SB Nation - Jeff Faine

New Orleans Saints' Offensive Player Grades @ Falcons

saints-nation — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 18:00:17 -0000

by Paul Abell - AP

11 days ago: New Orleans Saints running back Reggie Bush (25) dives into the end zone in front of Atlanta Falcons linebacker Mike Peterson, right, during an NFL football game Sunday, Dec. 13, 2009, in Atlanta. New Orleans won 26-23. (AP Photo/Paul Abell)

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Below are the grades for the Saints' offensive players for the game at Atlanta. Overall you'll notice very good grades across the board, but I will say the offense's inability to get the ball in the end zone at times kept the game closer than it should have been. The letter grade represents the player's individual performance and the GPA represents the player's cumulative effort over the course of the season. Don't worry if you think I'm being too nice, just wait for the defensive grades. They are horrendous.

Saints vs Falcons coverage

Saints vs Falcons recap

Saints vs Falcons boxscore

Drew Brees: A (3.28) Another fine and masterful performance by Brees. He's gotten his GPA dangerously close to Jahri Evans' with this string flawless games. It should be fun down the stretch to see who wins my team MVP based on highest GPA. He missed a couple of throws under pressure, but how can you complain with the game he had? Once again he wasn't sacked despite dropping back to pass 40 times. He finished 31 of 40 for 296 yards, 3 touchdowns and no turnovers. My only complaint is that he burned two timeouts with poor play clock management, and he could've been more precise in the red zone.

Reggie Bush: A- (2.61) Where did this performance come from? Bush came back in a big way, running the ball well, catching it effectively, and, brace yourselves, he even returned a punt well. The speed he showed on the screen pass was impressive. That touchdown 21 yard reception on a 3rd and 18 play, catching the Falcons in an all out blitz. He finished with 33 yards on 6 carries, 6 catches for 46 yards, 2 touchdowns receiving and a punt return for 23 yards. Give Bush credit for making one hard cut every time he touched the ball and then running with authority ahead. Amazing how much more effective he is when he's not "dancing". You all know what I'm talking about. He also bounced a 3rd and 1 play outside and ripped off a good run for a necessary conversion. Way to go Reggie.

Pierre Thomas: B+ (3.12) Thomas was used fairly often in the passing game, and had mixed results in the running game. As the game progressed he was more effective rushing, but I think the Saints could have used him more. At one point he looked banged up which is why the Saints may have abandoned their usual commitment to the run. He had 6 receptions for 53 yards, and 13 carries for 47 yards. He made no mistakes and showed great effort and toughness finishing off runs.

Lynell Hamilton: B- (2.67) Hamilton had limited reps, but he came in and gave the Saints a spark. I can't imagine there's many 4th string tailbacks in the NFL that are better. He had 13 yards on 4 carries and showed good force and physicality through the hole. He did have a nice run get called back by a holding call. He gets a B- because, let's face it, it's not like he made a huge impact on the game.

Marques Colston: B+ (2.95) Colston finished with 6 catches for 54 yards and a touchdown. It wasn't one of his dominant chain moving performances, but he made plays out there and he was solid. He made a catch on the opening drive showing off his freakish reach and reeling in a pass with his fingertips. He made it look easy, but that was a sick catch.

Devery Henderson: C- (2.95) Devery had some receptions and was dangerous after the catch, finishing with 3 catches for 31 yards. He also had two very bad drops. I worry after seeing him drop a few the past 3 weeks that he's reverting back to his old inconsistent ways. This was a mediocre performance. He got his hands on a ball in the end zone and couldn't secure it as he got hit, which was disappointing, but his second drop was an easy sideline pass that he flat out dropped. Unacceptable there, you've got to catch that one. He also got flagged on a holding call on a wide receiver screen to Meachem.

Robert Meachem: B+ (3.21) Meachem had another very solid performance. He finished with 4 catches for 57 yards, most on short routes. He also caught a 42 yard bomb downfield, and converted a 3rd and short on a 4 yard reverse. Based on the GPAs, Meachem has been the best Saints' receiver this season.

Jeremy Shockey: B (2.87) Shockey is pretty banged up. The Saints don't use him on clear running downs, and they avoid putting him in the game when they feel like they can manage without him. You've got to give the guy props for going out there on a bum ankle and showing some grit. Shockey was pretty effective in the passing game, finishing with 4 catches for 46 yards. Shockey has been clutch all season on 3rd down plays, and you can tell he's most often the primary option when the Saints really need a play. He did get caught for holding once, so that costs him the B+.

David Thomas: B- (2.36) Thomas finished with 2 catches for 9 yards. His role in the passing game has declined as he's been transformed into a fullback. I think it's safe to assume he'll be the lead blocker for the rest of the way, barring injury. It's no surprise the run game has been a little less effective given that Thomas isn't a natural fullback and that he's got major shoes to fill in Heath Evans'. He's done a pretty admirable job overall, though, and he'll get better. He does manage to still make contributions from time to time in the passing game, too.

Jermon Bushrod: B (2.70) Bushrod got pushed around early by John Abraham, and got help later to neutralize the dangerous pass rusher. Thank God this isn't the same Abraham as in his peak years, because I think Bushrod would have been eaten alive. None the less, Brees was never sacked and the running behind Bushrod was at times spectacular, and at other times average. He was pretty good overall. He fought hard.

Zach Strief: C+ (2.30) Strief was caught holding and had some miscues. He did fill in for Stinchcomb briefly at right tackle, though, and did a good job while he was in as a replacement there. The main issues he had were as an extra tight end on short plays, which is odd as it's been his calling card this year. Regardless, it's nice to have in Strief a guy who I feel is marginally inferior to both of our starting tackles. He can come in at any time and fill in and I don't think we miss that much of a beat. He's a nice reserve to have.

Carl Nicks: A- (3.10) Very solid in run and pass blocking. The majority of the runs came to the left side, and Nicks handled his man with ease. That said, why one earth is he primary option on a fake field goal? Why are we even running that play in that situation? Too bad Brunell didn't give him a chance because he was looking for an A+ if he scores a touchdown to put the game away.

Jonathan Goodwin: A- (3.18) Pretty solid game overall by Goodwin. On the Reggie Bush screen pass touchdown play, Colston did a pretty good job of blocking his man, but as Bush neared him around the 5 yard line, the defender was coming free to potentially take a shot at stopping Bush. Goodwin was pulling on the play and he absolutely blew up the defender, giving Bush an easy stroll into the end zone. Goodwin has a nice little nasty streak in him. I wish I was grading Jeff Faine on a per game basis because I'd love to see how his GPA would stack up to Goodwin's. I can't imagine there's any way it would be as good.

Jahri Evans: A- (3.31) Another textbook performances. I just didn't really feel like I could hand out A's despite the terrific pass blocking all day because the Saints finished with 95 yards rushing and a 3.7 average per carry. I did get a chance to watch Evans, mostly on passing plays, stand up his man and completely neutralize him. He would stand straight up and push his man back like he was playing with a 5 year old boy. Evans wasn't as nasty or powerful as Nicks/Goodwin in the running game for this one, but Brees would have had all day if it were one on one blocking drills. Seriously, go back and watch the tape. He completely shut down his man and rendered him useless on passing plays. It was almost like the defensive tackle gave up on rushing Brees and just decided he was going to do his best to limit the rushing plays by holding his ground.

Jon Stinchcomb: B+ (2.87) Stinchcomb banged up his leg (knee maybe?) and like Shockey he got a little band aid put on it, got the trainers to kiss it, and he was back out there. Just kidding, both guys should be applauded for shaking off injuries to go back out there and perform at a high level. I don't think anyone can question the character of Jon Stinchcomb. The guy is a very respected locker room influence and he lays it all on the line for the Saints. His mobility was a little hampered by the injury, but he was helped out by Brees' terrific pocket presence and footwork.

Darnell Dinkins: B (2.06) Going back to that ridiculous decision by Sean Payton to fake a field goal, Dinkins was the intended receiver. Seriously, Coach Sean, what were you thinking (said in Frank Caliendo doing Dr. Phil voice)? Anyway, Brunell bypassed Nicks, his primary target with non existent speed and zero flexibility and athleticism for his secondary target, Dinkins. Dinkins, mind you, is the blocking tight end who has a better chance of catching a ball with his feet. Dinkins not only wasn't able to keep his feet in bounds, he ran his route a good yard or two short of the first down anyway. Even if he comes down with that, it's a beyond stupid play made to look even more stupid by Dinkins' execution of it. Too bad, because I'd give the guy an A- if it wasn't for that. Finally he showed me some of his blocking skills and I can understand why the Saints kept him on the active roster injured early in the season. His blocking was masterful. He sealed the edge when he needed to, and he created huge lanes by using brute force. I have a feeling Mike Bell would have had a good day running behind him.

My Offensive Player of the Game: Drew Brees

Poll

Who Was Your Offensive Player of the Game?

New York Jets Pass Defense vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers Pass Offense

John B — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 21:03:42 -0000

More photos » by Chris O'Meara - AP

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Rookie quarterback melts down. That was the story last week for Tampa. We know how they feel. In his first four starts, though, Josh Freeman had looked pretty good for a rookie with a 7 to 5 touchdown to interception ratio. Accuracy had been something of an issue as it is with many rookies. However, Freeman offered a glimpse of what he may become two weeks ago with a 20 for 29 250 yard game against Atlanta. You may remember I was against taking Freeman in the Draft last April because he threw a ton of interceptions in college and seemed to have a high bust factor. He's given the Bucs room for cautious optimism this year.

I tend to think a second straight rough week is more likely than a bounce back this week. This is a really good Jets defense that will throw looks at him he has never seen. He's also going to have to do without his top wide receiver in any likely scenario. Our friends at Buc Em seem to think Antonio Bryant will be able to hold his own against Revis. I respectfully disagree with our friends. As they point out, Revis shut down Andre Johnson and Randy Moss. Is there anything Bryant can do that Moss or Johnson can't do better? I don't think so. I understand the pass rush does aid corners, but the reverse is also true. Part of the reasons the Jets have had so impressive rushing the passer has been that the coverage has held when blitzes have been picked up, which gives rushers extra time to get to the quarterback.

The Bucs will probably have Freeman focus on Kellen Winslow to make his throws safe. Winslow is Tampa's leading receiver with 58 receptions and 633 yards. This could be a game for Kerry Rhodes to reassert himself. I'm not sure I like the matchup between Winslow and Eric Smith. Winslow's way more athletic.

Beyond that, it's not clear what Tampa has in the passing game. Both Michael Clayton and Sammie Stroughter are battling injuries and quite possibly could miss the game, which would leave Maurice Stovall and his 18 receptions in the starting lineup. With Revis on Bryant, the Jets can scheme their coverage around Winslow because Lito Sheppard should be able to handle his assignment without much help.

Another problem will be protection. Tampa Bay's tackles, Jeremy Trueblood and Donald Penn, and center Jeff Faine are all in the top seven at their position in terms of pressures allowed. This could force the rookie to make a lot of mistakes. Guard Davin Joseph in in the top five while Jeremy Zuttah is in the top fifteen. It's a young line that is still a work in progress.

New Orleans Saints' Offensive Player Grades vs. Patriots

saints-nation — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 12:00:43 -0000

by Bill Feig - AP

24 days ago: New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees pumps his fist after his 20-yard touchdown pass to Marques Colston during the fourth quarter of an NFL football game against the New England Patriots, Monday, Nov. 30, 2009, in New Orleans. (AP Photo/Bill Feig)

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Below are the offensive player grades for the game against the Patriots. The letter grade represents the player's performance for the game and the GPA represents the cumulative effort on the season.

Patriots vs Saints coverage

Patriots vs Saints recap

Patriots vs Saints boxscore

Drew Brees: A+ (3.15) How can words even describe his performance? 18 for 23, 371 yards and 5 touchdowns. No turnovers. The way he was playing, no one could have stopped him. Not even the NFC Pro Bowl defensive squad. Brees just put himself back in the MVP race in a big way with that game.

Pierre Thomas: A- (3.18) That first touchdown was all Thomas. He made a sick ankle breaking move, then twisted and welded his way to a touchdown on the screen pass. He finished with a solid 64 yards on 11 carries (5.8 yds per carry) and 23 yards on 3 catches. He showed tremendous vision, speed and toughness throughout.

Mike Bell: B- (2.89) Bell ran hard, as always. Never really broke one in this game, though, as his longest carry was just 6 yards. He finished with 50 yards on 13 carries and was banged up with a stinger and a knee tweak at different points in the game. I don't think either injury looked serious: he returned from the stinger and got to the sideline on his own after hurting his knee. We know he's been dealing with knee issues all season.

Marques Colston: A (2.91) Man, Colston looked FAST! Did you see him on that 69 yd pass? Making plays downfield was his calling card in this one. Even when the coverage was tight, Colston went out there and caught the ball in traffic and was most dangerous after the catch. He also made a nice move and ran after the catch later in the game. He finished with 4 catches for 121 yards and a touchdown. His touchdown came with him taking two tacklers into the end zone. Sick.

Devery Henderson: A (3.03) Henderson set the tone for the game making a deep reception on the very first play. He also had a back breaking 75 yard touchdown reception to give the Saints a 17-7 lead. On that play, he was so wide open that I'm confident any receiver in the NFL would have made that play. Still, give Henderson credit because 2-3 years ago he might have dropped that easy catch. He also did a terrific job of shedding a would be tackler for a 1st down. With Lance Moore and Reggie Bush out, he was also given punt return duties. He had one go 11 yards which was a pretty good return, a safe fair catch, and a terrible backwards running play that looked like he had gotten lessons from Reggie Bush. Henderson was also open for what could have been Brees' 6th TD pass, but the pass was overthrown right before Carney's missed field goal attempt. Henderson finished with 3 catches for 116 yards and a touchdown.

Robert Meachem: A (3.07) Typically it's Meachem and Henderson making the big plays, with Shockey and Colston moving the chains, but in this game Meachem was the one moving chains (while Henderson and Colston mostly made their plays downfield). At least three times Meachem was targeted going for a 3rd down conversion. On the screen pass to Pierre Thomas that scored, Meachem went in motion and ran a nice route to pull the entire defense in his direction. He was a big part of the reason Thomas had real estate to run with. Meachem's touchdown reception for 38 yards was a terrific play where Brees threw arguably his prettiest ball of the season. Meachem did a nice job on that play of shielding the ball with his back so the defender couldn't make a play - and he secured the ball nicely by reaching out with 2 hands. Beautiful play. Meachem also took a play out of Henderson's arsenal with a nice juke on a short throw to get 1st down, almost breaking Adalius Thomas' ankles in the process. He finished with 5 catches for 69 yards and a touchdown.

David Thomas: C (2.30) Thomas was basically the starting fullback in this game with Eckel inactive, and he was a mixed bag. He threw a bad block on a reverse to Devery Henderson which resulted in the play going nowhere. His only reception was a nice double pump fake by Brees where Thomas then got open down the seam and caught a 25 yard pass. He did a nice job running after the catch on that play. When the Saints were looking to ice the game in the 2nd half, he threw a pair of nice lead blocks for Bell. He was responsible, however, for a terrible pass blocking effort on Adalius Thomas that resulted in a sack, and he was flagged for a holding call late.

Jeremy Shockey: C- (2.85) Shockey ended up having just one reception for 15 yards, and he was blown up BIG TIME on the catch he made. Give him a lot of credit for hanging on to the ball, and for popping right back up after that hit. Otherwise, Brees just didn't look his way. I actually think Shockey is hurt. How else can you explain the amount of playing time both Thomas and Dinkins are seeing? On numerous routes he ran, he was completely covered. I think his ankle is bothering him, as we already know he sprained it earlier in the year. On running downs the Saints are not using him much. Give Shockey credit on the touchdown pass to Henderson for giving Brees time by doing a fantastic job of protecting Brees on a cornerback blitz pickup.

Jermon Bushrod: B+ (2.77) Bushrod did a fine job. Brees was getting the ball out SO EARLY all day, it was really hard to grade the pass protection in this one. Hard to grade either tackle running wise, either, because 99% of the Saints ground game came on attacks right up the middle. Still, Bushrod made no mistakes and played a good game.

Carl Nicks: A- (3.15) He was opening huge holes late for Mike Bell. I noticed him miss a block or two on running plays, but otherwise he was a mauler as always. One of the things I really look forward to is watching the game tape to grade the O-lineman's performance. Watching the game through the first time and trying to enjoy it, there's just no way you can accurately grade them. If you go back and watch the tape, though, Nicks is just fun to watch. The amount of push he gets right at the snap of the football is impressive. I realized as the game progressed that the Saints really had as a game plan to attack the very middle of the Patriots when they ran the ball. Interesting, considering Vince Wilfork plays nose tackle for the Pats and he's known as a massive body and premiere run stopper.

Jahri Evans: A- (3.40) Evans is more technically sound than Nicks, quicker, and more impressive holding his ground against any and all pass rushers - and he showed his usual skill in this game. What Nicks has over Evans, though, is sheer size and dominating power. In this game Evans was pulling all day and finishing off plays. The Saints ran the ball well all day, thanks to his efforts.

Jonathan Goodwin: A (3.21) To me, Goodwin was the best lineman for the Saints against the Patriots. He pulled hard on the few plays the Saints ran to the outside, and his pass blocking was impeccable. He was able at times to bypass the defensive line thanks to the monster work Nicks and Evans did inside, and he'd get to the second level and get a hat on the Patriots' linebackers. Every single big run the Saints had was a play led by Goodwin. He also gave both Bell and Thomas nice cutback lanes they took advantage of when the play was designed to go elsewhere. I don't remember Jeff Faine ever being as good as what I saw out of Goodwin on Monday night. Very impressive performance.

Zach Strief: B- (2.45) He didn't get to play much, but when he did he played big and solid. On the touchdown pass to Dinkins, his mere presence on the field told the Patriots that the play would be a run. Result: 3 different players were completely wide open. He got some action late on running plays and got pretty good push.

Jon Stinchcomb: B (2.97) It was a quiet and uneventful day for Stinchcomb. The only play that was really run behind him was a draw on 2nd and 14 that went for 2 yards. Why are we running the ball with our passing offense on 2nd and 14 anyway? Stinchcomb was solid pass blocking and had a fine day at the office.

Darnell Dinkins: B+ (2.00) I'm going to give Dinkins a little GPA boost here because I've been hard on him and he finally got his first catch, and touchdown, in this game. Otherwise, he did a great job blocking on running plays.

My Offensive Player of the Game: Drew Brees

Poll

Who Was Your Offensive Player of the Game?

Marques Colston

11 votes

Pierre Thomas

11 votes

Drew Brees

677 votes

Robert Meachem

16 votes

other

9 votes

724 votes | Poll has closed

New Orleans Saints' Offensive Player Grades @ Bucs

saints-nation — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 18:00:21 -0000

by Chris O'Meara - AP

about 1 month ago: New Orleans Saints running back Mike Bell (21) hugs teammate Carl Nicks (77) after scoring a third quarter touchdown against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during an NFL football game Sunday Nov. 22, 2009 in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)

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Check out below the player grades for the Saints' offense at Tampa. The letter grade represents the player's performance in the game, and the GPA represents the cumulative performance for the season.

Saints vs Buccaneers coverage

Saints vs Buccaneers recap

Saints vs Buccaneers boxscore

Drew Brees: A- (3.04) Brees wasn't flawless, but considering the amount of pressure the Bucs got with their four man front, it was impressive he managed to go the whole game without turning the ball over. He was also never sacked despite getting knocked to the ground 5 times. There were a couple of close calls, but Brees' final stat line was impressive enough: 19-29, 187 yds, 3 TD's and 0 INT's. Brees was victimized by a couple of drops on 3rd down passes, and got his best results throwing to Marques Colston and David Thomas.

Mike Bell: A- (2.92) Bell ran with his usual aggression and authority. At one point in the game my wife said to me "I don't think I've ever seen him go backwards." She's right, the guy is a human wrecking ball. In fact, I think that should be his new nickname. Anytime he gets a full head of steam behind him (or any steam for that matter), there is no way you are hitting him for a loss. Bell got in the end zone twice and finished with 75 yards on 13 carries. He also caught a 5 yard pass where Ronde Barber popped him pretty good and it looked like Bell aggravated the knee he's had problems with. Luckily he was able to come back and be very effective.

Pierre Thomas: B+ (3.12) Thomas somehow ran the ball over better than Bell. I remember watching the game thinking Bell had grossly outperformed him, but Thomas ended with 92 yards on just 11 carries (8.4 yard average). Thomas also caught 3 passes for 11 yards. He helped the Saints move the chains constantly and was tough to bring down. Only negative: he did slip and fall on a 3rd and 1 early in the game, forcing the Saints to punt.

Lynell Hamilton: C+ (2.67) Hamilton came in for mop up duty and converted on a 3rd and short, and ran with authority. Keep in mind he was playing behind mostly backups and the Bucs knew the run was coming. Still, he was able to move the chains once. He finished with 19 yards on 9 carries. He also have a nice carry in the second quarter that went for 4 yards.

Marques Colston: B+ (2.80) Most of Colston's stats came on three consecutive plays on the Saints' last drive before halftime. They were all big plays as the Saints moved within scoring distance, and ended the drive by taking a 17-7 lead before halftime. It was nice to see Colston back to his old form. He made nice catches and proved tough to tackle. 5 catches for 74 yards.

Devery Henderson: D (2.93) Henderson was invisible all game. He finished with just 1 catch for -2 yards. On that play, Meachem completely whiffed on Ronde Barber which allowed the veteran to make a tackle before Devery had any room to run. Hard to blame Devery for that one. Otherwise, Brees didn't look his way at all. His grade could have been an F or a D-, but I had to give Henderson some love for throwing good blocks downfield at the second level.

Robert Meachem: B+ (2.96) Meachem, per usual, is making the most of his touches. Just 2 catches for 10 yards, but he scored both times. Meachem did have the terrible block aforementioned, but he also had a great block on a Pierre Thomas scamper in the second half to make up for it. He was also interfered with on a long pass downfield. The side judged threw a flag, but it was somehow mysteriously waved off even though the replay clearly showed contact. The refs get that call right and the Saints could have put it out of reach sooner.

Jeremy Shockey: C (2.97) Just 2 catches for 17 yards for Shockey today, who was targeted much less than backup David Thomas. In fact, Thomas has been more targeted for two weeks now. He was uncharacteristically quiet compared to what we're all used to seeing. He seemed tweak his ankle on his second reception, and I know he's been struggling with ankle problems, so it's entirely possible Shockey isn't operating at 100%. That would explain his limited snaps. Though Ronde Barber broke up a 3rd down pass intended for Shockey, it looked as though Shockey could have still come up with that ball.

David Thomas: A- (2.33) Back to back stellar performances by Thomas after starting off the season a little slow. He finished with 4 catches for 66 yards and his first touchdown as a Saint. He had a key 37 yard reception on the Saints' first scoring drive which would later tie the game at 7. More impressive than his stats, though, were the repeated terrific blocks on the edge and at the second level which aided the running game significantly.

Jermon Bushrod: C- (2.71) Bushrod was benched in favor of Zach Strief, but oddly came in for a couple of series at left tackle in the first half. While he was in the Saints ran the ball poorly to his side, and he was abused at least once by Stylez White which forced an incomplete pass. Based on the limited action it's hard to give Bushrod much worse of a grade, and he did come in for mop up duty and handle himself fine.

Zach Strief: C- (2.42) I was excited to hear that Strief got the start over Bushrod because I actually think he's a better option at left tackle. From what I understand the Saints decided to give Strief a shot because of the recent spike in turnovers, many that were coming due to a breakdown on the left side of the line (ahem, Bushrod). I was also a little sad for Jermon, though, because I felt like he actually handled himself admirably overall. Anyway, Strief struggled more than I've ever seen him struggle in pass protection. He was bailed out by Brees' uncanny pocket awareness. How Brees feels pressure from his blind side like that I'll never understand, but he does a great job of making his left tackle look good by avoiding the rusher that beats Strief/Bushrod on the edge. Still, Stylez White hit Brees four times, and at least 3 of those were due to Strief getting beat severely. His run blocking was pretty good in the second half, but the pressure from the left side was constant all day.

Carl Nicks: A (3.10) I was happy to hear the announcer give Nicks props at one point in the game, because he was absolutely destroying anyone that came in his path. I encourage any of you to watch the game over and pay particular attention to Nicks. Pardon my language, but he was putting guys on their ass all day long. Of particular note was a mauling lead on Bell's first touchdown run, and a pull on Bell's second run where he created a lane for Bell to jump over the goal line. For a 350 pound guy, Nicks actually moves pretty well too. I don't think he's ever going to beat Reggie Bush in a foot race, but he gets out there on pulls and shows some agility and quickness. As far as pass protection, forget about it. Anytime Brees stepped up from the annoying rush he was getting off the edge, he was comfortable knowing that no one would be in his face.

Jonathan Goodwin: A (3.13) Goodwin was particularly awesome in this game, as well. Numerous of the big runs the Saints had were not only a result of Goodwin's initial blocks, but his ability to follow the progression of the play and finish it off. He was picture perfect for most of the day. Had a nice pull block on a screen pass, his calling card. He also got tremendous push on short yardage plays, including both of Mike Bell's touchdowns. Yes, Jeff Faine is and was a terrific player, but Goodwin is making me forget all about him with the season he is having. Meanwhile, Jeff is stuck on the 1-9 team we just obliterated. I hope the contract was worth it.

Jahri Evans: A- (3.37) While he didn't stand out like Goodwin and Nicks, he was his usual, reliable, and sound playing self. No mistakes, which rarely ever happen with him. Can any of you even remember a time this season when penalty has been called on big Jahri? Maybe one? He was solid in both run and pass blocking. It would be criminal if he doesn't get a Pro Bowl invite based on the season he's having.

Jon Stinchcomb: B (2.97) Perhaps a harsh grade given how well he played run blocking. Just one negative play from Stinchcomb that I can remember, but it made me hold me breath and could give me nightmares. I just can't shake the memory of his poor block on Roy Miller which allowed the rushing Buc to absolutely drill Brees as the Saints' QB was releasing the ball. Brees was hit so hard I thought he might not get up. Luckily he was fine, but I can't imagine that Brees will feel too good today. Stinchcomb gave up less heat from his edge, but there were times where pressure would come from his side and Brees would casually step up in the pocket to nullify any threat. I want to again emphasize that Stinchcomb was terrific run blocking.

Darnell Dinkins: C (1.56) He was targeted on one pass and grossly overthrown. I don't think Dinkins and Brees are on the same page, given that Dinkins missed all of preseason and most of the beginning of the regular season. His run blocking was fine when he came in. Nothing much to comment on.

Kyle Eckel: B- (2.11) Eckel was pretty good operating as a lead blocker on the sets where he saw action. He threw some nice lead blocks and the Saints have mixed success running behind him.

My Offensive Player of the Game: Carl Nicks

Poll

Who Was Your Offensive Player of the Game @ Tampa Bay?

Robert Meachem

79 votes

Drew Brees

84 votes

Carl Nicks

62 votes

Mike Bell

111 votes

David Thomas

79 votes

415 votes | Poll has closed

Bucs offensive line buried at the bottom

Buc Wild — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 14:00:13 -0000

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Lets first look at the adjusted line yards.

		ALY	RB Yds
30	TB	3.44	3.75
x	NFL	x	4.3

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

	Power	Rank
TB	64%	15
NFL	63%	x

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

	Stuffed	Rank
TB	24%	28
NFL	19%	x

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

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

Analysis: Tampa Bay Buccaneers Through 7 Games

Brandon — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 17:15:17 -0000

You might have noticed that the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are the only NFL team without a win this season, and the Green Bay Packers are going to play them on Sunday. And rookie QB Josh Freeman will have his 1st NFL start. The Packers should be favored, but they still have to travel to Tampa and win the game. Though I don't expect Mike McCarthy will let his players overlook any team.

Since I haven't watched a Bucs game this season, and don't know how the team that beat the Packers last season in week 4 has managed to become the only remaining winless team, I asked Buc 'Em blogger Niko Houllis a couple questions:

Brandon: What happened to the formerly great Tampa defense? The draft hasn't been kind in recent years, but they were still very good in early 2008. The collapse seems sudden to me.

Niko: That is a fanastic question. Most would say it's on the sideline singing "Rocky Top"! People can say what they want to, but the collapse started the game after Monte Kiffin announced he is headed to Tennessee to coach his son's defense. Other things happened around the same time too though. We got hurt on our D line, which wasn't that good to begin with. Carolina found a weakness. They were able to put 3 receivers on the field and keep us in a defense which favored their running attack. They were able to gash us for almost 300 yards on the ground in that Monday night game that Bucs fans were waiting all day for so we could finally pronounce our team for real...and give us an inside edge on the 2nd seed just like we had in our Super Bowl year. Little did we know we would not win a game again! Truth is, the Bucs misfired on their #1 draft pick Gaines Adams, and were lucky to get a #2 for him. But the defense had gotten old, and started to patch things up with bandaids like the offense had been doing too. Instead of tearing the team apart and starting over like were doing this year, the team kept using bandaids, and drafting poorly just about every draft.

Brandon: Are their offensive problems solely due to poor QB play, or have other areas on offense let you down?

Niko: Some feel the offensive line has not been playing up to its potential, but truth is it was a FAR drop from starting Center Jeff Faine to second string Sean Mahan, who was released in preseason, only to be called up again due to Faine's injury during game one. Teams were blitzing the heck out of our gap between our left guard and center, and we couldn't do anything about it. So that is not a fair assesment. The biggest problem has been the quarterback play. I'm not sure what the Bucs were thinking during preseason, everyone just knew Byron Leftwich wasn't starting material anymore, and then they traded Luke McCown, who really didn't beat anyone out to prove his worth this preseason anyways. Josh Johnson has some upside, but he doesn't have the pedigree Josh Freeman has. This team has now taken the step, this is the 6th generation of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and we will build around Freeman, though it may be ugly to watch at first.

Brandon: I've read articles that made it seem like Tampa's coaches have been unprepared. Is Raheem Morris a capable NFL head coach?

Niko: This is a hot topic. Any article I write about Morris gets many comments. Mostly negative. The older football fan (not trying to tick off any younger fans...) tend to be more patient because they have seen more seasons of football and understand this happens, while the younger fan tends to be more impatient and want him gone now for the big name guy . Funny how we forget the past, when Steve Spurrier and Jimmy Johnson were wanted but a guy named Tony Dungy came instead!

Positives are there, if you can find them.

Niko Houllis — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 22:06:29 -0000

More photos » by Matt Slocum - AP

NFL leading pass dropper, currently with 8 drops in 5 games.

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Most fans knew going in this was going to be a David vs Goliath. Looking back on the game, the Bucs did show up with some pretty impressive sling shot materials. Just enough to, at times, leave you thinking that they could make a game of it.

Until Sean Mahan played Matador (Ole) letting Eagle pass rushers through untouched, or Michael Clayton dropping 4 more passes, for a total of 8 on the year, leading the NFC. Doesn't Raheem Morris understand, Clayton needs 20 touches a game before he can be expected to catch every ball. If Michael Clayton thought he caught heat this week already, that is nothing compared to what this next week will be like. Several fans have already started a website 80sucks.com that is getting mentioned on sports radio shows including the Bucs own, and it is bound to get worse. He can no longer be relied upon to catch a football, and no matter how good he blocks, Tampa Bay pays other guys to do that. Some of those guys are called Tight Ends, who coincidentally did not get it done when it came to blocking assignents.

But just when we think we have the Bucs where we want them, players like Kellen Winslow Jr come up and show the youngsters how its done. Numbers are one thing, but K2's 9 catches for 102 yards was not as impressive as the fact two of them were Touchdowns, and that the catches were all seemingly at key moments of the game. Winslow's receptions were PLAYS the team needs to start making. Young guys like Josh Johnson at times looked like the players the Bucs need to turn this losing streak around. Then on other occasions they don't, like losing a simple snap on 4th down, or throwing up the ball when under pressure instead of throwing it away and living for another play. The positives were there to see for Josh Johnson, who had the team moving the ball in between the 20's. Four red zone turnovers killed several scoring drives.

Jimmy Wilkerson led the defense with 3 sacks, but the pass rush from the Bucs otherwise was virtually non-existant. Gaines Adams, who had the best quarter of his life last week, did not record a tackle.....again. We heard all preseason that this team was going to abandon the Tampa Two but jam up receivers at the line and hold them up until pass rushers get to the quarterback. Sounds good in theory. Problem is this team has no one that can get to the Quarterback, and corners that cannot cover consistantly if at all. The Bucs have given up 8 TD passes of 30 yards or more. There were back to back seasons the Bucs would not give up that many deep scoring plays.

All of this is sure to bring on even more pressure on first year Head Coach Raheem Morris, who is now having to start to explain the reasons for this, the poorest start in 14 seasons. College Freshmen were not yet in kindergarten the last time a Bucs team was 0-5. The offense was supposed to be a running team with deep throws off of the play action, but shouldn't a team run the ball first successfully before a play-action is effective? The Bucs are currently wasting one of the deepest backfields in team history, including a remarkable return from not one but two career threatening injuries to Cadillac Williams. Not tot mention the valuable experience Josh Johnson is getting that's probably being wasted as Josh Freeman will be getting the start soon when Center Jeff Faine returns, and the lessons for the young QB will have to be repeated. If the losses continue to add up, the calls for Josh Freeman will start to be heard if they aren't already.

Five questions with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers

JasonB — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 10:00:19 -0000

View full size photo »

This week I traded 5 questions with Niko over at the Tampa Bay Bucs blog Buc Em. We talk Tampa QBs, the collapse against the Skins, rookie head coach Raheem Morris, the Buc's ownership situation, and which Eagle would Tampa steal?

Check out my answers to his questions over there.

BGN - What's up the Bucs' QB situation? We know Leftwich was benched for Johnson who didn't do much better but is obviously still young. There's Freeman waiting in the wings... Who should we expect to see this Sunday and how much confidence do you have in that guy?

Buc Em - Bucs Head Coach Raheem Morris drafted Josh Freeman to be the Franchise QB of the Buccaneers. He expects him to be a John Elway, McNabb, ETC, the face of the team for a decade. Problem is the Bucs were hoping to sneak in a few wins in the first few weeks, so they wanted to have a QB dual between Luke McCown and Leftwich. In doing so, Both Joshes had critical reps taken away from them. In fact, you could say the Bucs Quarterbacks are ill prepared at this stage of the season because NONE of them really have had a large share of practice reps. Byron Leffwich has obvious mechanical flaws, and the Buffalo Bills exploited them with our starting Center out, and the NY Giants copied that game plan to the point Raheem felt since NO surprise wins were achieved, it was time for a change.

The lack of practice reps with the starting team has hindered the progress of Josh Freeman. Josh Johnson has one year of NFL experience even though its mostly just bench stuff, but he is familiar with offensive coordinator Olsen, who was the QB coach last year. You will see Josh Johnson this week, and the NFL will not see Josh Freeman until either Starting Center Jeff Faine gets back or Freeman is more ready. I expect to see Freeman after the Bye.

I know a lot of Eagles fans were watching the Bucs/Skins game hoping to see a Redskins loss and it looked like that would be what they'd get... but the Bucs seemed to implode. What do you attribute that to?

Tampa Bay came out playing hard, but they left alot of points on the field when then kicker Mike Nugent missed two FGs that would have given the Bucs a 16-0 halftime lead.

Josh Freeman looked like a rookie, and at times looked very indecisive. Then you have some questionable coaching decisions as well, such as kicking the FG on 4th down with 4:00 left instead of going for it , and having a fumble prone back as your 2:00 back. None of these plays cost the Bucs the game though, it was mostly lost on the missed FGs, and the youth and inexperience of the Bucs and their coaching staff. In time, they will learn to close out games like that one.

What are your thoughts on rookie head coach Raheem Morris so far?

I may not be the best person to ask, because I actually predicted his rise back in 2007, telling my friends to look out for Raheem Morris, who did wonders with the Bucs secondary when he came back to Tampa Bay after leaving for Kansas State for a year. Judging by what he did to K States defense the year he was there, and what he did to the Bucs secondary from 06 to 07 when he came back, I felt he was going to be a hot coaching prospect one day.

There are a number of Bucs fans (% we have no idea) who feel Morris and GM Mark Dominik are too young and in over their head, however Mark Dominik has been with the Bucs since 1993, and learned under Rich McKay (who built the Sapp, Brooks, Barber Bucs), Jerry Angelo (who left Tampa to build the Bears into Superbowl shape), and Tim Ruskell (who left the Bucs to build the Seahawks into a Superbowl team too), as well as the last GM Bruce Allen. So Dominik has been trained by and worked with some of the best football minds in the country. Then you have Raheem Morris, who has been with the Bucs since the Superbowl season, and trained under Monte Kiffin, arguably the best defensive coordinator of all time, perhaps next to Phily's own Jim johnson. Seeing as the ownership is going to be paying Jon Gruden AND Bruce Allen for two more seasons for doing nothing, it is doubtful they will do the same with Morris and Dominick. Their jobs are pretty safe; unless of course they go 0-16, and that may be unforgivable.

I was wondering if you had any thoughts on the Bucs' ownership? BGN readers may not know that they also own Manchester United soccer club in the English Premier league and have over a billion dollars in debt. When you combine that with the fact that Tampa has almost twice as much cap space as any other team in the NFL... you have to wonder what is up with the Glazers? Can they afford these teams? Are they still committed to the Bucs?

This situation certainly has not escaped the Tampa fan base. The problem is the same economy that has hit the rest of us has hit the rich as well! The Glazers are required to pay a lot of money on interest payments right now, and that money has them cash strapped. The money coming in from the NFL TV contracts is more than enough to run the football operations of the team, but they do not have the cash to offer cash bonuses, instead they have been offering guaranteed contracts, which is also an attractive incentive for a player. Once the interest payments become more reasonable or gone, I personally am pretty sure they will get back to the business as usual for the bucs. Frustrated fans forget that the Glazers saved football in Tampa by purchasing the team and keeping them here at a time when the Rams, and Browns, Footballs historically relevant franchises, left their respective cities, yet the Bucs stayed in Tampa! Fans also forget that not so long ago the Bucs were in Salary Cap hell because of the unwise spending of former GM Rich McKay. The Bucs have not signed players just for the sake of spending the money, and in fact did go after big name talent this year, losing out to Washington for Albert Haynesworth. And speaking of Washington, Bucs fans also seem to not realize that the Redskins have led the league in Free Agency spending, and have not had much to show for it. A Lower Salary Cap surplus does not always spell out to more wins. The Bucs brought in K2 and Derrick Ward, the Best Tight End and Running Back available in 2009 Free agency. If the previous regime had drafted better, the Bucs would not need to rely on Free Agents so much.

Finally, my standard question... If you could steal an Eagle and add him to the Bucs, who would it be?

Right Now? We would take DeSean Jackson. Local Bucs beat writers had us taking him in the draft, but also warned that he reminded Bucs fans too much of some other WR we took with similar attributes, like Florida WR Jacquez Green. However, the Bucs ended up taking Dexter Jackson from App State, and he is now no longer with the team because he could not play WR nor could he play football in special teams duty. DeSean would be a welcomed addition to the Bucs roster. If we could go back in time and take someone off your roster, we would go back and take Donovan McNabb! Enough said there!

BUCSHOTS! Midweek edition- Power(less) Rankings, Clayton rantings, and T-Jack sightings!

Niko Houllis — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 12:26:34 -0000

More photos » by Don Heupel - AP

Clayton has asked to be a bigger part of the offense. Comments?

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PowerRankings meter still has the Bucs at the near bottom, and despite playing a more competitive game, continue to sink in the minds of the NFLs writers.

CBS Pete Prisco - #27 - Bucs can forget about the playoffs. Really Pete? Thanks, I was starting to print tickets.

Fox's Adrian Hasenmayer- #31- The only feel good story is Cadillac Williams. Yo Adrian, we feel good kickin Nugent to the curb!

ESPN- #31- Only the Chief's are converting third downs less frequently.

SI- Don Banks- #31- Leftwich sits and Josh Johnson gets his turn. Raheem says we're married to Josh Freeman. Sounds like Jon Gruden era never really ended!

Buccaneers.com has a great interview and awesome clips of Gene Deckerhoff, voice of the Bucs Radio! MUST CHECK THIS OUT Buc fans!

Excellent Gene Deckerhoff piece

More BucShots after the jump!

Paul Stewart of Bucpower.com remembers other 0-4 starts by the Buccaneers. 8 in all including two others this decade.

Paul Stewart's editorial on other 0-4 Bucs teams.

Bucs Center Jeff Faine is not quite ready to return just yet reports St. Pete Times' Stephen Holder.

Jeff Faine not ready to return

Michael Clayton wants to be more involved in the offense. Seems to me if you catch the ball, that involves you. I'll let you guys touch on this one in the comments.....

Clayton asks for more involvement

Associated Press reports Donovan McNabb is ready to start vs Bucs. Vegas is trying to set the odds on if it matters.

PennLive's AP report on McNabb

Pewter Reports Charlie Campbell and Jim Flynn discuss Tanard Jackson's return to the Bucs after a 4 game suspension.

PR's article on Tanard Jackson returning

And Finally, where do the Bucs rank vs the rest of the NFL in general stats?

Bucs Offense #27

Bucs Defense #31

Last time both units were down at the bottom together?

1995, the year before Dungy took over, with rookies Warren Sapp, Derrick Brooks starting along with Brad Culperpper, John Lynch, and Hardy Nickerson. #27 on Offense and #27 on Defense, out of 30 teams. Rusty Tillman was the defensive coordinator.

More Bucshots Saturday!!

When does Josh Freeman get his shot?

Niko Houllis — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 19:12:31 -0000

Freeman would not compete for starting job during preseason, but has ended up #2 now on the depth chart.

View full size photo »

They say death and taxes are the two inevitables in the world. You can probably add Josh Freeman starting for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to that list, provided Raheem Morris is still head coach, of course. We've all heard the comments; "We're married to him", (nice photoshop work BTW), and how the Bucs would have used Detroit's #1 pick on him, if they were selecting that high. But here we are in week number 4 and a quarterback change has been called, yet it's Josh Joshnson, not Freeman, getting the nod. Considering he spent most of training camp behind the big battle between McCown and Leftwich, it’s probably for the better. So when then? When do the Glazers, who are "pumped up" over finally getting to have a franchise quarterback, get to see him take the lead?

Most Bucs fans are excited enough about the starting of Josh Johnson, looking forward to seeing him show off his stuff in a meaningful game. His electrifying TD run in the preseason, the result of a semi-busted play is the fuel for many fans that could really care less to ever see Mr. Freeman. They point to his lack of high caliber opponents while at Kansas State, and still did not really put up great numbers like a 1st round standout QB is supposed to.

Yet this wasn't a case of Raheem Morris falling in love like Gruden used to with his guys in Free Agency. This was a group decision according to Morris, who refused to try to sell Freeman to Bucs higher ups or decision makers, instead bringing him in to Tampa to meet everyone in a pre-draft visit. Afterwards, the consensus agreed; Freeman was the solution.

So when is the right time? When is too early, so as not to do damage to his psyche? Or maybe more importantly, when is too late, to have not taken the most advantage of a learning experience for next year? We can go back and look at our last two highly picked signal callers, but 1987 and 1994 were a long time ago and the landscape in the NFL is much different. Back then you said "Dan Marino is the only guy to win in his first year". Now, the list of first year successfuls has grown to a handful. So lets look at a situation that’s a little different, yet still close to home.

Bruce Gradkowski.

No, he wasn't a top round draft pick, but lets look at some of the facts surrounding his starts, and take a look at someone of whom popular opinion has judged as a mistake. After the week 14 halftime switch to Tim Rattay, there was an offensive outpouring of 28 points against the eventual Superbowl participant Chicago Bears which led everyone to ask Jon Gruden why he didn’t make that move much sooner. By looking at why, or why not, we can look at similar timing issues that Bucs coaches may go into when finally making the big choice.

Week 4- @ New Orleans; First Start. Gradkowski has great stats, 20/31 225 with 2 TD and 0 Picks. - This was pretty much the Best we were going to get, ever, from Bruce Gradkowski. His first start was solid, one mental mistake that resulted in a turnover. If Freeman can come out and have a game like this, the Bay area will go nuts! We ended up losing on a Bush Punt Return, but the outlook for Bruce was very positive.

Result- Loss

Week 5- Cincinnati- This is the game Michael Clayton scored a TD at the last minute (his last TD until the Oakland game last year) which was ruled incomplete but required a review. Gradkowki didn't have a great game, but he did lead the final drive into FG range.

Result- Win.

Week 6- Philadelphia- The Matt Bryant game. Another declining performance for Bruce, however it should be said, he led the team into FG range to extend the lead to 7, and after the Eagles tied it, he did get the team the extra yards to get into that 62 yard range.

Result- Win. His Performance continued for the thirdsss straight week to decline, but how do you bench a guy who is winning?

Week 7- @NY Giants- The Wind Game- Gruden's game plan was to put 48 balls in the air with 30-40 mph winds circling the Meadowlands, and to be honest, if not for drops by Joey Galloway and Michael Clayton, the plan may have worked! Down 0-14, Gradkowski passed 14 of the next 16 plays to finish out the half. You can hardly blame Bruce for this one; he did what he could, all things considered.

Result- Loss

The losses started to pile up. It’s here I ask Bucs fans to tell me when they would have pulled Bruce Gradkowski out of the QB role. But Gruden kept his faith in the youngster, as the losses got worse and worse.

Actually a win over Washington who was starting their rookie QB Jason Campbell was in the mix here. But the Pittsburgh Steelers embarrassment, where Jon Gruden elected to kick a FG on 4^th down under a minute left in the game to avoid the shutout, and the National disgrace against the Cowboys on a day we had little to give thanks for, and Bruce was in the hot seat along with his coach.

This is what the Bucs want to avoid with Josh Freeman. They want to provide him an atmosphere in which he is properly prepared for his start, and a supporting cast that is going to let him balance the attack and not have the Bucs relying on him to win the game with his arm (unless a late game heroic is needed).

So ultimately, when will the Bucs be able to provide this supporting cast?

OFFENSIVE LINE: The Return of Jeff Faine is critical. At LEAST two weeks of practice taking snaps from him too.

WIDE RECEIVER: Having a healthy Antonio Bryant is essential, or at least a WR who is on a hot streak so as to take the role of a primary threat to balance out the offense.

RUNNING BACKS: Returning to the efficiency of week 1 is critical for the passing game. The return of Faine is sure to help, if not actually be the cure-all.

DEFENSE: Freeman is going to need his chances to get a rhythm. Having the ball for only 16 minutes is not going to cut it. A defense that either has the right personnel or that is running the system correctly so it can get off the field and give some snaps to the Offense is going to be essential to this goal.

So in short, do we do it this year? Is the Bye week the time for Freeman? It gives the team two full weeks for him to practice with the starting 11, and the irony of "The Franchise" wearing the uniform of the last time the franchise turned the ball over to a savior, is quite fitting. But is it too early? Perhaps simply one start in the last game of the year, the week 16 game at home against Atlanta. This would give Freeman some film for the coaches to look at and work with him during the offseason on correcting mistakes.

Bottom-line though, it’s how Josh Johnson does that will really tell the tale. The Bucs would rather have their youngsters get valuable playing time while giving J.J. his as well. Like it or not, Freeman will be handed the keys to One Buc eventually, JJ will be the guy who will find himself one play away from starting again, and this team could prepare itself doubly so this way. By starting next year, Freeman could have the benefit of a complete offseason of OTAs and Camp as "The Man". The reps will be all his, the preseason starts will be all his too. The Team will all be his, and if done right, the Fans should be too.