An NFL fan to the core, Joe keeps his eye on what’s happening around the league. So when Joe recently saw credible reports that the Bills are paid about $10 million per game to play in Toronto rather than at their ancient stadium in Buffalo, Joe started thinking.

If the Bills get $10 million to play before roughly 50,000 fans in Toronto, how much is Team Glazer paid to play a before about 80,000 in London?

Forbes and The Tampa Tribune have reported that the average ticket price at Raymond James Stadium is $72. So if the place is sold out, the Bucs collect about $4.7 million in ticket revenue for a packed house in Tampa. That means if the Bucs are collecting about $10 million a game to play in England, like the Bills are in Toronto, then the Bucs are soaking up quite a tidy profit to trek over to London.

Veteran Tribune scribe eye-RAH! Kaufman reported that Roger Goodell told him there were “financial incentives” to being the home team for the annual NFL game overseas. Joe figured that meant more than a few quality lap dances and money to replace lost revenue in a team’s home city, but this kind of profit incentive is very healthy and hard to ignore. 

Given no forseeable end to local TV blackouts, Joe is resigned to seeing the Bucs make England their once-a-year home. The money is too good, and Joe expects the Bucs to keep creatively rationalizing why it’s a good thing for the team.

Today Josh Freeman referred to the “monkey on LeGarrette’s back.”

The QB was talking about LeGarrette Blount’s reputation of not being a capable third-down back. Speaking at his news conference today, Freeman said any thought of that is ancient history.

“He can do it. We’re out there doing a walk-through [today] throwing it around. When we got into the pass and the blitzes, I mean, [Blount’s] out there calling the protections, knowing where he’s going,” Freeman said. “It’s huge. Huge strides that guy’s made.”

Joe’s confident Blount can get it done, as well. Given the alternative, Joe suspects he’ll get ample opportunity to prove himself Sunday.

Last week Joe brought word of former Bucs wide receiver Meshawn Johnson unloading on former Bucs coach Chucky, both co-workers at BSPN.

Then, Chucky reacted with thin skin claiming he has thick skin.

Joe thought this was a felonious form of BSPN-on-BSPN crime.

A few days later, this topic came up amid discussion on the “too-Jewish” sounding King David Show, co-hosted by former Bucs quarterback Shaun King and Toby David heard weekdays on WQYK-AM 1010.

King, who is one of but three quarterbacks to lead the Bucs to an NFC title game, was in the locker room to see first-hand the vile that existed not just between Meshawn and Chucky, but other players. So King decided to detail some of the friction that went on between Chucky and his players and why few, if any players, respect Chucky.

Part of King’s undressing of Chucky was an explosive comment, “Jon Gruden is inherently dishonest.” King even invoked the name of Nick Saban into the discussion.

The full audio clip of the subject matter can be heard by clicking the little button below.

Audio courtesy of WQYK-AM 1010. [Hat tip Justin.]

[audio: ShaunKingonGruden.mp3]

Joe’s writhes in agony when the Bucs seem to miss what’s glaringly obvious: Opponents don’t stop LeGarrette Blount; Greg Olson does.

While Raheem Morris says stats are for losers, one stat was on the coach’s lips last night during The Raheem Morris Show on WDAE-AM 620. The head coach explained to a caller that the Bucs don’t need much no-huddle offense because they win when No. 27 gets the rock.

“With the no-huddle, that’s something that you get in and you get out of. Really, we’re focused on running the football and you want to hand the ball off to LeGarrette Blount 20 or so times a game,” Raheem said. “The things we have been successful with, if we’re able to get the ball to LeGarrette Blount 20 or so times, we’re almost undefeated in those situations.”

Allow Joe to clarify for the head coach, his Bucs are 8-1 when Blount has 16 or more carries.

Raheem went on to say about running the ball to open up the passing game, “that’s kind of what our offense is. It’s kind of what the bread and butter of our offense is and has to be.”

This is all music to Joe’s ears, especially with Blount returning healthy on Sunday, but it’s just lip service right now. Joe wants to see Blount with 20 carries through the first three quarters Sunday in New Orleans.

Why? Because it works.

Grambling State head coach and former Bucs icon and personnel executive Doug Williams, the man with the loose-lipped barber, might not be game for a group hug with Mark Dominik and Team Glazer anytime soon, but he was eager to offer a take on Josh Freeman’s struggles during an interview on The Dan Sileo Show yesterday on WDAE-AM 620.

Williams asserted that Freeman’s regression is the result of overconfidence and a byproduct of lost chess matches with defensive coordinators.

“I always thought that Josh [Freeman,] even coming out [of college] was the best of the three quarterbacks [in 2009.]  And my mind don’t change on that,” Williams said. “It’s just that the kid is struggling. You know, No. 1, I know Josh pretty good, and I know one thing he does play with is a lot of confidence. And sometimes you can get overconfident and, you know, people are going to change on you. The team that you play got a little more film on you. It’s one of them things;  he’s going to work his way through it. He’s got some young receivers that can play. I think it’s just a matter of time and he’ll find a way to work out of it.”

Joe’s written numerous times that Freeman’s up against an asinine lockout in which coaches had nothing better to do than to break down film and find new ways to confuse him. Clearly, it’s worked for the bad guys.

However, Freeman was stellar two weeks ago against New Orleans, the Bucs’ opponent Sunday. That bodes very well. And Freeman had one of his best-ever days (21-for-26 and two touchdowns) at the SuperDome in January.

While Freeman struggled in England, in Joe’s mind the key to the game lies more with the Saints trying to figure out Freeman, not the other way around.

Raheem Morris was giddy last night from the mere thought of his mended roster. Photo courtesy of Michael Hamm

Time off is a good thing during an NFL season, especially when you’re a team as banged up as the Bucs have been.

Raheem Morris is one man fired up about the Bucs’ shrinking injury list, so he said last night on The Raheem Morris Show on WDAE-AM 620.

The head coach talked about guys coming back at full strength and specifically mentioned Jeff Faine, Gerald McCoy, Luke Stocker, LeGarrette Blount and Sammie Stroughter.

“We’re healthy as we’ve ever been,” Raheem said. “I really give my team a lot of kudos for buying into the next-man-up theory and maintaining and winning, making no excuses for themselves, which is great. But now we get some guys back and it should be fun to see some of these guys play. .. They’re coming, and I can’t wait to see them.”

Joe can’t wait to see these guys, either. Hopefully, Jeremy Zuttah is on the “full strength” list. The first-team offensive line + Blount should be a beautiful thing.

If Geno Hayes can get a pick or two, it will greatly help the Bucs beat the Saints.

There are no more important plays than takeaways by a defense; no worse plays for an offense than giveaways.

If the Bucs are to beat the Saints at the Superdome Sunday, it would behoove the Bucs to get turnovers. It’s why Joe goes crazy that an alleged elite player like Aqib Talib simply cannot make big plays.

Winning the turnover battle with the Saints is the narrative veteran NFL scribe eye-RAH! Kaufman extols in the Tampa Tribune.

Morris, who also doubles at Tampa Bay’s defensive coordinator, has tremendous respect for Saints quarterback Drew Brees. But as Morris points out, Brees also has the confidence and bravado to throw into tight coverages, providing defenses with opportunities.

In Tampa Bay’s 26-20 home victory against New Orleans this year, the Bucs posted four takeaways and did not turn the ball over. The Bucs registered three takeaways in New Orleans during last year’s regular-season finale, wlaking out of the Superdome with a 23-13 win.

In their three wins against the Saints under Morris, the Bucs are plus-4 in turnover ratio, accumulating eight takeaways. In their two losses against New Orleans since 2009, the Bucs are minus-4 in turnover differential, with only one takeaway.

The way the Lambs pummeled Brees last Sunday and embarrassed the Saints offensive line bodes well for the Bucs.

Joe is still convinced the Saints were looking past the Lambs and forward to the Bucs and got burned. Joe doesn’t believe for one second the team that got tossed out of the Edward Jones Dome in St. Louis Sunday will be the same team the Bucs will face in the Superdome.

Raheem's favorite childhood Halloween costume on his boyhood streets of New Jersey. It's Admiral Ackbar of Star Wars, not Cardinals great Willie Magee.

During a light moment on The Raheem Morris Show on WDAE-AM 620 tonight, the Bucs head coach shared a few fond childhood memories.

There was the school Halloween party in third grade, in which Raheem said he was forced to sit in a coat closet with other students that misbehaved that day. Raheem recalled some girls bringing him chocolate there.

And there was Raheem’s favorite costume and the memories of his mother hooking him up.

“I didn’t live in a great neighborhood, so my parents weren’t fired up about taking me trick-or-treating,” Raheem said.

“The one costume I’ll always remember is Admiral Ackbar from Star Wars. I wore that all the time. … I’m not even sure if I wanted to be him. I think my mother got it because it was at Woolworth’s and it was probably on sale at the time. That’s probably what happened. She did a great job. My mom made me He-Man, I believe, one year.”

Joe wonders who Chucky dressed up as when he was a young lad. Kenny Stabler? Batman? Joe figures Chucky always wanted to wear a cape and a utility belt.

Lots of things need to be cleaned up for the Bucs as they return from a weekend off. That would be penalties.

The yellow laundry left on the field the first seven weeks of the season has killed the Bucs, who had 71 penalties this season. That’s an average of 10 a game which is simply unacceptable.

This has not been lost on Bucs coach Raheem Morris, who is beginning to punish the offenders in practice, so reports Buccaneers.com.

Morris estimated that 47 of those 71 calls were of the variety his players could control. He emphasized to his players how much damage they have caused, not only in 493 penalty yards but in the gained yardage that was subsequently lost, and in the promising drives that were killed.

One of Morris’ main points harkened back to the sore subject that the Bucs have been battling all season – slow starts. Tampa Bay has found itself in catch-up mode frequently this season, and while they have finished strong enough to have four wins against three losses, they haven’t always been able to come all the way back.

“We talk about holdings, false starts, whether it be offense or defense,” said Morris. “We talk about procedural issues with wideouts, or tight ends moving at the same time, things of that nature. And then you really show the ones that took away plays from us, or some of the things that we’ve been talking about the whole time, and I know it’s easy to say – fast starts. You can’t have fast starts if you don’t execute in the beginning, and you get yourself penalties to get backed up, get in second-and-10, second-and-20-type situations. That’s not going to be conducive to fast starts.”

Also in the article, it documents how Morris last week in the Bucs’ lone practice prior to the league-mandated time away from One Buc Palace, Morris made his players run “gassers” for penalties.

That’s great to learn. If talking and scolding doesn’t get the point across, physical punishment will. Pretty soon, players are going to get sick of running sprints.

If you don’t want to be treated like a high school player, don’t pull stunts that would get a high school player benched. Real simple.

Former Bucs guard Ian Beckles (1990-1996) described Kregg Lumpkin’s blocking in the backfield as “horrible” many times last week on his WDAE-AM 620 radio show.

So it was no surprise today when Beckles, guest hosting the Ron and Ian Show with Buccaneers radio analyst and former tight end Dave Moore, asked Moore whether he thought Lumpkin’s blitz pickups were “horrible.”

Moore didn’t answer the question directly but said of Lumpkin, “that’s going to be a big problem” against New Orleans if the Bucs can’t have manageable third down situations because of the Saints’ love of blitzing.

Moore went on to say Earnest Graham and Cadillac Williams were excellent picking up blitzes but Lumpkin’s “going to have to take on some big issues in a short period of time.”

Now Joe’s piled on Lumpkin since before the season started and, sadly, those fears have been realized.

However, there’s no reason why Lumpkin can’t improve quickly and significantly as a blocker on third down. He’s been in the Bucs system over a year and he saw what the Saints had to offer two weeks ago.

You’ve all read THE PESSIMIST, who spews his Bucs-related anger like no other. But Joe also brings you THE OPTIMIST. 

THE OPTIMIST is Nick Houllis, a Bucs fan and an accomplished writer whose steadfast allegiance to the Buccaneers goes back to the 1970s. Houllis is the founder, creator and guru of BucStop.com, a place Joe goes to get lost in time via Houllis’ stunning video collection.

THE OPTIMIST will shine that positive light in your eyes. Some will love it. Some won’t.

We’re one game away from the halfway point in the Bucs’ regular season and so far, at least, the team strategy is starting to take form.

The Bucs spent the first two picks of the 2010 NFL Draft on defensive tackles Gerald McCoy and Brian Price. McCoy played last year until his Week 11 injury that cost him his season. Brian Price only got into a couple games last year as he had a freak injury, but he’s back and thriving and should finish up the year alongside McCoy, who is due back from an ankle injury on Sunday.

This year, the Bucs spent their top two picks on defensive ends, and that is paying dividends almost immediately. Second round pick Da’Quan Bowers is coming along nicely, but top selection Adrian Clayborn is leading the team with three sacks.

That ranks him 28th in the NFL, but last season, no one from the Bucs even made the first page. The top sack man in 2010 was Stylez G. White and Clayborn needs only 1.5 sacks the rest of the way to equal that mark. Clayborn has actually come on fire lately, and he could easily break Lee Roy Selmon’s rookie record of five QB takedowns set back in 1976.

But football is a team sport, and stats are for losers, right? Well, our Bucs have improved in D-line play as a team, too.

Statistically, the Bucs are ranked 28th in total yards against, 26th against the pass and 22nd against the run. Out of 32 teams, they are 23rd in sacks. In the running game, they are 18th in allowing 4.5 yards per play.

In 2010, the Bucs were 28th against the run, giving up 132 yards per game. So far this year it’s 123 yards per game. But instead of being 23rd in sacks, last year they were 31st out of 32 teams. Only Denver was worse.

Not only that, but in three of their seven games this season the Bucs have held the opposing offense to under 100 yards combined rushing. In 2010, the Bucs only had four games all year that they didn’t give up over 100 yards rushing. Clearly the defensive line is making a difference.

Middle linebacker is also an improvement this year and responsible for the Bucs slight but still apparent move up the charts.

It may not be earth-shattering, but the dominant Bucs defense of old wasn’t built overnight, either.

A fixture starting at left tackle for 67 straight games, Bucs veteran Donald Penn is picking up deserved accolades left and right. The respect keeps coming.

And maybe one day soon his own team will see fit that fans can buy Penn’s jersey without having to spend the extra $25.00 customizing fee on NFLShop.com. A Penn jersey is not one sold anywhere, including via the Bucs official site. What more does the guy have to do to get some in-house love?

Veteran scribe eye-RAH! Kaufman, of The Tampa Tribune, penned an excellent piece on No. 70 today. Joe suggests you read the whole thing, which includes quotes about Penn from Tony Boselli and Bucs offensive line coach Pat Morris.

When the Bucs faced the Colts in a Monday night matchup Oct. 3, Freeney’s name did not appear on the post-game defensive stat sheet as Tampa Bay won 24-17. “What I saw Donald Penn do to Dwight Freeney that night was incredible,” Boselli said. “You tell me the last time Freeney had no tackles, no assists, no pressures, no hits and no sacks. Penn’s play speaks for itself, but the reason I think he doesn’t get a lot of credit nationally is he’s an undrafted guy who has bounced around. But like I tell everyone, look at the way the guy plays.”

Joe’s a big Penn fan. For Joe, his consistency is overlooked. Having talked to Penn, Joe knows the consecutive games streak is very important to him and Penn is a devoted student of game film.

Penn replaced Green Bay tackle Chad Clifton at the last Pro Bowl. It’ll be interesting to see if Penn gets in via the front door this season.

In a very interesting video from Jeff Duncan of the New Orleans Times Picayune, the Saints beat writer breaks down how Team Brees failed yesterday in their epic loss and describes a “disturbing” attitude in the Saints locker room. Worth the four minutes.

James Laurinaitis and the Lambs defense had a field day against Drew Brees Sunday.

Yesterday Joe did something he’s never done before, partly because Joe never had much of an opportunity before.

The only time Joe has sat down to watch the Red Zone channel it was way too ADDish for Joe. Because it sure seemed like the producers were pumping in fake crowd noise. When visiting teams made a play you’d hear a loud roar from the crowd.

That turned Joe off the Red Zone channel more than anything.

When Joe watches football games he wants to watch football games, warts and bad announcing and all. So yesterday there were no teams playing that interested Joe and the 1 o’clock slate of games was a steaming pile of ca-ca. So Joe decided to watch the Red Zone channel… and now sees why it is popular.

After seeing the Lambs take a lead on the Saints, Joe flipped to that game and couldn’t believe how the Saints were being manhandled. It was as if their heads were elsewhere.

Pat Yasinskas of ESPN may know where the Saints’ collective heads were, so he wrote last week in an NFC South chat.

Matthew Reycroft (Sarasota, FL)

With Blount coming back by next week, and with the rest of Tampa being somewhat rested, what are Tampa’s chances against the Saints next week? We did quite the job on him in our first encounter.

Pat Yasinskas

Yes, Bucs were excellent in that first meeting. But I’m sure the Saints remember that and will be motivated. Looking forward to covering that game.

That’s it. The Saints were looking past the Lambs, thinking all they had to do was show up.

Joe believes the Saints that pummeled the Dolts for 62 points have a more likely chance of playing the Bucs at the Superdome next week than the Saints that got beat up by the lowly Lambs.

Since former Bucs right defensive end Steve White left the Bucs, the team has had a string of pass-rushing specialists at right end for over a decade.

As Scott Reynolds of the PewterReport.com points out, if the right defensive ends — Simeon Rice, Gaines Adams or Stylez (nee, Greg) White were able to get a tackle, that was icing on the cake.

But Adrian Clayborn is a throwback.

Clayborn’s three sacks lead the Buccaneers heading into the bye week. His three QB captures are third amongst rookies in the NFL behind Denver’s Von Miller (six) and San Francisco’s Aldon Smith (5.5). Clayborn’s toughness against the run has helped improve Tampa Bay’s once porous rushing defense.

“I consider myself a football player not just a pass rush guy,” said Clayborn. “I like both sides of the game. I think [defending the] run is more fun than pass [rushing]. I like kicking an offensive lineman’s *censored*. That’s fun to me. I like both sides.

“We’ve been doing a better job of stopping the run and then getting after the quarterback. We’re not thinking so much. We’re just playing out.”

The thing that Joe loves about Clayborn is he plays like a man possessed on the field but once he is off the field, he is as kind, soft-spoken and self-effacing of ego as one can find among NFL players. He really is a gentle giant.

If Clayborn can rack up a couple of bone-rattling sacks Sunday like he buried Matty Ice with earlier this season, Clayborn will be a legend around here.

Well, well, well, the almighty Saints were dominated by the hapless St. Louis Rams this afternoon, 31-21. It wasn’t that close. The Saints trailed 24-0 at one point.

Steven Jackson ran up and down the field, 25 carries for 159 yards, and the mighty backup A.J. Feeley — A.J. Feeley — had a solid day as the Rams starter. The Rams even committed a pile of penalties, but still the Saints couldn’t hang with the formerly 0-6 Rams.

The Saints just played their version of the Bucs at Niners.

LeGarrette Blount comes back against New Orleans next week, and the Bucs have won their last two games at the SuperDome and beat the Saints a few weeks ago.

The Saints aren’t world beaters. There’s no reason why the Bucs offensive line can’t get the job done in New Orleans and the whole Bucs team can’t play the first half without their heads in their collective rear ends.

A rested Bucs team has to come out and punch the Saints in the mouth.

Keep in mind this isn’t Joe talking in the headline. It’s the take of respected former NFL assistant coach and front office man Pat Kirwan. 

He works for CBSSports.com and CBS NFL Today, hosts a show on Sirius NFL Radio, which spent a training camp day at One Buc Palace, and writes regularly for NFL.com and more.

Speaking on The Miller and Moulton Show on 770 AM in Fort on Wednesday, Kirwan made it clear that he thinks the Bucs should consider bringing in wide receiver talent/headache Terrell Owens immediately. Kirwan says the Bucs could use him and are mature enough to handle the potential downside.

Here’s some of his take:

Miller & Moulton: If you were in that room in Tampa, would you say, ‘I know we haven’t done something like this since Gruden, but we may want to consider Terrell Owens.’

Pat Kirwan: I would consider it down there because they are in the race and their quarterback isn’t playing as he has in the past. Mike Williams, I’m really wondering what’s going on with him, that little drop at the goal line [in England] was really embarrassing if you’re supposedly on the verge of being a No. 1 receiver.

I would do that. And I think the coach is strong enough, and I know the quarterback is strong enough that no one is going to come in there and upset their chemistry. They like to call it the culture of their locker room. I think they have established themselves long enough where that there’s not going to be that problem. We’re at a point where the salaries are unguaranteed. We saw the Vikings get rid of Randy Moss in a couple of weeks and that was off a trade. You certainly could bring in a T.O. or a T.J. Houshmandzadeh.

Now Joe doesn’t advocate going the T.O. route by any means (though it would make great theater and sell some tickets).

But Joe does agree that the young Bucs have the leadership in place from top to bottom to handle free agents potentially needed to push them over the top, or at least close to it.