All-around good guy Earnest Graham spoke to the Buccaneers Radio Network after the game and claimed the offense let the defense and,in turn, the Bucs down in the pasting by the Saints.

“We had to control the ball and not let our defense back on the field,” Graham said. “That’s the NFL for you. e had a chance to go into halftime with momentum and we didn’t. We can’t let a team like [New Orleans] have momentum.”

Graham all but said the Bucs had to play a perfect game to beat New Orleans.

“We played a great team today,” Graham said. “We needed to make a lot of plays. I’ve seen quarterbacks who have been in this league for a few years turn the ball over on this team.

“We have to try to keep trying to get better. We are not allowed to lay down.”

Joe believes someone has forgotten to tell the defensive line that.

Bucs defensive lineman Jimmy Wilkerson all but claimed the Bucs quit in the second half while speaking on the Buccaneers Radio Network after the game.

“I just think we stopped playing consistently,” Wilkerson said. “We were consistent in the first half. We just ran out of gas. We didn’t fill our gaps properly.”

Wilkerson then discovered the elephant in the locker room.

“We practiced on getting pressure on [Saints quarterback Drew Brees],” Wilkerson said. “If we do that, we knew we had a chance.

The Saints, “they figured they didn’t need to pass. If I was in that position, I’d run the ball a lot, too. We have to hold things together and not split apart. We have to come together.”

As a person, there are not too many more standup people than Barrett Ruud. But as Joe’s good friend Justin Pawlowski points out, Joe doesn’t know if the guy is a franchise middle linebacker.

Ruud seems to be chasing many more guys who get behind him than he does chasing running backs and quarterbacks behind the line of scrimmage.

Ruud, though he had 10 tackles today, didn’t record one for a loss.

Again.

Ruud manned up and spoke on the Buccaneers Radio Network following the game.

“They were doing a lot of things well,” Ruud said. “We didn’t stop much of anything. We have to go over a lot of problems.

“Two of our three phrases [offense and defense] weren’t very good today. One team executed well and the other team wasn’t. There’s a lot we have to  work on.”

Bucs rookie quarterback Josh Freeman spoke about the worst game of his short career on the Buccaneers Radio Network after the Bucs’ loss to the Saints.

“We started running the ball with authority,” Freeman said. “Our offensive line did a great job and we got a touchdown. We hit some third downs and it came down to I was missing my throws.

“I was trying to go to D-Ward [on the Bucs lone touchdown] in the flat when I saw Michael Clayton waving his hands in the corner.

“I was a little off in the timing. I just have to go back to the lab and prepare for next week. I have to put that on me. I couldn’t get it done on third down. My fumble, that was unacceptable.

“The bright side is we get to play them again. I’m looking forward to that.”

Saints 38, Bucs 7

* Joe cannot remember the last time he’s seen an NFL defensive line totally get blown up play after play after play.

* How can anyone with a straight face make any excuses for this defensive line?

* Joe doesn’t know what to say about how pathetic this defensive line is. When Joe criticizes the guy responsible for the defense, Joe catches nasty hell. Joe cannot with a straight face leave the guy blameless. Cannot. If Joe does, he’s being grossly dishonest. That’s like a company that loses money hand over fist and the CFO getting a free pass.

* Only question with this game is if the Saints break 40 points.

* The way the Saints are manhandling the Bucs defensive line, it looks like a bad high school game.

* There was a Quincy Black sighting. First time Joe heard his name called all day. Joe assumes someone on the Saints missed a block.

* Geno Hayes shows some respectability with a tackle for a loss.

* Joe politely asks, can some bum off the street do any worse than most of the slugs on the Bucs defensive line?

* Joe doesn’t mind a pass attempt on first down here and there. Especially if it gains a few yards.

* Dave Moore says the Bucs will get a first down on third-and-one all day with a run. Let’s see if he is right.

* Dave Moore was right. First down.

* King of Turds makes a catch. Helps to know the snap count Tito, but way to adjust quickly. Nice job.

* Yeah, Freeman should have thrown the ball away on the fumble. More importantly, you don’t let a linebacker fly in untouched.

* Touchdown. Ballgame. Unless Freeman has a miraculous comeback, game’s over. Saints lead by 17. You can forget the run game and Joe doesn’t think Freeman can win a shootout with Brees.

* Caddy is running well and so is Graham but can the Bucs afford to run down 17?

* Nice spin move by Freeman and a really good run.

*Clayton was open (not by much) but Freeman launched the pass to long. There were other guys open. Not a great decision but not a terrible decision. The interception really hurts.

* That beautiful Bucs rush defense is at it again.

* Touchdown Saints. Running up the middle. Shocking.

* This could get real ugly with a rookie replacing Jeremy Youngblood.

* Sure enough, damned near a sack.

* Bucs defensive line is absolutely getting BLOWN off the line of scrimmage. It’s sick.

* Memo to Ford marketing: Either get rid of that unfunny Boston jackass and lose “Mike” — whoever the hell Mike is (only douchebags where baseball caps without a logo) — or Joe is seriously going to consider buying a rice burner when Joe next buys a truck.

* Bucs in the first quarter averaged 6.9 yards a carry. Joe has one word for that: gutless!

* Finally! It takes a class defender like Ronde Barber to get a loss for a run.

* Looks like the defense woke up. Forcing the Saints on a three-and-out. Nice.

* Keep running the ball man!

* Freeman and his hotel roommate Sammie Stroughter seem to have their timing off a little bit today.

* Get your head out of your ass Talib! Wrap up!! This drives Joe nuts when defenders try to hit a ball carrier into the middle of next week but fail to do the most elementary of football skills: wrap up.

* Sabby got very, very lucky on that play but to be honest, that wasn’t Sabby’s play. Meachem got past another Bucs defender.

* Nice tackle by old man Barber!

* Big stop by the defense and key play by Barber who is having a helluva game thus far.

* Ward damned near fell for a safety and damned near could have scored a 99-yard touchdown.

* Deckerhoff just had an interesting call: “Freeman throws and connects with Freeman.”

* Jeremy Trueblood (who else?) with a very untimely penalty.

* That was an *impressive* catch by Antonio Bryant. May have been the best catch of the season by any Bucs receiver.

* Looked like Freeman tried to force that ball to Bryant on the pickoff.

* Nope. Bryant fell down. That’s not on Freeman.

* Deckeroff is screaming Jenkins did not intercept the ball. Joe loves Deckerhoff but Gene needs an eye check up if he thinks that wasn’t an interception.

* Who the hell is telling Rah to ask for reviews? First, that Saints punt earlier was not in the end zone. Now, it’s pretty clear the pass interception. Now the Bucs have no more challenges the rest of the game. If you are going to challenge, at least do it when it’s clear the call was wrong, not hoping the refs make a mistake watching the peep show.

* Very nice play by Torrie Cox to prevent the first down, even though the pass was complete.

* For the Bucs defense to hold the Saints to a field goal is pretty much a job well done.

* Quick second quarter. Only four minutes left.

* Bucs are doing a nice job with the run. Keep it up.

* Freeman got rushed on his incomplete pass intended for Kellen Winslow, Jr. Winslow was open but Freeman couldn’t wait without getting leveled.

* Ref got blasted in the face by a Brees pass, nearly resulted in a pickoff.

* Someone mark this down: at 2:22 p.m. on Nov. 22, 2009, the Bucs got pressure on the quarterback.

* Someone please give Antonio Bryant a new pair of shoes. He looks like he’s trying to learn how to ice skate.

* Freeman, since that long drive, is looking very much like the rookie he is.

* A minute is a lifetime for Drew Brees.

* Stylez White is starting to get some pressure.

* Saints now in field goal range.

* Saints now in touchdown ranges.

* There again, trying to knock the snot out of a ball carrier but nobody wrapping up. Grade school football players know better.

* Tanard Jackson should have had a pickoff or a breakup. Jackson had good coverage on Meachem.

* Rahaeem the Dream said on the Bucs radio network that the Bucs have to keep their defense off the field. That statement is so correct on so many levels.

* Barrett Ruud just got carried for about five yards. Joe’s good friend Justin Pawlowski is likely already fuming.

* Gene Deckerhoff just said Drew Brees passing for a short first down (covered by Ruud) was “well-covered.” If that is the case, then than the pass should have been incomplete, no?

* Seems as though Brees is dinking an dunking to try to set up a bomb.

* Bucs are absolutely getting chewed up by the run up the middle. Imagine!

* Only way the Bucs rush defense can stop the run is when a running back falls.

* What the hell is Peanut doing calling for a fair catch at the five-yard line? WTF?

* Nice to give Freeman a short third down by Caddy bulldozing up the middle. Quick snap was smart.

* Nice of Freeman not to get rattled by the rush. Dude took a shot.

* Earnest Graham’s run from the shotgun is why the Bucs need to stay in that formation until Freeman gets more comfortable taking snaps from center.

* Um, it helps for someone to block Will Smith. Dude was untouched and got to Freeman.

* Oh, no. Donald Penn might be hurt, so says Gene Deckerhoff. That is NOT good news.

* Fastball just a bit too high to Stroughter.

* Well, Penn is still in the game so he must not be hurt that bad.

* Freeman was so quick to take off on the scramble for a first down, Joe wonders if that was a delayed draw of some sort?

* This might be an Earnest Graham kinda day.

* A Derrick Ward sighting! He damned near broke that for a monster run. Three yards is better than a loss.

* Freeman got lucky that he didn’t toss a pickoff.

* My God, Michael Clayton with a catch. A touchdown catch no less. And it was a fine catch at that. Nice job Michael!

* Great angle on the replay showing Clayton jumping up and down in the corner of the end zone, waving his arms, basically begging Freeman to throw him the ball while Freeman was scrambling.

* Wow, 95-yard drive. Impressive.

* Geno Hayes with a tackle for a loss! Joe loves Geno Hayes.

* Barrett Rudd got burned (again) covering a receiver.

* Saints are totally chewing up the Bucs with the run up the middle.

* Joe never, ever wants wants to see anyone get hurt. That written, there is one position where an injury to a starter doesn’t matter: defensive tackle.

* Wow, Barrett Ruud was able to shed a block for a tackle. Nice.

* Saints are making this look too easy. Then again the Saints do have the best offense in the league.

* Ouch, that was a very bad pass by Freeman. He gotta way with one there.

* Com’ on Dave Moore. He’s already talking about how the Bucs defense needs a rest. They’ve only played two series! Give Joe a break! Joe knows the defense is weak, but geez, needing a rest after the second series of the game? If that’s the case, Joe is convinced they need more conditioning.

Week 11
Saints at Bucs
Kickoff: 1 p.m.
TV: WTVT Ch. 13, DirecTV 712
Radio: Buccaneers Radio Network (in Tampa WFUS-FM, 103.5 and WDAE-AM, 620); Sirius Channel 158.
Weather: Per AccuWeather.com, perfect Florida fall day. Kickoff will be under sunny skies and 82 degrees. Though rain is expected today, the game should be concluded before the front rolls through.
Odds: Per Bodog.com, Saints -11
Outlook: On paper, the Bucs have about as much of a chance of winning this game as Joe has of hooking up with Rachel Watson. Of course, games aren’t played on paper (this truth, sadly, doesn’t apply with the Rachel Watson analogy). The Saints are beat up. Their secondary is a shambles and overrated Reggie Bush won’t be there either. Now the flip side is that the Bucs finally get Antonio Bryant back. Bucs rookie quarterback Josh Freeman can throw the deep ball and Bryant on rookie cornerbacks may just give the Bucs a chance.
Fun facts: The Saints average 37 points a game. … The Saints may have the worst home uniforms in the NFL (get rid of those awful black pants). … Speaking of overrated, if Bush isn’t here, that means Bush’s big-assed girlfriend won’t be here either. … Joe loves eating in the French Quarter.

Sterling Sharpe, Joe Theismann and knothead Brian Baldinger of NFL Network break down the Saints-Bucs game in this video. Sharpe and Theismann want the creamsicles back.

The talented folks at NFL Films also looks at the game.

Scott Smith of Buccaneers Insiders offers his preview of the game.

Lastly, there is a weather report from AccuWeather.com.

Rick Stroud, the St.  Pete Times beat writer known also as the Mad Twitterer, is questioning Jim Bates’ job security today.

In his look at Bates’ results to date, the Mad Twitterer gets a little insight from Raheem The Dream on the grand master plan.

“The theory behind this is you’ve got to see what you have,” Bucs coach Raheem Morris said. “You’ve got to go out there and let guys play. If you sprinkle in a guy that’s proven, like a Jason Taylor, it has nothing to do with your long-term plans. It would be simple to go out there with a short-term plan and see what you can get done this year and see how productive you can be this year. But you have an ability to look for long-term solutions. We gave an opportunity to guys like Quincy Black and Geno Hayes to go out there and be the starter, get better and progress. That’s been the plan the whole time.

Now Joe didn’t just fall out of the sky and land in Clearwater.

Yo, Rah, please don’t tell try and sell this to Joe as you’ve only been looking for long-term solutions. What exactly was moving Jermaine Phillips to linebacker all about when you had Black and Hayes on the roster? Why did you waste the limited cash to go around on Byron Leftwich when you had Luke McCown?

Joe’s going to give you a pass on Angelo Crowell. But get Roy Miller his first start of the season already, if this year is truly about letting young guys “be the starter, get better and progress.”

And to use that same logic, your logic, surely young, improving Maurice Stovall will be your starter today in place of Michael Clayton.

If you like the Tampa Bay Lightning, you need to visit JoeBoltsFan.com on a daily basis. Joe brings you fabulous Bolts coverage every day, highlighted by the lovely Amanda Harris, the finest Lightning beat writer on the planet.

The Bolts have lost just twice in regulation in their last 13 games. This is a team to get excited about!

Joe’s got good stuff out of Saturday night’s game in Carolina.

And you can even see the video of Steven Stamkos’ sick goal on Thursday that is sure to get Goal of the Year consideration.

Great Lightning coverage every day at JoeBoltsFan.com.

"Man, I think it's too damn cold up here for Griese."

WIVB-TV reporter Paul Peck, a Buffalo TV news guy, broke a story last night that should warm the hearts of Bucs fans who believe Chucky’s fat salary on the team books is limiting what the Glazer Boys spend of players.

Peck reported “Jon Gruden was the man Ralph Wilson wanted to replace Dick Jauron. Team officials met with [Gruden].” But Chucky turned them down, Peck said.

Joe fully expects Gruden to sniff every head coaching opening. It’s unfathomable to Joe why anyone would think his recent contract extension with BSPN is nothing more than an attempt to keep him away from another network.

Chucky is the guy who got fired and then spent countless hours at the Ice Palace studying the option and other game film with colleagues. The dude’s a coach, not a talking head.

Frankly, Chucky’s not foolish enough to join Buffalo. He’s not going to land another ring too easily with Tom Brady in his division and getting outspent every year by the Jets.

Here’s the TV report:

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.