SB Nation - Brian Clark

Bucs lose as expected, get 1st glimpse of future.

Niko Houllis — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 20:49:45 -0000

Randy Moss was held scoreless with 5 catches for 59 yards.

For those who were waiting for the Freeman watch, you got your first sighting. Rookie Josh Freeman was inserted into the game once the Patriots extended their lead to 4 Touchdowns. Freeman neither excelled nor disapointed; completing a nice pass to Brian Clark, and extending a play with his legs while also getting rid of the ball when pressured.

Josh Johnson on the other hand could not have started the day out any worse, converting a few plays into first downs, but staring down his receiver which resulted in a Pick 6. On the day he was 9 of 26 for 156 yards; 3 interceptions and one TD.

The Bucs defense did not really allow the Patriots to enjoy anything they didnt earn. Aqib Talib had another pick, and the defensive line applied some pressure at times with rookie Roy Miller in the game, but gave up 107 yards rushing along with 307 yards passing; somewhat moderate for New England. The line even pressured Brady into a few turnovers.

Special Teams continue to improve as a partial block was recorded, and several other Bucs came close to stopping some others.

In the end, the Buccaneers were not able to make enough plays, and the New England Patriots were.

The Buccaneers will fly home to Tampa and enjoy the week off as they resume playing in two weeks at home VS Green Bay. This will be the throwback game where Bucs fans will join in celebrating Lee Roy Selmon's induction into the new Tampa Bay Ring of Honor by wearing 1976 Orange uniforms, and perhaps a change in quarterbacks.

Game Preview (Preseason Game 2): Tampa Bay Buccaneers (0-1) at Jacksonville Jaguars (0-1)

Buc Wild — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 15:00:13 -0000

More photos » by Steve Nesius - AP

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Training camp is over. The first game is under the belt. As we head into the second preseason game there is a lot at stake. Not only the learning and retention of new schemes and systems, but with Coach Morris stating that most of the depth chart (particularly the quarterback position) will be decided by the third preseason game, this is the last chance for players to put together solid film to be considered for any starting position. Both teams are trying to respond to a somewhat poor first outing and get headed in the right direction.

As the Bucs head up to Jacksonville to take on the Jaguars, let's take a look at the storylines of the game and a few things to watch for as the game progresses.

Date: Saturday, August 22, 2009

Time: Kickoff at 7:30 PM ET

Where: Jacksonville Municipal Stadium (Seating capacity of 67,164)

Where to Watch: In the Bay area, WFLA-TV - Channel 8 (Brighthouse/Verizon) or 508/608 in HD (Brighthouse/Verizon)

Where to Listen: 103.5 FM or WDAE 620 AM

Jacksonville Jaguars

The Jags are coming off a down season, mainly due to their inability to stop the run and the loss of half their offensive line to injuries. Their top two picks went towards offensive line in hopes of building some depth and re-establishing the run game and protection of the quarterback. After going 5-11 year, the Jags are looking to get back to being a top tier team in the AFC.

Offense

A new identity should be forming as Fred Taylor is gone, making way for Pocket Hercules aka MJD aka Maurice Jones-Drew. He will be asked to carry the load as "the guy". Backing him up is former 'Nole Greg Jones and Rashad Jennings. The wide receivers are a mainly unknown and young group, with the exception being free agent signing Torry Holt. Holt may not have the YAC ability anymore, but should be a solid possession guy. Running the show is David Garrard. After a stellar 2007 season that had the media praising him and Del Rio (for sticking with Garrard over Leftwich), 2008 was a return to Earth. A slightly better than 1:1 TD to pick ratio won't get it done this year. When Garrard gives way, we'll be treated to Todd Bouman. I think it's safe to say that the Jags need Garrard healthy and upright. The OL had a ton of injuries last year and has to remain healthy for the Jags to have a chance to win a few games this year.

Defense

The defensive unit has seen some slippage. First round pick Derrick Harvey remains an enigma, and Quentin Groves, starting left end may not have the size needed to play with his hand down. Their secondary does have playmakers in Rashean Mathis and Reggie Nelson, and while they have great ballhawking skills, must work on positiong and reading plays and avoiding the mental lapses that plagued them last year. You can run against the Jags, so look for the Bucs to exploit that. The Jags have been seen as a defensive stalwart in the past and look to get back after a slip in 2008. They were 17th in 2008 in total yards allowed, while ranking 24th against the pass and 13th against the run.

Previous Game

The Jaguars lost their first preseason game to the Dolphins in a shootout, 12-9. Jacksonville couldn't find the endzone, relying on 3 field goals for their scoring. While it's early, the turnovers (two picks, neither by Garrard) and penalties (11 for 98 yards) have to be a concern. This will be their second game and first home game. On a side note, will be interesting to see how full the stadium is. In fact, some Jacksonville media are already reporting a full blackout for all 10 home games this year. Yikes!

Top Story Lines - Jacksonville

The most notable is MJD taking over the starting role. While he always was a featured back, this time there is no Fred Taylor to help with the workload. Will he be able to withstand the touches given to him? Garrard looks to rebound, which will depend on how and if the O line can protect him. A lot of hype has been fed to Rashad Jennings, this will give a good glimpse into a potential back up to MJD. Who will catch the passes? Holt is here, but with leading receiver Matt Jones leaving, someone else needs to step up. On defense, can Nelson and company rebound from a down year? For other news on the Jags, head over to Big Cat Country.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

We find the Bucs stumbling into this week on the heels of a suspension and arrest. Getting back on the field should prove to be a good thing for the team. The Bucs will continue with the installation of the new schemes and look to make some progress on that front, as well as solidify the lineup. The rookies and young players know this may be the last chance they have to hit the field and show their worth. The first game really didn't show too much in terms of progress. If nothing else, it created some bigger questions and fueled the pessimism surrounding the team.

Defense

Coming off a better than expected performance against Tennessee, the defense looks to hold serve and continue shutting down the opposing team. The goal for this game should be consistency, particularly from week to week and then from first team to second team. The pressure on the quarterback has to be ramped up, no questions there. The secondary may also be cut in half, as T-Jack and Talib both appear ready to play, but Morris will need to find out what kind of depth we have at those positions as we know Jackson is out the first 4 games and it looks like Talib will miss a game or two. Look for Elbert Mack and Torrie Cox to try and step in to fill the voids left by Talib and T-Jack. I'd like to see some consistency from the linebacking corp also. Quincy Black needs to translate his camp hype to game performance.

Offense

There's just no good place to start here. The offensive line has to block someone and help out the running game. With Faine likely out, Mahan will be the guy again, and that doesn't bode well for the Bucs. Leftwich will get the start against his old team and looks to lock down the starting job. McCown will try to rebound from a pretty bad performance and Johnson and Freeman continue to look for playing time to show their worth. The first string tandem of Ward and Graham need to get going and this looks like the optimal time to do it. At wide receiver, we should have Clayton back, but beyond Stroughter, we have more questions than anything else. Brian Clark could claim the 3rd WR spot this week with a strong performance. It all starts up front, and while many say it takes half a season to learn the new zone blocking scheme, I'd just like to see progress.

Previous Game

The loss to Tennessee seems like a long time ago, but nonetheless, we're 0-1. The Bucs were able to limit the Titans on offense, but their inability to get anything going on the offensive side, coupled with an untimely pick 6 from Freeman cost the Bucs the game. The good news is, the team did show positive signs in the loss. A better than expected defense, and some flashes from all QB's minus McCown

Top Story Lines - Tampa Bay

From a team standpoint, the top story lines are can the offense get going, and will the defense continue. On a player basis, it's the Jackson and Talib story. Who will step in and how much will it hurt us? A fair amount of playing time and starting jobs are on the line as Morris has said and confirmed repeatedly that most of the depth chart will be decided before the first home preseason game. The QB battle should end on Saturday, witha winner declared in the next week. The pressure is on, who will step up?

Players To Watch

- Luke McCown - This may be his last viable chance at winning a starting job here (or anywhere else).

- Bryan Clark - Will he step up and claim the 3rd WR spot?

- Stylez G. White - Had an excellent first performance in the new scheme. Will need to continue it

- Elbert Mack and Torrie Cox - For reasons listed above, will need to show they can fill in when/as needed.

- Mario Urrutia - A late addition to the Bucs, he has a chance to show his size and speed will fit well with the Bucs.

Things to Watch For

- How will Leftwich do in his return to Jacksonville?

- The entire first string offense, but mainly the offensive line with the new scheme.

- Will Jacksonville's OL be able to contain the pass rush?

- How Talib, Jackson and the team handle the latest commotion

- Does Josh Johnson really have a chance at making the team?

- Will there be any fans in the seats for the game?

Injuries

It sounds like Michael Clayton will be able to go, but Jeff Faine may be out. Also mentioned as a possibly injury casualty is Gaines Adams. Will keep you posted on any other injury news.

Update: Dexter Jackson and Will Allen did not make the trip.

Prediction

Always tough to predict who wins these meaningless games, but I think Tampa and it's defense play well and the offense does enough to win. We'll call it Bucs 20 - Jags 17.

(Editor's note: This is preseason for the staff also. If there are other looks, pieces of info or segments you want, let me know. I figure a look at each team, their injuries, stat leaders, team stats, and stories on each side of the ball should work, but as always, I'm open to suggestions).

Shallow Thoughts & Nearsighted Observations

Ted Bartlett — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 12:30:09 -0000

More photos » by Jeff Chiu - AP

4 months ago: Denver Broncos cornerback Alphonso Smith (33) breaks up a pass intended for San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Micheal Spurlock (18) during their NFL preseason football game in San Francisco, Calif., Friday, Aug. 14, 2009. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)

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Happy Tuesday, friends, and welcome to another edition of ST&NO, this time with actual football to talk about. We'll start with some thoughts about Friday night's game, we'll reflect briefly on Jay Cutler's Chicago debut, and we'll move into some other topics also. Get excited, because it's going to be a lot of fun. Ready.... BEGIN!!!

1. Friday night thoughts follow, with an effort not to beat the same drums as others have been. (The Tuesday AM time slot doesn't look so great, when the game was played on Friday night.)

a. I was very, very pleased with what I saw of the first-team front 7. To me, that was the best sign of the game. They were active, they tackled well, and they played physically up front. The OLBs did a nice job, and played like standup ends mostly, mirroring the 5-2 look a few of us speculated we'd see.

b. Kyle Orton needs to improve, obviously. He could start by realizing that he has a fantastic O-Line in front of him, and settling his feet down. His arm is strong enough to make every throw, but he needs to have his feet set, like most QBs. There aren't many Jay Cutler's, who can be lazy in their lower half, and still usually power the ball to the general area they're going to. I've come to think of that as a vice, more than a virtue, really. Peyton Manning and Tom Brady have to get their feet set EVERY time, so they do it just about EVERY time. Orton's third INT was particularly an example of bad footwork leading to a weak throw.

c. Chris Baker may start at NT by Week 4. He looked like a beast, and got a sack. I think the Broncos are really onto something with him.

d. Alphonso Smith is going to be a top-notch player in the NFL for a long time. His pass breakup when he got his feet tangled on the play was a thing of beauty, and he looked explosive (like always) returning kicks. I've been saying it since before the draft, so I'll keep saying it. The Broncos are never going to regret trading for the pick they used to take him.

e. I thought the offensive play-calling wasn't great, particularly with Orton on the field. I think a little more balance would have helped, and challenging the deep part of the field also would have been useful.

f. I can't figure out why Vernon Fox is on the roster. He was awful last season, and should have been part of the purge. That terrible long TD by the 49ers' Brit Miller was clearly Fox's responsibility.

g. If Orton continues to struggle, I am comfortable with Chris Simms. Truthfully, I could care less which one is the starter. Neither one is my son, you know? I think they can both play well, and help the Broncos win.

h. I did a fair bit of tweeting during the game, @TedBartlett905. I may continue to do so, in future games. Follow me, if you like my work.

i. I generally liked how physical the team looked. They've never been a quote-unquote physical team, for as long as I can remember. This was something I was really watching for, and I was pleased with the results.

j. I thought the TEs were very under-utilized in the passing game. I realize that the offensive coaches have an extensive toolbox to work with, but a lot of matchup problems can be created with those guys. I hope to see Tony Scheffler running deep soon, because he's unstoppable downfield, with his size and speed.

2. I watched the beginning of the Bears-Bills game on Saturday, and Pro Bowl QB Jay Cutler looked like he hasn't improved at all. He still threw flat-footed, he still made bad decisions, and he still made a couple of big-time throws, to remind you that he can, especially one he put ON Desmond Clark down the seam.

It was kind of like seeing an ex-girlfriend at a party, if our members who don't date ladies will momentarily forgive the simile (not metaphor). For a minute, you think she looks hot, and you remember what it was like when you used to date, and she did all those wild things, when it was time for doing wild things. Man, she was a lot of fun. Then she drinks too much, and she's doing keg stands, and then she throws up in a potted plant, and is hanging all over the chump who was just holding her hair back. He evidently doesn't care that she threw up, a little vomit doesn't bother him, because now he's making out with her anyway. You're vividly reminded why you broke up with her, right?

Jay can still fire the ball, but he still locks onto receivers, and he seems to be learning that Devin Hester is no Brandon Marshall. He's not even a Brandon Stokley, actually, and has a long way to go before he can even be called a good receiver. Six of Jay's ten throws went to Hester, which is very problematic, and then he threw Hester under the bus for the interception (You stay classy, Jay). The Bears' O-line struggled against the Bills too, which was a bad sign, and Jay showed happier feet than I have seen since the Seattle game, his rookie year. Jay threw one interception, had another easy one dropped by Reggie Corner, and had a 3rd-down throw into quadruple coverage in the end zone batted down. His passer rating of 30.8 even managed to make Kyle Orton's 32.6 look a little better. I'm not saying, I'm just saying....

3. Thoughts and Observations on other games:

a. Aaron Rodgers looked terrific for the Packers, and the Browns first-team defense looked completely abysmal. The Browns had no pass rush, no coverage, and ill-timed penalties, like a defensive holding on 4th and 6.

b. Due to a preference for soundness and consistency, I am predisposed to prefer Brady Quinn to Derek Anderson, but Quinn looked a lot better, again. He led the Browns to a pretty good early drive, which saw a made field goal get disallowed by a Hank Fraley penalty, and turn into a missed field goal. At the end of the first half, Braylon Edwards dropped a sure TD on him, one play before Quinn threw a pick while getting hit. Quinn, as usual, looked decisive and fundamentally sound. Anderson looked ragged, and threw a bad interception against tight coverage.

c. I like the Bills' use of the no-huddle in mid-game situations. It gave them some matchup advantages against Chicago, and they looked improved with it, over the previous week in Canton.

d. The Bears had Henry Melton as a kickoff returner, which was a sight to behold. Melton is a Defensive End, who wears uniform number 69. He's 6-4 and 269 pounds, and he did play some running back at Texas (132-625-16 in his career, not bad). He actually looked pretty nimble, and had a 20-yard return, which he fielded nicely on a bounce, in the third quarter.

e. The Bears had better hope Cutler doesn't get hurt. Brett Basanez and Caleb Hanie are not good - especially Basanez, a Northwestern grad, who ought to be thinking about where he wants to go to graduate school. Maybe the 5 Commodores on the team can put in a good word for him at Vanderbilt.

f. Ellis Lankster, another CB I really liked in the draft, got 2 interceptions off of Basanez. Lankster played at West Virginia, and I saw a lot of him last fall, when I was dating a big Mountaineers fan. He's a guy who plays a lot better than he times, and he looks like a steal as a 7th rounder. The Bills are very deep at CB, but Lankster is going to make the team, as a seventh-rounder.

g. Matthew Stafford looked pretty good for the Lions, except for a back-foot interception which he got returned for a TD. The guy I really was pretty impressed with was Drew Stanton. He led the Lions to the win at the end of the game. For a guy who was a second-round pick, you have to wonder why he never got a chance to play, especially during an 0-16 season. I wonder if he didn't just get caught up in the Marinelli/Millen shuffle.

h. #36 for the Bears, Josh Bullocks, threw one of the body-rockingest blocks you'll ever see on a punt return. He lit some poor Buffalo Bill up, and got his returner 10 extra yards.

i. Local Philly MSMer Bob Brookover said that Jason Peters looked good against the Patriots, and the NFP reposted the article with the headline Peters Paying Dividends. I beg to differ. I watched him get beat repeatedly, and I thought he looked really fat and slow. Winston Justice, who played on the right side, is a terrible player, and he was also repeatedly abused. It's time to give up on the Justice-has-potential meme.

j. A Browns player who jumped out at me was rookie CB Coye Francies. He looks really active, and smashed a Packers RB on a play where he looked like he had some daylight. He also had an interception of the totally inept-looking Brian Brohm. Remember when Brohm was going to be the #1 pick in the 2007 Draft, after his junior season? Matt Flynn is a lot better than him, and was picked 5 rounds later.

k. For being new to zone blocking, the Seahawks looked pretty good at it. Julius Jones is a good RB for that kind of scheme, because he gets downhill quickly, and he had pretty solid success against the Chargers.

l. I think the Chargers defense still looked vulnerable. The Seahawks were able to throw and run against them. Shawne Merriman mostly stayed blocked, and had no impact on the game, although Shaun Phillips looked active and quick.

m. Matt Cassel struggled mightily for the Chiefs, showing happy feet, inaccurate passing, and a fumbled exchange (though, to be fair, it was raining). Chiefs fans shouldn't panic, though, just like we shouldn't panic.

n. A guy who looked very good for the Chiefs was Tamba Hali. He seems to be making a good transition from DE to 3-4 OLB, and he was very active, playing the whole first half. He had some rushes against Eric Winston, a good RT, where he got good pressure.

o. Matt Schaub looked really sharp for the Texans, completing all 7 of his throws for 70 yards. I've always liked Schaub, and I think if he can stay healthy, he'll have a big year. The Texans offense, as we all know, gets guys open on a lot of crossing stuff, and creates high-percentage opportunities.

p. Old friend Jim Bates' Buccaneers defense looked quick and sound, especially Stylez G. White (formerly Greg White). He had a sack and a really impressive interception of Kerry Collins. Sabby Piscitelli looked like he is putting his game together to match his talent, and he also picked off Collins, in the end zone.

q. Another old friend, John Lynch, did the color commentary for the Bucs, and he seemed very natural at it.

r. Byron Leftwich is the same as ever. He throws the ball really well, but needs to elaborately wind up to do it, and has no pocket mobility. He did make a really nice throw for a TD, to another old friend, Brian Clark. Clark also forced a safety on a punt, by getting himself held in the end zone, with a really impresisve rush.

s. I've been critical of Vince Young, but he played well Saturday. He had a couple of nice throws in the second quarter, especially a deep ball to Kenny Britt, and later hit Britt with a 37-yard TD pass. Britt looked like the real deal, and I was kind of indifferent to him, coming out of Rutgers.

t. Titans backup Center Fernando Velasco did a repeatedly horrible job with the shotgun snap. There was inadequate velocity on his snaps, and he grounded one to Young on a 3rd down near the end of the first half. Young stupidly/wildly lateraled the ball over LenDale White's head, and White smartly kicked the ball out of bounds, once he caught up to it.

u. The Bucs have a lot of quality depth at RB, which people aren't mentioning much. Derrick Ward and Cadillac Williams have both been 1,000-yard rushers, and Earnest Graham got 898 and 10 TDs in 2008. Behind them is Clifton Smith, who made the Pro Bowl as a return man last season, and looked good carrying the ball from scrimmage this weekend.

v. It was mostly assumed that Clint Sintim would be drafted by a 3-4 team, since he played in one of the very few collegiate 3-4's at the University of Virginia. When the Giants took him in the second round, a lot of people were surprised, but I was not one of them. The Giants 4-3 plays like a 5-2, and their SLB tends to be DE-sized, like Mathias Kiwanuka. The Jim Johnson-led Eagles have tended to do something similar, which I am sure is where Steve Spagnuolo picked it up, but the Giants are really heavy on rushing 5 big guys most of the time. Sintim looked really good on Monday night, with a sack and a forced fumble, and a couple more solid rushes.

w. The Giants' first-round pick Hakeem Nicks looks completely lost, and got nothing done on Monday night. The Panthers' top pick, second-rounder Everette Brown, looked pretty good in his opportunities, and Jon Gruden credited him with finishing well on one occasion.

4. Interesting note from Pro Football Weekly's Whispers column:

• The Broncos recently moved Marcus Thomas from nose tackle to defensive end and we hear he will challenge DE Ryan McBean for a starting spot. Sources say Thomas is the team's most talented D-lineman, but it could take him some time to learn his new position in the team's 3-4 scheme after he was used as a tackle in a 4-3 set previously. McBean, who has just one game of experience, has not impressed observers thus far.

When I first heard that Thomas was being tried on the nose, it struck me as a little strange. He's much more a quick-footed guy than a mauler. He did look good at DE in the 30-fronts the Broncos used last season, so I think this is a smart move.

McBean got a coverage sack on Friday, but generally didn't distinguish himself much in the rest of the game. I think Thomas can do very well given this chance, and I expect him to earn the starting job.

5. Fun with Peter "Mr. Light and Breezy" King

e. It won't matter what kind of play the Broncos get out of Orton or Simms if they play defense the way they played against the all-star lineup of Shaun Hill, Alex Smith and Damon Huard. I know, I know. Preseason Week 1. Who cares? Half of these guys will be gone in two weeks. But 14 of 18 passing, for a 143.5 rating? And 30 San Fran carries for a 4.5-yard average? Not good.

This is a lot like saying that the Broncos had the second-best offense in the NFL last season. At the end of the day, the defense held San Francisco to 17 points, and nothing else matters. Remember, one TD was at least partially a gift of great field position by way of Orton's 3rd INT. This team is probably going to get the ball moved on them this season, but if they can hold the opponents to field goals instead of Touchdowns, they can win a lot of games.

This is exactly what Miami did last season, in going 11-5. People remember the Wildcat, and solid play by Chad Pennington, but scoring-area defense was the hallmark of their success. It goes a long, long way. As for Mr. Light and Breezy, I am pretty sure he was in attendance for this game, so it kind of boggles my mind why he is relying on the stat sheet, rather than his own eyes. Allowing 4.5 yards per rush sounds bad, to be sure. Par for the course, I guess, though.

6. I like the Michael Vick-to-the-Eagles move. Low pressure for him, and he can get back into the swing, and probably play in some specialty packages by the end of the year. Expect him to be in high demand next offseason, if he looks good at all, and the Eagles will now have a quality tradeable asset, with one club-option year for 2010.

The dogfighting stigma is already fading, mostly thanks to Tony Dungy and the Eagles. By next year, PETA will still be trying to make hay from Vick, but they'll be the only media force who is, and even Ted the Well-Known Liberal will grant you that nobody outside of PETA really takes PETA very seriously. What they stand for is important, and worthwhile (at a high level), but their shrillness and rigidity puts them outside of the mainstream. (Before I get excoriated, I think that most everybody can generally get behind the ethical treatment of animals, but there's a variance in what that exactly means in people's minds. That's what I mean about a high level.) If Vick can behave and dedicate himself to being a good player, he can redeem his career and his life, which is a great thing for ~~anybody~~ everybody who has ever made a mistake.

7. Retired for John Elway.

8. I will be in New Hampshire visiting family from Wednesday night through Sunday morning, so chances are, I won't get to see the game live on Saturday night, unless I can find a bar with NFL Network, and my brother wants to go, the night before his 5 AM flight back to L.A on Sunday. I may tweet a little from my iPhone, if I can make it work. I'm hopeful, at least.

9. How about Tom Cable apparently breaking his assistant's jaw? That's putting the fun in dysfunctional, there, Raiders-style. I remember when Buddy Ryan socked Kevin Gilbride on the sideline once in the early 90s, when they were the coordinators for the Oilers. That got a lot of notoriety, but this seems worse, considering the nature of the injury, and the fact that it was the HEAD COACH. I actually kind of feel bad for Raiders fans.

As I mentioned, I'll be out of pocket, and out in the woods at the end of the week, but I hope everybody has a great one. Until next Tuesday, I'll be keeping it Shallow and Nearsighted, like always.

From the Mouth of Morris- 8/10

Niko Houllis — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 13:38:20 -0000

Welcome to another edition! Starting out the questions.... ahhh..to our left......

Coach Morris, I see you've released a depth chart...comments?

" The depth chart was released today for the Tennessee game. I wouldn't read too much into it. I would just say you've got to put somebody in the front and we've got a long way to go until we figure out who's going to be there permanently. We've still got a month to go. September 13th is when that real depth chart will come out and you guys will have a better feel."

What do you have planned for the second week?

"Last week was about our team, about us, what we want to be, the tough physical football team.

This week was more about preparation. Today, as you could see, I got them more involved with situational football.

You could see it in the backed-up period with the noise, us being backed up down there,

getting six plays down there, coming out, trying to see if we could get to the eight so we can get off a good punt at least. If not, get a first down and create good field position for the punt, or two first downs. We also had a two- minute today, and I kind of mixed it up on them a little bit. We were down by 10. It wasn't a normal two-minute [drill] so the quarterbacks had to make a decision whether they were going to get three first or try to get the six, or if they get the six and come back and try to get the three. That's a tough situation you're in, kind of like we were in Chicago last year. You've got to try to come out and you've got to try to fight back and get it twice. We got an onside kick – we simulated the whole thing. Kick the field on the

first drive, we got an onside kick, ran off four seconds, come back and you've got 40 seconds to try to make it happen. We threw a pick so we didn't work it out. The second time we didn't get the three or the six; we threw a pick. So those were tough situations I put them in but those situations can happen during the season and we've got to simulate that as close as we can. Then we came out and we also had a move-the-ball [drill] today. That was a situation to try to get into the rhythm of the game. We started off with the ball, we've got the ball at the 35, here we go, we just got a kickoff and Clifton Smith ran

it to the 35. We've got to get these guys ready to get into a game-like situation with Jags [Jeff Jagodzinski] and Olie [Greg Olson] on the sideline calling the plays in through the huddle, calling it through the headsets. The quarterbacks have to get the call, whether our system is broken or not. It happens in the game. Sometimes you see the quarterback waiting for the call, can't get it, can't hear. It happened to Josh Freeman today. We've got to get that stuff, those kinks out of the way. We've got to get it all out of the way. We don't want the first time that happens to be on Saturday."

How is the Injury situation?

"There's really only one guy that's really an issue, and not as big an issue as you would think. A.B., Antonio Bryant, we're going to go ahead and work on that knee. We're going to go ahead and scope it, clean that thing out, get him ready for the season. He ran the other day, was ready to go, and then it swelled up a little bit on him again. It's just not worth it. Let's get him ready for Dallas. Let's sit him down for three weeks. He probably can come back the last preseason game but I'm probably going to be mentally weak and not play him and just wait for Dallas, and we'll figure it out as we go. I'm not sure yet, but let’s get that thing fixed so he can be ready for Dallas. [Julius] Wilson had a little stinger; you might have seen him walk off today. It's just a little football Pop Warner injury. Other than that, everybody else remains status quo. They're all day-to- day. We should be getting some of these guys back here in the next couple days. They want to play football, so we should be toughing it out a little bit. We'll see."

Coach,Is this the same knee from last year?

"Yeah. Was it preseason? I'm not sure if it was the preseason; I can get back to you on that. I know when he banged it, I believe it was the Carolina game, when he had his big 200-yard game and he kind of walked it off and it's just kind of been lingering. It goes away and it swells up, it goes away and it swells up, so now we thought it's just not worth it. Let's go ahead and fix it up and get him ready for Dallas. He's had a pretty good training camp so far." "It's his meniscus, if you want to get technical with it. They're going to go clean up a little chunk of meniscus or whatever. Ronde Barber had it a couple years ago and was back after the bye week. I told A.B. that: 'I'm not questioning your toughness or anything, but when I coached DBs, Ronde came back the following week."

What does Antonio Bryant lose by not being able to practice?

"I'm not sure if he loses it, I'm sure our quarterbacks do. There's nothing like going out there and throwing to Antonio Bryant. He's a big strong guy that's going to make plays for you. Sometimes you throw a bad ball and he'll make you look good. He'll miss his part, obviously, his timing and rhythm, but he was here in the offseason a lot. He did have a lot of work at that, he did have a lot of work at that in camp, so I'm feeling good about his timing and precision. He got a little bit of the physical game. In a two-minute drill he got a little helmet-to-helmet action, little hits on him. But I think it's better, I think it's smart, to clean him up and let him get ready."

So who gets to move into the top spot of the depth chart at his position?

"Let me see who I've got listed here. I've actually got Brian Clark listed behind him. I don't know if that's going to be true or not on Saturday, but I had to write somebody down in that slot. So right now on the paper it says Brian Clark, so that's who's there."

Coach, are you more concerned with minimizing injuries or winning games during the preseason?

"I think you want to win any game you play in because it just creates a different feel around your team and your organization. But obviously you want to go in these games and you want to get ready to play Dallas. You're preparing to play Dallas. And then also you're trying to find out who's going to be the bottom half of your roster, which we've been talking about, the guys that drive the bus. I'd rather see those guys and prepare to

play Dallas, but obviously I want to win. You guys want to win, we all want to win the game. I think our guys will go out there and they'll try to win, and that's what we're going to do. It's going to be the 53rd strongest man that probably pulls us through these preseason games, so I'm fired up about seeing that. Last year it was [Elbert] Mack. Last year, E-Mack went up there and got a pick, hit the quarterback, got the crowd fired up. The next thing you know, he's on our team and we didn't know his name. We just called him 'Nook.' We're going to look for those types of players to step up and go out there and play this year and do the same things."

Any comments about making Luke McCown the starter in Preseason game one?

"I kind of knew that when I took the job. Let’s give Luke an opportunity. Let’s give him the best opportunity. There is nobody on this football team that will tell you they didn’t get an opportunity to make it or an opportunity to be their very best. I promised Luke from day one. That is the only promise I gave all of them. ‘Hey, I am going to give you

the best opportunity to compete for the No. 1 starting job. It is the same thing that I told him. It is the same thing I told Byron Leftwich. It is the same thing that I told Josh Johnson. I am going to give them the opportunity to compete and to be their very best. Now, have the two veterans kind of stepped up to the forefront and are really fighting for it and have two young guys trying to push them, chasing them, trying to steal reps when they get their opportunities? Yes. I have to give these two guys an opportunity to try and win this job. If the cream rises to the crop from the other two, then good for us."

This has been another edition of FROM THE MOUTH OF MORRIS! The Quotes are real, but the names have been changed to protect the innocent! ...or something like that!! Only on Buc'em.com!

A look back at the first week of training camp

Buc Wild — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 23:30:09 -0000

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The players are out watching the new G.I. Joe movie. And deservedly so, they just finished the first week in training camp, one that was more physical than the last few seasons due to Coach Morris' mandate on wearing pads and hitting. We've seen and heard alot about the Bucs in the last week, but what have we learned? With week one fully in the books, let's take a position by position stop around the team and recap the first week of the Tampa Bay Buccaneer's 2009 training camp.

Quarterback - We all know about the expectations, question marks, and relative inexperience at the quarterback position. But how is the battle shaping up? Josh Johnson, though not performing poorly, seems like a man destined for the practice squad, either here or with another team. Josh Freeman has had ups and downs. The young gun definitely has the arm strength, but as you'd expect, he's still green. A three interception day in camp is not what you want to see. At this point, I'd expect him to have a clipboard in hand come opening day. The last two are the vets, Byron Leftwich and Luke McCown. They'll be battling for the job all camp long. McCown has been fairly level while Leftwich started slow and has come on towards the end of the week. It'll be interesting to see who wins out. No one seems to separate themselves from the pack. I wonder if it's possible that Johnson could be kept on over Leftwich or McCown? Too soon to tell.

Running Back -Here we have the four headed monster. Earnest Graham has looked good, even ripping up equipment and ending a drill early when he pulled a cord off the goalposts. Derrick Ward is a bit hobbled right now, with his foot in a walking boot. Let's hope it's nothing serious. We need him this year. Clifton Smith is Mr. Everything right now, hitting special teams and running back. Cadillac is back at it on the field, looking good. His hands are still suspect, but he will be a valuable commodity during the year. No real movement on the depth chart here. Graham and Ward (assuming both are healthy) are the guys here.

Wide Receiver/Tight End - We know what we have in Antonio Bryant, and he hasn't let us down yet. Michael Clayton has come on strong in camp and looks like a number two receiver. The battle for the third spot continues and each day a new receiver has a strong day. Today was Cortez Hankton, but Brian Clark, Sammy Stroughter and even new addition Mario Urrutia have come on strong. Dexter Jackson started off strong but in recent days has started shying from contact again and dropping passes, not a good combo. Winslow and Stevens are known commodities and while Winslow was called out for his emotional outbursts, it's nothing we didn't know. As far as camp goes, no real surprises here as the top dogs are performing as such and there are some good battles going on for the lower spots

Offensive Line -Let's just hope everyone stays healthy. Jeff Faine is out with a groin injury and with Arron Sears still not in camp, we can't afford any more losses. The line is still adapting to the new zone scheme and for every great play and correct read, they have one that doesn't look so good. But that's to be expected in training camp.

Defensive Line -Big movers here. Gaines has been called out by the coach for a double digit sack year. Stylez G. White and Jimmy Wilkerson are having alright camps, but not spectacular. Chris Hovan hasn't had his name called much and I'd imagine he and Ryan Sims are incumbents in name only. The guys making some noise are newbies Kyle Moore and Roy Miller. Moore has been everywhere in the backfield drawing praise and Miller has been eating up the middle. I'd like to see Gaines get to the QB more and be more aggressive. This group, although the rookies are playing well, needs to step it up

Linebacker -Let's start with Barrett Ruud. I'm just happy he's in camp without that new contract. We need him to be a leader and he is doing just that. Jermaine Phillips can still hit you, but his reads have got to improve. He's learning on the job, and that will have some bumps in the road, but let's go Flip, you're a linebacker now. Geno Hayes may not be turning heads, but he's been alright. Consistent with only a few big plays. The big game changer thus far? Quincy Black. I hope his performance translates to the field. His performance in camp has been great and if he can make it count on Sundays then we have a pretty good player here.

Defensive Back -This group, well, it's been tough. Much like the OL, for every good play, there's a bad play. Ronde Barber has actually been fairly solid in the new scheme, something most Bucs fans didn't expect. Elbert Mack has been on fire, making play after play after play. Smart money is on him to be no worse than second string. The surprise? Aqib Talib and his poor play. He's been beaten, missed some tackles, just seems in a funk. Hope he can find his form quickly. The safety position has been quiet, with Tanard Jackson and Sabby Piscitelli making few plays, but also being somewhat solid in coverage. Will Allen looks to be in the mix as a rotating player.

Special Teams - Josh Bidwell is doing his thing. The kicking battle is close. Though Mike Nugent has missed more kicks, I'd say he's in the lead just based on Matt Bryant sitting out with a leg injury. Bryant has to get back into camp and make some kicks to show he's the man in Tampa. Several players have been returning kicks and punts. Clifton has been back there, Sammy Stroughter, Elbert Mack, even Cadillac. Alot of faces back there, but it's gonna be Clifton's job to lose.

So there you have it, a quick run around camp position by position. As far as dominating story lines, here you go

- Padding up: Players in full pads and live hitting in most drills. Not usual for Bucs camp

- No rest for the weary: The cool down tent is gone, get used to the heat

- McCown running with the ones: He's had first crack most days with the first team, followed by Leftwich

- Cadillac is back: Hasn't missed a practice, good to have you back

- Injuries: The lack of injuries is a great thing, though a few players have been dinged up

- All players in camp: Outside of Sears, every player has been in camp, another good sign

Practice starts back up tomorrow morning and is followed with an afternoon session. Hope the players enjoyed the night off, it's a full day tomorrow.