Buc 'Em

BUCSHOTS! The Hows and Whys about your Buccaneers.

2009-11-23T11:53:31Z

More photos » by Chris O'Meara - AP

Michael Clayton quietly went from 2 TDs in the last 4 years, to 2 TDs in the last 11 games.

There are a few bright spots in the Bucs offense beside the obvious potential to Josh Freeman;

1)Red Zone Offense- We don't get there anywhere near often enough, but when we do, we score TDs often. How good are we? Tampa Bay has the #1 Red Zone offense in the NFL. No seriously, we are the best, check it out for yourself. We are in first place with a 75% success rate. Last year? 39% Red Zone success, as Jeff Garcia was not particularly good. How does it break down?

At home? were also No. 1 with an even higher 87% rate. On the road, we are 5th at 66.7%, and our last three attempts? 100% and, you guessed it, the Best Red Zone Offense in the NFL in week 11.

2) For the second game in a row the Bucs have scored on their opening drive. Thats almost unheard of over the last few years.

Add to that we have the best special teams in the league, and there are positives to take home.

Lets get into our Bucshots for the day...

St. Pete Times' Gary Shelton talks about the disparity between the Bucs and Saints.

Another Shelton Gem, after years of neglect, Bucs Defense is a clunker. This was great foreshadowing yesterday.

Joe Henderson talks about Freeman's rookie plays

Pewter Report talked to Jeremy Trueblood about his injury.

NFL.com's coverage of the game is second to none...

Bucpower.com's Paul Stewart also recalls the dark days of 86 and other years when watching this team.

More Bucshots later in the week...

Rookie mistakes take their toll on Freeman, Bucs.

2009-11-22T21:16:31Z

More photos » by John Raoux - AP

Josh Freeman was vulnerable to rookie mistakes today vs Saints.

Browse more photos »

For awhile there, the Bucs defense was keeping the game close. But they dont call it a team sport for nothing. All three aspects of the game must be clicking, and after the 1st quarter, the Bucs offense behind rookie QB Josh Freeman started to commit too many turnovers. At one point the Bucs stopped the Saints 4 of their first 5 possessions and had a tie 7-7 game, but Freeman threw too many interceptions and the game got out of control.

The defense came out flying around and actually had pressure on Drew Brees. Defensive Linemen Kyle Moore got some action and the Defensive line with a lot of newcomers in the lineup like Dotson and Bennet, were getting close to Brees a few times and Bucs defenders like Ronde Barber were playing lights out. Josh Freeman threw a beautiful ball to the back corner of the endzone where Michael Clayton was waiting.

Before the half however, mistakes started to add up, and the defense allowed 10 quick points just like the Miami game last week that set the tone for the second half. It's apparent that Josh Freeman will have a great advantage next season going through the OTAs, minicamps and Training camp as the starter with valueable reps. Ball security failed Freeman at first, then after falling behind, the Saints rushing attack was able to gouge the defense for large chunks of yards.

The Bucs play at Atlanta next week, then play at Carolina before coming home against the Jets, in a match up of rookie signal callers Freeman and Sanchez.

Game day thread: New Orleans Saints at Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Week 11

2009-11-22T17:00:13Z

Antonio Bryant

#89 / Wide Receiver / Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Height: 6-1

Weight: 205

Born: Mar 09, 1981

College: Pittsburgh

It's been awhile since we've seen him so I just wanted everyone (including you Freeman) to re-familiarize themselves with AB.

Lets see if we can't knock the Saints off their undefeated perch.

BUC'EM Predictions!

2009-11-22T16:26:40Z

Read on for individual Predictions....and make yours! Me? Im taking opposite of everyone!! Gotta pull up from the rear! Congrats to BucsFanDave for taking the lead based on winning percentage, to BucWild and UNFNole for total wins; 63, and congrats to last weeks best picker, BF Dave with 11-3 in an upset week.

STANDINGS....

BUCSFANDAVE 35-17 .673

BucWild 63-32 .663

UNFNOLE 63-32 .663

Paul 24-16 .600

Craig T 15-12 .555

Niko 47-48 .495

UNFNOLE

Indianapolis at Baltimore - Baltimore is the 2nd best defense the Colts have seen. The best, SF, held them to 18 points. If Baltimore can limit the points, Ray Rice (who is extremely underrated and pro-bowl worthy, imo) may have a big day against the 19th ranked Rush Defense.

Seattle at Vikings- Upset special of the week. 'Hawks will be able to limit AP, and put the game in Favres hands. I love #4, but this week he will raise some eyebrows. Guaranteed. Also, Childress play-calling has been conservative and questionable. I think bad coaching decisions will effect this game.

Detroit at Cleveland - Yikes. Could it get any worse? Ok, it could be the Bucs Browns. If Brady Quinn were to ever have a good week, it would be against the 31st pass defense in the league. He won't though. If Kevin Smith (UCF) were to have a breakout week, it would be against the leagues 31st rush defense. He won't though. Expect lots of mistakes, but ultimately Detroit has more talent. Also, Josh Cribbs deserves to be on the pro-bowl, even though he is on a terrible team.

PAUL

Pittsburgh at KC

A part of me wanted to pick KC, but then the part of me that actually makes sense took over. Steelers are too dominant and the Chiefs will be without Dewayne Bowe. Prediction: Steelers 31, Chiefs 17.

San Francisco at Green Bay

The Packers showed the still have some life in them after beating the Cowboys last week, but the 49ers are not out of the playoff picture yet either. Chalk this one up to the frozen tundra. Packers get the win at home. Prediction: Packers 21, Niners 14.

Craig T

Arizona at St. Louis Rams. Even against a stout run defense like AZ, Steven Jackson will get his yards. Unfortunately, he will continue to be the Rams' only weapon, while the Cardinals' plentiful supply of weapons bombs away on the overmatched Rams. AZ 37, STL 17.

NY Jets at New England. Boy... I wouldn't want to be the struggling Jets going into Foxboro to face 1) an angry bunch of Patriots and 2) Bill Belichick looking for revenge by hanging a half-a-hundred on Rex Ryan. NE 34, NYJ 13.

LEECAZ

Atlanta at NY GIANTS

Both Atlanta and the Giants have given up much to be excited about lately, but I will go with the giants here due to the injury to Micheal Turner.

Buffalo at JACKSONVILLE

It's hard to imagine the bills will be able to beat a tough Jacksonville team just a few days after they fire head coach Dick Jauron. Look for the jags to win big as they try to keep their wildcard hopes alive.

BUCSFANDAVE

Washington at Dallas: Last week notwithstanding, the Cowboys have played well this season. All three of their losses came against teams with winning records (Giants, Broncos, and Packers). The Redskins struggle on offense and the Cowboys will pressure a porous offensive line. Cowboys pull away in the second half, 24-13.

New Orleans at Tampa Bay: With the play of Josh Freeman, the Buccaneers are much more competitive than their record. However, the Saints are one of the four best teams in football, with a dynamic offense. The Buccaneers will make this close, but the Saints have too much firepower for a a very poor defense. Raheem Morris will be spotted watching video of Ndamakong Suh and salivating in the fourth quarter. Saints 34-21.

BucWild

CINCY at Oakland - The Bengals should be able to sleep walk their way through the next 3 games, starting with Oakland, but something tells me this will be closer than we think. The Bengals are on a high of sweeping the Ravens and Steelers this year and have a history of playing down to their opponent. Look for Buccaneer Bruce (Gradkowski) to do some nice things with his feet, but fall short. Bengals take this one.

CHARGERS at Denver - Should be a good game if Orton goes. If Simms go, watch out. He looked awful last week. The Chargers seem to have hit their stride, though it may be a few weeks too early. Chargers, Rivers, Jackson overwhelm the Broncos

NIKO

Tennessee at Houston- Monday Night Football is once again faced with a sub-.500 team on its schedule but at least this team is capable of lighting up the board a little more than Cleveland! QB Vince Young has made the most of his reinstatement into the starting lineup, but QB Matt Schaub is lighting it up with Houston, a team that will probably finish over .500 for the first time in their history. Playoff talk in Houston has returned in 2009. Houston 32 Tennessee 24

Buc 'Em readers pick Saints

2009-11-22T13:45:35Z

Featured Poll

Poll

Will the Bucs get win #2 at home against the Saints?

42%

The Bucs win and end the Saints unbeaten streak

43 votes

57%

No, New Orleans takes home the W

58 votes

101 votes

Our weekly poll has brought back some interesting results at times. The Bucs have been picked against heavily and selected as the winner by a huge margin in some polls. This one? Well it's a bit closer with the edge going to the Saints. We've been averaging about 100 votes and stay true to form here.

Lets see if the majority is right on this one, or if the Bucs can pull a huge upset in Week 11.

Week 11 Preview: New Orleans Saints vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

2009-11-22T06:47:22Z

vs.

Overview: The Tampa Bay Buccaneers return to action Sunday following a disheartening and controversial loss to the Miami Dolphins last week. This week, the New Orleans Saints come marching into Raymond James Stadium as the talk of the NFL. Unless you've been living under a rock, you know that the Saints come into Ray Jay at a pristine 9-0 mark and are rolling towards the #1 seed in the NFC and homefield advantage throughout the playoffs. The Buccaneers look to play spoilers this week, as well as continue the development of their young football team and wash the bitter taste out of their collective mouths of last week's last second loss.

The Saints are the definition of a big play team on both sides of the ball. On offense, their big, versatile offensive line sets them up to do pretty much whatever they want. Give Drew Brees time to look deep. Pound the ball ahead with their own three-headed rushing attack. Whatever they want to do on offense, this team is built to do it. Simply an impressive bunch. The Buccaneer defense will have its hands full Sunday, to be sure. However, one of the best ways to "defend" a powerful offense is to......

3 KEYS TO A BUCCANEER VICTORY

1. Employ a balanced, ball-control offense.

It's a tired cliche to say it's essential to keep the ball away from the opposing team's offense.........but it's true. 2nd and 4's. 3rd and 2's. Extended drives. Wear down that defense and control the ball in the 4th quarter. To do that, the Buccaneers will have to....

2. Run the football effectively, early and often. The Saints' defense that has been pushed around up front the past 3 weeks. Part of that has been due to the absence of big DT Sedrick Ellis, who will again be missing this game. Unless the Bucs fall behind, they'd be foolish not to slam ahead with the running game.

3. Get some pressure on Drew Brees. He's made a few more mistakes lately than usual against the Rams and Panthers, but he's still managed to avoid getting the Aaron Rodgers treatment from opposing defensive lines. The Bucs will need to get a little bit more aggressive in their blitzing schemes and hopefully put the Saints in some long-yardage situations. You just can't always stand pat with 4-man rushes.

3 KEYS TO A SAINT VICTORY

1. Bloody dem defenders noses. Similar to Miami last week, this team actually runs the ball a helluva lot...albeit in a more traditional set. Yes, the Saints can throw, but they do they need to? Pound the ball like you have been. Although Reggie Bush is out, Pierre Thomas and Mike Bell are more than capable of running the ball right up the middle of the Buccaneer defense.

2. Don't put the Bucs in a position to succeed............. by losing the kicking game. Corner Clifton Smith and maintain your responsibilities in coverage. The Bucs have come out and shown that they can move the football and hit some big plays, but they've still been mistake-prone since Freeman has taken over. Force them to go the long field in order to......

3. Be aggressive and blitz Freeman like he still hasn't seen. I'm starting to buy the idea that if you give Josh Freeman enough time, he's going to find a receiver and make a play. Green Bay did blitz him, but they did up the middle mainly with their linebackers and he was able to sidestep the blitz. Corner blitzes. Stunt inside followed by delayed LB blitz. Bring the nickel CB off press man coverage. Make him look at who's coming for him before he can go through his reads.

Saint Offense vs. Buccaneer Defense

What makes this team so absolutely difficult to prepare for? Like Mama used to say....the Saints offense is like a box of chocolates.... you never know what ya' gonna get. A truly versatile football team, this group can pound the ball out of the I-formation or it can (and loves to) drop Drew Brees back in shotgun formation, spread the defense, and.....create one-on-one matchup nightmares with Shockey, Colston, and Reggie Bush. Fortunately, Reggie Bush is out Sunday, but that just means more opportunities for their other playmakers.

Really, what can you do when Drew Brees drops back with 4 WRs split out with Reggie Bush or Pierre Thomas (or heck, I just watched video with Jeremy Shockey lining up near Brees!) coming out of the backfield? You can't single cover each of these guys in man coverage or employ a standard zone coverage scheme. Drew Brees WILL find the open receiver if you give him time. You have to disguise your blitzes, change your coverages, and take Marques Colston out of the game, which requires a physical, lockdown corner. Fortunately for the Bucs, Aqib Talib fits that bill and can hopefully continue to keep Colston out of the equation in the Saints' offense for at least one more week.

In traditional power sets, not only do they have the ability to get a push, but they come at the opposing defense with the bulky, low-center-of-gravity Pierre Thomas. He runs with a low pad level and is tough to bring down on first contact. He reminds me of a taller Earnest Graham with better quickness and speed. They spell Thomas with Mike Bell, who's managed to run with power himself. That's part of what makes the Saints' running attack so effective in the 2nd half of games... they keep their running backs fresh. Reminds me of what Dallas has done the past 2 years with spelling Barber by committee and letting him finish games off. Pretty heady.

The Saints tend to be trendy one way or another during a ball game. They can hit the home run ball, or they can bleed you. When they go on extended drives, it may be... Pierre Thomas for 7 yards, Thomas catch short right for 4 yards, Thomas up the middle for 5 yards, Reggie Bush short right for 11 yards, Pierre Thomas for 1 yard.... etc, etc. They're patient. They're perfectly happy to pound you and play physical football.

What could be a significant matchup problem for the Buccaneers would be Jeremy Shockey on Barrett Ruud and Geno Hayes. If the Saints are having success running the ball, you could see Shockey chip block his blocking responsibility, peel off, and go up the seam or cut off an out route, creating one-on-one coverage with a linebacker.... advantage Shockey and the Saints. The Bucs would be wise to cheat their safety up from time to time in power sets and give him help-responsibility on Shockey, with the safety being already in the box to help the run if indeed the Saints forego play action and run the ball.

Buccaneer Offense vs. Saint Defense

#1WR Antonio Bryant might be back, but the key for this game will be Derrick Ward, Cadillac Williams, and the interior of the Buccaneer offensive line. DT Sedrick Ellis will miss his fourth consecutive game. Since his initial absence, the Saints have given up a massive amount of yards to Michael Turner, D Williams/J Stewart, and Steven Jackson. Caddy could be in line for a big day...IF our coaches have the patience and wisdom to understand that the offense needs to control the time of possession and go on extended drives to keep the Saints' offense grounded.

Although Saints defensive coordinator Gregg Williams employs a 3-4 front, they've been running out a 4-man defensive front recently. With Ellis going down, DT Anthony Hargrove has stepped into his position. While Hargrove has provided a nice push up front (3 sacks in 4 games and forced fumble that he returned for TD against CAR), he's somewhat undersized at 272 and can be blocked one-on-one in the running game. NT Remi Ayodele is a load at 318 lbs and mans the responsibility of filling the gap between LG and C. Although he's a big space-filler, he's not had the best time getting off his blocks and getting involved in the action, totaling 1.5 sacks and averaging a paltry one tackle per game.

Gentlemen, if there's ground to be gained, it's straight up the middle. Run the ball early and often. Get Derrick Ward involved and wear down that defense. As we discussed earlier today in UNFNOLE's post, the Bucs like to run out of one-back 3 WR sets, which I have no problem with because it's such a versatile formation. You can check down to a run or a pass. If the Buccaneers can get rolling on the ground, they could really hit some big plays in play action to Antonio Bryant and Kellen Winslow in single-coverage situations.

What will happen:

The Saints have had several close calls this season, including the past 4 games, and it will finally catch up to them this week. Without Sedrick Ellis, the middle of the Saint defensive line will give up large gains, creating even more opportunities for Josh Freeman in the passing game. It'll be a high-scoring game and both quarterbacks will make big plays and mistakes, but Josh Freeman to Kellen Winslow, Jr. will be the connection of the day, culminating in a late scoring drive to give the Buccaneers an improbable victory.

Final Score: Tampa Bay 30, New Orleans 27.

Classic Enemy Flashback; Bucs FIRST WIN EVER- Dec 11th, 1977

2009-11-21T21:00:14Z

0-26.

Talk about a losing streak; The NFL has never seen anything else like it, not since either. Back then the seasons were 14 games, not 16. The Bucs lost every game in 1976, and it looked like they were going to do the same thing in '77. The losses were a lot closer though. There were many 10-0 games, as the Bucs had the 13th ranked defense; respectable. But they were dead last in offense.

Look at some of the scores of games lost during 1977..

3-13, 3-9, 0-10, 0-13, 0-10, 7-16, 0-17, and the last loss in the 0-26; a 0-10 loss to the Bears. Then Came this. 3 Defensive touchdowns; and in a week or so, Hank Stram was fired as Head Coach of the Saints. Over 8,000 Bucs fans showed up at the Airport to welcome home the Bucs!

After beating the Saints on the road, the Bucs came home and beat the Cardinals, for a two game win streak! This is how pitiful the offense was; In that Cardinals game, the Bucs scored their first offensive touchdown of the year at home!

Saints will be without RB Reggie Bush, DT Sedrick Ellis

2009-11-21T17:53:14Z

Saints will be without RB Reggie Bush, DT Sedrick Ellis

As Buc Wild noted earlier, RB Reggie Bush (knee) will be inactive for Sunday's game. Also, DT Sedrick Ellis (knee) will miss another game for the Saints. His absence has been obvious, as the Saints have been gashed on the ground by the Panthers and Rams.

Slow it Down: A Cadillac Bus?

2009-11-21T16:54:43Z

When you think of Carnell Williams you surely don't think of a big, powerful back. Williams has great vision and some quick steps, but is 5-11, 215. In this weeks slow-motion rewind you will get a glimpse while even after 2 knee surgeries Williams remains as the starter of the Bucs.

We look at a 2nd and 5 from about the 8 yard line (in High Quality, Slow Motion. Enjoy).

Pre-Snap: The Bucs line up in their most used set (from observation, not from facts) 3 WR SingleBack Formation. One of the tip-offs that this is probably a run to the right hand side is that John Gilmore is in. Clayton is lined up-top to the short-side with Stroughter and Stovall at the bottom of your screen.

On the other side of the ball, the 'Fins are lined up in a 4-3 (I believe they run a base 3-4) with Jason Taylor at RDE. In this set they have shifted Crowder to the Mike, brought Yeremiah Bell up as the Sam and shifted Reggie Torbor over to Will. They have a LB shift on to the wide-side of the field, mainly because Tyron Culver shades the open area. They are in a soft man coverage from what I can tell.

Play: Remember the philosophies of zone-schemes? There is no hole that Williams is going towards. Instead he is using his excellent vision to figure out what the defense is giving him. While the line does a good job, Williams is at an extreme disadvantage. They crashed the zone he was looking to use. Davin Joesph and Jeremy Trueblood put a great double team on Randy Starks who does everything in his power to get off of it. Faine squares up to his left and seals off Phillip Merling. Zuttah pulls and finds the first man, Channing Crowder. This may look routine, but it is a very heads up move by Zuttah. He could have easily continued on and gotten to Bell, who looked as if he had the best chance to make the play. He understands though that Bell is coming from the backside and will have to get his entire body on Williams if he wants to make the play. In slow-motion you can almost see Zuttah's thought process. He looks towards Bell and quickly cuts back up into the hole. Donald Penn is 1 on 1 with Jason Taylor, which he completely shuts down. If you want a Buccaneer to vote into the pro-bowl, Penn is the guy. He is absolutely dominant this year in the pass-blocking and the Bucs rank 5th running the ball off the Left Tackle. Penn is an absolute stud.

Williams goes to the only opening he sees without bouncing it (which is staying disciplined. Not something you see often in running backs). I have pointed this out before, but watch the fundamentals of Williams. He knows he's going to get hit so he get's low. "Low-Man wins." He puts his shoulder pads right into the chin of Tyron Culver and absolutely demolishes him. It helps that Faine stays with his block and essentially tackles his man into Culver (If you watch closely I am pretty sure Starks wraps up the legs of Culver, possibly thinking it was Williams. Regardless, Williams knows how to win those physical battles. He also knew that he had about 3 yards to finish the play, and he stretches for the end-zone, but not before taking another shot from Vontae Davis. I don't recall this play being reviewed, which is probably a good thing. Williams was a yard short, but who cares.

Buc'Em Fantasy Football Review

2009-11-21T05:09:35Z

Okay kids... Week 11 is fast approaching. 2 regular season fantasy weeks to go after this weekend. It's crunch time, so I'm sure many of you (like me) are gripping over which players to plug into those WR2/3, flex, and RB2 spots. Again, if you have a Peyton Manning, Chris Johnson, or other matchup-proof player, then by all means go with that player. Let's take a look at some players who you might want to consider or stay away from this week...

QUARTERBACKS TO START

1. Eli Manning vs. Atlanta. 2 weeks to prepare for Atlanta, who's been giving up yards to everyone through the air. Start with confidence.

2. Donovan McNabb @ Chicago. With Westbrook out, look for pass-oriented Eagles to throw even more often.

3. Matt Schaub vs. Tennessee. Schaub to Andre Johnson is as dangerous as any QB-WR combo in NFL... especially when facing Tennessee secondary at home.

QUARTERBACKS TO SIT

1. Joe Flacco vs. Indianapolis. Flacco has faded into more of a game manager than a statistically-productive fantasy QB; facing a solid Colts defense.

2. Mark Sanchez @ New England. Seems he's been figured out; facing an angry Patriot defense looking for blood.

3. Matt Hasselbeck @ Minnesota. This is especially so in leagues that subtract heavily for sacks and turnovers. Although Minnesota's pass defense ranks low, Jared Allen and the Minny front 7 will batter Hasselbeck.

RUNNING BACKS TO START

1. Rashard Mendenhall @ Kansas City. Should go off against a mediocre Chief defense.

2. Knowshon Moreno vs. San Diego. With Orton likely to miss game, Broncos will be even more prone to run the football.

3. Kevin Smith vs. Cleveland. Great matchup against reeling Browns in this season's biggest pillow fight.

RUNNING BACKS TO SIT

1. Ladell Betts @ Dallas. Even though Washington is a run-based offense, Dallas boasts a top-10 rush defense and has given up few rushing scores this season.

2. Jamaal Charles vs. Pittsburgh. Had a nice Week 10 with 103 RuYds @ OAK, but facing a nasty PIT rush defense coming off a loss.

3. Justin Forsett @ Minnesota. Hopefully, with Seattle likely throwing from behind and facing the Williams Wall, you have a better option on your roster. If not, scour the waiver wire for a Week 11 sleeper like Jason Snelling or Bernard Scott.

WIDE RECEIVERS TO START

1. Sidney Rice vs. Seattle. Brett Favre seems to always develop a strong rapport with a particular receiver, and that guy is definitely Rice. Is there a hotter WR in the league right now?

2. Calvin Johnson vs. Cleveland. If he doesn't go for at least 80+ yards and at least one score, I'll be very surprised.

3. Nate Burleson @ Minnesota. With Houshmanzadeh likely to draw CB Winfield, Burleson should receive plenty of targets Sunday.

WIDE RECEIVERS TO SIT

1. Devin Hester vs. Philadelphia. If you can't afford to sit him, at least temper your expectations. He's gonna have Asante Samuel shadowing him all game. Not the easiest matchup for the speedster.

2. Michael Crabtree @ Green Bay. Sure, he's the #1 receiving threat for SF, but he'll be shadowed by Charles Woodson and the Niners will be running heavily against Green Bay's 3-4. Don't expect huge numbers.

3. Terrell Owens @ Jacksonville. Incredible how the guy has gone from a fantasy #1 to almost unstartable. Lee Evans is getting the looks from his QB, leading the team with a paltry 351 receiving yards. No one outside of Marshawn Lynch and (barely) Evans is a fantasy starter right now.

TIGHT ENDS TO START

1. Kellen Winslow vs. New Orleans. The Bucs appear determined to throw the football (although they had to come from behind in both of Freeman's starts... but still), and Josh Freeman has targeted Kellen Winslow more than any other Buccaneer receiver. Accordingly, there's no reason to think he won't get close to double-digit targets and put up a solid, if not spectacular, day.

2. Vernon Davis @ Green Bay. Could have a big day in the right offensive sets against Green Bay linebackers... especially if GB corners take Crabtree out of the equation and if SF can run the ball and get Davis some red zone looks.

3. Brandon Pettigrew vs. Cleveland. May be Lions' second-best receiving threat behind Megatron. Unlike when facing Vikings, will not be asked to stay in to help block the putrid Browns defensive front and should be productive in passing game (how about that... 3 Lions to start... only the Browns could allow for such a feat!).

TIGHT ENDS TO SIT

1. John Carlson @ Minnesota. I have a feeling his knuckles are going to be black and blue from all the blocking he'll be asked to do on Jared Allen.

2. Todd Heap vs. Indianapolis. Hasn't been healthy, hasn't scored since the second week of the season, and has shown nothing to make me believe he's going to become a factor in the offense this season. Pass.

3. Bo Scaife @ Houston. Although he was a former favorite target of Vince Young, he hasn't rekindled that chemistry yet with his old mate. Texans have held down opposing tight ends pretty well, sans Vernon Davis' 3 TD output.

DEFENSES TO START

1. Arizona @ St. Louis. Arizona a top-flight run-stopping defense and have excellent cover corners. Slim pickings for the Rams' offense.

2. Cincinnati @ Oakland. Bengals should be able to force Raiders into passing situations, setting up Gradkowski and Oakland for a healthy number of sacks and turnovers.

3. Philadelphia @ Chicago. An aggressive, blitzing defense against a turnover-happy Cutler? Gulp.

DEFENSES TO SIT

1. Baltimore vs. Indianapolis. I don't care who they are or that they're coming off a shutout of the hapless Browns (in one of the worst MNF games in history...ugh!). Manning will always get his. If there's a good matchup-based defense on the waiver wire and you have the roster space, make the move.

2. Denver vs. San Diego. Suddenly, that vaunted Bronco defense is allowing opposing ball carriers to gash them. Look out for San Diego to control the time of possession with a balanced offense spearheaded by a solid game from LT.

3. New Orleans @ Tampa Bay. Yes, there is the potential for the Saints to snag some turnovers. However, the Saints have given up numerous big plays and 20+ points to both the Panthers and Rams the past 2 weeks. The Buccaneers have been moving the football well and scoring points. If your league scoring rules put a premium on points allowed, consider going an alternate route.

If you guys have a lineup question, please feel free to post it below.

How dem Bucs think they gonna beat dem Saints?

2009-11-20T19:30:38Z

Cadillac Williams and the Buccaneer running game will play a key role if they wish to have any success against the undefeated Saints on Sunday.

View full size photo »

The road is long. The season is tough and the competition, fierce. And when the Saints come marching into Tampa Bay on Sunday, it won’t get any easier.

So how do you beat those Saints, anyway?

Well, we can’t ask anyone who has faced them this year, because none have succeeded. The Saints may know, but I doubt they’d share with us. And the Buccaneers have hardly drafted a foolproof formula for victory in their 2009 campaign, so I’ve called upon Captain Obvious to aid in the discussion.

"Run the football," says Obvious, "and when the play is over, get up and run it again."

Thank you, my wise friend. You are truly a cornucopia of strategical knowledge. After all, wasn’t that the plan from the beginning of the year? A three-headed rushing attack led by a resurgent Cadillac Williams with Derrick Ward and Earnest Graham not far behind to keep fresh legs in the game for a full 60 minutes?

On average, Greg Olson’s offense throws the ball 33 times per game while rushing just 24 times. Of course, this is largely the result of playing from behind more often than they would like, so we can’t hold that against them. However, ball control will play a key role in Sunday’s game if the Bucs want any shot at stealing a win.

On paper, match-ups don’t get much more lopsided than this. It’s the team with the best record against the team with the worst. The Saints are among the tops in the NFL in all major offensive categories, and the Bucs are hiding near the bottom defensively. On the NFL map, the Saints are coasting to the playoffs in the warm gulf waters while the Bucs are caught in an arctic snowstorm, far from any reasonable level of respectability.

At this time I would like to interrupt and take a moment to thank the Cleveland Browns, simply for existing. It keeps the heat off the Bucs. Thanks, boys.

The Bucs have just four rushing touchdowns this season and average just over 28 minutes of ball control each game. They also average under 100 yards on the ground. These statistics must improve to have any chance at their second win. While the passing game has shown signs of life with Josh Freeman and Kellen Winslow developing some chemistry, it’s certainly not enough to keep up with the Saints’ high-flying offense in the event of a shootout.

The Bucs have not done a great job protecting the ball, but they’ve had some success taking it away, with a turnover ration sitting at zero through nine games. They’ll need to protect the ball and keep it out of Drew Brees’s hands this Sunday to put them in a position to beat a Saints team that has had difficulty getting an early lead in recent weeks.

The road is long. It’s a tough job, this professional football gig. However, if the offense can keep the ball away from the Saints and in the hands of the Buccaneer backfield, they just might have a chance to send the Saints marching home with their first loss of the season.

Bucs Special Teams one of the NFL's best

2009-11-20T15:45:57Z

Bucs Special Teams one of the NFL's best

I've always felt a good up and coming defense has a predictor...a team with good special teams. Lets hope that holds true for our future. Check out this TBO.com piece on our best attribute this year.

Week 11 Player Profile: CB Aqib Talib

2009-11-20T01:25:35Z

More photos » by Steve Nesius - AP

Tampa Bay Buccaneers cornerback Aqib Talib ponders how the Buccaneer defense will stop the high-powered New Orleans offense on Sunday. (AP Photo/Steve Nesius)

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Well, we certainly have Aqib Talib covered well here on Buc'Em this week!!! Talib will have a major role in the Buccaneer defensive scheme come Sunday: blanket the big, explosive go-to WR Marques Colston. So far this season, sticking to opposing #1 WRs hasn't been a problem for Aqib. He's stayed with Randy Moss, Terrell Owens, Steve Smith, and Santana Moss pretty well.

Let's take a look at some video highlights Niko put together:

Tampa Bay vs. New England: Looking first at Talib's interception against New England, I have to tip my hat to Jim Bates and the Buccaneer defense on this play. They managed to pull a fast one on the New England offense. Talib was lined up on the same side of the field as, but off the line from, Randy Moss, who ran a hitch route. With Talib naturally up the field from the hitching Moss, it appeared to be a perfect catch and run opportunity for Moss. However, Quincy Black, with an underneath zone responsibility, stepped into the passing lane, forcing Brady to look downfield for an alternate option.

At this point, Talib peeled off his responsibility by design and hustled downfield to catch up to the streaking Patriot WR Brandon Tate, who had several steps on Rhonde Barber. However, Brady underthrew the pass a tad and Talib was able to get under the pass with ease and make a leaping interception (near the highest point of reception, to boot...which shouldn't go unnoticed) ahead of Tate.

What made this play so successful is the Buccaneers knew that Brady would look first to Moss on a mid-range route, and settled in for it perfectly with underneath LB help. With Sabby stepping up to surround Moss with Black, and Tanard Jackson stepping up into the box on play action, Brady thought he had Tate open deep. However, the Bucs suckered Brady by sending Talib deep from the other side of the field, who flashed impressive speed and instinct to get down the field and meet Tate at the football. Just a great call by Bates and terrific execution by Talib and the rest of the Buccaneer defense. That's a defensive call to keep in their back pocket.

Tampa Bay vs. Washington

Looking at the first of Talib's 3 interceptions against the Redskins, the Buccaneers are employed in a nickel package, man coverage, two-deep safeties. The interception was, in part, a foreseeable result of a myopic Jason Campbell, who looked at WR Kelly all the way from the snap, into his break, and across the middle. With Ruud following Cooley away from the middle, Sabby stepped up into middle underneath coverage. With help from Sabby, Ronde Barber was able to pull off his inward-bound receiver and backtrack to Talib's trailing receiver. This allowed Talib the ability to make a play on the football and, in case he missed, have help from Barber to bat the ball away or jar it loose. Simple, but effective. That said, it was an athletic play by Talib to undercut his defender and extend for the interception.

The second interception on the video was simply a great individual effort by Talib on a fast, fast wide receiver. The Bucs were stacking the box on 3rd and 2, looking for the run. With the Bucs having one safety deep, there wasn't as much deep help as usual if a player got by them. Talib jammed Kelly off the line, forcing him outside, then turned and ran with him...literally with him. He turned his shoulder into Kelly and ran with him stride for stride, effectively pinning him to the sideline. He remained with him stride for stride, while turning his head to find the football. As the ball came down, he maintained his position, stayed between the receiver and the football and made the play. He effectively limited the area in which Kelly could catch the ball by forcing him to the sideline with a good jam and stayed in (legal) contact with him down the field, not giving an inch of room to catch the ball, while giving Jason Campbell very little room to drop one in between the WR and the sideline. Great individual effort there.

Overview for Week 11: the key, in part, to ~~stopping~~ somewhat containing the Saints offense the past two weeks has been the ability of the opposition to keep WR Marques Colston down. Colston is a big boy with good speed who's very effective over the middle and on inside-breaking routes. He's the guy that, when Drew Brees needs 4, 5, 6 yards, he'll fly off the line, cut a slant route, and catch a high pass over a smaller defensive back. From the opponents 15 yd line, he'll make a head-fake and cut it towards the goalposts on a skinny post for a TD. Point is, if he gets inside position on a smaller cornerback, it's big-time trouble on a route. Talib has done a pretty nice job on opposing #1's by himself, and with the wealth of talent the Saints have at their skill positions, he's probably going to be asked to single cover Colston alot. It'll be essential for Talib to come out and, metaphorically, punch Colston in the mouth, push him around, stay with him. Let him know he'll be there all day. Tall task, but Talib just might be up to it.

What do you guys think?

Enemy Flashback Video; New Orleans Saints

2009-11-19T19:15:10Z

This series has had its share of surprises. a bit of surprise when we handled the Saints week 2 of 2007, of the brilliant last second win at the Superdome with a Jon Gruden GO FOR IT on 4th down. Last second losses to spoil Bruce Gradkowski's debut, and Brian Griese's heroics to replace Chris Simms' first start...

Relive them all Right here!

Enemy Flashback Saints from Bucs Videos on Vimeo.

Buc 'Em Weekly Caption Contest

2009-11-19T18:51:59Z

More photos » by Hans Deryk - AP

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Here we go again Bucs' fans. Thank you to all that participated in the contest last week. We had lots of funny captions to choose from, with Craig T winning by quite a large margin after all was said and done. Don't be discouraged if you didn't win. Keep trying! Once again, the prize will be the Bucs' game of the winner's choice on DVD, which will be provided by Niko.

Please enter your caption into the comments section below. If you think a caption is funny, simply "Rec" it by clicking on "actions". The top five most Rec'd comments will go to the 2nd round for poll voting on Monday. Remember, it's perfectly fine to enter more than one caption, or Rec more than one entry.

All captions must fall within the Buc'Em community guidelines. Again, we want you be funny, but not offensive. If you have a question on whether or not your caption is acceptable, please email myself or Niko and we will let you know.

Good luck!

Mike Pereira speaks about Bucs controversial call

2009-11-19T16:23:19Z

Mike Pereira speaks about Bucs controversial call

The video from NFL.com features Pereira (and an XBOX 360) discussing the Bucs call, and a few others.

As I had mentioned, I was very anxious to hear what he had to say. He references the calls earlier in the year, and notes that they have been consistent with this ruling. Doesn't make it easier to take, doesn't mean alot of people agree with it, but here's the review from one of the head honchos.

Rich Eisen asks an interesting question about the ruling concerning one vs. two feet down. Essentially, Clayton only got one foot down before being hit, thus he has to possess it longer. Both feet down and its ruled a completion.

Bucs offensive line buried at the bottom

2009-11-19T14:00:13Z

The Bucs offensive line got the first piece of good news in awhile on Tuesday. That news was that Arron Sears would be returning to the team. A key component to our young line, Sears was going to be counted on heavily in 2009. But he disappeared from the team in a story that still hasn't completely unfolded. The Bucs OL turned to Zuttah to fill the gap, who has done an admirable job, but the line as a whole has not performed well.

Some of this may be attributed to the new zone blocking scheme that has been installed. Other teams that took on this endeavour for the first time have said it takes about half a season to get comfortable with the blocking change. That would be right about now, except the Bucs have quietly moved away from the scheme. Jeff Faine has been quoted as saying they've (the OL) have moved to more of a man up system. The scheme is still split with some downs utilizing the zone scheme and others the man scheme, but all this change and lack of commitment probably won't serve the team well.

Through Week 10 (9 games), how has the OL compared to it's peers? Hit the jump and lets find out.

To look at the offensive line, we'll go back to some of the stats derived by Football Outsiders. We'll look at how the offensive line has fared in the run game and the passing game. First off, lets take on the passing game.

The easy metric to look at is number of sacks given up. But this only tells a part of the story. As we've discussed before, teams that drop back more can sway the stats. More drop backs equals more opportunity for sacks and more opportunities to dilute the results. Lets see what the numbers tell us.

	Rank	Sacks	AdjSack Rate
TB	10	19	5.20%
NFL	x	20	6.60%

Not too shabby. Ranked 10th in adjusted sack rate which, per FO is

sacks (plus intentional grounding penalties) per pass attempt adjusted for down, distance, and opponent

So just over 5% of the Bucs dropbacks end in sacks. That number has been greatly helped by Josh Johnson's ability to scramble, and Freeman's size as we witnessed Sunday against Miami. Looks like either our quarterbacks are doing a good job of avoiding sacks, our line is doing a great job in pass protection, or a combination of both.

The run numbers aren't so pretty. We've all seen Cadillac and Ward take a hand off and immediately be hit in the backfield. I've seen far too many running plays that end up with Penn, Joseph or Trueblood all standing up 2 yards in the backfield with no one around them. That's not a good sign.

Lets first look at the adjusted line yards.

		ALY	RB Yds
30	TB	3.44	3.75
x	NFL	x	4.3

Not hard to see that the Bucs are at the bottom of the league. Ranked 30th in adjusted line yards, this metric gives us the yards per run that the offensive line creates by opening up holes, moving guys off the line fo scrimmage etc. This of course is adjusted based on down, distance and defense. The RB yards, which is the standard yards per carry isn't pretty. It's more than a half yard below the NFL average. The line doesn't create much room and the running backs don't go much further than what's there. Not a good combo.

	Power	Rank
TB	64%	15
NFL	63%	x

Our power success if right in line with NFL averages, as is our rank. This is the short yardage stuff, 3rd and 2, goal line runs etc. At this point, I'll take an average ranking for our run game. For reference sake, the leader in power success if at 82%. They convert 4 out of 5 short yardage situations.

	Stuffed	Rank
TB	24%	28
NFL	19%	x

This is the most telling statistic to me. As much as it might seem that Caddy and Ward just aren't running hard or getting anywhere, this stat tells me enough to know that they are facing an uphill battle. The Bucs RB's are hit and tackled behind the line of scrimmage almost a quarter of the time. One out of every four running plays ends up with Caddy, Ward, Graham or Smith (gah) being hit in the backfield. That's unacceptable. There is no way to run the ball and make teams respect it when you are hit in the backfield so often.

Whether it be scheme, personnel, or just time together, something isn't working. I'm leaning more towards either personnel or ability based on the 2008 numbers only being slight better. There has been some drop off with Faine missing time and Sears being gone, but even with both healthy in 2008, we still ranked in the bottom half of the league in most run categories. It's time to do something about the run game and give it the time and overhaul it needs. Lets make some changes now to benefit our team. Controlling the ball on the ground will help out a young quarterback and an ill equipped defense.

Chat with Canal Street Chronicles' Dave over Bucs/Saints game.

2009-11-19T11:00:11Z

saints

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You can check out my convo with Dave over at their SB Nation blog site and see what He asked Me and what I answered, as well as checking out their comments!

Here we go...

Niko: Its pretty well accepted the Saints of 2009 are better because of improved defense. What do you think are the biggest changes on defense that have helped?

DAVE: Most of it has to do with Gregg Williams. He has completely changed the culture of this defense as a whole and gets a lot more out of the defense than former coordinator Gary Gibbs ever did. Williams' defense emphasizes blitzing, turnovers and populating the ball; all in an aggressive manner. Former defensive coordinator Gary Gibbs ran a very plain scheme but Williams has proven these guys are capable of so much more, and runs many different schemes including both the 4-3 and 3-4.

That's not to say the off-season acquisition of players like Darren Sharper and Jabari Greer haven't proved to be genius. Those two alone have made a huge difference. But I still think the coaching and culture change is the more overriding factor.

Niko: How has Reggie Bush's role changed over the last year or two?

Dave: It's been a roller coaster to say the least, even up to today, and it's a controversial subject among fans. The first two seasons he usually saw a fair number of touches on a very regular basis. I would often complain that the offense was built too much around Reggie. Earlier this season, however, his role was greatly reduced with the emergence of Mike Bell and Pierre Thomas, leading many to wonder whether he was being phased out of the offense. But he's stepped it up the last few weeks, culminating with his two touchdown performance this past Sunday. But even then, in a game when he's playing incredibly well and the Saints are in need of offense, his touches were curiously limited. He is also used as a punt returner but hasn't been as effective as in years past.

Niko: How do Saints fans feel about TE Shockey? What does he do for the team?

Dave: I think they like him. My wife loves him and he's her favorite player. I like him but I'm a Drew Brees man myself. Shockey brings great energy. I have season tickets and sit two rows behind the Saints bench. Shockey is always standing on the bench, waving a towel and trying to get the crowd pumped. After last year I think fans were a little pissed and would rather have kept the draft picks they gave up for him. Now I don't think as many fans would say that.

From an on-the-field standpoint, he does all the things you always hear the TV announcers saying. Shockey is a threat in the red zone. He's a better-than-average run blocker. He opens up the field for Drew Brees and the other receivers. All that stuff.

Niko: After the NFC Championship appearance in 2006, The Saints have been average at best. Now they are undefeated at week 10. Do you think they are more liekly to be the 07 Pats; undefeated and a trip to the Superbowl ? or 98 Vikings whos high powered offense got them a 14-1 record and homefield advantage but a loss in the Championship game?

Dave: Neither. Both of those teams failed to win a Super Bowl. The Patriots lost that 2007 Super Bowl; certainly nothing I want to see for the Saints. The one goal for every single Saints fan is to see the team win a Super Bowl. As for going undefeated the entire way, I think that would be cool but only as icing on a Super Bowl championship cake. Maybe made by Duff from Ace of Cakes or the dude from Cake Boss.

Niko: My standard no.5 q- Who on the Bucs would you like to have, and who would you be willing to trade to get him if you could?

Dave: Barrett Ruud. I know he plays the inside of a 3-4 but if he was versatile enough to play in the Saints system, I think he would really round out the defense. If I have to be serious about a player I would be willing to trade I guess it would probably be a receiver. Saints have enough talent there to afford. Choosing one is the difficult part. You can have anyone but Colston. But I'll throw in Randall Gay just to sweeten the pot.

Talib on his way to living up to his first-round potential

2009-11-18T22:21:35Z

More photos » by Alex Brandon - AP

Cornerback Aqib Talib hauls in one of his three interceptions against the Redskins. Talib is tied for third in the NFL with five picks on the season.

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There was a time when having the first overall pick in the NFL draft was a big deal. An age where first-round picks were like gold to some teams because, more often than not, it was as close to a sure thing as you could get. An era in which the focus was less on contracts and incentives than it was about the opportunity for a young man to realize his dream of playing professional football.

That was then.

Now, in an NFL focused on signing bonuses and guaranteed money, it’s getting increasingly difficult to judge talent. Just ask Raiders’ owner Al Davis. He’s stuck with JaMarcus Russell and Darrius Heyward-Bey, two top-ten draft picks who have produced only two touchdowns this season, hooking-up just six times. Combined, they will receive $55.5 million in guaranteed money from their rookie contracts, more money than the average American family will gross in their lifetime.

Meanwhile, second-year cornerback Aqib Talib is giving the Buccaneers what they bargained for when they signed him to a 5-year, $14 million contract with $8.2 million guaranteed. Quietly, Talib is showing that he has the capability of becoming an elite NFL cornerback.

He is currently tied with perennial Pro-Bowlers Asante Samuel of the Eagles and Charles Woodson of the Packers for third in the league in interceptions with five, behind Bills rookie Jairus Byrd (8) and the Saints’ Darren Sharper (7). While three of Talib's picks came against the Redskins, he has also had the difficult task of guarding some of the best receivers in the game in Randy Moss, Santana Moss and Greg Jennings. While the three combined for 12 catches and 231 yards, only one of them reached the end zone when Santana Moss scored on a 59-yard strike after Talib slipped and fell.

In a maligned secondary, Talib and safety Tanard Jackson (4th round, 2007) have been bright spots. While Talib still has a great deal of work to do before joining the conversation of elite, shut-down corners, he seems to be on the right track in just his second season.

I could say the Buccaneers have had a solid draft history of taking good players early and making the best of each of their picks, but I would be lying. The Bucs’ draft history has not been pretty, just ask Dexter Jackson. But with guys on the current roster like Jackson, Sammie Stroughter (7th round, 2009) and Talib, it’s hard not to get excited about the 2010 draft.

Talib seems to have found a home in Tamps Bay. He’s fast and physical, and he wants to be matched-up with the best receivers in the league. So far, he’s proven to be a great value as the 19th overall draft pick.

Raheem Morris fined by NFL

2009-11-18T21:28:41Z

Raheem Morris fined by NFL

The NFL fined Raheem Morris $20,000 for his actions in Sunday's game against the Dolphins, likely for his tirade after a blown call led to a Dolphin touchdown a the end of the first half. His rant drew an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty and cost the Buccaneers 15 yards as the Dolphins scored 10 points in less than two minutes en route to a 25-23 victory.