SB Nation - Carnell Williams

Preview: Green Bay Packers at Buccaneers

Brandon — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 13:15:19 -0000

More photos » by Reinhold Matay - AP

about 1 month ago: Tampa Bay Buccaneers safety Tanard Jackson (36) gets a pat on the back from teammate Sabby Piscitelli (21) after returning an interception for a touchdown during the fourth quarter of an NFL football game against the Carolina Panthers in Tampa, Fla., Sunday, Oct. 18, 2009. The Panthers won 28-21. (AP Photo/Reinhold Matay)

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The first thing that jumps out is zero, which is the number of 2009 wins by the last remaining winless team this season, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. They looked very good in week 4 last season when they beat the Packers 30-21, but that seems like a long time ago. Since then they've fired their Super Bowl winning head coach, their long time defensive coordinator left for the University of Tennessee, and they've released or traded several defensive starters, including Pro Bowl LB Derrick Brooks. After an ugly loss to the Patriots in London, the Bucs are coming off the bye-week and giving their rookie 1st round QB Josh Freeman his first NFL start. As long as I'm dumping on the Bucs, I might as well mentioned how they shot themselves in the foot by firing Ron Wolf back in 1978.

Sometimes a record doesn't tell the whole story. But in this case it does; the Bucs are as bad as they look.

Instead of using the official NFL stats this week, I'm going with Football Outsiders. The problem with the official stats, which are based on yards/game, is that they don't take into account that their opponents have only attempted 180 passes against the Bucs, which is the lowest total in the NFL. I don't know why teams aren't throwing the ball against them because they aren't very good at stopping them: they've allowed 16 TDs to 8 INTs while their opponents' QB rating against them is 102.1. So from Football Outsiders.com:

Team	Run Offense	Pass Offense	Run Defense	Pass Defense
Packers	13	8	6	7

Team	Run Defense	Pass Defense	Run Offense	Pass Offense
Buccaneers	30	31	20	26

While RB Ryan Grant isn't running his way to the Pro Bowl this season, the Bucs aren't stopping anyone, only holding their opponents to 4.7 yards/carry. That's similar to the Browns, who allow 4.9 yards/carry, and Grant ran over them for 148 yards and 1 TD. Packers.

As I mentioned above the jump, though teams aren't throwing a lot of passes against the Bucs, it doesn't mean they are stopping the ones that are thrown. QB Aaron Rodgers has a QB rating of 110.4, Bucs are "holding" their opponents to a 102.1 QB rating - it sounds like a matchup Rodgers should win. Packers.

If the Bucs have one bright spot, it's their running game, which is moving along at a 4.2 yards/carry. Both of their top rushers, RB Cadillac Williams and RB Derrick Ward, are over 4 yards/carry this season. But the Packers run defense has been even better, holding opponents to 3.5 yards/carry, while only allowing 3 rushing TDs and recovering 4 fumbles. The Bucs rushing attack is doing about as well as Detroit and Cleveland, and neither of those teams did much running the ball against the Packers earlier this season. Packers.

While not as good as last season, the Packers pass defense is still very good with 11 INTs and holding their opponents to a QB rating of 74.4. The Bucs have been awful the last 4 weeks with QB Josh Johnson as their starter, not that QB Byron Leftwich did much in the 3 games he started. So, as mentioned before the jump, they are turning to the rookie Freeman. It's hard to know how the rookie will play, but if he is truly better than Johnson or Leftwich (at this point in his career) you'd think he would have started before week 8. Packers.

Packers 38, Bucs 10.

Eagles stroll to 33-14 win over Bucs

JasonB — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 20:18:26 -0000

More photos » by Michael Perez - AP

2 months ago: Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver Jeremy Maclin, right, pulls in a 40-yard touchdown pass as Tampa Bay Buccaneers safety Will Allen defends in the second quarter of an NFL football game, Sunday, Oct. 11, 2009, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Michael Perez)

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The Eagles offensive and defensive units seemed to stop and start at times today, but the result of the game was never really in doubt. The Eagles controlled the game from start to finish, harassed Bucs' QB Josh Johnson all day, and lived off the big play on offense.

Today marked the coming out party of rookie WR Jeremy Maclin, who finally showed the big play ability that he became so well known for in college. The kid caught 6 passes for 142 yards and 2 TDs averaging almost 24 yards a catch. Tampa's plan seemed to be to take Desean Jackson out of the game with double coverage, but Maclin made them pay. At least the plan did do the job of taking Jackson out of the game. The Eagles #1 was held to one catch for one yard...

That said, teams will now think twice about doubling Jackson with Maclin running down the other side of the field.

The defense had an interesting day. They held Tampa to just 14 points, forced 3 turnovers, and racked up 3 sacks. The biggest problem was penalties. On at least 3rd and long plays they bailed out the Bucs offense with a stupid penalty that resulted in a first down. They were able to get away with these mistakes because Tampa is a very bad team with a young QB prone to mistakes, but those kind of errors won't fly against the Giants.

Headlines after the jump

Josh Johnson: Enigma?

What do you think of Josh Johnson after this game? I'm finding that a tough question to answer after this game. He was sacked 3 times, threw three picks, fumbled twice, and had to have at least 5 passed tipped at the line. Certainly seemed pretty terrible by the stats, but he did stand in there and make some good throws against one all out blitz after the other. In the end, it was obvious that Sean McDermott's plan was to throw everything at Johnson and dare him to make plays... for the most part he did not. His offensive line did him no favors as he was running for his life most of the game, nor did his WRs who had several key drops.

Mediocre blowout?

The Eagles offense was another interesting case today. Donovan McNabb posted a nearly perfect QB rating of 157.2 today thanks to 3 TDs and completing 76% of his passes. However, it seemed that the offense either scored on a spectacular big play or went three out and out. The run game struggled posting just 76 total yards, 30 of which came on two scrambles from McNabb. In total, the backs had just 36 yards rushing.

Again, the offense blew out the Bucs today... but there are certainly things that will need to be corrected against the better teams in the league.

Penalties continue to be a problem

The Eagles were penalized 10 times for 111 yards today with most coming on special teams and defense. Again, I repeat what I've said a few times... they can get away with that against the Bucs, but maybe not when the schedule gets tougher. The penalties that prolong drives on 3rd down and on special teams that affect field position could be very costly.

Still can't cover a TE

9 rec 102 yards 2 TDs for Kellen Winslow. The tight end continues to be an achilles heel for the Eagles' D.

Run defense stout

That the Bucs didn't have many rush yards in this game is not a huge surprise. They were playing from pretty far behind for most of the game and obviously were going to have to throw... but the fact that the Eagles held early comeback player of the year favorite Cadillac Williams to just 8 yards on 10 carries is a job well done.

Fantasy Filmroom: Week 2

Bryan Everson (The Royalty of Roto) — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 00:45:23 -0000

More photos » by Denis Poroy - AP

2 months ago: San Diego Chargers wide receiver Vincent Jackson, left, makes a catch on a play good for 38 yards, in front of Baltimore Ravens' Domonique Foxworth during the fourth quarter of an NFL football game Sunday, Sept. 20, 2009, in San Diego. The Ravens won 31-26. (AP Photo/Denis Poroy)

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Congratulations to every one out of ten or twelve owners who had Chris Johnson, as well as the rest of the winners of Week 2 fantasy matchups. Meanwhile, Frank Gore sizzled while the Pats fizzled, and some perceived top fantasy defenses got absolutely torched. First, a look at the injuries and their outlook:

Matt Hasselback - Fractured rib, doubtful for Week 3. Coach Jim Mora is planning already to go with Seneca Wallace. You shouldn't, but you should look for other options.
Donovan McNabb - Broken rib. If you picked up Kevin Kolb for insurance, plan on using him again this week against Kansas City. McNabb was still in pain heading into Sunday, and the Eagles have a week off after a favorable matchup this week, so expect him to rest again.
Mike Bell - Grade I MCL Sprain, doubtful. Similar, but not as serious to teammate Pierre Thomas' injury, the timing of this really hurts Bell's long-term value. Now Thomas likely steps back into his roll if Bell misses a week or two. Trade Bell while his value is high if possible.
Marion Barber - Quad strain, doubtful. It's looking like Barber misses this week, but I assume he'll return for the week after. Hopefully you have running back depth, as most owners didn't draft Barber with Felix Jones; Tashard Choice might be available and worth a weak flex-play against an equally weak Carolina run defense. Don't risk this one: Barber plays Monday night, so you won't be able to swap him out if you ride it down to the wire.
Chad Clifton - Ankle, out Week 3. I mention this one only because of its impact on the Packers offense. Already forced to bring in extra blockers, the Packers shift their entire offensive line around with Clifton, and Aaron Rodgers was constantly under pressure from the Bengals front seven. Luckily this shouldn't be too much of a concern against St. Louis this week, but it's something to keep an eye on.

Now, onto the game tape (Note: I had problems with my video for the SEA/SF game, so an update on that will come in the next day or two):

Carolina 20, Atlanta 28

Matt Ryan is getting close to must-start material. If you want to dissect Ryan's rookie season, he struggled as many would have guessed against Cover 2 defenses. Well, Carolina runs the Cover 2, and he didn't seem to have much trouble with it. His progressions look better, and he's taking what the defenses give him. He may never be the most talented QB in the league, but he's going to be a winner if he plays like this. We'll see how matchup proof he is when he faces better defenses over the next month.
Jake Delhomme wasn't too bad this week, and Steve Smith owners can exhale a bit. I'm not sure who had the fortitude to start him after last week, but he gave owners with 300+ yard bonuses a few extra points even, and his interception wasn't too critical of an error.
You weren't reading anything I wrote if you took Michael Turner No. 1 overall, or even in the top three of your draft. He doesn't catch passes (well, Forte may not either) and he's not so dominate at the goal line as evidenced by taking multiple tries at the end zone against a not-so-intimidating Panthers front. Still, as long as he holds up without injuries he's looking pretty safe as a mid-first round pick.

New Orleans 48, Philadelphia 22

Before getting into anything else, a lot of eyes are going to be on the Eagles-Chiefs game this week because of Michael Vick. Looking at the Wildcat formations, or whatever Andy Reid wants to call them there, it's going to be very intriguing to see how they utilize Vick, DeSean Jackson and Kevin Kolb together. Kolb did a rough job in selling pitches, and corners didn't bite on plays the way they would if Vick was on the field. Chiefs coach Todd Haley said that they've been practicing for this, but if Jackson is healthy I like him to pile up yards in all sorts of ways this week.
With defensive tackles like boulders, teams aren't going to have much success running it up the gut on the Eagles. That's why Sean Peyton used misdirection plays to free up holes for Mike Bell's successful gains. His play calls are some of the best in the NFL in terms of keeping the defense guessing continually.
The verdict on Kolb is still out for me. Looking at his first half numbers, they're not all that dissimilar from Brees. But he misses wide open receivers and just shows general inexperience, which is to be expected. The Wildcat formations that keep the Chiefs guessing may really be the key to Philly's offense clicking this week.

Houston 34, Tennessee 31

The Titans safeties continue to be the problem in the secondary. After Ben Roethlisberger torched them in Week 1, Matt Schaub utilized the play-action to score huge chunks of yardage against Tennessee when they took the bait.
Here's something that would make David Carr look like a jealous teenage girl: Schaub wasn't sacked once in the Texans victory, nor did he turn the ball over once. Schaub went six of 13 on third and fourth downs, converting on long yardage and targeting Owen Daniels frequently when he needed to move the chains.
For anyone worrying about Steve Slaton's 17 carries for 34 yards after previously dominating the Titans, here's a quick bit from Jake at BattleRedBlog.com, SBNation's Texans affiliate: "Slaton has had problems, but they can get better. Every time he got the ball with a little bit of room to run (i.e., screen pass), he ran with conviction. I don't know what the secret is to make him run that way on regular hand-offs, but the coaching staff needs to figure it out for this team to be able to take advantage of the opposing team's pass rush effectively."

Minnesota 27, Detroit 13

Despite an offensive line that still has plenty of work (and revamping to do), rookie TE Brandon Pettigrew showed why he was a first-round pick this year. Pettigrew is an instant upgrade in terms of blocking for Kevin Smith. The Lions got away from that in the second half and it's a small part of why they didn't produce after leading going into halftime. He's not going to make a fantasy impact directly, though.
Don't fret Adrian Peterson's first-half statistics if the first two weeks have taught us anything. The brooding offensive line of the Vikings overpowered an over-matched Lions defensive front as expected and when they wore down, Peterson took advantage. The Niners have had a history of containing Peterson, so with a slight back injury it'll be interesting to see if their physical defense holds up in the second half.
The Vikings have done the right thing in playing conservative, but they're going to be put to a test against the Niners. It's going to be a more physical defense, and they're going to stack the box against Peterson. This is going to be Favre's first test of stretching the field more than likely, and he's not the same gun-slinging quarterback that he used to be as the numbers will tell you.

New England 9, N.Y. Jets 16

Poor Tom Brady. The guy comes back from missing a whole year, leads the team to an emphatic comeback victory, and then gets torn apart for his play the next week. Here's a good comp for him: Peyton Manning. Manning took a good deal of time to recover in the beginning of the 2008 season, and I seem to recall him having a decent year. Similar to Manning, Brady still looks tentative in stepping into throws and isn't feeling the pressure in the pocket as well as he did before. It's ludicrous to pick him apart; if anyone is willing to take less than what he went for now, go get it. And on second though, forget the poor Tom Brady; he's still got Gisele.
For once, Bill Belichick looked out-coached in this game. The Patriots failed to adapt to the pressure that the Jets were throwing to one side of the offensive line. They needed to temporarily abort of the spread and use more two-tight end sets to neutralize the rush.
Reason No. 105 Brady struggled: no safety valve. Wes Welker is officially more important to this offense than anyone but the offensive line. Randy Moss stretches defenses and Joey Galloway, well, takes up space. It's Welker though that moves the chains and works so well with behind the line of scrimmage and in short distance. His return helps Brady owners as well.
Last but not least, Randy Moss was absent for good reason at the Meadowlands. No, it's not because it was bananas loud in there, it's Darrelle Revis. Put him up there as one of, if not the best corners in the game right now. His who's who of elite receivers shut down now includes both Moss and Andre Johnson.

Arizona 31, Jacksonville 17

No one is questioning that Beanie Wells is going to be the better running back over Tim Hightower both in fantasy and reality, and it's going to be long before the season is over. The knock on Wells was just learning protection schemes better. Well, Ohio State fans may be familiar with another problem that has plagued Wells and came creeping out of the woodwork: fumbling. Talent has never been the question, as he came out of high school the top player at his position and third best in the class of 2006. But fumbles kept him on the bench early at Ohio State, so it'll be interesting if it'll be a problem in the NFL. It's not so much on his inside runs, but keep a close eye on the ones he bounces to the outside.
How do you stop Maurice-Jones Drew? Well if you're the Jaguars defense, you give up a bunch of points early. This game was 31-3 at one point in the third quarter. After scooting for a 36-yard run on Jacksonville's first drive, MJD only gained 30 yards on 12 carries. Getting behind is going to be the death of this team. They have a run-first identity, and while David Garrard is certainly underrated, this offense isn't built for comebacks.
Mike Sims-Walker is really the wild-card here, and people have been wild about picking him up. There's mixed thoughts here. Torry Holt is not the same player he was for the Rams, a do-it-all true No. 1 WR. He's turned into a very good possession guy, and that's it. Sims-Walker got his touchdown in garbage time, but he's getting targets, and it's not crazy to think he could be the better fantasy receiver, as long as he stays healthy. The reason we haven't heard of him yet is because he's spent more time on the IR than the field.
In last week's article I talked about how poorly T Levi Brown played against the Colts. Well, Brown won the lottery with Jags DE Reggie Hayward out with a broken leg on IR. He's a big reason why Kurt Warner had so much time to throw and Jacksonville lacked a pass rush. His play is something to watch closely when he takes on a few well known pass rushers for the Colts on Sunday night as to whether Warner has the time to get the ball downfield to his receivers.

Oakland 13, Kansas City 10

Better days are ahead for Dwayne Bowe. When this offense gets in a rhythm he's going to put up the borderline-No. 1 WR stats that he was drafted for. He's caught nine of the ten balls thrown his way so far, and those points are going to come for owners. If you want a ringing endorsement on Bowe in comparison to the rest of the offense, ESPN Fantasy's Christopher Harris called Bowe "an oasis in an island of feces." Hmm.
Speaking of smelly things, JaMarcus Russell. No, really, as a Chiefs fan transplanted in Lions territory, it's reeking up here almost as bad as Detroit's secondary. The Chiefs are much better with DB Brandon Flowers, who missed Week 1 against Baltimore and was a big reason they torched his replacement. Still, they're not elite, but Russell made everyone look Pro Bowl-esque. If he's your backup QB, you better hope things work out for your starter, and don't count on much for your bye week.
Bobby Wade might actually become serviceable, particularly in PPR leagues. Look at your rankings, and plug him in where you thought Bobby Ingram would have gone, and he'll probably have similar value. Matt Cassell gave him a number of looks. Bowe is so dynamic that he'll always get the looks in the end zone, but Wade can move the sticks.

St. Louis 7, Washington 9

The Redskins are going to be gone fishin' in January if the offense moves along like this too much. Jason Campbell dink and dunked with Chris Cooley for yardage early, but looked average at best otherwise. His athleticism is his best trait, but otherwise his play-making leaves something to be desired. An under-thrown ball to Malcolm Kelly on their first play could have gone for a touchdown, and in the red zone Campbell went just 1-for-5 with a measly five yards. To his credit, FB Mike Sellers did drop a touchdown pass, though.
Donnie Avery was the goat of this game. Even before Avery's fumble that cost the Rams the game, he dropped an easy pass on their first drive, and didn't do them any favors with an illegal blocking penalty in the second quarter.
Laurent Robinson was the more valuable receiver. Marc Bulger wisely targeted him often against DeAngelo Hall, who was undersized. Hall had no chance covering Robinson on the fade route for Bulger's sole touchdown throw.
Looking ahead,

Cincinnati 31, Green Bay 24

Mental mistakes would have killed one of these teams if they weren't both guilty of it. 24 penalties combined were due to inexperience in the Green Bay secondary and lack of discipline on both lines. Speaking of the Packers' secondary, when FS Nick Collins exited due to injury, Carson Palmer absolutely picked apart Jarrett Bush. The Packers played two backup safeties in the second half, and despite solid play from their corners, Palmer was able to work the middle of the field because of this.
The problems continued on the offensive line for Green Bay. As I mentioned, LT Chad Cliffton's injury only helped spark Bengals DE Antwan Odom's five sacks, four of which came after Cliffton exited. The Packers struggled with pass protection all day, and I'm pretty sure if a quarterback with less mobility than Rodgers were behind center that Odom may have gone double-digits.
Greg Jennings couldn't have flopped on owners harder if he was in Megan Fox's latest movie than he did Sunday. All injury reports indicated that his wrist wouldn't be an issue. He still managed to blank those who started them due to good coverage by DB Leon Hall, and one pass that was so directly dropped it would have knocked him over in dodgeball. Squaring off against the Rams next week should serve as a decent apology.
Cedric Benson is more encouraging as a borderline No. 2 RB/flex play, which is where I ranked him preseason and how he's performing. He showed excellent vision and the offensive line was getting second-level blocks for him as he ran up the middle between the tackles. He's never going to have the speed to get around the corner, but if he runs with purpose like he has been, he'll be reliable. Now if Carson Palmer can be more consistent, Benson will see more goal line opportunities translate into points.

Tampa Bay 20, Buffalo 33

Long after Chuck Liddell and Michael Irvin are eliminated from Dancing With the Stars, I'm still backing Derrick Ward as the better bet than Cadillac Williams. Williams again had the better fantasy week via receiving, but I can't see him being more productive over the long haul. Ward was better on the ground, with nine carries for 32 yards compared to Williams' paltry seven for just nine yards.
Make no mistake; Fred Jackson will still have value when Marshawn Lynch returns from his suspension. Jackson rumbled for 163 yards on 28 carries and added six catches against the Bucs. Further supporting this notion is the loss of RT Brad Butler, who was lost for the season this past week. This line is now far more suited to protect the pass than the run. Don't cut ties with Jackson when Lynch returns is the moral here.

Seattle 10, San Francisco 23: Update coming Friday.

Pittsburgh 14, Chicago 17

A lot of the talk has been about Johnny "Knoxville" Knox, who played in two-receiver sets in the second half instead of Earl Bennett, but I'm not convinced he's outright taking the job away from Jay Cutler's former teammate. The Bears have pushed Bennett to learn all three receiver positions while leaving Knox at just one, but Knox is the same player as Hester; it doesn't make sense putting them on the field at once. This might be a case that they split but neither is as valuable for fantasy purposes.
Will two-tight end sets continue to sap the value of the best one in Chicago? First Desmond Clark, and now Kellen Davis. Both Greg Olsen and Davis saw six targets from Cutler, and it's not unlike the Bears to utilize both of them. Of those second-tier options at TE this season, Cooley and Daniels are looking to be the better choices more and more.

Cleveland 6, Denver 27

Better times look to be ahead for Kyle Orton and the passing game in Denver. Timing is still an issue for this offense, but as Brandon Marshall particularly, as well as the other receivers get in tune with things, it could be dynamic. One encouraging sign is that Orton completed six of his last seven passes in Sunday's game for 134 yards. If Orton is your backup QB and you were worried, things will improve.
As an Eddie Royal owner myself, this is one situation to actually be worried about. The more experienced Brandon Stokley is taking significant targets and playing time away and might grab the No. 2 job here at some point. Here's to hoping Royal rebounds or posts a good game for owners to sell high on if not. He's not far away from being drop material in shallower leagues.
Here's an alarming statistic:

Brady Quinn to Braylon Edwards: 6-7, 90 yards

Brady Quinn to all other receivers: 12-21, 71 yards

I'm not sure what this means, but I'm pretty sure Quinn needs to improve either way before whatever Derek Anderson is doing on the sideline is considered seat-warming.

Baltimore 31, San Diego 26

Was ranking Vincent Jackson outside of the top 15 receivers this year too low? I'm starting to think so. As San Diego continues to lose offensive lineman, Rivers is going to be passing more and Jackson is more talented than everyone though. He's too big and too fast for even the best corners to cover. If Rivers can become more consistent, this could be one of the next great QB-to-WR connections.
Touching more on the offensive line struggles, the loss of C Nick Hardwick until December means more bad news for LaDanian Tomlinson owners. With a slew of great matchups coming in a few weeks, LT2 looked like a great buy-low candidate. Now, maybe not so much. Darren Sproles may continue to be used more as the offense suits his style. If Tomlinson bounces back with a great game or two, selling might not be a bad option.
Don't sweat on Todd Heap. He only pulled down one reception, but he's getting open, and Joe Flacco is going to continue to look for him with few better options in the passing game. If you didn't manage to get a top option at tight end, stop waiting and click the add button on this guy.

N.Y. Giants 33, Dallas 31

Now seems like the perfect time to buy low on Brandon Jacobs. After a tougher first two games, how's this for an inviting schedule: @TB, @KC, vs. OAK, @NO. It does get tougher after that, but if you can package a lesser, over-performing back with a No. 4 WR or some other combination for Jacobs, now is the time.
Mario Manningham is for real. He saw 13 targets against Dallas, and 900 yards with 8 touchdowns seems like a fair projection for the Michigan product. Lost in all the hype is Steve Smith, who is the more reliable of the two, and showed off his very polished route running in absolutely burning Dallas for his touchdown grab in the red zone. Smith is still more valuable in PPR leagues.
Giants DB Corey Webster did an excellent job on keeping Roy Williams quiet, but I think better days are ahead for Williams. He's still a decent low-end No. 2 WR.

Indianapolis 27, Miami 23

No game has been more picked apart in the media this week than this, but there are some things worth noting, like how the Colts defense struggled to contain the run. More specifically, the Wildcat. By my count, the Dolphins had run about 40 running plays for 180 yards. Of those plays which were run with the Wildcat, 11 of them went for 100 yards; that's about twice the yardage per play with that formation. The Dolphins said they only planned to use about six snaps with the package, but the Colts failed to contain it, so Miami took advantage.
Ted Ginn Jr. still had trouble bringing in some passes that he should have held onto, but Chad Pennington looked his way a lot. He tied for a week-high 16 targets, and hauled in 11 of those.

Special thanks go to all the NFL blogs here at SBNation.com, Football Outsiders and some of their metrics, Derek at IgglesBlog.com for his outstanding analysis and help with video, and Ten Yard Torrents for any assisted video analysis necessary.

See you next week.

Poll

The Niners and Jets defense have both looked great this year. Which would you start this week: Niners (@MIN) or NYJ (vs. TEN)?

NYJ DEF

43 votes

SF DEF

6 votes

49 votes | Poll has closed

Bills avoid letdown, beat Bucs 33-20

Brian Galliford — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 12:30:58 -0000

After a crushing 25-24 defeat at the hands of New England on Monday Night Football, we asked the Buffalo Bills to avoid the letdown in their Week 2 home opener. For the third straight time after a loss on a national stage, the Bills rebounded with a victory, handing a 33-20 defeat to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers while evening their record at 1-1.

This was not a perfect day for the Bills. Four players succumbed to injury, with two (RT Brad Butler and TE Derek Schouman's knee injuries) looking far more severe than the other two (TE Shawn Nelson's shoulder and CB Leodis McKelvin's ankle). The team committed another 7 penalties and turned the ball over twice. After a lightning quick 17-0 start, this game was far too close for far too long. While the Bills flirted with disaster, they also flirted with dominance - and strides were made in this victory.

Offense beginning to take shots, play with attitude
Trent Edwards had another strong day at quarterback, showing poise and toughness in completing 21 of 31 passes for 230 yards and two long scores - one each to each of his top receiving targets, Terrell Owens (43 yards) and Lee Evans (32 yards). Buffalo didn't get a lot of balls thrown in these two players' directions, but they made the most of those deep opportunities.

Edwards' solid start to the season continued. Through two games, he's thrown four touchdown passes - keep in mind he'd thrown just 18 in his career, and 11 in 2008, heading into this season - and is sporting a quarterback rating of 104.9. He continues to make plays with his legs, rushing for another 24 yards on Sunday, and though his one interception wasn't pretty, it came alongside big plays down the field.

Buffalo's offense is now responsible for 43 points through two games - 17 in New England, and 26 yesterday. They'll need to up their production a bit if they want to beat New Orleans in Week 3, but considering what the offense looked like in the pre-season, we'll take 22 points per game for the time being.

It's all about Fred "Action" Jackson
With Buffalo driving late in the second quarter with a 20-7 lead, Jackson fumbled the ball, which Bucs S Sabby Piscitelli promptly returned for 72 yards, with Byron Leftwich hitting Carnell Williams for a score on the next play to cut the lead to 20-14. That was a big blow and, at a minimum, a 10-point swing, but put that play out of your mind - fumbles happen. We're talking about one bad play from Jackson in a veritable treasure trove of great plays through two games.

As Buffalo's only productive running back, Jackson has been asked to carry the load, and to say he's handled it well is to put it mildly. Through two weeks, Jackson has accrued 328 total yards and a touchdown, and he is Buffalo's leading receiver - both in receptions and in yardage. Jackson rushed for 163 yards on 28 carries in the victory over Tampa, and considering how incredibly vital he has been to Buffalo's work-in-progress offensive attack, there's little doubt who the Bills' MVP is through two games.

It's helped, of course, that Buffalo's offensive line continues to exceed (admittedly low) expectations. Edwards was sacked twice more (that's six on the season) and took a few big hits, but the line did a stellar job giving Edwards time to throw for the most part, and they certainly did well opening up rushing lanes for Jackson. LT Demetrius Bell improved on a rough start in New England, taking only one penalty and playing with much more consistency. The loss of Butler, however, could be a huge blow; Jonathan Scott played admirably at right tackle in Butler's stead, but he isn't Butler. Scott limits what the Bills can do hitting the edges of a defense in the run game.

Defense still has some work to do
Helped out by a Bucs offense that struggled to find its rhythm, the Bills made significant improvements in several key areas, including third down defense (the Bucs converted just 4 of 16 opportunities) and in the run game (the Bills held an excellent Buccaneers ground game to just 57 yards on 19 carries). Perry Fewell dialed up blitzes early and often, and though he got mixed results, enough pressure was generated on Leftwich to fluster him. Leftwich finished the day completing 26 of 50 throws for 296 yards, three scores and two costly interceptions.

Many will point out that Leftwich's two picks were gifts, and they're partly right. Let's not pretend that these weren't very athletic plays, though. The touchdown itself was a gift in terms of Whitner's interception, but the catch itself was an outstanding athletic play. Whitner's running mate, Bryan Scott, got in on the action as well, scooping a bobbled throw off the turf and returning it for big yardage. Buffalo's opportunistic secondary will need to step up its play next week with Drew Brees coming into town.

But DT Kyle Williams - who enjoyed a second consecutive outstanding performance, by the way - said it best post-game: Buffalo's defense needs to be a bit more resilient in tough situations. Allowing a touchdown on the first play after Piscitelli's fumble return was ugly. So was the touchdown drive the Bucs put together after the Bills took a 30-14 lead on Owens' touchdown catch. Those are drives that the defense needs to avoid. Those drives kept the Bucs in it for far too long. That's an area that the Bills' defense in particular needs to work on - closing.

Game Balls
RB Fred Jackson - I said enough above, I believe, but I'll say this again: he's our MVP by miles through two weeks.

C Geoff Hangartner - Jonathan Scott gave Hangartner a ton of credit post-game for being the veteran leader and communicator on an impressive young offensive line. The rookies get all the talk, but Hangartner's the key player up front.

S Donte Whitner - I got on Whit's case pretty hard this off-season. Whitner has played like a man possessed in these first two games; aside from the pick-six, Whitner had a big stop on a fourth-and-one yesterday, and been all over the map in making 18 stops in those first two games. Yeah, he's been in on giving up some big throws as well, but for now, his move to free safety looks like it's paying big dividends. He is now playing the way you'd expect a first-round pick to play.

Buffalo (1-1) will meet the New Orleans Saints (2-0) next Sunday in Orchard Park. The Saints, behind Brees' 8 touchdown passes in two weeks, are the talk of the league right now, averaging 46.5 points per game. To say that this will be a tremendous challenge for our young Bills is putting it mildly.

Mining your way to fantasy gold - Sit/Start Edition Sep. 18/2009

Andrew Davidson — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 00:00:17 -0000

Just a quick reminder about the fantasy mailbag , remember to send me any comments or questions. I've received a few already, and an interesting debate could emerge. A Niners Nation member asked me "Do I start Joe Flacco vs. SD or Matt Hasselbeck vs. SF?". My initial response was start Hasselbeck, despite the strong outing the 49ers defense showed in Week 1. I've added a poll to this column, and want to know your input as well.

Flacco put up huge numbers against the Chiefs; surprising, shocking numbers (307 yards, 3 TDs). Can he repeat the feat against San Diego? The Chargers held JaMarcus Russell in check primarly (40% completion, 2 INTs) and are a much better team defensively than the Chiefs. Also, the Ravens have a carnival of running backs to throw at San Diego's front seven and should play a much more "Baltimore"-style offense in Week 2.

Hasselbeck on the other hand looked awful in the first half against St. Louis, throwing two interceptions. However, he later regained composure (that and the Rams were the opponent) and threw 3 TDs and went for over 200 yards passing. San Francisco pressured Kurt Warner all day long, but Warner still managed 288 yards passing (with 2 INTs). When the 49ers defense shuts down Seattle's run game, Hasselbeck will be forced to go to the air. While the 49ers will win the game, Matt Hasselbeck will keep the Seahawks close.

Sit

Joe Flacco QB BAL @ SD - Week 2 Forecast: 175 pass yards, 1 INTs, 1 TD

Start

Matt Hasselbeck SEA @ SF - Week 2 Forecast: 250 pass yards, 2 TDs, 2 INTs

After the jump, the rest of my sit/start suggestions...

Sit

Carnell Williams RB TB @ BUF - The Buffalo Defense played a pretty good game against New England. I expect the Bills to be able to make the Bucs one dimensional, and shut down the run in the process. Williams went for 97 yards and 1 TD (on 13 touches); if he gets that few touches this week, expect much smaller numbers. Week 2 Forecast: 50 total yards, 0 TDs

Start

Darren Sproles RB SD vs. BAL - Am I crazy or what? I'm suggesting your start a RB versue the Ravens defense, after the Ravens held Larry Johnson to 20 yards rushing and Jamaal Charles 8. Well, LaDanian Tomlinson is facing a nagging injury (Fooch Note: LDT ruled out), and Philip Rivers will keep Baltimore much more honest against the pass than Brodie Croyle could ever dream of. Sproles is shifty, and if you can hit him, it doesn't matter how punishing the front seven is. Week 2 Forecast: 100 total yards, 1 TD

Sit

Devery Henderson WR NO @ PHI - Fact: Henderson has had back to back 100 yards game once in his career. You can date that back to November 2006. Drew Brees may find success against the Eagles, but it will be his primary targets, not Henderson. It seemed the Lions forgot about Henderson in Week 1, and I don't expect the Eagles to make that mistake. It will be wise for the Saints to run the ball against Philly, and I expect them to do so, limiting Henderson's chances. Week 2 Forecast: 40 total yards, 0 TDs

Start

Vernon Davis TE SF vs. SEA - Homer alert! Yep, it's true, I have sentiment involved in this one. Remember the last time Vernon Davis played Seattle in San Francisco? I bet you do, he was sent to the showers early by interim Head Coach Mike Singletary. Well, in 2009, things have change greatly; Singletary is completely in charge and Vernon Davis is a team captain. I expect Vernon to send a message to Seattle, and San Francisco: "I'm here." Week 2 Forecast: 85 total yards, 1 TD

Sit

Philadelphia Team DEF vs. NO - Drew Brees was sacked the least amount of times in 2008 in the entire league. Philly's defense destroyed Jake Delhomme, getting 5 sacks and 5 INTs on the day while also scoring a TD. You can bet they won't near the sack total versus New Orleans, but they may be able to intercept Brees (just not 4 times like they did Delhomme). Overall, it will be wise to look elsewhere, but if you're like me, you only hang with one team defense. Definitely don't drop Philly in order to have a favourable match-up for one week. Week 2 Forecast: 28 pts allowed; 1 sack, 2 INTs

Start

New England Team DEF @ NYJ - The Patriots sacked Trent Edwards 4 times on Monday, but failed to cause an interception. The team only forced one turnover, but I expect the unit to rattle Mark Sanchez' cage all Sunday long. They should be able to create pressure and force the rookie into a few mistakes, while keeping the Jets in check and making up for Week 1's poor effort vs. BUF. Week 2 Forecast: 17 pts allowed; 5 sacks, 2 INTs, 1 TD

That wraps up my fantasy "analysis" for week 2, I'll see you guys next week with more "advice". Cheers, and may the 49ers win the ~~pennant~~ Super Bowl (well let's hope they start by beating Seattle this week).

Poll

Which QB would you start in Week 2 of these two choices?

Joe Flacco

246 votes

Matt Hasselbeck

107 votes

353 votes | Poll has closed

Land of the Giants: Run Brandon, run

Ed Valentine — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 15:00:29 -0000

Maybe the best way the New York Giants can combat the Dallas Cowboy pass rush is by pounding away at a Cowboy run defense that was abused for 174 yards rushing by Derrick Ward and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 1.

The Cowboys are, rightly, concerned about Brandon Jacobs and the Giants' vaunted running game.

"We've got to go in with a mentality that we're not going to allow them to run the ball on us, period," linebacker Keith Brooking said. "No matter what happens, no matter what we call, no matter what they run, it's on us to be where we're supposed to be.

"And when we get there, get there with bad intentions."

The pursuit of Tampa Bay's Carnell Williams and Derrick Ward usually ended with bad results, not bad intentions.

The Cowboys allowed 174 yards on the ground to the Buccaneers. Only four defenses were worse in Week 1. Only Cleveland and Carolina allowed a higher average than the 5.6 yards per carry the Cowboys gave up.

News alert: The Giants are better than Tampa Bay.

Here are some other items of interest around the Land of the Giants.

Starting safeties Kenny Phillips and Michael Johnson did not practice Wednesday, though both expect to play Sunday night. With C.C. Brown the only other safety on the roster, Mike Garafolo details the bind the Giants would be in if either, or both, could not play.
We know DeMarcus Ware hates the Giants. Well, Jacobs doesn't hide his dislike for the Cowboys, either.

"Dallas doesn't like us and a couple of guys on their team made that pretty clear earlier in the week. We have guys in this locker room who are going to make that clear as well. We don't like each other, it's a rivalry that has been going for a long time and I am really excited to be a part of it and take it up to another level this Sunday.

"The reason I hate the Cowboys so much -- I am going to put me in this, I am going to take my team out of this. The reason I hate the Cowboys so much is because they have so many fans. Everywhere you go someone is always saying Big D! Go Big D! I don't want to hear that crap."

Gotta love the trash talk. It doesn't mean anything come Sunday, but it's still fun.

There is, however, no trash talk coming from former Cowboy and current Giant defensive lineman Chris Canty.
Both Fred Robbins and Kenny Phillips have posted new entries on their respective blogs.
Tom Coughlin talked a little on Wednesday about Gartrell Johnson, the new Giants running back. Seems the Giants have been eyeing him for a while.

"We liked him at draft time, we liked him in preseason - they (the Chargers) kept him for a reason," said Coughlin. "They obviously had the same situation that a lot of us have - have to make some kind of a personnel move. Sometimes it is not pleasant. It is never pleasant. You put your 53 together. But they made a move. We had some options available and we obviously were fortunate enough that the player came to us."

Giants vs Cowboys coverage
Blogging The Boys

Game Balls - A review of the Bucs/Cowboys game

Buc Wild — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 14:00:43 -0000

It's tough to look back at a loss objectively and try to pick out the good and bad without being jaded by personal feelings on players. That being said, let's take a look at the recipients of Buc 'Em's game balls (both good and bad) for Week One. I'm going to do my best to not name entire units or teams as winners, but try to find individuals who deserve to be singled out.

Game Balls

Carnell WIlliams - I'm already breaking the rules about not making it personal. But who can argue with me. First game ball has to go to Cadillac Williams. Dude was a beast yesterday. 13 carries, 97 yards, 1 TD, 0 injuries. A great stat line for Cadillac. Watching him run with determination, with force was a great thing. He looked like an NFL feature back. He hit the hole strong, he made good reads and cuts, and he finished his runs. In fact, his least impressive run was his half dive half jump into the endzone. But the fact that he has become part machine with two knee injuries and is playing in the NFL, on Sundays, and scored against the first string D, just an awesome story. I hope we have 15+ more games of that.

Ronde Barber - I'll be the first to admit I was concerned with him coming into this year. Count week 1 as a win for him. Made some nice plays, did NOT get beat deep, had a sack, a few deflections and a near pick. I'll take it.

Geno Hayes - Don't want to get all sacrireligious on the Bucs here, but we'll just say an FSU grad played the WLB spot very well today.

Honorable Mention: Byron Leftwich, Michael Clayton

Anti Game Balls

Before I get started here, I could use a better name than Anti Game Balls, just not feeling creative this morning.

Sabby Piscitelli - I'm gonna go easy on him here, because I still want to do the "Grading out the Offense/Defense" columns, where he will be roasted. But good grief. For a guy who was supposed to be a starting safety even BEFORE T-Jack got hurt, this was embarrassing. Learn to stay with your assignment.

Jermaine Phillips - Took some pretty bad angles on the ball. Decided to go back to 2006 or 2007 with all the missed tackles (I counted at least 5 at the game). Granted, he is being asked to go from LB to S, but c'mon, learn to wrap up. That horrid missed tackle on Miles Austin (but he did tackle Mack!) was a reminder of how up and down he can be. A story is also circulating that Phillips threw a cup of water and ice along with a dozen or so "F" bombs into the crowd after hearing Sabby being heckled. Keep this in mind, it may turn out to be a bigger story.

Mike Nugent - After watching Niko's highlight video, he's right, that blocked field goal was not Nugent's fault. I assumed it was due to a low kick, at least partially, but that didn't seem to be the issue. The big concern. He missed a field goal before half. The bigger concern, it missed the entire net by about 5 yards. Ugly. His kickoffs werent much better than Bryant's and on days when Folk/Buehler were finding the end zone on kickoffs, Nugent was about 12 yards short of them.

Raheem Morris - It was his debut, so expecting a Parcells-like experience was probably expecting a bit much. But here's how I see it. Through all the double talk, mishaps, and rookie head coach happenings, we ended up here. I thought the offensive game plan was pretty solid, and with all the missed assignments, its tough to make a call on how the defensive playcalling was.

But here's a fact I can't escape. Imagine you didn't know Morris, or where he was from or where he coached. But someone told you that before being head coach he was a positional coach. What position would you guess he coached based on Sunday's game? I'd guess either RB, QB, or OL. No way would I guess our head coach was the DB coach. These are his guys, there isn't one new guy in the bunch, so his coaching style and imprint is still on them. And as a head coach who used to be a positional coach, don't you think he still probably plays a tad bit more attention to them as opposed to others? I know I would.

But in the last few months we've had a player get suspended (Jackson), a player beat a cabbie, allegedly (Talib), a player miss several tackles and still take bad angles (Phillips), miss several jams at the line and be beat (Mack), and a player look like he had never played football before (Piscitelli). The only guy who didn't get lit up was Ronde. Most guys seem to stay close to their roots. Dungy, Tomlin, Parcells, Lovie, Reid, Gruden. They came from the Walsh system, Dungy system, etc and they still hold true to those roots. Morris was a DB coach, and the worst part of our team with NO new players was our DB's.

That says something to me. Maybe it's a one week issue. But with him coming from a DB background, these being his guys that he used to chest bump, pump up and coach, they were beaten badly all day long. I'm sure I'll get a mixed reaction on this, and I can't quantify it, but this seems like an issue.

Honorable Mention - Gaines Adams, Two Minute Offense

Have at it, dissect away.

Ben Obomanu and Courtney Taylor Battle for Seattle Seahawks Fifth Wide Receiver Position

John Morgan — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 18:07:33 -0000

by Elaine Thompson - AP

Seattle's three starting receivers, Deion Branch, Nate Burleson and T.J. Houshmandzadeh, started their careers as backups, but all three played their way into starting their first season. Housh took the longest to develop, not becoming a prime receiver until his fourth season. With Branch and Houshmandzadeh over 30 and Burleson 28, Seattle hopes one of Courtney Taylor (above) or Ben Obomanu establish themselves this season as potential starters for next season.

View full size photo »

Seattle could keep Ben Obomanu and Courtney Taylor, but I think it's possible one is cut. John Carlson can play wide receiver on four and five wide receiver sets. He's a better pure receiver than Obomanu or Taylor are or are ever likely to be. Carlson creates matchup problems with smaller defensive backs and can be motioned tight to counter blitzes. So though I projected both to make the final 53, that was in some part recognition that the fifth wide receiver battle is not yet won.

There's not a sure leader, though I think Taylor has an edge. He has been more active with the first team and has the only reception from Matt Hasselbeck. There's also a sense that Taylor has a greater organizational standing than Obomanu. When it became clear last year that Seattle would not start the season with Deion Branch or Bobby Engram, weeks before Obomanu broke his collar bone, Taylor was tapped to start at split end. He failed, of course.

Obomanu hasn't had a regular season reception since 2007. Both players become restricted free agents after this season, so future and upside are considerations. The two were teammates at Auburn. Obomanu was the better red zone receiver, but Taylor was the Tigers' number one receiver. He was the number one receiver for Auburn's 13-0, 2004 team*. A team that included Jason Campbell, Ronnie Brown, Carnell Williams, Marcus McNeill, Jay Ratliff, Carlos Rogers, Will Herring, King Dunlap, Quentin Groves, Ben Grubbs, Kevin Hobbs, Anthony Mix, Pat Sims and Evander Holyfield's son, Evander Holyfield.

Taylor was the better prospect. Obomanu was a situational receiver. He had nine fewer receptions and only 46 more yards than Ronnie Brown, but he led the team in touchdown receptions: seven. Taylor had six.

Obomanu has the two's only professional touchdown reception. If Seattle needed a designated deep threat or red zone threat, Obomanu would be the favorite. But Deon Butler is the better deep receiver, and T.J. Houshmandzadeh and Carlson are better red zone receivers. Seattle's fifth receiver needs to be, simply, as good as possible. That favors Taylor.

Nothing is decided though. There's a sudden-death feel to Thursday. Both receivers have positives and negatives. Taylor is most recently healthy, but Obomanu's injury was fluky and he owns better overall health. Obomanu has been with the team longer, but Taylor is better integrated into the offense. Obomanu has more experience as a returner, but Taylor is the better gunner. Taylor is better insurance for Deion Branch, but Obomanu is better insurance for Nate Burleson.

Both should get plenty of looks on Thursday and both could be working out the kinks or playing for their job. Taylor has developed better chemistry with Seneca Wallace and Matt Hasselbeck, but Obomanu has developed better chemistry with Mike Teel. Wallace is down with a groin injury and, having not practiced, may not play this Thursday. Hasselbeck won't fill that space. He could see a series or two, or not play at all. Teel could start, but even if he doesn't, I expect him to play 3+ quarters and pass the ball 20+ times. That favors Obomanu. It all factors, because the body of evidence does not strongly favor either. One breakout showing against Oakland could be enough to secure either the fifth wide receiver spot.

*Tim Ruskell likes winners.

Game Preview: Preseason Game 2 Tampa Bay Buccaneers @ Jacksonville Jaguars

Jonathan Loesche — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 22:56:11 -0000

More photos » by Phil Coale - AP

Nate Hughes showed he was ready to make the jump from the practice squad to the full roster Monday against the Dolphins. What will he do in the home preseason opener?

Browse more photos »

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (0-1)

Preseason

Jacksonville Jaguars (0-1)

VS.

Date:	August 22nd, 2009	Location:	Jacksonville, FL
Time:	7:30 pm EST	Stadium:	"The Jack"
TV:	NFLN	Favorite:	Even
Radio:	Click Here	Over/Under:	33.5
Weather:	77, clear	Injury Report:	Coming Soon
SBN Coverage:	Buc 'Em	Coverage Map	Blackout

The Jaguars open their home preseason slate against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. To say the Jaguars need to show improvement is an understatement. The Jaguars first team looked flat out bad against the Dolphins in the preseason opener. It didn't get better from there. Penalties, overthrown balls, fumbles, you name it, the Jaguars did it. Now the Jaguars have one more tune up game before participating in perhaps the most hyped preseason game ever in Philadelphia. The Jaguars take on an average Bucs team in a game that the Jaguars should win if they play any better than they did Monday night.

What to Watch: Jacksonville Jaguars

1. First team offense: Where to start? David Garrard didn't look good; Tony Pashos seemingly wanted to give Eben Britton the starting RT spot; MJD looked average in the handful of plays he was in. In short, the first team offense needs to get going. This isn't the Buccaneers defense of Warren Sapp and John Lynch, and the Jaguars offense should treat it as such. If the first team offense doesn't sustain a drive or two Saturday night, then panic buttons will be hit.

2. Eugene Monroe: The number eight pick was one of the few bright spots against the Dolphins. Despite holding out for two weeks, Monroe looked great in the preseason opener. Unfortunately for him, Tra Thomas also looked good against the Phins. Monroe needs to have another good performance to keep the heat on Thomas and to have a realistic shot at getting the starting left tackle spot.

3.The 3-4: Or should this be under "What to hope to not watch?" The times the Jags lined up in the 3-4 against the Dolphins were ones where I had to hold down my inclination to vomit. Just as Vic and everyone else who's commented on the subject has said, the Jaguars aren't a team built to run the 3-4. It showed Monday night and it will continue to show as long as this horribly wrong experiment is allowed to continue.

4.The wide receivers: This is easily the most wide open position on the team. After Torry Holt, I dare anyone to list the 2 through 5 wide outs with any confidence. Nate Hughes has made a statement that he is more than a practice squad player. Jarrett Dillard made some nice grabs, Troy Williamson looked alright, and the two Mikes, Walker and Thomas, make their preseason debuts Saturday.

5. Special Teams: When the kicker is the leading tackler in any game, you know a team's special teams had a bad day. Fans have been wondering whether the hiring of Russ Purnell was a bad move, and the unit's play against the Dolphins seemingly proved they were right. The coverage unit needs to get better or the Jaguars defense will be put in an even bigger hole this season.

What to Watch: Tampa Bay Buccaneers

1. Quarterbacks: The Buccaneers are carrying a bevy of quarterbacks that gives new meaning to the term "if you have two starting quarterbacks, you have none." Former Jaguar Byron Leftwich is seemingly at the head of pack at the moment, but the Bucs invested their first round pick in Josh Freeman. Expect both to see extensive time against the Jaguars.

2. Derrick Brooks: Or lack there of. The Bucs let the aging All-Pro linebacker go in the off season and the search to replace him will be an on going process. The Buccaneers don't have anyone that screams at you in their current linebacker corps, though it will be a position to watch Saturday night.

3. Kellen Winslow: When's he's not breaking his leg in motorcycle accidents or going on rants about being a soldier Winslow is one of the best all around tight ends in football. However, he is just as well known for his boneheaded off the field moves as he is for his on the field moves. The Bucs traded their 2009 second round pick for the soldier in hopes of improving their offense. The Jaguars will need to cover Winslow extensively in order to effectively shut him down.

4. Raheem Morris: Within the span of a few weeks, Morris went from being a defensive backs coach, to defensive coordinator, to head coach. Some have questioned the move because of Morris' qualifications, and a solid preseason would do alot to bolster his reputation.

5. Running Game: The Buccaneers only managed 95 yards rushing in their preseason opener against the Titans. They will look to re-establish the running game with Carnell Williams against the Jaguars. The Buccaneers certainly have capable backs behind Williams, including Earnest Graham. The Bucs will need a running game to help them through their current troubles with the quarterback position.

Player on the hot seat

Tony Pashos, RT, Jacksonville

Pashos needs a good game Saturday night. He looked bad Monday night and his competition, Eben Britton, looked really good. If Pashos continues to be good for a holding call a game, his days as a Jaguar are numbered.

Prediction

7-3 Jaguars (When the starters leave

17-6 Jaguars

-Jonathan Loesche

Special teams practice at training camp

Buc Wild — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 22:37:13 -0000

Tuesday was day 4 of training camp, and a day for special teams only, while the position players had a break for a day with lifting or running sessions before resuming two-a-days on Wednesday. There are a few battles going on with the special teams units which will definitely shape our football team. Let's take a look at some of the stories and news from Tuesday's practice

- Matt Bryant had the day off with a slightly tweaked leg injury from Monday's practice. Though not expected to have him miss any real time, it did leave all the kicking duties to Mike Nugent. He kicked well, but he did miss two kicks. One was with most of the team around him in a semi-circle screaming and yelling at him. Tough circumstances, but I'm willing to bet stadiums are just as loud.

- Several players including Carnell Williams (Cadillac), Clifton Smith, Sammy Stroughter, and Kareem Huggins have all been fielding punts and kickoffs. Good to get a bunch of guys some looks back there.

- Maurice Stovall, noted special team standout the last few years, and Elbert Mack took some reps as flyers on punt coverage.

- Right now the team is trying to adapt to the new rules (no wedge on kickoffs, and new placement rule).

- I'd imagine that Clifton has both return jobs locked down, but will see some new faces occasionally. With Caddy, Stroughter and (maybe) Dexter Jackson, I like that alot better than having Ike or Galloway drop back. Ike had great hands, but he was good for a fair catch, maybe a 2 yard return. These other guys have some explosiveness.

- A change in practice as every player had to be on the field today. Typically on special teams days, the position players have the day off. Raheem Morris has made it mandatory for everyone to be there. He's calling special teams the "We-fense" as in it's about the group. Interesting strategy.

- Josh Bidwell looked sharp. Hopefully he can keep it going. It often goes unnoticed but a Pro Bowl type punter can help your team in so many ways.

- Back to the kickers. Don't look too much into Bryant not kicking today. They were set to alternate days as it is. For the big scoreboard, Nugent is at 2, Bryant at 0. Lower is better here (total of misses). Morris said before camp

You line up the ball, you snap it, you tee it up and you let them kick. Whoever gets the ball between those two yellow bars the most wins

Keep that in mind as the pre-season goes along. We'll see how it plays out.

Tomorrow resumes the full team practices. We'll keep you updated at Buc 'Em.