Valero Speaks Out; Can We Take Off the Petwer Glasses Now?

Ever since Jon Gruden has been the head coach of the Buccaneers there have been negative rumblings about him after players and coaches have left. The comments have come from all sorts of players and coaches. Most of the comments have been behind closed doors and fans only hear about them from certain news media who rely it. Many fans have refused to believe any of the "rumors", and continue to blindly support Gruden claiming that these are just rumors and are made up by Gruden haters. Will Art Valero's public comments he made on the way out change anyone's mind? For intelligent fans yes, but for the fans still wearing the glasses, probably not.

Valero, who was offered an extension, but turned it down, told reporters that it will be nice to work for someone that you know will not changes things as you go down the hall. Valero further went on to discuss how there are some great players and coaches here, but Gruden was not one he mentioned. You can tell that Valero did not want to be here, and hinted that there are others that feel the same way. This is nothing new when it comes to Jon Gruden and how he treats people around him. Have Bucs fans not noticed just how many players and coaches have left this team within the past couple years only to go on and have success on other teams?

What will it take for people to realize that it is not the talent on the team, but the head coach himself? Even Jeff Garcia, who everyone loves and says is "Gruden's" QB, commented on the fact that we did not need to go out and get more talent, but we needed to use the talent already on the team. Maybe if the Bucs were to lose a key figure head of the team, like Monte Kiffen? Kiffen wants an extension and wants to be here in Tampa, but he is not getting the offer he wants, nor deserves. His name is now being mentioned with teams from Atlanta to Oakland. Whatever he wants he needs to get because he is the Bucs, but that may upset someone's ego on this staff.

Gruden is just fine with losing guys like Valero, Joe Berry, Rod Marinelli, and the list goes on. When these guys go it opens up a spot for him to bring in his guys. It is no coincidence that Gruden is looking to bring in Bill Cahalan to be on his staff. The same Cahalan that did nothing as a head coach in Oakland, and single handily destroyed Nebraska football. That is the type of guy that Gruden wants on his team, and Bucs fans will have to deal with. Can we please just take a step back and listen to the guys who have left and finally take of the glasses?

Its Time The Bucs Part Ways With Jon Gruden

Thanks for the Super Bowl Jon, but don't let the door hit you on the way out. These are the words that I hope coach Gruden will hear very soon from the Glazers. Gruden has now coached as many years with the Bucs, six, as Tony Dungy did. Gruden has the Super Bowl title, but has 6 less regular season wins, and only one more playoff win than Dungy. If you take away the Super Bowl season, Jon Gruden has a regular season record of 36-44 and is 0-2 in the playoffs. There are 10 coaches who have coached continuously the last 6 six years, and only 1 has a worse record than Jon Gruden.

I will admit that when the Bucs decided it was time for Tony Dungy to go that I felt it was the right move. He had gotten us as far as it seemed he could and refused to make the necessary changes to his staff that the Glazers wanted. Things seem to have almost come full circle now for the Bucs, except that they are worse off. Gruden has a worse record than Dungy did, the team is in worse shape then when Dungy was fired, and Gruden also refuses to make the changes necessary to fix the problem. The difference with Dungy and Gruden is the changes needed to be made by Dungy were about the X's and O's of the game, while Gruden needs to change everything but the X's and O's. Gruden is a great offensive mind, there is no doubt about it, but he is not a good head coach.

Since Gruden took over the reigns in 2002 there have been 9 other coaches who have coached that entire time as head coach. Of the nine other coaches in the last six years only one, Herm Edwards, has a worse record than Jon Gruden.

Coach Reg. Season Record Playoffs

Belichek 75-21 9-2
Dungy 73-23 7-4
Reid 61-35 5-4
Holmgren 58-38 4-4
Shannahan 58-38 1-3
Fox 51-45 5-2
Fisher 50-56 2-2
Billick 50-56 0-2
Gruden 48-48 3-2
Edwards 42-54 2-3

Of the coaches above, Billick was just fired and Edwards was basically fired from the Jets before going to Kansas City. The three playoff wins that Gruden has to his name all came in the Super Bowl year and since than he has not advanced. The coaches on that list that have kept there jobs are consistent and good coaches. Gruden does not belong in the same discussion with most of the guys on that list. Also, the coach that the Bucs fired to get Gruden has the second best record over the last five years and has almost as many playoff losses as Gruden has appearances.

Jon Gruden helped the Bucs get a Super Bowl and for that I will forever be greatful, but his time here is up. Since the Super Bowl season the Buccaneers have gotten worse and Gruden shows no signs of being able to get this team back on track. The offense, which is why he was brought in, has not been very good and the defense has kept this team alive. The team that lost the playoff game today against the Giants did not lose because they lacked the talent. They lost because they played uninspired football and had a bad game plan; those things are on the coach. Jon Gruden, in the words of Donald Trump, you're fired!

Bucs Need More Than FG To Beat Giants

The Buccaneers have exceeded expectations this year and will host a playoff game, but if they expect to get out of the first round they will need to get more than field goals out of their drives. The Bucs have won games with great defensive efforts and getting points from the kicking game if they could not get in the end zone, but in the playoffs you need to score touchdowns with your drives and not just field goals. The Bucs have struggled to score touchdowns in the red zone, and if they are not able to reverse the trend they will not make it past the wild card round.

The Buccaneers need only to look at Saturdays game against the Patriots to see an example of why you need touchdowns. The Giants almost ended the Patriots dreams of a perfect season because they were able to score touchdowns while the Pats were kicking field goals. At one point in the game the Giants had a 28 to 16 lead because they were able to score touchdowns on 4 drives, while New England was forced to kick field goals.

Yes, the Giants lost last week even though they scored touchdowns, but the Bucs are not the Patriots. You knew watching that game that the Patriots would score the touchdowns they needed to win, but the same cannot be said of the Bucs. Many fans have overlooked the Giants and worried about who the Bucs would play in he second round. Hopefully the fans watched Saturdays game and understand that the Giants team is for real and if we continue on our field goal offense we will lose.

The Bucs were able to score in the red zone a couple times today, but still struggled. Yes, they played their second team, and yes it did not matter, but they need to make sure they score touchdowns when they have the ball, because if they don't, it will be a short playoff run for the Bucs.

UPDATE and FORMAT CHANGE!!!!!

This is my first post in a week due to the fact that I just got a new job working in the legal field and my time has become a bit more limited. I will be posting more as I figure out how to manage my time a bit more efficiently, which will be very soon. As far as the format change. As I said in a previous post I am now a part of the crew at The Stat Pack. With being a part of that and still keeping up here I have decided to post all my baseball content over at The Stat Pack as well as some of the Football articles that I write here. This Blog is now going to focus solely on Football, but it will expand the content in that area. I have some help coming aboard that will increase the posts and knowledge of the blog. We are going to delve into all College and Pro Football, no matter the team or conference. I will obviously still be posting more about USF, Florida,FSU, and the Bucs than any other team, but we will not focus solely on them. I hope you enjoy the format change and to keep up with my baseball takes, just head over to The Stat Pack.

Kiffin To Oakland At Season's End?

Monte Kiffin's contract runs out at the end of the season and rumors are popping up that he may not want a new contact, but instead go to Oakland. This rumor has been around since his son, Lane Kiffin, took over as head coach of the Raiders this season. Normally I would not give much credence to a rumor about Monte leaving the Bucs, but this one actually makes sense.

Kiffin has been the mainstay on the Bucs for years now. They have had coaching changes every where on the team except for the defensive coordinator. His name has always come up for different jobs around college and the NFL, but he has always turned them down to stay with the Buccaneers and the defense he has created. Monte does not have the desire to be a head coach anymore and is happy with the Bucs as the defensive coordinator, but if there ever was a job opportunity that may be too good to pass up it may be to go to Oakland at the seasons end. The job is not open at the moment, but the Oakland defense has been bad all year long, especially against the run and many people believe that the coordinator will be gone and the spot will be open.

If he were to make the move there really would be nothing the Bucs could do to keep him in my mind. He would not be leaving because of money, power, or a desire to be somewhere else, but because it would offer him the chance to be with his son. How many coaches in the NFL actually would have the chance to coach side by side with their son? How many people in everyday life would love that opportunity, let alone in a job like the Kiffin's have. This would be the opportunity of a lifetime for a guy who is all about his family. As much as it would be terrible to lose him, you would have to understand his desire and respect him for it.

While not desirable at all to lose Kiffin, they would have a replacement they could go to in house. The Bucs have a history of assistants that have gone on to be great defensive coordinators and head coaches. They have never had the need for those guys to stay and be defensive coordinator for the Bucs because Monte is here, but if he left the spot could easily and should go to Raheem Morris. Morris is in the secondary coach right now and every Buc fan knows the reason that the secondary has been so much better this year is because Raheem came back. The Bucs made it no secret that they wanted him back and knew they needed him, as is obvious by how much they gave him in a contract. Morris is a young and fiery guy, who in my mind would be able to step right in like Mike Tomlin was able to and be the coordinator. Maybe the Bucs know Monte is planning on leaving after his contract is over and that is why they made such an effort to get Raheem back. If Monte goes he will be sorely missed, but I think the Bucs will be in good hands.

Bucs Find Something With McCown

Last week the Bucs lost Jeff Garcia on the first series and with him went the offense. The Bucs were not able to move the ball with Bruce Gradkowski at the helm and managed just 16 yards of total offense in the second half. With Garcia sidelined for the game against the Saints, Gruden decided to turn to Luke McCown instead of Gradkowski, and the result could not have been any better.

Last week the Redskins stacked the box with eight guys and dared Gradkowski to throw the ball, knowing full well that he does not have the arm or the accuracy to stretch the field. With no threat of the deep ball the 'Skins ate the Bucs up on offense and almost took the game. The Saints learned very quickly that McCown is not Gradkowski and he will take your are and make you pay. McCown threw one of the nicest deep balls to Galloway I have seen all year as he started the game going 15-15. He did make some bad decisions at times that almost cost the Bucs the game, but he shook those off and redeemed himself with the game winning touchdown pass on a greatly engineered drive.

The Bucs have never had a good young quarterback on the roster that seemed like he could run Gruden's offense and Gruden has been criticized for that. It was only one game, but McCown showed he has the physical talent and the head to be a quarterback in the NFL. He made some bad rookie mistakes, but those will go away with game experience. What McCown did show though was a knack for finding the open receiver in the pattern, keeping the play alive when it seemed to break down, and he can throw a great deep ball. McCown has been in this offense for a couple years now and seems like the type of QB that Gruden likes. He is mobile, strong arm, and makes good decisions with the football. Garcia is the QB now, but he is getting older and Buc fans know they will need a guy to replace him when he goes. McCown looks like he could be that guy to replace him and gives the Bucs some hope for the future after Garcia leaves the team.

Start McCown if Garcia Can't Go

The Bucs will most likely be without starting quarterback Jeff Garcia this weekend when they go to New Orleans. Garcia injured his back on the first drive of Sundays win over the Washington Redskins. Today on 620 WDAE's Ron and Ian Show, Garcia said that at the moment he isn't even thinking about picking up a football and throwing it. He was on his way to One Buc Place to have treatment done and you could tell by his tone that he is in a lot of pain. Since the Bucs season would be over if they were to be without Garcia for an extended period of time, they would be smart to let him get healthy.

If Garcia can't play on Sunday than Jon Gruden will have to decide on who the Bucs starting QB will be against the Saints. On a normal team the choice should be the back up, but it is not that easy for the Bucs. Bruce Gradkowski has been the backup to Garcia all year and came in for Garcia last week when he was knocked out of the game, but he is more backup by default rather than skill level. Gruden admitted to the media that due to the fact that Jeff Garcia gets over 90% of the snaps during practice they made Gradkowski the backup due to the fact that he has more game experience than McCown. They now have time to give McCown the snaps in practice and should due so.

The game against the Redskins was deja vu of last season. The Bucs could not move the ball when Garcia went out of the game and it got progressively worse as the game went on. The Bucs gained 16 yards of offense in the second half with Gradkowski leading the way. We had to sit through the bad offense for most of last season until Gruden finally put veteran Tim Rattay into the lineup and the offense finally got going. Gradkowski is not an NFL quarterback and no matter what Jon Gruden wants to believe, he never will be. He simply does not have the arm strength to make the throws that are needed down the field and cannot read a defense to save his life.

Although Gradkowski has more game experience, it is not like McCown is a rookie quarterback. This is McCowns 4th season in the NFL and he did get some starts when he was with the Cleveland Browns. McCown has been around Gruden's offense longer than Gradkowski has and he is physically more talented. McCown can make the throws down the field that is needed for the Bucs to move the ball and has the mobility that Gruden likes in a quarterback. He was the number 2 QB all through training camp and the pre season because he showed that he was the better quarterback between he and Bruce.

We all know what we have with Bruce Gradkowski, an offense that cannot run the ball because the defense stacks 8 men in the box and no passing game because the QB cannot get the ball to the receivers. McCown offers better mobility, a stronger arm, and more knowledge of the play book. I for one cannot stand to watch an offense like we saw last year and last Sunday again, and if Bruce is in the game that is exactly what will happen.

If the Bucs lose to the Saints on Sunday they will only be one game up on New Orleans and will no longer own the tie breaker. The game is pretty important to their playoff hopes and they are going to need an offense to win the game. The Saints are vulnerable to the passing game, especially the deep ball. In order to exploit that vulnerability the Bucs need to have a quarterback that can make those throws and Gradkowski just can't. We all know what we have with Bruce, lets see what Luke can do.

Bucs Sign Keiwan Ratliff, Release Chas Gessner

With Michael Clayton healthy and able to play this weekend against the Falcons, the Bucs cut wide out Chas Gessner from the roster. They Bucs then signed corner back Keiwan Ratliff to the roster to take Gessner's spot. The move makes sense for the Bucs because they lost Torrie Cox for the season last week and had only 4 corners on the roster. Gessner was a special teams contributer and nothing more, so it made sense to add another corner with Clayton returning to the lineup.

Gator fans will remember Ratliff from his time at the University of Florida. Ratliff was the SEC player of the year two times in his career and was an All-American his senior season. He owns the records for most punt return yards (860), and interceptions in a game (3). Ratliff was a second round draft pick for the Bengals in 2004, but was released earlier this year.

Ratliff has played 51 games in his 4 year career and has 102 career tackles, 3 interceptions, and 2 forced fumbles. He had a nice first year returning punts averaging 12.2 yards per return, but struggled in his next two seasons as he was in and out of the position.

Ratliff offers the Bucs some insurance in the secondary position with Brian Kelly and Phillip Buchanon's history of getting injuries. He has played in the league for 4 years so he has game experience. He also gives them a guy who can return punts, which will allow them not to chance Hilliard, Galloway, or Buchanon getting hurt on a punt return. This reminds me of the move the Bucs made last year when they acquired Buchanon off of waivers after he was released for being soft. Buchanon has been a great find for the Bucs and maybe Ratliff needed to be in a cover 2 type of system to succeed like Buchanon.

Score Does Not Reflect Game in Bucs Win

The Bucs beat the Cardinals 17-10 on Sunday, but the score was not indicative of how the game went. The Bucs dominated the game on both sides of the ball for most of the game. The offense moved the ball all game, but came away empty handed on two long drives, which kept the game close. The Buc defense played great and outside of one long drive in the fourth quarter, held the Cardinals offense in check all game.

The Bucs offensive line had probably its best game of the year against the Cardinals. The Cards used multiple defensive fronts to try and confuse Jeff Garcia and the Buc offense. It succeeded in stopping the pass a couple times, but was ineffective against the Buc rushing attack. Earnest Graham became the first Bucs running back in 14 games to go over 100 yards. The offensive line opened holes for Graham and he ran well through those holes and over people. His touchdown run was only 3 yards, but it was a tough three yards that shows just what this guy can do when he is given the ball. Graham has waited for this moment and he has shown in his time that he can be the guy for this team. He has gotten better every week that he has been the starter and seems to get stronger as the game goes on.

The Buc defense gave up a long pass to Larry Fitzgerald in the beginning of the game, but after that they kept the Cardinals from moving down the field regularly. The secondary had an outstanding game deflecting passes, hitting the wide receivers just as they catch the ball, and grabbing interceptions. The front four did not get a sack, but did get enough pressure up front to stop the run and to make Kurt Warner throw awkwardly. The tackling by the front four allowed both Tanard Jackson and Jermaine Phillips to play deep and not have to worry about run support. With being able to play back in coverage the safeties were able to disrupt passes with devastating hits and getting into the wide outs minds. Jackson had one interception and 5 pass break ups on his own. Jackson and Phillips were laying the wide outs out all game and made them think that they would get hit every time they caught the ball. The linebackers were not asked to do much because the front four were able to stop the run and get pressure on the quarterback by themselves. The defense stepped up and had another great day.



While the Bucs had a great game, you could not tell by the score and that is something that they will need to fix in the future to beat the better teams out there. The Bucs had two very long drives that got zero points out of. Alex Smith's dropped touchdown pass in the end zone turned the momentum in the game and had the defense not stepped up it could have been very bad. When you have long drives like that you need to get points. Hopefully the Bucs will be able to get those points in the future, but it was just enough for now.

Bucs Place Torrie Cox on IR, Sign Chas Gessner

As expected the Bucs placed Torrie Cox on IR with a torn ACL. The Bucs lost their fourth corner back and the guy who had filled in on kick returns with the loss of Mark Jones. Cox had moved into the third corner spot while Kelly has been hurt and if Kelly stays hurt the Bucs will have problems in the secondary trying to replace Cox.

The Bucs also cut wide out Chad Lucas, who was added from the practice squad last week with mark Jones going down. With two roster spots open the Bucs made one move and signed former Bucs practice squad player Chas Gessner. Gessner looked good in training camp the past two seasons and had 10 catches for 169 yards the past two preseasons. He will be asked to do the same thing that Lucas did, be an emergency wide out and contribute on special teams. Gessner may also be asked to return kicks and the reason Lucas may have been cut was because of some hesitation he had returning kicks after Cox went down. Gessner will contribute on special teams and always gives his all. While this is not a huge move for the Bucs it is a move. The Raiders have released wide out Mike Williams, who the Bucs looked at drafting 3 years ago, so they may bring him in for a look.

The Bucs still have one roster spot open at the moment so they will need to make another move. One would have to believe that this move will be to add a corner to the roster to make up for the loss of Cox and give the Bucs a fourth corner they can go to. They have to play Arizona this week, who has 3 good wide outs, and they will need the secondary to be solid.

Another Game, Another Player Lost for the Season

Pewter Report is reporting that Buccaneer corner back Torrie Cox will be placed on IR and is done for the year after tearing his ACL in Sundays game against the Jaguars. This is another blow to a team that has already been decimated by injuries. Cox was playing the third corner spot with Brian Kelly out due to a groin injury and was also returned kickoffs last week with Mark Jones being placed on IR with a torn patella tendon. The Bucs will now have to replace a corner and a kick returner on the roster. The Bucs will most likely have to add a corner to the roster with Kelly still questionable, which means the kick returner will have to be one of the guys that is already on the roster. The problem with this is that the returner position is a susceptible to injury and the Bucs can ill afford to lose any of the guys that they can put back there that already have experience. The Bucs may need to cut Chad Lucas, who was added this past week to replace Mark Jones, and sign a guy who can return kicks and be a fourth wide out.

The Bucs may have also lost a key piece of their front four for at least the Arizona game. Defensive End Greg Spires left the game on Sunday with a leg injury and it may hold him out at least one week, if not more. Spires injured his calf and was replaced by a combination of Greg White and Gaines Adams. Spires has been a steady influence on the line and not only gets after the quarterback, but also plays the run well. The Bucs will most likely rotate White and Adams during the game to replace Spires and hope Spires only misses one game. White looked good when he came in for Spires last week and Adams did have a couple of nice plays as well. It has come out that Adams is mad and frustrated that he has not gotten more playing time. Maybe he will use this frustration to fuel him to get physical and make some plays in the second half of the season. Losing Spires is not good for the Bucs defense, but it does give Adams at least a game to show what he can do.

Stovall's Time to Shine

With the Bucs injuries mounting and having only 3 healthy wide outs on the roster, Maurice Stovall finds himself in a position to shine. Stovall was the star of OTA's and training camp, but did not look good in preseason and has been relegated to special teams during the regular season so far. With Michael Clayton and Mark Jones going down the Bucs are going to need someone to step up and that should be Stovall.

Stovall had some good games towards the end of last season and Bucs fans were excited about him going into the off season. Stovall looked very good in training camp and OTA's and found himself as the number 2 wide out on the depth chart going into game one of the preseason, but had only 4 catches for 40 yards in the preseason. No one has come out and said why Stovall was not used more in the preseason, or during the regular season, but somehow he made his way into Jon Gruden's dog house. The Bucs are forced to let him play now and if he wants to be a starter in this league this is the time for him step up and play well.

Stovall has great size and is a very physical receiver. His attributes will help him make up for the loss of Clayton not only in the receiving game, but also in blocking down field. If you do not get good blocking down field, you will never be able to have runs that go to the house, or great runs after the catch by other receivers. Stovall has shown that he likes contact and likes to get physical, much like how Clayton plays. He is also a tall receiver with good hands, but is not overly fast. The Bucs do not need him to be the big play guy or the clutch third down guy, they have those with Galloway and Ike, but what they do need is another option that will catch the ball and help open the field.

Stovall made his presence known quickly last week when he caught a 4 yard touchdown pass to get the Bucs back in the game. Hopefully that was a preview of things to come for him in the Bucs uniform. There has to be a reason he was not playing earlier, but lets just hope it was because the Bucs are a bad judge of talent in practice. He is in his third year and it is his time to live up to his 3rd round pick.

Penalties and Miscues Help Lions Beat Bucs

The Bucs found a running game in Detroit and dominated the time of possession, but turnovers and penalties killed them and they lost the game to the Lions. Earnest Graham ran with a purpose all day and was able to help the Bucs sustain drives and control the clock. Unfortunately for the Bucs a fumble on the two yard line, a missed field goal, blocked punt, and penalties ended those drives without scoring points. It was a hard defeat for the Bucs to swallow because you just felt that they were outplaying the Lions and would come away with the win.

Graham had a career day running for 92 yards on 19 carries and catching 13 balls for 99 yards. He always seemed to be moving forward and was very physical when hitting the hole and finishing runs off. The Bucs look to have found the guy who can carry it for them 20-25 times a game and get them the good yardage. One thing that Cadillac Williams did not do effectively was catch the ball out of the backfield, which is very important in the west coast system. In his first two games as the starter Graham has looked very comfortable catching out of the backfield and being Jeff Garcia's safety valve. Although it was a great game, the expectations need to be tempered until they play another tough run defense, like Jacksonville next week. The Bucs were also able to get some of the other backs involved in the game and they each ran pretty well. Michael Bennett go the ball 2 times and was in on a couple other play action plays. Bennett had two good runs and you can see his explosion when he touches the ball. BJ Askew had a couple nice catches and runs and is also another physical back. It looks like the Bucs will get Michael Pittman back in two weeks and they should have a nice stable of backs they can go to at that time.

While the running game looked very good yesterday, the passing game lost two more weapons. Wide receivers Mark Jones and Michael Clayton both left the game with injuries. Jones, who has been a top returner this year, is done for the season with a torn patella tendon. Clayton has a high ankle sprain and is awaiting the MRI results right now, but looks like he will be out for a couple of weeks. With the two injuries to their wide outs the Bucs now have only 3 healthy wide outs on the roster with Joey Galloway, Ike Hilliard, and Maurice Stovall. They will need to go out and find another wide out off of someones practice squad or a free agent that has not signed on anywhere else. The injuries just keep on mounting for the Bucs.

Outside of the fumble on the 2 yard line, Jeff Garcia had another great game for the Buccaneers. He set a new Bucs record with 19 consecutive completions in one game and was efficient all game long. He was forced to move around a bit because the offensive line did not have it's best game, but he was able to move through his progressions very quickly and find the open receiver. He completed 37 passes to eight different receivers in the game. Garcia is great at recognizing when a guy is not open and checking down to the next option, even in a three step drop. This was his best statistical game as a Buc, but ask him and he will trade it in for a win.

Once again the theme on defense was no pressure up front. The front four of the Bucs amassed three sacks in the game against one of the worst lines in the NFL. The also got ran over by TJ Duckett when he was in the game and ran around when Kevin Jones came into the game. Once again Gaines Adams was invisible. He did show up on the defensive statistics at all and looked lost out there on the field. Whatever game he thinks he is playing, it is not football. The rest of the defensive lineman did not play much better either and although they were not on the field much, they gave up the plays they needed to make.

The Bucs dominated the time of possession in the game and seemed to control most of the game, but when you do not convert on drives you will lose the game and the Bucs did. The defense still does not have a pass rush to speak of and if they don't get one they won't make the playoffs. The running game looked promising, but they will face better defenses in the future. The Bucs made mental mistakes and they can be fixed, but for now they need to find another wide out and figure out a way to stop getting hurt.

Preview of Bucs v. Lions

This week brings a battle of two surprise teams on the season. The Bucs and Lions have exceeded expectations already and both teams are competing for not only for a playoff spot, but to be their respective division winners. There is a lot on the line for both teams in this game and expect a close game.

The Lions resurrection is being led by former Bucs defensive line coach Rod Marinelli. He has instilled a sense of discipline and removed players that have been a cancer to the locker room, or do not fit his system. While Rod is known for his defense, it's the offense that is leading the way for the Lions. Offensive coordinator Mike Martz has installed his high flying offense and Jon Kitna has been the perfect quarterback to run the system. Kitna has multiple weapons at his disposal, with the biggest one being wide out Roy Williams. Williams is having fun in the Martz system and has put up some great numbers in the past two seasons. If the Bucs are going to win the game, they will need to shut him down.

The Lions are getting a boost on offense this week with the return of Kevin Jones to the starting lineup. Jones, who led the Lions in rushing last season, has been out or limited for up until now and without him the Lions have been terrible running the ball. Last week the Redskins put only 4 men in the box and dropped the rest daring the Lions to run the ball and they couldn't. The Lions were unable to pass the ball with all the defenders in the secondary and were embarrassed by the 'Skins.

Buc defensive coordinator Monte Kiffen has done well stopping Mike Martz in the past. The rivalry between Martz and Kiffen goes back to the Bucs playoff loss at St. Louis. Kiffen has been able to slow down Martz's high flying offense in the past and will look to do so again this week. The Bucs have not gotten a good pass rush going this season, but if they are going to this should be the week. The Lions have been terrible protecting the passer this season and the Bucs front four are looking forward to reeking havoc in the backfield. If the Bucs can get pressure on the quarterback the defense will be able to stop the offense and lead the Bucs to a victory.

The Lions defense has been terrible on the year and the Bucs will need to take advantage of that in the passing and running game. The Bucs were able to run the ball very well in the early part of the season and controlled the clock. The Bucs need to get back to running the ball well and set up Jeff Garcia and the passing game. Ike Hilliard has been the man for Garcia this season when he needs a play made. Galloway is the deep threat for the Bucs, but Hilliard has been the consistent force for the Bucs wide outs and has been the most dependable receiver. Michael Clayton made a big catch last week and it is important for him to step up once again and keep the momentum going. The Bucs need another option like Clayton to step up and make plays to keep the offense moving.

The Bucs traded for running back Michael Bennett earlier this week and while I think it was a good move, don't expect him to make an impact this week. He has practiced, but Gruden's system is complex and he needs to understand a blocking scheme as well as the plays. He may get a couple of plays in the game, but fans should not be disappointed if he doesn't have a huge game running or receiving. The Bucs will also most likely be without starting tight end Alex Smith who has been a nice safety valve for Jeff Garcia. Jerremy Stevens and Anthony Becht will have to step up and make up for the loss of Alex Smith not only in the receiving game, but also blocking.

This should be a tough game for both teams and expect it to come down to the fourth quarter. The big things to watch will be if the Bucs can get pressure on Kitna on defense and if they can run the ball effectively on offense. If they can do those two things, the Bucs will win the game.

Bucs Make Trade for Michael Bennett

Reports are that the Bucs have made a deal for running back Michael Bennett. Bennett has been backing up Larry Johnson in Kansas City for the past two seasons, but with Priest Holmes apparently ready to play, Bennett became expendable. The Chiefs will get a conditional draft pick for Bennett, but those details have not been released yet.

Bennett went to Wisconsin and was a sprinter along with being the starting running back. He was stuck behind Ron Dayne his first two seasons, but broke out his junior year for 1,592 yards, despite missing two games with injury. Bennett ran a 4.13 40 yard dash at pro day and is rumored to be one of the fastest men in the NFL. He was a first round draft pick by Vikings in 2001 and had a pro bowl sophomore campaign in 2002.

The problem for Bennett has been injuries. After his 2002 year he went down with a foot injury and has not been fully healthy since that year. He is an effective back when he is on the field, but that has been only a few games a season. The Bucs have had bad luck with injuries to their running backs, so it is worrisome that they signed another guy who has been injury prone. If Bennett can stay healthy he will be a nice addition to the backfield, but other than his sophmore year he has yet to stay healthy for an entire year.

If the Bucs were going to make a move, this was probably the best move they could make without mortgaging future drafts to get a guy in here that may not contribute. Bennett does have great hands and should be a great third down back for the Bucs. He is not a power back and with his injury history he is not a guy you want to feature, but he will be a nice change up from Earnest Graham. Bennett also gives the Bucs another guy they can put back to return kicks that may be effective. He has the speed and shiftiness needed to be a good return man and could help give the Bucs good field position on kick offs.

We will have to wait and see what Bennett does for the Bucs and what the condition of the pick was, but this is not a bad move. Teams knew that the Bucs were in need of a back and had outrageous demands for third string running backs. This is not the sexy move that fans wanted, but it may be enough to hold on until Michael Pittman can come back from his injury.

Where is the Pass Rush

Much has been made of the resurgence of the Buc defense this season. They have been flying to the ball and the younger guys seem to have brought back the athleticism and attitude this team used to be known for. While the defense has looked like it has had a resurgence, their is one huge thing missing this season that used to be a big part of the Buc defense, a pass rush.



The Bucs have 11 sacks in the first 6 games of this season with 3 coming against the Panthers, 2 on Kerry Collins in back to back plays, and 1 that was the result of Vince Young tripping on his running back. The sacks that the Bucs are getting come from either coverage sacks, or the offense running the wrong play. The Buc front four has been over matched by every offensive line that they have played so far. The Bucs have tried blitzing with corners, safeties, and linebackers, but that hasn't helped. Without a pass rush the Bucs will find themselves on the field longer than they should and giving up points that they should not be.


The Tampa 2 defense relies on the front four to get pressure. It is a zone coverage and if a passer gets enough time back in the pocket he will be able to read the zone and find the holes in it. The Bucs have had some coverage sacks so far this season, which has been nice, but it is supposed to be the other way around. Jovan Haye has been the best defensive lineman as far as sacks go and he only has 3 sacks in 6 games, meanwhile Giants' defensive lineman Osi Umenyiora doubled that in one game. The Bucs knew this was going to be a problem, which is why the drafted Gaines Adams with the fourth overall pick, but he has done nothing so far. Adams did have his first "sack" yesterday, but that came when he touched Vince Young down after he tripped over his own back. Adams has been dominated at the line this year and at times has looked lost trying to get to the quarterback. Spires and Carter have looked much better at defensive end this year and as much as they need Adams to get on the field, they need to have a pass rush more.


Patrick Chuckwurah was brought in to replace Dewayne White, and has looked good after coming back from injury, but he went down with a shoulder injury against the Titans. The Bucs will need Greg White to get over his injury and try to rotate in and get a pass rush going. The Bucs don't necessarily need sacks, but they do need to disrupt the quarterback in the pocket. If the Bucs do not get the pass rush going, they are going to picked apart this week by Jon Kitna.

Garcia Leads Bucs Past Titans

Vince Young has led his team back on fourth quarter drives his whole career, but this time Young sat on the sideline and watched Jeff Garcia lead the Bucs down for the winning score. In a game where the defenses seemed to dominate the game, Garcia stepped up and led the Bucs to a victory.

On third down with a minute left in the game and Tennessee having two timeouts, Garcia bought himself time and hit Ike Hilliard down field to move the ball. After completing the pass, he got back under center and kept moving the Bucs down field and got them into field goal range for Matt Bryant win the Bucs the game. It was just another one of Garcia's great plays in the game. Garcia was under pressure a lot during the game, but he moved around and made the plays that were there, including a bomb to Galloway when he had Titans all over him.

Fans were excited when the Bucs signed Garcia in the off season, but no one could have known he would have the effect he has this season. He single handily won the Bucs the game on offense today. Garcia has made the plays that are there, and created ones that aren't. His fire and leadership are contagious and without him the Bucs would not be in the position they are right now. He has yet to throw an interception on the season, which shows just how smart the guy is. He may be one of the only quarterbacks in this league that can run Gruden's offense the way it needs to be run. Gruden will be thanking Garcia for a long time, because with out him, Gruden would have lost his job this year.

At the Half

The Bucs are locked in a tough defensive battle at home against the Titans. This is exactly the type of game that most thought it would be. Both teams ahve struggled to run the ball effectively and are finding much more room passing the ball.

Earnest Graham has found it tough sledding up the middle of the Titan defense, but the Bucs have found room on the outside with tosses and screen passes. Graham has done a great job catching the ball out of the backfield, and has only had one drop so far. Michael Clayton finally showed up and had a huge catch for he Bucs, which set up the Bucs field goal.

The disappointing thing so far as been the inability of the Bucs to move the ball more effectively and out the ball in the end zone. They have forced two turnovers, but have only 3 points to show for it.

The Titans start with the ball in the second half. Lets hope the Bucs can get a stop and move the ball and get another score.

Preview of Bucs v. Titans

The Bucs take on Vince Young and the Tennessee Titans this weekend at Raymond James. Tennessee comes into the game with a record of 3-1 after beating the Falcons at home last week. The Titans maybe 3-1, but could very well be undefeated, as they had a chance to beat Indy, in Indy, on a fourth quarter drive. The Titans have a great defense, a good run game, and quarterback that just knows how to win.

The Bucs come into the game with a record of 3-2, but are coming off of a beat down in Indianapolis. The Bucs were dominated in all facets of the game last week and are looking to get back on track this week. The Bucs have been very good at home this year and have dominated the opponents that have come into Raymond James. The Bucs are 2-0 and home and have won the games by a combined 38 points. The Bucs have ran the ball very well at home and have enjoyed the home field advantage for once. They are going to need the crowd to help them in this one as well.

Titans Offense v. Bucs Defense

The Titans like to run the ball and they run the ball well. They average 153 yards a game and get contributions from a lot of different sources. They have two backs that they feel comfortable going to in any situation and their quarterback is also very good at running the ball. The Bucs have had a hard time with mobile quarterbacks in the past. The big problem for the Bucs is that their speed actually works against them. They are so fast to get to the ball that they are in a bad spot when the quarterback looks to run. The Buc defense as actually been pretty good against the run this year. The numbers for the Buc run defense are a bit misleading because of the St. Louis and Indy games. Although they gave up over 100 in each of those games, they did so on a lot carries to teams dedicated to running the ball. They will have the same type of team this week and will need to rotate the defensive lineman in and out all game to keep them fresh to stop the run.

The Titans have not passed the ball well this year at all. Vince Young is averaging only 145 yards a game through the air. He also has 5 interceptions to only 3 touchdowns. The Bucs have been great against the pass outside of the game against Indy. They have 6 interceptions on the year to go with 5 forced fumbles as well. They have not gotten to the passer as much as they have wanted, but it has gotten better as the year has gone on. Rookie Tanard Jackson has gotten better each week and made some great plays on Peyton Manning last week. The Bucs will most likely be without Brian Kelly again and will need Phillip Buchanon to step up one more time. They got Torrie Cox back from his suspension and that will help when they go into there 4 defensive back sets. Jermaine Phillips has been great in pass defense and run defense all year and will need a big game this week again.

Bucs Offense v. Titans Defense

The Bucs offense has lost key players in the run game the last two weeks. It started when they lost Cadillac Williams and Luke Petigout against Carolina for the season, and then lost Michael Pittman for 6-8 weeks last week against the Colts. The Bucs have turned the run game over to former Gator Earnest Graham and hope that he can carry the load with a couple of spells from BJ Askew and Ken Darby. They recently signed former Raider Zack Crockett to help with short yardage and blocking situations. This has been a big loss to the Bucs who have used the run to pound teams early and often to set up pass plays and wear the defense down. The Bucs have averaged 124 yards a game and have scored 7 touchdowns on the ground. The new unit will face it's most difficult test yet in the Titans. They give up only 72 yards on the ground per game and are one of the best run defense in the league. The Bucs thought they may catch a break with DT Albert Haynesworth being injured, but he practiced on Friday and will play on Sunday. This match up will go a long way in deciding who wins this game. If the Bucs can run the ball successfully against this defense, they should be able to win the game.

The Bucs passing game has been hit or miss, but that is not the fault of quarterback Jeff Garcia. Garcia has done everything he can to keep the Bucs in the game from not throwing interceptions at all, to running for first downs when a play breaks down. Garcia is a great leader out there and reads the defense perfectly so that Gruden can finally run his offense. While the Bucs are only averaging 182 yards per game in the air, it has been enough to win the games. The problem for the Bucs has been the lack of another wide out to step up and help. Joey Galloway as been Garcia's only big play target all season. Ike Hilliard has caught a lot of balls to keep the chains moving, but he does not have that big play ability. Michael Clayton and Maurice Stovall have done nothing this season and they are going to need to step up for this team to win. The passing game won't win it for the Bucs, but it will need to be good enough to move the ball. Garcia has been the difference on offense so far, but the Bucs are going to need a wide out to step up and help Jeff out.

Overall

This is going to be a tough test for the Bucs at home. The Titans are a good team with a great defense. Vince Young seems to find a way to win every game, even if he is having a terrible game. The Bucs offense will need to get going and help keep the defense off the field so that they do not give up the long drives like they have at times this season. If the game is close in the fourth quarter, the Titans will have the advantage with Young at the helm.

Prediction: Bucs 17 Titans 14

Bucs to Sign Zack Crockett

Pewter Report is reporting that the Bucs will sign fullback Zack Crockett today. The Bucs made room for a new player yesterday when they placed Chris Simms on IR. They have been looking for a running back ever since Cadillac Williams went down, but it became even more pressing after losing Michael Pittman last week. This is not the splash back that many Buc fans were looking for, but it actually does make sense.

The Bucs have burned up the phone lines trying to make trades for a running back, but teams know how desperate they are and were trying to make the Bucs over pay. It is a credit to this organization to not overpay for someone like Medwelde Moore. With trades not really a possibility the Bucs brought in a couple of backs the past couple of days including Ciatrick Fason, Zack Crockett, Kevan Barlow, and Shaud Williams.

While none of those names is too appealing to Bucs fans, Crockett makes the most sense. We always here how Gruden's system is so tough to understand and that it will take time to learn, but Crockett had been in that system before in Oakland and is the only back that could come in and play immediately. The Bucs will most likely run BJ Askew more in goal line situations and to spell Graham now that they have another full back on the roster. Askew was a running back in college, but was converted to full back when he came into the NFL, so he is familiar with running the ball. When he signed with the Bucs he expressed interest in being able to run the ball, so now will be his chance. This was not the big splash move everyone was looking for, but it just may work.