Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Pound the Rock

2012-01-01T17:48:00.001-05:00

Morris doesn't back down !

2010-10-26T07:23:00.000-05:00

TAMPA - Raheem Morris refused to budge Monday. A day after he called his team the best in the NFC, the second-year Tampa Bay Buccaneers coach stood behind his bold and brash statement and nothing, it seemed, was going to move him.

Even after it was pointed out that the Bucs rank 23rd in the league in total offense and 22nd in the league in total defense (including 31st in the league against the run), Morris refused to alter his claim.

"Stats are for losers, so you keep looking at stats and we'll keep looking at wins," Morris said a day after Tampa Bay improved to 4-2 with an 18-17 win over the Rams at Raymond James Stadium.

"I mean, you are what your record says you are in this league, and right now we're tied for the fewest losses (in the National Football Conference), so that makes us the best team."

The Bucs are actually tied with three other teams for the fewest losses in the conference, and if he would look at Atlanta's five wins, Morris would see that the 5-2 Falcons actually have the conference's best record.

Still, at 4-2 and with his running game finally down off its blocks and purring like he hoped it would, Morris has good reason to feel a little cocky about where his team stands right now.

"We're getting better and (on Sunday) we showed some growth," said Morris, whose team showed the most growth in its rushing attack, which finally got the spark it's been looking for.

That spark came from rookie running back LeGarrette Blount, who ran 11 times for 72 yards, including 66 in the second half, and apparently has forced his way into a regular rotation with lead back Cadillac Williams.

"Yeah, and that's really what we were after at the beginning of the season," offensive coordinator Greg Olson said Monday. "We've been looking for someone to kind of spell Cadillac a little bit.

"We were hoping that it would be Derrick Ward or Kareem Huggins, but the circumstances just didn't dictate that, and that's why we're very fortunate to have picked up LeGarrette Blount."

The Bucs claimed Blount off waivers from the Tennessee Titans and while it has taken him a few weeks to learn some of the nuances of the position, the Bucs have known all along that he could help them as a runner.

"We've always talked about this being a big man's game, and he's obviously a big person," Olson said of the 6-foot, 247-pound Blount, who already has drawn comparisons to former Bucs standout fullback Mike Alstott.

"And he showed that (Sunday). He's got tremendous strength and power, and we were excited with what we saw, so there's no reason to believe he won't be a guy who will continue to carry the ball for us."

Neither Olson nor Morris was ready to commit to a breakdown of the workload for Blount and Williams, but it's possible the situation going forward could look a lot like it did late Sunday against the Rams.

Blount got the majority of the second-half carries, getting the ball 10 times while Williams got it once. During the game-deciding drive, however, Williams was targeted five times as a pass catcher, including on the game-winning play.

"To me, he's still a very good running back," Olson said of Williams, who is averaging just 2.5 yards per carry but is considered a better pass catcher and blocker than Blount.

"He has a different style obviously than what LeGarrette has, and he does some different things. That's why he was instrumental in the end there. He brings a lot of value to our football team, so we'll still count on him moving forward."

Williams doesn't seem to mind the prospect of playing a reduced role. He said he'd like to remain a starter, but he's more interested in winning. Morris said being a starter isn't what matters on his team.

"Starter is a word that's becoming nonexistent around here," Morris said. "Anytime you're out there on the field you're a starter, because we have a bunch of different personnel groupings and rotations that we use.

"When you talk about starters, that's a term that's fun for the media and fun for the fans, but as for us as a team, we like to keep it out (of the conversation). To us, it doesn't matter who the starter is.

"What matters is what you do when you're in the game. Like with our two backs (Sunday). One was productive running the football, the other was very productive with his pass-catching abilities and in pass protection.

"And those things, they all tie into each other and go together, and those guys played well together (Sunday) and hopefully they'll continue to grow and help us grow as a football team."

Bucs 24, Bengals 21

2010-10-11T23:59:00.000-05:00

What a win! Coming into Sunday many around the NFL saw the Bucs as a flukey 2-1 team that got exposed by the Pittsburgh Steelers going into their bye. But in a testament to the coaching staff and the organizational message that Tampa Bay is preaching, the 2010 Bucs responded to adversity by coming out of the bye week focused and earning a gritty road win against the Cincinnati Bengals. Make no mistakes about it this was a quality win for the Buccaneers, who had been knocked for notching its only wins against the Browns and Panthers prior to this. It may not have been the sexiest win, but style points don’t matter in the NFL. A win is a win, and this one lends the Bucs an air of legitimacy.

More than anything else though this win demonstrated the resiliency and fight of the Buccaneers. When challenged, this Bucs team fought back time and time again. After going down 7-0 at the beginning of the game it was the rookie Cody Grimm, a Bucs scapegoat just two weeks ago, who read a Bengals passing play perfectly and stepped in front of a Carson Palmer pass for a pick-six. Down 21-14, with just over two minutes remaining the defense made another play, this time with Aqib Talib wrestling a pass away from Terrell Owens. Josh Freeman wasted no time in leading the Bucs down the field and finding Mike Williams for a beautiful 20 yard touchdown strike.

Then, once again this team refused to die and the defense again found a way to intercept Carson Palmer to give the Bucs offense a shot. This time it was the oft-derided Sabby Piscitelli who was there to snag a deflection and give the Bucs offense a shot inside of a minute to win the game. Again Freeman played well, finding Michael Spurlock on a controversial sideline catch to set up the winning Connor Barth field goal.

It was an amazing ending, a truly impressive trademark win for the Bucs. This is the type of win that builds a team’s confidence moving forward. The Bucs couldn’t have found a better way to come out of their bye week than with a strong performance, character-building win on the road against a good team !

Growing Up !

2010-09-21T19:47:00.003-05:00

TAMPA — Josh Freeman deliberately bounced a worm killer at the feet of one receiver. A few other passes were aimed at his bench. Several times, he just tucked the ball under his arm, ran away from trouble and slid as if he were stealing second base.

The growth of the Bucs' young quarterback was more evident in the throws he didn't make in Sunday's 20-7 win at Carolina.

Freeman went 12-of-24 for 178 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions. But it was his willingness to throw the ball away when plays broke down that had coaches buzzing Monday at One Buc Place.

"You're just amazed and so happy and proud of that kid and what he's been able to do and how far he's come on the plays he didn't make," coach Raheem Morris said. "The bad snap in the air and he throws it out of bounds. It's the screen that the Carolina Panthers did a great job of covering up and he throws it at (the receiver's) feet. He's able to get some balls off when a guy is grabbling at his receiver and he's able to get another play. He absolutely pulls a Derek Jeter and pulls a flop when he gets hit by the defender. I was upset. I thought he got hit harder, but he got hit and did a little bit of acting on it."

Freeman's development might be the biggest reason the Bucs are 2-0 heading into Sunday's game with the Steelers.

A year ago, the rookie from Kansas State led the Bucs to 469 total yards — the fifth-highest total in club history — but threw five interceptions in a loss to the Panthers at Bank of America Stadium.

Contrast that with Sunday's game when Freeman connected on only 50 percent of his passes but avoided costly mistakes.

Freeman, 22, rushed four times for 43 yards and bought time with his feet.

The play everyone will remember came halfway through the second quarter on third and 17, when Freeman rolled right, shook off two would-be tacklers and threw a 40-yard dart to tight end Kellen Winslow. On the next play, he connected with rookie Mike Williams for a 35-yard touchdown.

"I think he's growing up before everyone's eyes, and that's very encouraging," offensive coordinator Greg Olson said. "It's encouraging to see the way he was playing (Sunday). It was the throws he didn't make that were probably the most impressive. … The way he managed the game. He feels the rush so well, but he keeps his eyes downfield."

On the touchdown to Williams, Freeman recognized the blitz and knew his receiver would adjust and run a post route.

"Josh, in his second year as a quarterback in this league, is able to recognize the blitzes and knowing right where to go with the football," Olson said. "So that's been impressive.

"He might see it (last year), but I couldn't sit here and guarantee you he would've seen it. He's been locked in this season."

Morris describes his team and Freeman as "wise beyond their years." Playing error-free football is just the latest example.

"They were great decisions at great moments that could've been big-time positive plays for the Carolina Panthers, and he didn't give them," Morris said. "(At times) the best play is the one you didn't make, and he proved that (Sunday)."

Audio Slide Show !

Buc's kick some Kittycat ass !

2010-09-20T15:18:00.001-05:00

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Jonathan Stewart sprawled face down on the turf Sunday at Bank of America Stadium, 6 feet shy of the end zone. The Panthers running back had just been stopped by Bucs linebacker Geno Hayes, who knifed through a gap, reached out with one hand and tripped up Stewart to complete a fourth-quarter goal-line stand.

That's when Stewart pounded the ground twice with both fists in frustration, like a 2-year-old throwing a tantrum after being denied his favorite toy.

If there's one image to take away from Sunday's 20-7 win, it was how Tampa Bay's defense left the stunned Panthers kicking and screaming.

"I hope everybody is surprised," Bucs coach Raheem Morris said. "I like sneaking up on people."

In the second half, the Bucs held Carolina scoreless, allowed only 38 yards rushing and forced three turnovers, including interceptions by cornerbacks Ronde Barber and Aqib Talib.

Meanwhile, the Bucs watched Josh Freeman mature before their eyes. A year ago on the same field, their precocious then-rookie quarterback led the offense to 469 yards, the fifth most in club history, but doomed the outcome with five interceptions.

But Sunday, Freeman passed for 178 yards and two touchdowns with no picks and rushed for 43 yards.

The victory improved the Bucs to 2-0 for the first time since 2005 and — wait for it — left them alone in first place in the NFC South, a half-game ahead of the Saints, who visit the 49ers tonight.

And now "two in a row" doesn't only describe the Bucs' lousy attendance at Raymond James Stadium.

"We've got a bunch of guys who don't care what people think about them," Barber said. "We're young. We know we're young. We know nobody has any expectations for us. But Raheem has done a great job of preaching what this team is, who this team is and what our identity is going to be. And every Sunday, we're just going to go out and show it."

In fact, the Bucs might have pitched a shutout had it not been for Morris getting too aggressive with an all-out blitz on fourth and 4 in the second quarter, which resulted in Matt Moore's 37-yard touchdown strike to Steve Smith.

The Bucs knocked the wobbly Moore out of the game in the fourth quarter (replaced by rookie Jimmy Clausen) after completing just 6 of 16 passes, being sacked four times, missing two open receivers for potential touchdowns, throwing an interception and generally playing like he still felt the effects of a concussion sustained last week against the Giants.

Morris, also the Bucs' defensive coordinator, was at his chest-bumping best. In the previous four games against Carolina, Stewart and DeAngelo Williams had combined for 831 yards rushing and 10 touchdowns. With the help of an adjustment at halftime — going to their base defensive alignment — the Bucs held the Panthers to 119 yards on 33 carries (3.6-yard average).

"We all had fun," Morris said. "Sometimes, I get carried away and I do my little chest bumps on my guys. But again, I'm 34 years old. I'm not going to act like I'm anybody else. I'm not (Patriots coach Bill) Belichick. I'm not (Jets coach) Rex Ryan. I'm Raheem Morris, and that's what I'm going to go out every week and be.

"I like hearing the negative talk on all the national shows," added Morris, whose team already has matched the two-win total predicted by Sports Illustrated NFL writer Peter King. "It's awesome."

The Bucs ended a three-game losing streak against the Panthers with great individual efforts by some players plucked off of the league's scrap heap. Tim Crowder, signed during last season, had two sacks and forced a fourth-quarter fumble recovered by fellow defensive end Kyle Moore. Defensive end Stylez White, an Arena League refugee, had a sack and five tackles.

"That's a big hurdle for us," Barber said. "Carolina has really had our number over the years. This is a little bit different team, a much younger team. But it's the same coaching staff, the same philosophy on offense.

"This is a big win for us. We knew it was going to be a physical game, and it ended up being that way. But at the end of the day, I think we were a little more physical than them and had a little bit more resilience when they had big plays."

What could be scary to the rest of the NFC South is the Bucs, who next face the Steelers (without starting quarterback Ben Roethlisberger), believed they could have won by a bigger margin.

"We have belief," center Jeff Faine said. "We looked at our schedule, and we felt pretty good about the first three games heading into the bye. It's almost a little bit of a bad taste in our mouths after this game because we felt we left a lot of plays out there."

While the pundits keep lowering the bar for the Bucs and noting they have the second-youngest team in the NFL, Morris is undeterred:

"These guys are getting wise beyond their years."

Projected Bucs two-deep lineup !

2010-09-05T10:08:00.000-05:00

The Bucs will release a reworked depth chart in the coming days, but in the meantime, my editors have asked us to take a shot at putting together a two-deep chart of the lineup.

This is just a projection, but most of this is based on the way the team has operated in practices and preseason games.

QUARTERBACK

Josh Freeman Josh Johnson

RUNNING BACK
Cadillac Williams Kareem Huggins

FULLBACK
Earnest Graham Chris Pressley

LEFT TACKLE
Donald Penn James Lee

LEFT GUARD
Keydrick Vincent Jeremy Zuttah

CENTER
Jeff Faine Jeremy Zuttah

RIGHT GUARD
Davin Joseph Jeremy Zuttah

RIGHT TACKLE
Jeremy Trueblood Derek Hardman

TIGHT END
Kellen Winslow Jerramy Stevens

SPLIT END
Mike Williams Micheal Spurlock

FLANKER
Sammie Stroughter Maurice Stovall

LEFT DEFENSIVE END
Kyle Moore Michael Bennett

NOSE TACKLE
Roy Miller Brian Price

DEFENSIVE TACKLE
Gerald McCoy Ryan Sims

RIGHT DEFENSIVE END
Stylez White Tim Crowder

WEAK SIDE LINEBACKER
Geno Hayes Adam Hayward

MIDDLE LINEBACKER
Barrett Ruud Niko Koutouvides

STRONG SIDE LINEBACKER
Quincy Black Dekoda Watson

LEFT CORNERBACK
Aqib Talib* E.J. Biggers

RIGHT CORNERBACK
Ronde Barber Elbert Mack

FREE SAFETY
Tanard Jackson Cody Grimm

STRONG SAFETY
Sean Jones Sabby Piscitelli

KICKER
Connor Barth

PUNTER
Brent Bowden

KICK/PUNT RETURNER
Clifton Smith Michael Spurlock

*- Suspended for Week 1

And then there were only two !

2010-07-27T20:54:00.002-05:00

Buccaneers sign receiver Arrelious Benn !

TAMPA — Mark Dominik crossed off another item from his pre-training camp checklist as the Bucs attempt to get every rookie under contract before Friday's report date.

The Bucs general manager said he also is making progress on a five- or six-year deal for Oklahoma defensive tackle Gerald McCoy, the third overall pick.

On Tuesday, the Bucs signed receiver Arrelious Benn, one of two second-round picks for the Bucs in April, to a four-year deal.

Benn, who got a $2.1 million signing bonus, was picked 39th overall out of Illinois and is positioned to see extensive playing time.

Only McCoy and Virginia Tech defensive back Cody Grimm, a seventh-round pick, are unsigned.

McCoy dined Monday night in Tampa with Dominik during an event for the Bucs' Pewter Partners. Dominik said he is in "active negotiations" with McCoy's agent, Ben Dogra.

Dogra's firm, CAA, also represents Oklahoma quarterback Sam Bradford, the first overall pick by the Rams. Dominik dismissed the perception that Bradford must be signed before McCoy. But he said Bradford's deal could serve as a baseline for the market.

"I'm talking to Ben every day," Dominik said Tuesday. "We're trying to work toward finishing it before training camp. I've never sensed from Ben that we have to wait until Bradford is done."

Dominik said there are many moving parts to such large deals signed by players selected in the top 10 spots. He said the club is negotiating the length of the contract, structure and payouts.

"It's always difficult when you're at the top of the first round,'' Dominik said. "You've got to make a decision which is better for you and the club. That's difficult enough as it is. Then you have issues like how you structure the contract, how to pay everything out.

"But at end of the day, every year these deals do get done on time for the most part."

Dominik said he was pleased with the way McCoy has worked in the offseason.

"Gerald really showed lot of intensity and effort in practice," Dominik said. "He wanted to take as many reps as possible. That's been the best thing about this draft class, how hard-working this draft class is first through the seventh rounds."

Benn did not show as much flash as fellow rookie receiver Mike Williams in the offseason workout program. But training camp is where Benn, a punishing 6 feet 2, 220 pounds, should make his mark.

"His assets have always been strength and power," Dominik said. "And you can't show that in shorts. It'll be interesting to see what he can do in training camp when the pads come on."

One player not expected to report Friday is starting left tackle Donald Penn. Dominik said the Bucs plan to have an open competition for that position in anticipation of that.

Penn, 27, refused to sign his one-year, $3.168 million tender as a restricted free agent and the Bucs reduced the offer to 110 percent of his 2009 salary, a loss of about $100,000.

Dominik said he is unaware whether Penn intends to report on time. He said he hopes the contract impasse is resolved soon, but there have been no talks on an extension.

Demar Dotson has taken most of the first-team reps at left tackle. Xavier Fulton and James Lee also will get a chance to win the job.

"Dotson has worked very hard," Dominik said. "A lot of it comes down to how he performs with his opportunity and reps at left tackle.

"Penn still is considered a teammate and a member of our football team and I hope there is a resolution sooner rather than later. But we're looking forward to seeing what Dotson, Xavier Fulton and James Lee can do."

A couple of videos for your viewing pleasure !

2010-05-19T22:26:00.004-05:00

Warren Sapp's first TD !

The most amazing Mike Alstott TD ever !

How good can Freeman be ?

2010-05-19T18:25:00.004-05:00

It’s a quarterback driven league, in today’s NFL, as it comes down to precisely who’s lining up under center that largely determines the success of a franchise. Without one of the top signal callers in the league, chances are the team you root for is like an amusement park ride with ups and downs and twists and turns charted in-between. As Jason Cole of YahooSports.com points out “The presence of an accomplished starter means everything.”

There’s a reason certain teams have been able to avoid the peaks and valleys associated with what many commonly refer to as “perennial cellar dwellers” it’s because the number one position and hardest to adequately man in all of football was stabilized by one of the games top tier players.

Now of course we’re not saying a team can’t have sustainability over a period of time without an elite quarterback, but the chances of remaining a consistent contender diminish greatly if your team has a high burn rate at the position.

Based off of what we all know about the complexities of the quarterback position at the NFL level Cole ranked all 32 starting quarterbacks. Depending on whatever player you favor, the top three are a given to be Peyton Manning, Tom Brady and Drew Brees. Now what order they fall for you, is highly debatable.

But after glancing through Cole’s rankings and where he ranked Josh Freeman, 26th for those wondering. While Cole ranks Freeman as the leagues 26th best quarterback at this juncture. He does speculate to the notion that in five years Freeman could be viewed as the best quarterback taken in the first round from the 2009 draft class.

26. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Josh Freeman(notes), the third quarterback selected in the first round of the 2009 draft, did pretty much the same thing as Stafford and Sanchez from a statistical standpoint. And really, if you lined these guys up for an eyeball test, Freeman is not that far behind them. More important, Freeman has great makeup. His dad Ron played pro football and Freeman gets the big picture. There are going to be struggles because of the lack of talent around him, but don’t be surprised if five years from now Freeman is the best of the three.

Its not hard to fathom such a scenario, where Freeman catapults himself into the upper echelon of NFL quarterbacks, especially when you consider his intangibles. From all the off season work in the film room, to calling up players and urging them to practice at One Buc Place. To showing up at the hotel rooms where Arrelious Benn and Mike Williams are staying, to go over practice notes to reduce mental mistakes by the rookies.

The growth has been exponential from Freeman’s rookie season to his sophomoric season. Whether or not it all translates on the field in the fall is a different story. But the leadership qualities that are being exhibited by Freeman along with his physical skill set, work ethic and drive is truly making pundits and fans believe that such a jump is possible.