Stovall over the struggling Clayton when Clayton returns from injury (presumably next week next week or the week after). 

Raheem The Dream was, of course, non-commital but quick to defend Clayton.

“Clayton’s probably dropped as many balls as Stovall,” Raheem The Dream said.

That got a chuckle from Joe, but the big laugh came a few moments later when Raheem the Dream explained Stovall and Clayton have been sharing practice reps for a while.

“I think Michael Clayton’s a better player when he plays less snaps,” Raheem The Dream said before explaining that Clayton gets worn out from blocking.

Thanks for the laugh, Rah. Joe agrees that less Clayton is a good thing.

Hey, remember me, Lou? Yeah, I know, it’s been a while since I stuck my snout and my wet nose around here. Long time, no smell.

Things have been up and down between me and Joe lately. When the Bolts lost to the Devils, Joe was mad at me because I kept barking at the idiot referees. I don’t watch the Bolts just to see those damned zebras.

Joe was upset with me that night because I wanted to bite Matthew Corrente so bad I was snapping at the TV screen. Joe doesn’t like it when I fog up his HDTV flatscreen.

Saturday night was way cool watching Smitty get a shutout and Victor Hedman get his first NHL goal. Joe was so happy with the win he took me out for a late night walk that got ugly.

Joe forgot to take off my Bolts sweater. So when I went to fertilize a tree, I wet all over myself. What am I supposed to do, I don’t have arms and hands? I can’t pull the sweater up so I can take care of my business!

Joe can be such a dumbass at times! Well, I got him back. He’s still looking for one of his dress shoes!

Anyway, if you want to read my barks about the Bolts game tonight, and the rest of the season, you can find me on Twitter at ThunderPuppyLou.

Well, time to take my afternoon nap. I have to be rested to watch the Bolts tonight take on Alex Ovechkin and the Capitals. I hope the Bolts can prevent Ovechkin from pulling another Jimi Hendrix stunt like he did last spring. So make sure to visit JoeBoltsFan.com for your Bolts coverage

See ya!

Joe remembers Jon Gruden’s numerous Monday news conferences when he, in a phony way, would take blame for losses. Usually, Chucky would say something like, “That’s on me. I’ve got to get better as a head coach.”

Chucky’s protege Raheem The Dream didn’t use that kind of coachspeak today at One Buc Palace. 

In a very matter-of-fact way, Raheem The Dream was quick to agree with a reporter’s premise that the Sunday’s loss in Carolina was simply a rookie quarterback making some very bad plays.

“That’s what it boils down to yesterday,” Raheem The Dream said in agreement. “[The Bucs had] the fifth best total of offense around here in history and six points to show for it. …Three critical mistakes in the red zone, you just can’t do that.”

Joe’s not a big fan of coaches putting a loss on one player. Maybe a screwed up play or two, or calling a guy out, but certainly not a whole game.

C’mon, Rah. Take some responsibility. Maybe hang a little on your offensive coordinator for putting Freeman in too many tough spots that he wasn’t prepared for yesterday.

Just last week Raheem The Dream proclaimed at his Monday news conference that “Stats are really for losers. I don’t like to talk about stats.” 

Yet today Raheem The Dream is quoting yardage totals when his team scored just six points.

Joe agrees, Rah. To use your words, “Stats are really for losers.”

So many players check in and out on each and every play, Joe can understand how players might make a mistake and be in the game at the wrong time.

But for a coach to call a specific play for a specific player and that player is on the sidelines, that’s borderline inexcusable for Joe.

Yet that’s exactly what happened with Bucs offensive coordinator Greg Olson yesterday, reports Stephen Holder of the St. Petersburg Times.

Seems as though with the Bucs having a third-and-one situation on the Panthers-3, Olson called for an Earnest Graham dive at fullback.

Problem was, Graham was on the sidelines.

If you were wondering who in the world Chris Pressley is and why he got a handoff on third and 1 at the Carolina 3 in the second quarter, you weren’t alone.

The play, a fullback dive, was intended to be run with Earnest Graham, who has undertaken fullback duties since B.J. Askew was lost for the season to a car accident. But because the ball was at the 3, an assistant who wasn’t identified went with the “heavy” personnel grouping. Olson was unaware until just before the ball was snapped.

“When we realized it was (Pressley), it was too late. That shouldn’t happen because it was Earnest Graham’s play. When we realized, ‘Hey, this isn’t the personnel we wanted in the game,’ we probably should’ve called timeout.”

Bad enough that Olson forced his rookie quarterback to keep throwing when he was having a bad day, and abandoned the run too quick (damn that Chucky playbook!).

Even worse that Olson didn’t know Graham was on the field when a critical run was called for him.

Lost in the fog of five interceptions and despite the glaring fact that Bucs quarterback Josh Freeman was struggling in the red zone, offensive coordinator Greg Olson continued to call for passes, is that the Bucs offense had it’s best day of the season.

Stephen Holder of the St. Petesburg Times documents how, aside from the interceptions, the Bucs offense was solid.

The Bucs’ 469 yards of total offense marked the most by the team his season. The previous high was in their season opener against the Cowboys (450). They set a season high with 315 net yards passing, and their 154 rushing yards were second best this year.

Yeah, except for the interceptions…

This reminds Joe of one of his favorite Bobby Bowden lines: “If we don’t get penalities, and we don’t get fumbles, and we don’t get interceptions, we can win this daggum ballgame.”

Alex Loeb and Cris Carter break down the Bucs loss to the Panthers. In detail, Carter looks at what’s gone wrong with Josh Freeman, who has thrown eight interceptiions in his last three games.

Like any Bucs fan, Joe is willing to look the other way on Josh Freeman’s five interceptions.

Look, Joe knows the kid is a rookie, still pretty much wet behind the ears. Joe blames offensive coordinator Greg Olson for continuing to throw the ball when it was clear Freeman was having a rough day. In short, Olson set up Freeman to implode.

It was an arrogant move: “I’m going to call my gameplan even though a guy with a white cane can see it’s not working.” Truly a page from the Chucky playbook. Nothing like trying to rattle the confidence of your first-round draft pick, rookie quarterback.

Joe also will overlook the interception in the end zone by Jon Beason. Antonio Bryant, who was Freeman’s target, was open and Beason made a fantastic play by hiding behind a defensive tackle and popping loose just as Freeman released the ball.

It was a tremendous play by Beason and sometimes Joe has to tip his cap to the opposition. 

Peter King of SI.com, writing in his must-start-your-week-with column, Monday Morning Quarterback, wondered aloud if Freeman’s terrible day may be a harbinger of things to come.

The Bucs running up 469 yards and scoring six points. Six! They’d better hope the 16-6 loss at Carolina was a growing-pains game for Josh Freeman and not a precursor of the future — because he threw five interceptions.

It is mindblowing that an offense can rack up well over 400 yards of offense and have just two field goals to show for its effort.

It’s pretty obvious who the goat will be this week for the Bucs, aside from the brilliant play-calling of offensive (keyword there) coordinator Greg Olson.

Joe already brought you the story of Jeremy “Dunderhead” Trueblood.

Now prepare for “Block of Wood” Trueblood.

That’s the moniker Tampa Tribune columnist Martin Fennelly planted on Trueblood for pretty much the same reason Raheem the Dream briefly benched him: For moronic plays.

That’s why Trueblood should drive people crazy.

It’s not as if he’s a rookie, not anymore.

He has yet to put away childish things.

He always seems to be in the middle of something, though he did try to break up a fight at one point after teammate and Bucs tight end Jerramy Stevens got into it with the Panthers. Next stop for Trueblood: Camp David, to find a true, lasting Mideast peace.

Joe will repeat what he wrote yesterday: For a guy who graduated from Boston College, Trueblood sure pulls some stupid stunts.

Under the tutelage of now-defrocked Bucs defensive coordinator Jim Bates, the Bucs set a heinous franchise record of six straight games giving up 25 or more points.

That streak ended when Raheem the Dream showed Bates the door.

Oddly enough, another streak of sorts began. In the first game Raheem the Dream took over as the Bucs defensive coordinator, the Bucs held the Dixie Chicks to 20 points.

Yesterday, the Bucs held the Panthers to 16 points.

What sticks out for Joe is the Bucs held the Panthers to just two field goals in the second half. Even more eye-opening for Joe was that the Bucs held the Panthers to a lone field goal in the third quarter.

Under Bates, the Bucs got absolutely roasted in the third quarter.

Yeah, sure the Bucs faced two backup quarterbacks the past two weeks. Still, baby steps are progress. Notice Jonathan Stewart, who usually crushes the Bucs, was pretty much a non-factor in the second half?

The play of the defense under Raheem the Dream is giving Joe hope.

It’s not often that one can glean biting analyis from a URL address. But Tom Balog, Bucs beat writer for the Sarasota Herald-Tribune, is setting new trends.

In a hard-hitting, postgame piece today about Jeremy Trueblood’s history of costly penalties, including a personal foul that hurt the Bucs in their 16-6 loss to Carolina, Balog — or an editor at the Herald-Tribune — let readers know what he really thinks of Trueblood.

You’ll have to look closely at the URL link below.

http://bucshots.blogs.heraldtribune.com/11845/jeremy-trueblood-team-dunderhead/

So there you have it, Trueblood is the Bucs official “team dunderhead,” per the Herald Tribune. 

Joe’s dictionary defines dunderhead as “dunce” or “blockhead.”

And all this time Joe thought Jim Bates Greg Olson was the team dunderhead for repeatedly throwing on first down while Josh Freeman struggled.

No need to stay up until the middle of the night to catch maybe a handful of lowlights from a Bucs game when Joe gives you more far earlier, courtesy of the good people of the NFL Network.

As always, real men have the NFL Network.

As usual, Joe leads off with Bucs plays replete with the voice of the Bucs, Gene Deckerhoff.

The NFL Network has a package of plays from Josh Freeman as well as Antonio Bryant.

Geno Hayes’ interception is featured in this clip. There’s also a clip of a Bucs fumble recovery.

Buccaneers.com has the postgame press conference of Raheem the Dream and Freeman.

Perhaps someone can explain to Joe why Pro Bowl returner Clifton Smith, who is having an excellent season returning punts and kicks, is throwing his body around covering kicks?

Do the Bucs not have guys on the roster to put their bodies on the line other than a pint-sized, speedster who recently had a serious concussion?

Joe has seen Smith covering kicks through much of the season, but Joe was sure that part of his game was over after his concussion against Carolina in October.

Yet there was Smith out there on Sunday knocked out of the game with a concussion on the opening kickoff — to Carolina.

It was a needless risk by the Bucs’ coaching staff, and Smith paid the price.

After the game, Smith updated his condition, per Tom Balog of the Sarasota Herald-Tribune.

”I’m fine,” Smith said, while getting a soft drink, on his way out of the team’s dressing room at Bank of America Stadium. “It wasn’t as bad as the last one.”

Joe loves watching great players make great plays. It’s what makes football Sundays absolutely fabulous.

Antonio Bryant is one of those great players.

Two weeks in a row now, Bryant has shown why he’s a true No. 1 receiver in the NFL. The guy’s got sick body control, good hands and route running skills to make any head coach salivate.

Sure, he’s not perfect, and he’s dropped his share. But the Bucs don’t have another receiver like Bryant.

Michael Clayton stinks, and Maurice Stovall and Sammie Stroughter aren’t anywhere near same class. Plus Bryant seems to be clicking with Josh Freeman now that they’ve had more time together.

If Bryant continues to play well over the final four games, Mark Dominik will be painted into a corner by his “franchise” player, who becomes a free agent after the season. If Dominik doesn’t put a competitive offer out to Bryant, then what would that say to fans?

If Dominik passes on Bryant and targets another No. 1 receiver in free agency, then he leaves himself open to not getting said player or said player becoming a bust in Tampa.

As for the draft, if the Bucs don’t trade down, it’ll be hard for Dominik to justify drafting a stud wideout with a top-5 pick, given all the other needs on the team.

Bryant seems determined to give Dominik a tough call.

Joe’s going to line up some evidence for you.

First, Cadillac Williams told Joe exclusively in training camp that he wasn’t so sure the 2009 Bucs offense would be better than Chucky’s.

Second, Raheem The Dream told the Dallas media how Derrick Ward was selling the three-back rotation earlier this season. At that time, Joe speculated it was Cadillac who needed to be convinced, since Earnest Graham is the ultimate team guy and Ward was coming from a share-the-load system.

Today, Bucs icon John Lynch, the FOX color analyst for the Bucs-Panthers game, told viewers that he met with Cadillac and the tailback is “not liking” the running back rotation and feels like he “can’t get a rhythm.”

Joe loves Cadillac and respects him immensely, and he was pleased to see him today have his best game since opening day against Dallas. But Cadillac hasn’t been happy all season.

And it’s not like Antonio Bryant’s give-me-the-damn-ball unhappy. Cadillac just isn’t buying into the system and now he’s talking about it in broadcast briefing meetings.

The guy wants to carry the load when he hasn’t produced much and has a history of injury. Joe’s not sure where the Bucs running game goes from here.