When QB Josh Freeman scrambled and dslid a yard shy of a first down on the fourth play from scrimmage on Sunday, he probably walked away a little red-faced.
That's according to offensive coordinator Greg Olson who is still ribbing his young quarterback about his gaffe. And Freeman is hearing it from someone else, too: Former Bucs QB Jeff Garcia. He called Olson and left a message that he asked the coach to play for Freeman.
"That was not what you expect to see from him," Olson said. "I said, 'I don't know where you learned that or practiced that.' Coming out of college, I'd never seen that from him. In the preseason, he never slid, so that was kind of shock to everybody.
"I got a phone message from Jeff Garcia who broke his nose last year trying to get a first down. He said, 'Let him listen to what I have to say about that.' We talked in the quarterback (meeting) room about that. 'What do you want your reputation in the league to be? You want to be a tough guy. You're
6-5 and 260 pounds.' We looked back on the replay and the two defenders
who were coming up to tackle him weren't really aggressively coming at
him. I think they were kind of backing up as he was going toward them.
It was a good lesson for him."
Embarrassment will do that to you.
"He was embarrassed about it on Sunday, Olson said. "As part of playing that position, you have to have a short-term memory and you have to go out and play. But certainly, when it happened, he was hurt. He thought he was beyond (the marker). But it's where you give yourself up. It's not where (the defenders) touch you. So, we just cleaned up his thought process on the rules. . . I think he wants to be a tough guy and he is a big guy. Those guys should fear him a little bit."
Lt. Brian Brennan has visited NFL teams before. He's met celebrities, and had his inspirational story told in front of national television audiences.
But at Tampa Bay Buccaneers practice Wednesday afternoon, Brennan may have experienced a first; he signed an autograph for an NFL player.
Brennan, a 25-year-old Riverview resident, lost both of his legs in Afghanistan due to a roadside bomb, and suffered brain injuries that put him in a coma for about three weeks in 2008. Given little chance to live, Brennan miraculously worked his way back to recovery. And he's since gone back to work at MacDill Air Force Base.
On Wednesday, Veteran's Day, Brennan was introduced at the end of practice to Bucs players, who thanked him for his sacrifice. And Bucs center Jeff Faine - who has had relatives in three different wars - went even further, pulling off his right knee brace (which has an American flag on it) and asked Brennan for an autograph.
"I never thought I’d ever do anything like that, especially for someone like him to give me his knee brace to sign," Brennan said. "I’d give him stuff for him to sign for me. It’s a whole different world. It meant a great deal. That he really did appreciate it that much and he really thinks about my story, to have me sign."
Bucs GM Mark Dominik invited Brennan to One Buc Place as part of Dominik's "Operation; Welcome Home" Veterans Day initiative. The Bucs are going to help renovate Brennan's home to make it handicap compatible.
Jimmy Wilkerson and Maurice Stovall visited the home Tuesday, and Brennan - a huge Notre Dame fan - was given Stovall's jersey. Brennan's presence hit home for Dominik, who has had family members in the military.
"You don't understand the fact that less than 1 percent of our country actually volunteers for our country, yet 99-percent of us sometimes take for granted what they've done," Dominik said. "Today is one of those days where we need to say, 'Thank you,' and just remind everybody of all the great things our military does for us."
- JOE SMITH
So much for gaining chemistry and timing between QB Josh Freeman and his receivers.
Starting wideouts Antonio Bryant (knee) and Michael Clayton (knee) did not practice Wednesday. Bryant missed Sunday's 38-28 win over the Green Bay Packers.
"A.B. is still fighting through the knee, so we'll just have to see,'' coach Raheem Morris said. "Hopefully, he can get better here soon and be able to give us some work.''
Defensive end Stylez G. White (shoulder) and quarterback Byron Leftwich (right elbow) also didn't practice. Guard Davin Joseph (ankle) had limited participation. Running back Clifton Smith (knee) had full participation.
White was injured late in Sunday's game against the Packers.
The Bucs have made a flurry of moves this morning, chief among placing S Will Allen (thumb) on injured reserve.
Also today, the Bucs have promoted CB Derrick Roberson to the active roster from the practice squad, re-signed LB Matt McCoy, and placed LB Rod Wilson on injured reserve.
Allen suffered a broken thumb during Sunday's game against Green Bay. His injury is just the latest setback for the secondary. The Bucs lost S Jermaine Phillips (thumb) for the season in Week 2 while S Tanard Jackson was serving a four-game suspension. And last week, CB Elbert Mack was limited against Green Bay with a sprained ankle. His status will be updated today.
The loss of Allen moves backup Corey Lynch one notch higher on the depth chart. When Jackson left the game briefly on Sunday because of an unknown injury, Lynch took his place in the midst of a Packers drive.
RB/KR Clifton Smith was named the NFC's special teams player of the week for Week 9, the NFL announced today.
Smith earned the honor largely for his 83-yard kick return in the fourth quarter against Green Bay, a return that set up his offense for a pivotal touchdown in the Bucs' come-from-behind win. Smith finished with four punt returns for 54 yards (13.5 per attempt) and two kick returns for 107 yards (53.5 per attempt).
Rookie WR Sammie Stroughter, filling in for an injured Smith, won the honor in Week 6 for a kickoff-return touchdown.
The Bucs have placed linebacker Rod Wilson on Injured Reserve.
Wilson is the Bucs backup middle linebacker to Barrett Ruud. The nature of his injury has not been announced.
With Wilson out, Adam Hayward may get some reps as the backup middle linebacker.
Bucs coach Raheem Morris got rid of the Bucs losing streak -- and that knot that has lived in his stomach for seven weeks.
"No pressure is off. The only thing that comes off is that knot that sits in your stomach,'' Morris said. "You don't have it. It's really good, it's fun. This week will be a little more fun in the building. It's fun Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays. All that stuff gets a little better. A little more exciting.
"This league is competitive and everybody wants to be in it. And the only way you stay in it is if you play well. All the guys in my locker room, they're so young, they're all fighting for their jobs. Everybody. Coaches, players, myself. We know that. So there is no quit. We don't have a veteran led team. We don't have a bunch of guys who can shut it down and say I'll be back next year because my contract says this. We just don't have that.''
Morris praised rookie quarterback Josh Freeman for his composure during his first NFL start. Freeman threw three touchdowns Sunday in Tampa Bay's 38-28 win over the Green Bay Packers.
After the game, Morris said he did not do anything to celebrate but received a lot of text messages and some phone calls from coaches and former players like Derrick Brooks and Warren Sapp.
"I took Sapp's call because if I don't take his phone call, he'll yell at me,'' Morris said.
"There just wasn't a knot in my stomach. I do the same thing, I go home, see the family, chill out and watch other people be miserable. For me, it's the same deal. I didn't go out and throw a party or tear up Tampa.
"It was special getting the first win, it was good getting the first win.
Morris said the Bucs record will prevent them from spending too much time enjoying their win over the Packers. Tampa Bay plays at Miami Sunday.
"I don't think we can. We are 1-7. We're not competing for the NFC Championship game yet,'' Morris said. "They've got to come in this week and grow off what they did the week before. Hard work paid off. How they practiced last week in pads paid off.''
Morris did admit that he has instituted a little more discipline on his team lately. He took away their hip hop music during stretching and instituted a dress code for games.
"There's little things you can take way from these guys,'' Morris said. "Make them come to the game looking the right way, make them look like winners. Maybe yesterday the dress code changed everything.
"It's more of my little punishment deals. The music can come back. You can go to work in jeans and nice shirt and you're still the same person, but for me, it was more of a punishment deal. People might want their jeans back. People might want their music back. So in able to do that, we've got to do some winning. We've got to turn some things around. We've got to pay more attention to detail. That was my thought process. Just tighten up the screws a little bit to get these guys to tighten up the screws a little bit.''
SS Sabby Piscitelli's joy of the season's first win was offset by the realization his South Tampa home had been burglarized while he was on the field at Raymond James Stadium.
Piscitelli was not available for comment on the matter today, but our Tampa news bureau has the details here.
The arraignment for CB Aqib Talib's misdemeanor battery case came and went Monday morning without any major revelations.
A Talib attorney appeared, reaffirming that Talib waived his right for a speedy trial, and his right to appear (which is why Talib wasn't present). Talib's written plea of not guilty was officially entered, and another pre-trial hearing was set up for a later date.
It appears this case could drag out for a while - possibly even until after the Bucs season. Assistant state attorney Richard Ripplinger said it's not uncommon for misdemeanor cases to last six months to a year. That would be good for Talib, who likely wouldn't have to deal with any possible discipline from the team - or league - until the case was adjudicated.
There was some talk before that Talib qualified for a pre-trial intervention program, where for first-time offenders, it would result in something like a year of probation, etc. But that apparently isn't an option now.
Ripplinger said with PTI, the alleged victim's opinion plays a big role in whether that is accepted. And in this case, while Talib's side asked if PTI was possible, the alleged victim - cab driver David Duggan - wasn't in favor of it.
Talib, 23, was arrested Aug. 19 after the Florida Highway Patrol said he punched Duggan in the neck and ear with a closed fist while riding from a St. Petersburg club to a Tampa hotel.
If convicted, Talib faces up to one year in county jail.
-- JOE SMITH
Coach Mike McCarthy said they didn't, but the question had to be asked. But McCarthy did admit he was worried about his team's demeanor entering the game, especially coming off an emotional loss to rival Minnesota last week.
"We were concerned as a team coming in here," McCarthy. "I don't care who you play or what their record is, especially when you play a team on the road after a bye, it's a little bit more of a challenge. I'm not trying to make excuses. We did not play at the level that we needed to play at for four quarters today and that starts with me."
McCarthy spoke of the Packers' inability to handle the emotional situations the game presented.
"We need to handle the adversity that is in front of us," he said. "We didn't handle the adversity of the way that game went up and down. That starts with me."
A few injury issues to tie up after the Buccaneers' win here at Raymond James Stadium.
S Will Allen appears to have a broken right thumb after X-rays revealed a crack. He was wearing a cast after the game but doesn't yet know whether he'll need surgery. His injury might not seem that big on the surface, but it does affect the depth at safety a great deal. After his injury, Tanard Jackson had to leave briefly with an unknown injury. That's when little-known Corey Lynch was pressed into action.
CB Elbert Mack played most of the first half but didn't play in the second half. Turns out, that was because of a badly-sprained right ankle that was very swollen afterward. He suffered the injury on Thursday in practice and said he knew it might affect his availability today. Torrie Cox finished the game as the nickel CB and played fairly solid.
WR Antonio Bryant said it wasn't his decision to sit out the game. He indicated doctors and coaches overruled him. Though it seems it was his decision to sit out of practice on Thursday and Friday, he apparently did so in hopes his knee injury would make enough progress to allow him to play today. It's too early to say where Bryant stands for next week.
Raheem Morris, fresh off a Gatorade bath courtesy of Cadillac Williams and Derrick Ward, was ecstatic about his first victory as a head coach.
Afterward, there were plenty of questions from the assembled media about QB Josh Freeman, who helped will the Bucs to the win and finished 14 of 31 for 205 yards with three TDs and one interception.
"We still have to be patient," Morris said of Freeman. "We still have to let him grow. He made some mistakes he can go back and look at that will allow him to get better an better. . . His age doesn't matter at this point. He has to (play like) a 7-year vet. He has to lead us where we need to go."
Asked about Freeman orchestrating a come-from-behind win in his first start, Morris said composure was one of the things that attracted the team to Freeman.
"It was why we brought him in here, why we brought him in to lead this franchise," Morris said. "I am sure you (reporters) can feel how poised he was out there, never really rattled. (He) made some mistakes, which all young quarterbacks do. . . When he goes out there, you feel that you have a chance to win, you have the ability to win."
Freeman's performance isn't a total surprise to me. I think a lot of his most impressive throws are a result of the kind of pedigree he has. But what did come as a surprise was his ability to evade the pass rush while still keeping the option to throw. Whereas Byron Leftwich has no mobility and Josh Johnson tends to run before exploring all his options, Freeman found a balance between running and holding out a little longer.
He made some gaffes, as Morris admitted. He took a sack inside his own 5-yard line. He slid short of a first down in a third-and-short situation. He floated a ball into traffic and was picked off. But he offsets that by making impressive throws like the one to Sammie Stroughter for the game-winning touchdown and an earlier out route thrown across his body to Kellen Winslow that picked up a key first down.
Who knows what happens next week and beyond? But, for the first time in a long time, it sure looks like the Bucs have something to work with at a position that has hamstrung them for years.
Bucs WR Antonio Bryant is out today as his knee injury continues to linger.
Bryant was unable to practice Thursday and Friday and said he has had extensive swelling in the left knee during the past week-plus. His loss will greatly affect the options available to rookie QB Josh Freeman, who is making his first career start.
Maurice Stovall will start in Bryant's place opposite Michael Clayton. Rookie Sammie Stroughter will continue to play in the slot as usual.
There is no shortage of opinions on rookie Josh Freeman and how he is or isn't a good choice to quarterback the Buccaneers.
The last thing anyone needs is another know-it-all to proclaim how well or poorly he will play. That's not why I'm here. As beat writers, we're paid to observe -- not opine. So, here goes.
During this time of year, the media is barred from watching all but the first half hour of practice, a portion that consists mostly of stretching and individual drills. But during training camp and the preseason, we were permitted to watch practices in their entirety. I didn't miss a single workout, so that gave me a better sense for Freeman than practically anyone not employed by the team.
Freeman was not given much in the way of first-team snaps, and in some practices he got very little work at all. Why that was is a conversation for another day. But when he was turned loose, it was hard not to notice a few things.He throws some of the best-looking balls you've ever seen from a Bucs QB. His deep balls, in particular, were mostly impressive, displaying his rare arm strength. He can squeeze passes into tight spaces because of the force he puts on the ball. Of course, this is something that also tends to get him in trouble. He sometimes needs to learn to take a little mustard off his passes -- more touch, less force. But, all in all, his arm strength is a trait that will serve him well.
As for his decision making, he doesn't strike you as a guy who is unsure of himself. That doesn't mean he won't screw up with Green Bay CBs Al Harris and Charles Woodson lurking in the secondary. But he isn't afraid to take some chances and try to make things happen. Whereas Josh Johnson struggles a bit in this regard, Freeman is a passer who presumably will help the Bucs push the ball down the field as they intended to at the start of the season.
Freeman will have to prove he can make the routine throws that make quarterbacks consistent. He's got to hit the slants, out routes and such throws on a regular basis if he is going to be a good quarterback. It does you no good to make the incredible throws but miss the easy ones. We'll see how much progress he's made in this department.
What I'm most interested in is seeing Freeman play alongside the starters. That's something he never had the chance to do during the preseason, even in practices. And at Kansas State, he had mostly inferior talent around him. While the Bucs are 0-7, the bulk of their best players are on offense, and that will help Freeman raise his level of play.
I'll close by saying that watching Freeman during training camp and preseason workouts was pretty intriguing. There were days he was the best of the four quarterbacks on the field. That includes Freeman, Johnson, Byron Leftwich and Luke McCown. I often wondered how he would look with consistent snaps.
Finally, on Sunday afternoon, we'll find out.
Bucs WR Antonio Bryant can't commit to playing Sunday because of a setback in his left knee injury that has lingered since a preseason arthroscopic surgery.
Bryant believes the 9-hour flight home from London caused the extensive swelling he suffered last week. He hasn't felt well enough to practice Thursday or today. Now, he'll have to decide whether he feels it's prudent to push himself through a game at less than full health given the constant setbacks with the knee.
"It doesn't do me any good to go out there and be good for a couple of games and then be right back in the same situation," he said. "I just have to sit on it."
Bryant said he feels he has a chance to play Sunday against the Packers in rookie QB Josh Freeman's debut. But he probably won't know until he's evaluated before kickoff.
As for his decision not to practice during the last two workouts, he made reference to his lack of a long-term contract, jokingly saying, "I'm not Michael Clayton." Bryant is on a one-year franchise-player tender that pays him $9.88 million guaranteed but offers not assurances beyond this season.Clayton received a five-year deal in the offseason.
About the swollen knee, Bryant said, "That plane ride, that didn't help me. I was good for like two weeks. My knee looked the same and I probably ran the best I had ran all season. Then, next thing I know, I get on that plane coming back (to Tampa), I get up to use the bathroom and it's like, 'Oh!' It was back. I fell asleep, and we were in coach. We're all crunched up."
Not moving the knee allowed it to stiffen and swell, and that's when the problems set in.
"The swelling up shut down the quad, too," he said. "It doesn't help, especially for my position with all the running and cutting. It's not like a (defensive) end or a lineman or something."
In the end, Sunday will be decision day.
"I don't know yet. It's all about going to the stadium," he said. "Coach will let me know. If he lets the dogs out, then I'm going. If not, then hey, it's all about longevity."
Though Tampa Bay Buccaneers CB Aqib Talib was back to full participation at practice Thursday, a few new names popped up on the injury front.
WR Antonio Bryant was limited due to his knee, but coach Raheem Morris said it's the same injury that's bothered him all season. Elbert Mack injured his ankle in practice today, and he was limited.
The rest were full participation.
-- JOE SMITH
You can watch the throwback game on TV.
Although tickets are available, Bucs director of public relations Jeff Kamis said Sunday's Bucs-Packers game at 1 p.m. at Raymond James Stadium will not be blacked out. It will be televised locally on FOX-13.
Hall of Fame defensive end Lee Roy Selmon will be the first inductee into the Bucs' Ring of Honor and the team is wearing their orange throwback uniforms from 1976.
Rookie DE Kyle Moore's debut appears to be getting closer - as could come as early as Sunday's game against the Packers.
Moore, who missed the first several weeks following knee surgery, is healthy, and has impressed coaches in practice the past two weeks.
“It’s been really hard for me to keep a helmet off of him, to be honest with you,” coach Raheem Morris said. “He’s pushing my buttons every week and he’ll push it again this week. Hopefully, this is the week.”
Defensive coordinator Jim Bates said the last two weeks have been Moore's best weeks of practice.
"He's really matured as far as practicing like a pro is supposed to practice, and once we see the consistency totally there, we'll try to get him on the field," Bates said. "But he has really improved. It's a growing process for all young players, and especially the rookies. An he's made a big leap from the time he was injured and now."
Morris said part of the reason Moore hasn't played yet is that there's some strong competition on the line, with Michael Bennett, and Tim Crowder and Dre Moore coming on.
-- JOE SMITH
Bucs rookie QB Josh Freeman said Wednesday he is ready to "let it rip,' in his first NFL start Sunday against the Green Bay Packers.
The 17th overall pick, described as a 'gunslinger,' by Bucs pro personnel director Doug Williams, does not seem the least bit pressured by the expectations surrounding his debut.
""I feel really comfortable with the offense right now. I've been working really hard with (offensive coordinator Greg) Olson and I feel comfortable with a lot of the guys I'm throwing to. I just want to go out there and let it rip.''
Freeman will become the Bucs' third starting quarterback in eight games. He played two seriies Oct. 25 in a 35-7 loss to the New England Patriots in London. He completed 2-of-4 passes for 16 yards and was sacked twice.
But the baptism was enough for Freeman to realize that the Packers and others teams will try to put a lot of pressure on him.
"I learned that teams are probably going to bring a lot at me as far as blitzes, which I'm prepared for because that opens a lot of stuff up down the field and in the middle of the field,'' Freeman said. "There was that, and also, it felt good just to be back out there, stepping into the huddle, just calling the plays and just getting my feet wet again. I'm really excited about the opportunity to get a whole game in this Sunday.''
Williams, who watched a lot of film of Freeman from Kansas State and in practice with the Bucs, said the 6-foot-6 passer is not afraid to throw the football downfield.
"I think you've got a gunslinger in him,'' Williams said, "I"'ve been watching practice every day. I've been going into watching tape. I think he's a guy who's going to take more chances than a lot of people. I think if you look at the quarterbacks that have been successful, they've kind of got a gunslinger mentality. You've got a 40-year-old playing in Minnesota. That's all he's ever done is take chances. At the same time, he's got some guys who understand if he's going to take chances, they're going to make some plays for him. And that's what I'm saying we're going to do. We've got to have those players who believe that Josh is going to get it downfield, so I've just got to find a way to come up with the football. So I do think he's got a gunslinger mentality.
"He's going to make some mistakes and we've all got to live with it. But I think the more he plays, the better he's going to become and understand that there's a time to take chances and a time not to.''