Now Joe was always of the mind that a solid running game opens up a passing game.

This came true for the Bucs two years ago when LeGarrette Blount was wilding against defenses and all of a sudden, Bucs quarterback Josh Freeman blew up.

So Joe was of the mind that the past three weeks when Doug Martin began running so much better, the passing game followed.

But to hear Bucs offensive lineman Jeremy Zuttah talk on the Bucs radio network, it is the Bucs passing game that has allowed Martin to begin to run wild on defenses.

“We have two tremendous weapons on the outside [in Vincent Jackson and Mike Williams] so it keeps a seven-man box and allows us to do what we do,” Zuttah said.

Very interesting but it makes sense. Defenses are not going to put eight men (or more) in the box because Jackson and Williams will torch defenses one-on-one.

Zuttah, who started at left guard last year but started 2012 at center, moved back to left guard to replace injured Carl Nicks for a laudable goal.

“Coach just told us this is the best chance for us to win,” Zuttah said. “We just have to keep getting better and pick it up for the guys who aren’t here.”

Zuttah just raved about the play of Martin.

“Dang, you just give him a little daylight and he can find the crease, it’s amazing,” Zuttah said. “He’s so much fun to watch.”

As far as being in a wild card race with a 4-4 record at the halfway point of the season, Zuttah said the team can still grow.

“We are a team that is learning how to win together so we will keep at it.”

Wow. Joe doesn’t know what to write about Doug Martin, known nationally as “The Muscle Hamster.”

Right now he should be known as King Muscle Hamster.

Martin blew up today. Blew up! Destroyed the Raiders. It looked like Martin was playing against a two-bit high school team. It looked almost too easy.

How big of a day did Martin have? Consider Cadillac Williams’ rookie season, he racked up 290 carries and 1,178 yards for a 4.1 yards-per-carry average and six touchdowns.

Martin has 794 yards through eight games with a 5.2 yards per carry average and seven touchdowns.

Ray Rice only wishes he had these kind of numbers.

Martin took time to discuss his record-setting day on the Bucs radio network after the game.

“It was a good team effort, four quarters of football,” Martin said. “We wanted to come out swinging and we did.

“I’ve got to give a lot of credit to the line with Carl [Nicks] gone.

“I was told to ‘Keep your head up’ and if you keep your head up, the body will follow and I did that and I was on the third level [of the defense].

“The line man, I cannot describe how they were able to step in. [Ted] Larsen hasn’t played center in a while. They did an awesome job today.”

Joe just couldn’t believe his eyes the way Martin was attacking the Oakland defense, behind a line that was pretty much put together with duct tape and baling wire, against a pretty solid defensive front of the Raiders no less.

Joe believes we are on the cusp of seeing something really, really, really special with Martin.

Does anyone still miss helmet-wielding, cabbie-slugging, Adderrall-popping, coach-cussing, referee-charging, pistol-friendly, granny-hassling Aqib Talib?

Probably, given today’s Myron Lewis sighting and other cornerback troubles. But Joe sure doesn’t miss Talib.

Last Sunday, Joe was on the 98.7 FM airwaves saying he definitely would dump Talib if the Bucs won in Oakland. Joe’s rationale was simple: if the Bucs could go 3-1 without Talib, then the benefits of Talib returning to the roster would be outweighed by the potential hit to team chemistry from the arrival of post-suspension Talib.

The Bucs never had to make that choice, as rockstar general manager Mark Dominik fleeced the Patriots and sent them Talib and a seventh-round pick for the Patriots fourth-rounder in 2013.

Yeah, the playoff-hunting Bucs might miss Talib if, say, they head to the SuperDome with a 7-6 record in December. But Joe’s still on board with the trade, even with the Bucs’ thin secondary. The Bucs still have damage-control options. Ronde Barber returning to cornerback with Ahmad Black at safety remains on the table, if necessary.

Joe’s as fired up as the next fan by Doug Martin, the Bucs’ front seven, legitimate stud wide receivers and the New Schiano Order.

But Joe hasn’t lost sight of the resurrection of Josh Freeman and how the team really is all about No. 5, as Raheem  Morris used to say.

Freeman hits the season’s halfway mark  with 16 touchdowns and five interceptions, a far cry from the disaster of 2011, and pretty damn good in its own right. Today in Oakland, Freeman was scrambling smart and he made his share of flawless throws.

No, Freeman is far from perfect. He’s not yet elite. His completion percentage still hovers around 56 percent. But the progression is there, and he seems to be in better hands than in past years.

The sky is the limit for Freeman, and Bucs fans should be damn happy he’s ascending into higher altitudes.

The stifling, punishing Bucs run defense was at it again today, knocking out running backs Darren McFadden and Mike Goodson, and holding the Raiders to a flimsy 22 yards on the ground.

Make no mistake. The Raiders wanted to run the ball. They couldn’t. Hell, Mark Barron hit McFadden so hard their facemasks became one, like two rams locking horns in the Rocky Mountains.

Many of Lavonte David’s 14 tackles were of the statement variety, and the swarm Greg Schiano covets was in full swing.

The Bucs entered the game with the NFL’s fifth-ranked run defense. It’s no fluke. There are no smoke and mirrors, just physical football.

At the risk of irritating the wrong people at One Buc Palace, Joe can no longer bite his tongue without losing his credibility.

The time has come to wave goodbye to Myron Lewis.

Myron Lewis, from the moment he signed with the Bucs, has been nothing but an empty uniform, a waste of a roster spot. Sure, early on, there was reason to give him plenty of rope. The guy was a rookie, then a second-year man and he was always hurt.

But when healthy, he couldn’t play; not a lick. Now in his third season, it is painfully obvious that there are guys walking the streets in early November that can play just as well (or more accurately, just as pathetic) as Lewis.

Today was the last straw for Joe. With Leonard Johnson getting dinged up, Lewis came in to replace him (and Joe Twittered that this was going to be an adventure). And sure enough Marcel Reese ran a circle around Lewis, totally schooling Lewis for an 11-yard touchdown.

Typical Myron Lewis.

Joe’s freaking had it with this guy!

Joe knows why Lewis is still on the roster. He was drafted by Bucs rock star general manager Mark Dominik. But not even Kevin Colbert or Ted Thompson are perfect. They make mistakes too.

It’s time for Dominik to admit the mistake of Myron Lewis and for the sake of the team that is now in a wild card race, give Lewis his walking papers! Do the right thing Mark.

Currently, Lewis is worse than Sabby the Goat. And Dominik did the right thing with Sabby the Goat and put Sabby the Goat out to pasture in the middle of the season where he could chew on tin cans to his heart’s content.

And Sabby the Goat was a worse mistake than Lewis. Sabby the Goat was a second-round pick if you can imagine such a thing!

For the sake of the Bucs, Mark, get rid of Lewis. He’s killing this team and may just kill the team’s wild card hopes the way he gets grilled so often. It’s not fair to the rest of the hard-working professionals on this team to keep Lewis on the roster for no good reason.

Come Tuesday, the Bucs should be holding tryouts at One Buc Palace to fill the void left by Lewis’ departure.

Even with Lewis on the roster, there’s a void already there.

There is no logical reason to continue this illogical nightmare.

Myron Lewis should be cut. Now. Time to come to grips that a mistake was made and move on.

Feel free to drop the “P” word — as in playoffs. It’s hardly inappropriate chatter anymore!

The New Schiano Order Bucs turned in a complete yet sloppy performance and mauled the Raiders before a hostile Oakland crowd and are now firmly in the hunt for the postseason.

At 4-4 with a complete offense, these Bucs are no joke. Doug Martin is approaching NFL superstar status — 251 yards on 25 carries and four touchdowns — the deep threats are lethal, and the defense is good enough, as was today’s defensive gameplan to cover for the Bucs’ thin secondary.

Major hat tip to the Bucs’ makeshift offensive line, which brought back memories of what the Bucs pulled off in 2010, after Davin Joseph, Jeff Faine and Jeremy Trueblood went down yet the O-line blew open holes for LeGarrette Blount. So much of Martin’s career day today goes to Jeremy Zuttah, Jamon Meredith and Ted Larsen getting it done up the gut. Joe remembers all too well what it looked like when turnstile Sean Mahan filled in at center a few years ago.

Myron Lewis nightmares aside, dare to dream tonight, Bucs fans. You have good reason.

Stick with Joe through the night for so much more out of this game.

Good afternoon. These 4 p.m. games are sweet, are they not?

Let’s see what happens with the Bucs today? Will they survive in the secondary in this post-Aqib Talib era? Can they survive on offense without Carl Nicks?

Can Josh Freeman continue to light up the sky? Can the Bucs defense put Carson Palmer on the ground, and on the ground hard?

These questions will be answered in the next three or so hours. Have it and have fun.

Week 9

Bucs at Raiders

Kickoff: 4 p.m.

TV: WTVT-TV, Channel13; DirecTV 712.

Radio: Buccaneers Radio Network (in Tampa WFUS-FM, 103.5 and WDAE-AM, 620); SiriusXM Channel 127.

Weather: Per AccuWeather.com, a typical NoCal day: non-stop sunshine, cloudless skies and kickoff temperature of 70. The temperature will rise slightly to 72 near the fourth quarter.

Odds: Per Sportsbook.com, Bucs +1.

Outlook: Joe has a hunch there will be a lot of points on the board. The Bucs’ run game will likely suffer with Carl Nicks out for the year, not to mention the Raiders secondary isn’t very good either. Also, the Bucs’ pass defense still gives up chunks of passing yards to good quarterbacks. Raiders QB quarterback Carson Palmer may not be what he once was but he is still better than Christian Ponder. … We won’t know for sure if Ted Larsen or Jeremy Zuttah will start in place of the injured Nicks but that is a very key element to watch as the Raiders have damn good defensive tackles.

Back when the Bucs inexplicably cut Tiquan Underwood before opening day following a stellar preseason and training camp by Tampa Bay’s eventual No. 3 receiver, Underwood began pounding the pavement looking for work.

And the job search in September took him to Oakland, where the Raiders worked Underwood out and passed on him in favor of fellow journeyman receiver Derek Hagan.

Thank goodness the Raiders waved goodbye to Underwood.

Joe’s confident the Bucs offense wouldn’t be what it is today with Arrelious Benn soaking up Underwood’s snaps. Greg Schiano’s and rockstar general manager Mark Dominik’s bad call on Underwood became a correctable mistake when Underwood was re-signed during Week 3.

Joe has to think the competitive Underwood would love to stick it to the Raiders this afternoon, a little payback for keeping him unemployed and dragging his ass to the left coast for a tryout. This week, Raiders coach Dennis Allen said the Bucs’ offense was most impressive for the way it can pump the ball down the field in the passing game. Hopefully that will continue along with the Raiders continuing to underestimate Underwood’s ability.

The amazing new ESPN AT SEA has great “Big Game” cruises out of Tampa and Ft. Lauderdale in 2013. Yeah, Super Bowl time.

All kinds of former NFL greats are accessible on the cruises, as well as stars from the soccer world, cruise cheerleaders and much more. There are so many options to choose, plus parties, and a discount for JoeBucsFan.com readers. Click on through below to sniff all the deals and check out the Royal Caribbean ships.

Joe’s done more than his share of homework on the Raiders over the past 10 days.

Joe watched the Raiders-Chiefs game last Sunday. Joe had an in-depth chat with a Raiders beat writer before that, and Joe was able to bark out questions to Darren McFadden and Raiders head coach Dennis Allen at One Buc Palace earlier this week, along with studying all things Raiders.

Joe’s biggest takeaway is that it’s a brutally tough task to prepare for the Raiders defensively. What the Raiders will do on offense is a giant crap shoot.

Oakland is struggling to find a balance between their new zone blocking scheme and the power blocking that was there before Allen took over this offseason. Nobody knows what’s coming in the running game. Darren McFadden is healthy and running very hard but has horrendous stats on the season. He broke a 28-yarder last week but only finished with 114 yards on 29 carries. There’s a really sense, however, out of Oakland that the running game is about to break out.

Carson Palmer is a having a stellar season and has been using a load of no-huddle in some games and not much in others. Plus he’s got weapons. Denarius Moore and Darius Heyward-Bey have sick speed, which is the one thing the Bucs don’t have much of in their secondary. Eric Wright’s got an Achilles issue, and the rest of the cornerback crew, Myron Lewis, E.J. Biggers, Brandon McDonald and Leonard Johnson are now known for their wheels.

If the Bucs’ play a lot of zone to contain the Raiders, Palmer’s top target is tight end Brandon Myers, and Palmer has the patience and experience to dink and dunk the Bucs successfully, and McFadden is dangerous out of the backfield in the passing game.

This will be a great chess game today. Joe suspects the Bucs will play a little wait and see to determine if their front four can get any pass rush. If they can’t it’s going to be a long afternoon, but Joe remains confident the Bucs can win a shootout with the Raiders.

Joe is a big LeGarrette Blount guy as readers know. But Joe is sensing a turning point in the clamoring for Blount by Bucs fans.

Blount has had more than a few chances to show Bucs coach Greg Schiano he should get more carries. Outside of a run or two, it’s hard to see why Blount should get more carries given the success of Doug Martin. Even Joe can see this.

Doug Martin seems to be getting better and better every week and his dazzling performance against the Vikings was what Bucs fans have been waiting for. This is yet another reason that Blount won’t get many carries.

Woody Cummings of the Tampa Tribune types that, despite his limited carries and not much to justify more, the Bucs will need Blount down the road this season.

Though the idea of trading RB LeGarrette Blount grew legs on local sports-talk radio, it never gained traction at One Buc Place, where Dominik was wary of the possibility of history repeating itself.

He wasn’t so wary a year ago, when he opted not to re-sign Cadillac Williams and then regretted it after Kregg Lumpkin turned out to be Kregg Lumpkin and Earnest Graham went down with a career-ending Achilles tendon injury.

The idea of trading Blount, then, was never really given much thought, though there was more behind the decision to hold onto him than fear an injury could destroy the team’s depth.

This is a valid point. At some time this season Martin is going to hit the old rookie wall and hit it hard. Will he be able to manage that wall? Only time will tell.

Perhaps keeping Blount in the mix on game days will delay Martin from hitting that dreaded wall.

Joe thought he’d take a break in Aqib Talib coverage to bring you a breezy, Saturday feel-good post while you take a break from college football and guzzling beer.

Damn, when looking at how the Bucs have played this year — even in losses — and to remember that friggin’ horror show fans were ambushed with week after grotesque week last year, it’s like a whole new team.

Even though the Bucs are one game below .500, this year’s bunch (there’s a Hubert Mizell word for you) seems light years better, and frankly is a breath of fresh air.

Joe has typed this before and stands by his words: There is no more improved player for the Bucs than middle linebacker Mason Foster. It’s like he’s a new man.

This has not been lost on Pat Yasinskas of ESPN.com who, in an NFC South chat, even invoked the Pro Bowl when discussing Foster.

Karthik (San Jose)

Do you think Mason Foster will get Pro Bowl consideration if he continues to play at this level? He’s near the top of the league in tackles and makes numerous plays in the backfield

Pat Yasinskas

Possibly. Know he’s getting heavy consideration for All-NFC South midseason team that will run next week.

The Bucs linebacker play has been amazing. Sure, it’s helped that Quincy Black has shown up. Sure, it’s helped that Lavonte David has been everything Joe wrote about last winter and more.

But Foster has been the rock of the Bucs defense, simply playing amazing football.

Joe told this to Foster’s face not long ago, and let’s just say Foster liked what Joe said: “You should have some pineapple in your belly come February.”

“Jimminy Christmas Dexter, I can get you a job! I can hook you up frying wings at Hooters. Why would you go anywhere else?”

One reason Chucky was jettisoned by Team Glazer was his terrible Matt Millen-like drafts. Chucky swung and missed so often, Karlos Pena was left blanch.

Troubled, granny-hassling, coach-cussing, helmet-wielding, cabbie-punching, Adderall-popping Aqib Talib’s departure Thursday all but closed the book on the ugly 2008 draft.

The lone remaining player from that draft — just four years later — may be the best pick by Chucky in that draft, Jeremy Zuttah.

Here’s the 2008 Bucs draft:

Aqib Talib, CB (traded to Pats)
(The bad) Dexter Jackson, WR (out of football)
Jeremy Zuttah, OL (starts for Bucs)
Dre Moore, DT (out of football)
Josh Johnson, QB (played for Sacramento Mountain Lions of UFL when league shut down operations this fall)
Geno Hayes, LB (plays for Bears)
Cory Boyd, RB (out of football)

This is just brutal. Four years later, only one player remains on the team. Any wonder why the Bucs struggled the past couple of years and had no depth?

It all started with Chucky, who Joe will forever be grateful for when he took the Bucs to a Super Bowl victory.

At Derby Lane on Gandy Boulevard in St. Pete today, you can watch and wager on all the Breeders’ Cup races. Plus there’s live greyhound racing day and night, plus great lounges to watch college football and enjoy adult beverages. And don’t forget the best poker room in Florida and the amazing Derby Club buffet. Click through below to get all the details.

Now the following is no knock on Josh Freeman or his verbal skills, only a transcript of a telling response from the quarterback. For Joe, it’s telling because the well spoken Freeman was at loss for words and disinterested in talking about Aqib Talib on Thursday.

Hearing this exchange on The Josh Freeman Show on WDAE-AM 620 Thursday, Freeman sounded like a guy whose mom taught him not to say anything about someone if you can’t say anything nice.

Steve Duemig: Talk about Talib a little bit. You lose a teammate; this is a business.

Josh Freeman: Yeah. I mean, it’s um. I mean I’m not a GM by any stretch. I can just speak from being Aqib’s teammate. You know, he’s a guy that, um, a heck of a football player. And you know he’s a guy that is movin’ on in his career. You know, it’s, um, it’s just, like you said, it’s a business. That’s how it goes. But you know it’s um, really, it’s the least of my concerns at the moment.

Duemig: But you don’t spend a lot of time with the defensive side of the football to begin with.

Freeman: No. Yeah, but Aqib’s just a guy that gets to know a lot of people. He’s um. But yeah, he’s been on the team.

Joe has never heard Freeman string together babble like that.

Talib was widely considered a good teammate when he wasn’t suspended, working very hard, showing up with Freeman at player-run lockout workouts, playing through pain, etc. But this comment/non-comment from Freeman tells Joe that Talib’s irresponsibililty had run its course in the locker room.

Tampa Bay Lightning beat writer Erik Erlendsson is trying to keep busy and penned a story in The Tampa Tribune about how the subject of Talib was taboo among players in the Bucs locker room Friday.

Nobody’s talking candidly. Joe can only speculate why, but Joe’s confident Talib’s ex-teammates spared him a good public tongue lashing.