SB Nation - Roy Miller

Morris and Dominik must share blame for Bates debacle.

Niko Houllis — Sun, 13 Dec 2009 15:53:25 -0000

Other than 14 carries, running lanes just have not been there the last two games against the Bucs. The Jets will bring real rushing talent to test them.

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In the blame game, someone must point a finger.

When you only have two people however, two guys pointing fingers at each other just doesn't work however. None the less, they can point at themselves or each other, and it will probably be just as accurate.

The idea is sketchy to us non-insiders; Jim Bates defense would be brought in to emphasize big, physical style of play from the linemen and the corners. That not only never happened, but the supposed hybrid of Bates and Monte Kiffin's Tampa Two did not come to be either.

Who is to blame? Who was the one who made the move? Probably the one who did the reversal.

Any way you look at it, the results are 'in your face' obvious; the Jim Bates idea was a disaster. All told, here are some of the differences since the change back;

Under Bates, the Bucs gave up 29.4 points per game. They have brought that down to 18 PPG since.
The 27th ranked yardage against under Bates with 378.3 ypg has turned into 9th over the last two at 303 yards Per game.
Remember the "We need more sacks" message? The 17 under Bates watch ranked 28th. The 7 the last two weeks would be tied for 3rd in the NFL. Third.
The Run defense is not without change; After giving up 114 yards on 14 carries to start the Carolina game, the Bucs gave up 43 yards on 19 carries the rest of the way. Add that to the 75 yards they gave up to Atlanta on 26 carries. Thats a 2.3 and 2.6 yards per carry average respectively.

We wanted something to hang our hats on for the offseason, some glimmer of hope so we can expect more from next year than less. Ndamukong Suh or no Suh, expect an impact lineman to be added next year, and Roy Miller will team with him to put pressure on opposing offensive lines.

Draft decisions seem to be something we can live with.

Coaching moves? Thats something we can live without for 2010.

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

John B — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 14:38:48 -0000

More photos » by Chris Young - AP

Thomas Jones should feel like he's facing the Bills.

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The Bucs are brutal against the run. They give up over 160 yards on the ground each game and 4.2 each carry. They are about as bad as the Bills against the run. You may remember the Jets hanging over 500 yards in two games against them. With a backup quarterback in the lineup and the kind of power rushing attack the Jets own, you can expect to see healthy doses of Thomas Jones and Shonn Greene.

Stopping the run starts in the middle, and the defensive tackle situation tells us a lot about why Tampa Bay struggles. Chris Hovan and Ryan Sims have been two of the worst tackles in football this year. They consistently lose their matchups. Sims in particular will be New York's target as the Jets seem to have a big edge with him going against Nick Mangold and Brandon Moore. We'll see another below average run defender, Roy Miller, join the mix at the position as a rotational player. You'll see a lot of mock drafts suggesting Nebraska tackle Ndamukong Suh will end up with the Bucs. There's a reason.

At end things don't get a ton better. Stylez White is the one lineman on Tampa Bay who plays the run well, but he'll be matched up with D'Brickashaw Ferguson, who should have the edge. The Jets love running it to the right side anyway, and Damien Woody will be facing Jimmy Wilkerson, a below average run defender giving about 50 pounds.

Tampa's best linebacker against the run is Geno Hayes, undersized at 220 pounds and battling a hamstring injury. Middle linebacker Barrett Ruud has been something of a bright spot, but strong side backer Quincy Black, ironically the biggest Bucs linebacker, has played poorly.

Tampa Bay will probably load up the box, but I'm not sure how much it will help. They seem pretty overmatched up front.

New Orleans Saints' Offensive Player Grades @ Bucs

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

by Chris O'Meara - AP

22 days 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 lose as expected, get 1st glimpse of future.

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

More photos » by Matt Dunham - AP

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

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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.

Bucs on the verge of a Top 10 Pass Defense!

Niko Houllis — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 15:45:10 -0000

More photos » by Reinhold Matay - AP

One of the reasons the Bucs have improved in pass defense.

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Before you go down your own "Life on Mars" checklist of possible causes of this unbelievable headline, know one thing. It is NOT a misprint or typo. Use whatever reasoning you want to in coming up with an explanation, (like the fact we have the 31st rushing defense) but the numbers do not lie. We are currently the 11th Passing defense, at 198.5 yards per game, and that's not the only statistic that the Bucs are better than the average bear in.

In what is exclusively an offensive catagory, the Bucs are tied for 14th in sacks allowed. This is easy to understand, as Josh Johnson is not easilly sacked, and the fact that our Offensive Line is one of our biggest assets.

Then you have probably the only catagory that both sides have to contribute to, the turnover margin. In this realm, the Bucs are a respectable 16th (Tied) at -1, meaning with one more interception by a Tanard Jackson or so, the Bucs will have given the ball away as often as they have taken it.

So what does it all mean? Well speaking of T-jack, it may be no mystery that since his return the Bucs pass defense has improved (along the lines of Jimmy Wilkerson and Styles White increased results in rushing the passers) in passing stats. Rushing stats however, the Bucs are virtually dead last, 31st, at 171.7 yards per game, absolutely absurd for an NFL team. Clearly the Bucs need to invest in their interior defensive line, somthing has really has not been news for several years now, going back to the weekly requests by former Head Coach Jon Gruden calling for more effort from his D line. One by one the stars on the line have gone, and have not been replaced adequately.

Simeon Rice ---> Gaines Adams---> Styles G White...

Warren Sapp--->Chartric Darby---->Anthony McFarland--->Ellis Wyms---->Jovan Haye---->Ryan Simms....

Brad Culppeper---->Anthony McFarland---->Chris Hovan....

Greg Spires---->Kevin Carter---->Jimmy Wilkerson

as you can see, only one, and that is probably debatable, is close to the same level as the guys who rushed the passer in the heyday of Franchise. Luckily, the 2010 draft of which the Bucs are stacked with an ultra high #1 and #2 pick, as well as an extra #2 pick of the Bears for the trade involving Gaines Adams. Expect youngsters like Roy Miller to get serious playing time for the rest of 2009 as Raheem Morris looks to see what he has from the latest picks.

Bates has Bucs following in Bronco's footsteps

Niko Houllis — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 12:00:21 -0000

Creator of the 29th and 31st ranked defenses the last two years.

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"Bates' philosophical synopsis includes many of the same terms espoused by (former coordinator). Accountability. Fundamentals. All-out pursuit. Steal the ball. The biggest difference is (former coordinator) never could consistently develop a strong pass rush, while Bates has a long history of coaching double-figure sack artists, most recently Jason Taylor and Aaron Kampman". Sounded good didn't it? This is what we were told in the offseason when we were given the (great) Jim Bates to replace the immortal Monte Kiffin here in Tampa. So we bit, and couldn't wait for Bucs corners smashing receivers off the line, and opposing runners hitting walls, Quarterbacks getting squashed and balls being thrown downfield to empty positions on the field.

Problem is, well, None of the last paragraph has happened so far, and the first paragraph is taken from a Denver Broncos media outlet in the 2007 offseason; an offseason Bates was given Carte-Blanch to fix a Bronco's Defense that gave up 26.1 points per game in the last 10 games of 2006.

Another nice surprise after the jump....

Before the commenting starts, let me make something clear; Yes...this is an about face for me. I've compared this team to 1996, the year Tony Dungy came in and the defense was lost at first, but improved each week. This is NOT 1996. That team got blown out opening day by the Packers by making 2 or 3 critical mistakes before the half that Brett Favre made the Bucs pay for with 2 quick scores before Tampa Bay even knew what hit. That ’96 team was never dead last in just about every single defensive statistic, nor the laughing stock of the NFL.

We know Raheem Morris and Mark Dominik were not keen on OC Jeff Jagodzinski, But did we tell the wrong coordinator to check out airfares on priceline.com?

Gaines Adams has actually gone backwards on us, something no one thought was possible, a testament to poor drafting that has plagued this team under Gruden/ Allen. But at least that will all change right?

Depends on who had control in the war room. Because the Broncos got that Credit Card statement and its due..! Mr. Bates went shopping in 2007 and came home with 3, that’s right, 3 upper round Defensive linemen. Jarvis Moss, Tim Crowder, and Marcus Thomas, two of which came from the Florida Gators. I guess they felt half of a College D Line was better than what they had. These three defensive linemen have an astounding 7.5 total sacks combined, in two full seasons, plus three games this year! And the best one, Crowder, did so well with his 4 sacks in 2007, (and none in 2008), that he is now on our team! And so the end result? Denver fell backwards from 15th in Sacks to 26th under Bates! Not to mention 29th overall defensively; With 3 premium draft picks on the line!

Its 6:30, does anyone know where Roy Miller and Kyle Moore are?!?!?

Ok, there is really nothing we can do about this right now, except watch the season unfold, and see if the Bucs, or the Broncos, used different personnel to run their draft. Makes you wonder If Dominic would let Bates do the picking, or just take in his opinion but mostly listen to his own scouts. All scouts are not created equal, and hopefully ours are a little more equal than others.

Otherwise, Mark Dominik and Raheem Morris will have some explaining to do at seasons end on how they missed the boat on BOTH position coordinators.

Grading out the Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Defense

Buc Wild — Sun, 30 Aug 2009 03:00:11 -0000

Looking back to Thursday's game, it's hard to imagine the way our defense played led to a loss. Granted, allowing 10 points is not bad, but a loss is a loss, or so I've been told. Let's take a gander at each of the units/positions on defense and how they fared.

Defensive Line

To me, this has been the biggest surprise. With a highly touted 3rd year player (Gaines Adams), some re-treads (Hovan and Sims) and Wilkerson, I don't think this group screams trouble. But after three games, they've been pretty stout against the run (though the end of the year isnt here yet) and have generated some pressure on passing downs. Adams hasn't quite made the impact I've expected, but I won't pitch a fit until the regular season comes. Wilkerson showed some nice moves and explosion on Thursday night. The big additions have been mid round picks Roy Miller and Kyle Moore. These guys not only add some depth, they have added playmaking abilities, shown in the game against the Dolphins. Chris Bradwell continues to show up. An interception and a forced fumble were generated by the DL, along with 4 sacks (only one by the first string). Grade: B

Linebackers

A mixed bag on Thursday night. Against the run they appeared to flow to the ball, and make some nice plays. Able to read and react. Against the pass, there a bit iffy. When picking up tight ends or running backs in man to man, they seem to use the trail technique, which is fine. But in zone, they appear lost. Not a good sign. Mystery man Barrett Ruud has yet to do anything in preseason. Count me as concerned. Geno Hayes has stepped up, and I'll admit, as an FSU fan, I'm happy to see him do well, but he was my pick to start all along once we let 55 go. Flip and Hayward are nice players at WLB, but I think Hayes is the right guy here. Quincy Black still hasn't showed that flash that the coaches talked about. Koutouvides and McCoy played well. The touchdown pass by Pennington was a result of too much time in the pocket and getting lost in coverage. All in all, not a bad night, but room to improve Grade: B-

Defensive Backs

If you remove Torrie Cox from the equation, the secondary played pretty well. No big plays, a sack (E.J. Biggers), and though some spotty communication, no real downfield threats. When you put Torrie Cox in, it wasn't pretty. Down the field plays, a few muggings, just not a good night. It's hard to predict how our secondary will do without T-Jack and possibly without Talib. Elbert Mack will need to step up and we will most likely have to count on Cox to some degree if Talib misses game time. If this group can maintain discipline as they did most of Thursday night, should be a decent group. And thus far, Ronde Barber has stepped up. My only question? We haven't played a team with a dominant receiver yet, will have to see how we match up there. But for Thursday night, I'll take the few big plays against Cox with everyone else showing up. Grade: B-

Overall

10 points, thats all that was given up and the touchdown came after undisciplined coverage by Cox, and Pennington playing sandlot football and hitting his tight end. Our first string gave up 3 points over one half of football, and didn't allow Miami to become any kind of threat. That's a pretty darn good performance right there. All in all, 4 sacks, a pick, a forced fumble and recovery, and 10 total points. You hold the opponent to 10 points, I'll take it every week. The defense has progressed and continued to look good in preseason. Though we had 4 sacks, one was by the first team. I'd like to see a bit more pressure generated. Grade: B

Grading out the Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Defense

Buc Wild — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 09:45:10 -0000

Continuing on with the "Grading out the Tampa Bay Buccaneers" columns, we'll take a look at the defense.

As usual, we are looking at the previous game (Bucs @ Jags) and how each unit/individual did relative to their position on the team, expectations and other factors. For example (fictitious): Gaines Adams getting 2 hurries against first string opponent is worth more to me than him getting 2.5 sacks against the 4th string JV team. When looking at a player/unit, we take into account what they did at their position. If McCown delivers a strike to a WR but the WR tips it to a defensive player and it gets picked, I'm not holding that against McCown.

To check out the grades, click the jump and read on.

Defense

Defensive Line

Gaines Adams - Perhaps it just took me calling him out in an open game day thread. Was non-existant for most of his playing time until he exploded for two pressures and an almost sack in 4 plays. When he does something other than speed rush, he can be a force. Needs to be more consistent in his play still. Grade: B-

First String - The pressure arrived in Jacksonville. After a week of stellar run play, but no pass rush, the DL added that missing caveat. Consistenly got up field, disrupted the back field on plays. Did show some fatigue, but with some good depth (which we have) may be the biggest improvement on the team from last year Grade: B

Roy Miller - No idea how he lasted to third round if he keeps this up. Was in the backfield, occupying double team (and winning occassionally), hitting runners, providing pressure. I'm pleased with the progress. Would like to see him against starters. Probably needs a bit more size to hold up for 60 minutes against double team. Grade: B

Kyle Moore - Another nice surprise. Pressured the quarterback numerous times. Moved inside and showed he could adapt to play DT or DE, which is HUGE as a defensive lineman. Could easily assume the starting spot opposite of Gaines if he keeps it up. Grade: B-

The Others - While the pressure was there, inconsistency killed this group again. Made some nice edge plays and were able to disrupt a few plays. But allowed Jacksonville to move too freely in two minute drill. Grade: C

Linebackers

Barrett Ruud - If you look at the box score you would think Ruud didn't play as he is listed nowhere, no stats, no tackles, nothing. He was in the game. This is back to back games where he has been average at best. It may be the new scheme but right now, he isn't making plays like he was last year. I don't see him as first to the ball. He did make a nice play in pass coverage on the tight end, but he has to re-emerge and fast. Grade: D+

Quincy Black - Still waiting to see that break out potential. He's around the ball alot but not making too many plays. Again, didn't show up in boxscore. Lined up at end a few times and if he can get soem coachign on some pass rush moves, he looks to be a fit there on 3rd downs. He probably ideally projects to a 3-4 system as the DE/LB hybrid. Grade: C-

Angelo Crowell - Our big defensive free agent acquisition is done for the year. Not the impact he (or we) wanted him to make. Good luck to you Mr. Crowell. Grade INC

The Others - Hayes? Phillips? Hayward? Not much of an impact. Phillips made a nice tackle on the play he got hurt, but missed one prior. Largely disappointing Grade: D

Defensive Backs

Sabby Piscitelli - Showed why coaches and fans are concerned. While he is a ball hawk, shows little discipline in coverage. Was beat 1.5 times (both long plays to Williamson). One he was beat deep, the other he overpursued. Must find a way to remain in position or will hurt us in long run. Grade: D

Tanard Jackson - I give him an A for not coming out stoned. Seriously, played alright, played longer than most starters and made some ncie open field tackles. Looked a step slow at times and missed 2 tackles that he seems to have lwarned from Flip. Grade: C

Elbert Mack - Hisnumber sshow differently, but thought he was more liability in coverage than usual. Was beat on long play to Williamson (the non-TD). Must learn on the job quickly. Grade: C

The Others - Arrington made some nice plays and showed the ability to finish plays and hang in coverage. Nice reaction and tipped pass in the end zone as it looked as if he was in zone and read the sideline pass. Grade: B-

If you take out the first play of the game, the defense played well and played pretty discipliend. The pass rush improved, the run game didn't go anywhere, and though we saw no turnovers, we did see more sacks and hurries. Unfortunately the first play did happen, and it was our starters. A leader needs to step up. Grade: C+

A look back at the first week of training camp

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

More photos » by Brian Blanco - AP

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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.

Cannon Shots: A recap of Thursday's training camp session

Buc Wild — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 23:18:50 -0000

More photos » by Brian Blanco - AP

Morris should tell the team "Go play like that guy", I'd be happy with that.

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We're back at it again. Recapping the Tampa Bay Buccaneer's Thursday practice session. We'll have some updates on injures, a look at tomorrow's practice, and a surprising call out on a certain new Buc player.

Hit the jump to get the info

- Let's hit the injuries first. It was thought that Antonio Bryant would be back on the field today, but he was nowhere to be found. He's still considered day to day. A few other Bucs are dinged up and on that same day to day list; Kyle Moore and Derrick Ward are two of the bigger names. Michael Clayton (hamstring) and Jeff Faine (groin) are going to be out until next week. Nothing serious, but no reason to push it in camp.

- The afternoon practice for Friday was canceled. A full morning workout is still scheduled, but it looks like Morris is rewarding the players after a tough week of practice. The thinking is to alternate days with one session on day and two a days the next, to help keep the players fresh. Instead of practice Friday night, Morris and the team will be hitting up a movie. Let's hope it's something like "Remember the Titans", not "The Replacements."

- For everyone wanting to see what the future holds, Friday's practice will feature Josh Freeman and Josh Johnson at QB taking most the reps. This will be a good chance for either guy to step up with Luke McCown and Byron Leftwich getting some rest.

- Morris is still pointing towards McCown or Leftwich starting thus far. It'll take a few preseason games, but it seems the odds are in those guys' favor.

- Morris called out Kellen Winslow today. Pewter Report has the article here. Let's check out some of the quotes.

Oh, he's definitely talented, but I'm also starting to get an idea of the problems he's had, But I think it's the first time anyone has ever addressed him, talked to him about it. He understands, he looks me in the eye, I look him in the eye and that's it-my bad. If he does something good, I'll tell him my bad. Sometimes his emotional energy is going to give us a lift and other times it hurts. He's got to know when it's the right time.

As a Bucs fan, that makes me say, Yikes. This is pre-season and he's walking back to the huddle with his head down after a dropped pass? And flipping the ball around after a catch? We better start hoping he can pull it together emotionally. As talented as he is, we need his head in the game and don't need sulking or 15 yard penalties

- The wide receiver battle, particularly for the 3rd and 4th spot is getting pretty competitive. There are 4 or 5 guys vying for 2 spots, maybe 3 spots as a wide out. Keep an eye here, as anytime we line up 3 or 4 wide, these camp names will be on the field.

- Quincy Black and Roy Miller are still turning heads. I'm taking it with a grain of salt, but when these guys are running with the ones, and the coaches are throwing praises at them, that speaks volumes. It's easy to impress running with the camp fodder against the 3rd string O, but these guys are doing things against the ones with the ones.

We'll wrap it up here. One practice tomorrow then the team gets a night off. Well deserved rest for the squad. And when they come back on Saturday, it's a week until game time.