SB Nation - Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Buc'Em Weekly Caption Contest

LeeCaz — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 18:57:40 -0000

More photos » by Brian Blanco - AP

Fearing that he may not have a job after this season, Raheem is practicing for his audition to be the next Kool-Aid Man. (AP Photo/Brian Blanco)

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Here we go again Bucs' fans. Thank you to all that participated in the first edition of this contest last week. We had lots of funny captions to choose from, with RuudAwakening winning by quite a large margin after all was said and done. Don't be discouraged if you didn't win. Keep trying! Once again, the prize will be the Bucs' game of the winner's choice on DVD, which will be provided by Niko.

Please enter your caption into the comments section below. If you think a caption is funny, simply "Rec" it by clicking on "actions". The top five most Rec'd comments will go to the 2nd round for poll voting on Monday. Remember, it's perfectly fine to enter more than one caption, or Rec more than one entry.

All captions must fall within the Buc'Em community guidelines. Again, we want you be funny, but not offensive. If you have a question on whether or not your caption is acceptable, please email myself or Niko and we will let you know.

Good luck!

Interesting stats website that gives insight into Colts players

BigBlueShoe — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 16:14:14 -0000

More photos » by John Russell - AP

The guy on the left getting beat? Yeah, that's Colts guard Mike Pollak (78). (AP Photo/John Russell)

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Contrary to what the Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach thinks, stats are not for losers. We have writers here like mgrex03 (who runs his own stats system) and shake n bake (who is a Football Outsiders DVOA cult member) who provide us with great insight into football stats. Stats are not the be-all, end-all of football, but they do provide a small window into how good (or bad) are team really is.

Recently, some of our football writers got pointed to a new and interesting site: Pro Football Focus. Here is a bit from their About Page:

Why do we Grade?
Quite simply to help us determine, in all facets of the game, who played well and who didn't. We want to understand not just how many yards a player gained or how many sacks they conceded but also how well they blocked, how effectively they rushed the passer or how they played in coverage. So, to this end, we measure not only a lot of additional information about the play such as Yards after Catch, Missed Tackles, Dropped Passes etc., we also analyze every player to determine if an Offensive Linemen made a key block, a Defensive Tackle stopped a Guard getting to the second level or if a linebacker kept outside contain on a run. We are not so much interested in how many tackles a Safety made but where he made them, when he made them and what obstacles he overcame to make them.

Interesting idea, and I have to admit the site is very user friendly. They have stats for linemen, safeties, wide receivers on running plays, and more. While I'm not ready to proclaim this site the greatest football stats site out there, it does seem to provide a fairly accurate assessment of line play. without even looking at their grading method, take a look at their assessment of Colts guard Mike Pollak:

Yep, that looks pretty accurate to me, and that kind of production is likely why Pollak was recently benched for Kyle DeVan, who last year was playing Arena Football.

Will Ronde Barber have some company in the record books?

Buc Wild — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 15:00:41 -0000

More photos » by Alex Brandon - AP

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Setting a team record is something that player's cherish. It secures their name in the franchise annals and sets a bar, one they hope won't be beat. Players have even talked about going after each other's records. Other times, fans don't want to see a record broken (See Johnson, Larry - 75 yards away from breaking Priest Holmes rushing record. Fans actually started a petition to bench LJ so he wouldn't break it. He has since been released and talked about coming back to Kansas City to break the record some day). Being atop a certain category seems to lend credence to a player's career.

With the current season unfolding, and without looking through every record, I came across one record that may be threatened this year.

Ronde Barber's single season record for interceptions is under siege in the 2009 season. In 2001, Ronde Barber intercepted 10 passes in a single season. This broke the previous record of 9 set by Cedric Brown back in 1981. Halfway through the season, there is an opportunity for a new name to join or surpass Ronde's atop the leader board.

Aqib Talib has five picks through 8 games, putting him on pace to match Ronde's 10. The remaining schedule sets up pretty favorably for Talib with a few young quarterbacks (Henne, Sanchez, and Ryan) and some gunslingers (Hasselback and Delhomme).

Talib of course was aided by his three pick day against Washington, but so too was Ronde. In Ronde's record setting season, he intercepted three passes against the Saintsin Week 15. In fact, Ronde had 8 picks through 5 games, as Talib does now. In the first 8 games of 2001, Ronde had two multi-interception games, whereas Talib only has one (Washington).

With Talib shadowing the opposing team's #1 WR, this should lead to ample opportunity to make a few plays. Talib has done a pretty good job of shutting down the #1's but doesn't seemed to have earned the respect of opposing teams. Yet. He plays a pretty aggressive style of defense which leads to opportunities to take the ball the other way. As opposing QBs continue to test him, Talib may make them show respect quicker than they anticipated if he continues his assault on Ronde's record.

Arrowheadlines: Chiefs News 11/12

NJ Chiefs Fan — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 11:55:23 -0000

via sportsillustrated.cnn.com

Todd Haley rattled off a bunch of statistical areas where the Chiefs rank quite well among the league’s 32 teams. But he allowed after he was done that "stats are for losers." There’s no doubt the ‘09 Chiefs are losers right now, tied for the worst record in the NFL.

Then there are all those others numbers, losers of 27 of their last 30 and 37 of their last 44.

So many fans and pundits wanted change at Arrowhead and rebuilding. It’s doubtful they remembered just how painful it can be. After eight games, the current Chiefs rebuilding job is the ugliest in franchise history.

Ultimate Rebuilding Pain … Thursday Cup O’Chiefs from Bob Gretz

The Chiefs, tangled in recent weeks in the storm surrounding the suspension and release of running back Larry Johnson, are trying to move past the controversy and find a way to win a game.
That will put things out of kilter Sunday when the 1-7 Chiefs play the 2-6 Raiders in Oakland. The Raiders have had a tumultuous season, even by their standards, but things in Oakland have been relatively peaceful the past couple of weeks.

The Chiefs aren’t strangers to controversy, particularly as it relates to Johnson, but normally that’s an area where they can’t compete with the Raiders. Oakland almost always had a drama or two keeping the Raiders occupied.

Raiders won't gloat over Johnson's departure from the Chiefs from KC Star

Chiefs guard Mike Goff was placed on injured reserve Wednesday, and the shoulder injury that kept him out of Sunday’s starting lineup also will end the veteran’s season.

Kansas City signed Goff during the offseason, after he had played his first 11 seasons with Cincinnati and San Diego. Goff, 33, started the first seven games this season.

Coach Todd Haley said Wednesday that Andy Alleman probably will move into the starting role. Alleman, whom the Chiefs acquired in a trade earlier this season with Miami, started against Jacksonville.

Goff will miss remainder of season from KC Star

The Kansas Chiefs and Oakland Raiders have been making plenty of headlines the past few weeks, but not for any reasons they'd like.

In a matchup of two of the worst teams in the NFL, the Chiefs will take the field Sunday without Larry Johnson, who was released for making inappropriate comments, against a Raiders team dealing with more allegations of coach Tom Cable's history of violent behavior toward women.

Kansas City (1-7) is set to play its first game without Johnson on its roster since 2002 after the two-time Pro Bowl running back was released Monday. He was initially suspended for posting on his Twitter account a gay slur, insulting followers and questioning the competence of coach Todd Haley.

Riders vs. Chiefs from CBS Sports

A ROSE: My congratulations to the Kansas City Chiefs Football Club for taking a principled stand on the actions of team members. Mr. Larry Johnson has a substantial record of disregard for the efforts of others and Missourians do not take this lightly.

Roses & Thorns from News-Leader.com

Brought in for his breakaway speed that Oakland hoped would revive the vertical passing game, Heyward-Bey has only five catches for 74 yards and no touchdowns in his first eight games as a pro.

"I haven't made the plays I wanted to make, but I've definitely been solid just looking at my grades that come out of the game. ... I've been very solid. There's always room for improvement as a whole receiving corps. We've been all right. We've been all right."

Oakland's receivers have once again been one of the worst groups in the league, catching just 28 passes the entire first half of the season.

But coach Tom Cable last week singled out Heyward-Bey's performance in the previous two games as one of the highlights of the first half. Heyward-Bey had three catches for 38 yards in those two games, hardly the production expected out of a top 10 pick but better than what he had done in the first six games.

Heyward-Bey remains confident despite struggles from MercuryNews.com

PewterReport.com is issuing a correction about a comment from Charlie Campbell's PI Quick Hits article posted on November 2. After the 2009 NFL Draft the Bucs had some change over in the Bucs scouting department.

In the article it stated that the Bucs "dropped" former scout Dom Green. Since publication of the article, Pewter Report has learned that Green was offered a contract to stay with the Buccaneers, but he chose to take a position with the Kansas City Chiefs.

Correction: Scout Dom Green Chose KC over TB from PewterReport.com

THIS SUNDAY, the Oakland Raiders of the National Football League will honor Native American Heritage Month at the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum.

Native American Heritage Month recognizes the significant contributions the first Americans made to the establishment and growth of the U.S.

I commend the Raiders organization for honoring the contributions of Native Americans, but I question their choice of opponent — the Kansas City Chiefs.

Is it possible to be any more insensitive in the selection of an opponent for an event that began with, what I view, as good intentions?

Byron Williams: Good to honor Native Americans, but Raiders opponent is an insensitive choice from The Oakland Tribune

Kansas City Chiefs earlier this year created a spoof of The Office to send up their front office operations, now they're bringing again with a riff on 30 Rock.

For the most part, it's spot on, especially in the production values. The moments where it seemed the most strained are when the two guys impersonating Alec Baldwin and Tracy Morgan are on screen. But given that those are the two most talented performers on 30 Rock, it's a forgivable misstep. That and the KC Wolf character is kind of annoying, but then they have to work in the mascot somehow, I guess.

The video is after the jump, as it's one of those annoying ones that starts automatically when you open the page. A commendable show of humor, especially for a franchise that employs a coach who clearly takes everything way too seriously.
Chiefs Better at TV Spoofs Than Football from The Sporting News

Lance Long. You know, that smurfy slot receiver in his first year from Mississippi State? He’s not a rookie, technically, but Long might as well be.

The 5-foot-11, 186-pound Detroit native has experience in this offense and familiarity with head coach Todd Haley. As you may remember (like it was eons ago or something), Haley called the plays for the Arizona Cardinals‘ high-flying passing attack last year. What you may not have known is Long spent that entire year on Arizona’s practice squad.

Fantasy owners need to start going Long from KFFL.com

No Player Tweets

Media and Fans

Fake_J_Russell: Been real busy this week ... loading up on calories for the game against the #chiefs Lots of burgers and fries. #raiders

Slimlicious99: @superdj56 Come on DJ you gotta get on the field more. Im a Chiefs and a Longhorn. You are my favorite player for sure.

amandarykoff: Let's face it, when the Raiders play the Chiefs, there really are no winners.

SI_JimTrotter: OAK more talented on field, KC is superior in the front office. RT @SportsJunkie854 How long till Raiders or Chiefs make playoffs?

BUCSHOTS- Thanks for that failed 2pt conversion? NFL In London?

Niko Houllis — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 10:45:10 -0000

More photos » by Chris O'Meara - AP

Bumping is great, but NFL.com has got some serious first half awards here!

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Gary Shelton brings up a great point; What would have happened if we DIDNT fail on our 2 point conversion? This is a must read for people who like "what if" stories.

TBO.com digs into Monday Night Footballand how Jon Gruden is doing in his new gig.

Head Coach Raheem Morris is still growing as far as Martin Fennelly reports.

Clifton Smith is reported by the Pewter Report as having been announced the NFC Special Teams Player of week.

Paul Stewart of Bucpower.com says an NFL franchise based in London " is total Bollocks"

NFL.com gives out some cool midseason awards that are...not so typical.

Dolphins vs Bucs: 5 Good Questions

Matty I — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 05:15:17 -0000

In preparation of Sunday's intrastate battle between the Dolphins and Buccaneers, myself and Niko from Buc 'Em - SBN's Bucs blog - have exchanged some questions about each other's team. Niko's responses to my questions about the Bucs are below. Be sure to head over to Buc' Em to see my responses to his questions about the Dolphins sometime in Thursday.

Matty I: While many aren't surprised with the struggles that Tampa Bay has gone through this season, I don't think anyone thought they'd struggle this much. What's been the single biggest reason for Tampa's disappointing start?

Niko: Its hard to put it on one reason, but the bottom line is the Bucs did for 2009 what they were supposed to do probably in 2006 or 2004. Instead of rebuilding, they kept plugging in BandAids, and now in 2009, that was all that was left. Youngsters, and bandaids. The little flesh colored plastic bandages were removed in the offseason, and now this team has to put together a real team like it did for Tony Dungy in 1996.

Matty I: Josh Freeman made his first career start on Sunday against the Packers and, from an outsider's perspective, played relatively well in leading his team to their first win. Can you break down Freeman's game in a nut shell (strengths, weaknesses, etc...)?

Niko: We were all amazed mostly at his poise. Here is a kid who did not start out brilliantly, and had many drops kill his completion percentage. But unlike other quarterbacks in recent years, Freeman was able to convert 3rd downs and convert red zone opportunities into Touchdowns instead of FGs. He did great moving around and throwing on the move.

Matty I: Many might not be very familiar with these Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Tell us a player or two that Dolphin fans might not know too well right now but will certainly be familiar with by the end of Sunday's game.

Niko: Wide receiver Sammy Stroughter (#18) was an up and coming college player who had three or four close relatives die all at once. He suffered from depression at the worst time, going into his senior season and the combine. The Bucs got a steal picking him up in the 7th round and he is going to be a leading receiver for Freeman in the years to come. He ran a kickoff back for a TD, too. Geno Hayes from Florida State wore Derrick Brooks number in Tallahassee, and he has taken his old job now, too. Hayes is coming into his own as a linebacker.

Matty I: How do you see Sunday's game unfolding? Who wins and why?

Niko: We're really not sure how to grade the Bucs win over the Packers, but we know we are still not stocked with enough talent on defense to implement Jim Bates defensive system which Dolphins fans know oh so well. I think it will be a close game and feel that Miami will run for over 250 yards - and we know what happens when you run for that much. If Miami cant run for 100 yards, it will spell trouble for you.

Matty I: And finally, same question back to you. If you could have any player on the Dolphins' roster, who would it be?

Niko: Ted Ginn Jr. would be nice, as we are lacking in WR help.

Thanks to Niko for his time. And be sure to head over to his blog for a little Dolphins talk.

And yes, I too almost fell out of my chair when I read that Niko would like to see Ted Ginn in Tampa Bay. But jokes aside, I wonder if that statement by Niko should tell us something about how others feel about Teddy. Are we being too hard on him because of his draft status - which isn't Ted's fault at all? Maybe there is still hope for him. If nothing else, assuming the Dolphins find a receiver who can stretch the field this offseason, perhaps the Dolphins should call up Niko and help him persuade Tampa's front office to give up a draft pick for Teddy.

ON THIS DAY VIDEO- 11/11/1984 Bucs beat the NY Giants

Niko Houllis — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 22:00:27 -0000

Phil Simms.

Bill Parcells.

None of them could help, because overconfidence kills, especially when the other team has James Wilder in his prime.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers actually had a top 10 offense in 1984 with Steve Deberg at QB.

Check out the movie on how it all went down, On This Day.

Analysis: Packers (4-4) After 8 Games

Brandon — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 13:00:42 -0000

by Chris O'Meara - AP

4 days ago: Tampa Bay Buccaneers tight end Kellen Winslow (82) grabs a fourth-quarter touchdown pass as Green Bay Packers cornerback Charles Woodson (21) looks on during an NFL football game Sunday, Nov. 8, 2009, in Tampa, Fla. The Buccaneers defeated the Packers 38-28. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)

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Obviously the 1st half of the season ended badly with a loss to what was previously the last team without a win. Ex-Packer DT Gilbert Brown took some shots at Mike McCarthy this week, and former S LeRoy Butler says it's time for Mike to "turn the play calling over to Joe Philbin." Really? Philbin might be a heck of a guy, but he's primarily been an offensive line coach since 1986 and became a 1st time offensive coordinator in 2007. After watching the offensive line struggle this season, it's not exactly clear whether Philbin is doing a very good job himself.

Here's how they measure up statistically after the first 8 games compared to the rest of the league, rankings from NFL.com:

Team	Run Offense	Pass Offense	Run Defense	Pass Defense
Packers	10	9	9	8

They're top 10 in every major statistical category. I would expect a winning record with those stats. For as bad as the offensive line has been this season, it sure hasn't stopped the offense from being productive. I'm not defending them, just pointing out that we can't just say the 4-4 record is all the offensive line's fault. There's something else going on here. More after the jump.

Let's compare them to three other teams, the unbeaten Colts and Saints, and the Cowboys. I think everyone would consider those three teams better than the Packers. Again rankings from NFL.com:

Team	Run Offense	Pass Offense	Run Defense	Pass Defense
Saints	5	4	19	16
Colts	29	1	14	9
Cowboys	8	6	12	20

According to Football Outsiders: all 3 teams have an offense in the top 5 (the Packers are at No. 8); the defenses of the Colts (No. 6 overall) and Saints (No. 4) are playing great (the Packers are No. 5), while the Cowboys are struggling with the No. 20 defense. The No. 29 run offense from the Colts sticks out like a sore thumb, but obviously their No. 1 pass offense is more than compensating for it. The official rankings don't take into consideration that the Saints lead the NFL in INTs, but their run defense really isn't very good anyway you look at it. And the official stats don't notice that the Colts have only allowed 4 TD passes this season.

My point is that the Packers seem to measure up well against 3 teams that have combined for 2 losses in their first 24 games.

Though one area I haven't addressed is special teams. The Packers are dead last by a comfortable margin, according to Football Outsiders. The 3 worst special teams games of the season have been against the Bengals, Vikings (at Lambeau), and Buccaneers; all losses. An easy answer might be it's the special teams fault, but good special teams play doesn't necessarily equal a winning football team. Currently the Browns have the best special teams unit in the NFL, while some winning teams like the Saints (No. 26), Broncos (No. 27), and Steelers (No. 30) aren't getting much from their special teams either.

But something else jumped out in those 4 losses this season: passing TDs allowed. The Packers have allowed 16 passing TDs this season, tied for 4th worst in the NFL. 12 of those have been given up in the 4 losses, and it has worked out exactly to 3 TDs in each game. The common theme in those 12 TD passes was the absence of the pass rush.

Another problem is that 10 of those 12 TD passes were for 15 yards or less. In theory it might be easier to cover in the red zone, where there is less field to cover, but that hasn't been the case this season.

Against the Bengals: TD passes of 5, 5, and 13 yards. If you watch the highlight of each TD pass on NFL.com, you'll see QB Carson Palmer dropping back with no pressure in his face as he steps up in the pocket and throws. On the final 2 TD passes, you'll also notice S Aaron Rouse standing around after the play, looking confused. Which is probably one reason why he was released a couple days later.

Against the Vikings (in Minneapolis): The first TD pass from the 1 yard line was asking for trouble (Favre ran one way then turned to throw across the field for the TD) but they got away with it. The 2nd one was a strike to WR Sidney Rice for 14 yards, and similar to the TD passes by Palmer, Favre dropped back in the pocket and then stepped up to throw with little pressure on him. The final TD was a 31 yard pass to Berrian on which S Derrick Martin played the wrong coverage, and he hasn't been seen playing defense since.

Against the Vikings (at Lambeau): The 12 yard TD pass to TE Visanthe Shiancoe had no pass rush again. The 51 yard TD pass was a fluke play where 3 Packers collided as they jumped for the ball, and Favre got away with throwing into triple coverage. The final 2 yard TD pass was a quick pass out into the right flat which the OLB couldn't get to.

Against the Buccaneers: A 6 yard TD pass that was a quick pass out into the right flat which the OLB couldn't get to. That play is something teams will try and exploit again since it worked in consecutive weeks. A 7 yard TD pass during which the Packers finally got some pass rush! DE Johnny Jolly broke free and collapsed the pocket, but LB Clay Matthews tried to go inside, so there was nobody outside to the left when QB Josh Freeman scrambled to throw a high arching pass to TE Kellen Winslow that only he could catch. On the final 7 yard TD pass, CB Jarrett Bush was fooled on a double move by a rookie WR into the right corner of the end zone. He could have gotten it if he hadn't been fooled, but Bush has been underwhelming us with his coverage skills for the past 3 seasons.

Some of those TD passes couldn't have been avoided. But on most of them, the QB had too much time to throw. The special teams and the offensive line have been bad this season, and the team would be a lot better if those units could get themselves turned around. But where they're losing games is on TD passes allowed in the red zone. What they really need is a pass rush, especially up the middle (paging Cullen Jenkins and B.J. Raji), to turn the opponent's red zone opportunities into FGs or stops.

Armaggedon 2009 (or, the War of 18 and 12) : Just how evenly matched are the Patriots and Colts

BigBlueShoe — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 11:16:43 -0000

More photos » by AJ Mast - AP

4 days ago: Indianapolis Colts linebacker Clint Session runs the ball after intercepting a pass from Houston Texans quarterback Matt Schaub in the fourth quarter of an NFL football game in Indianapolis, Sunday, Nov. 8, 2009. The Colts won 20-17. (AP Photo/AJ Mast)

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For all the hoopla the New Orleans Saints are getting (and rightly so) for their 8-0 start, the reality is that, statistically, the Patriots and the Colts are more impressive. And while it is no en vogue for people like Buccaneers coach Raheem Morris to proclaim "Statistics are for losers," the reality is stats tell us an awful lot about how good a team will likely be moving forward.

Small side note: Anyone else find it both pathetically and ironically funny that Morris, who is 1-7 as a head coach, would proclaim that "statistics are for losers." Speaking of losers, Morris will be lucky if he keeps his job at the end of this season.

The Saints sport the league's best offense, averaging nearly 38 points per game, which is, of course, INSANE! However, their defense is surrendering 21 points per game, ranking them 19th in the league. But while the Saints appear free-wheelin' and high-flyin', the Patriots and Colts seem much more balanced as football teams and, therefore, much more dangerous.

New England sports the #2 scoring defense in football, surrendering 14 points a game. Their offense scores 28 points per game (#3 in the league). Indy trots out the #1 scoring defense, giving up just 13 points per game, and an offense that scores 27 points per game (#6 in the league).

If we Colts fans know anything it's that great offense with mediocre-to-bad defense can only take you so far in this league. Eventually, you will run into a team that will stall your offense. When that happens, your defense must have the talent and the coaching to win the game for your team. For the Pats and Colts, they seem to have the kind of defensive talent to stop opposing teams, which is incredible considering the Pats are without Mike Vrabel, Tedy Bruschi, Rodney Harrison, and Richard Seymour this year. Meanwhile, the Colts are without Bob Sanders, Marlin Jackson, Ed Johnson, and Tyjuan Hagler. Yet, they still shut people down.

Again, balance on offense and defense can make a football team dangerous, and this Sunday two very dangerous teams will face off in what hopefully will be a great game.

For more, check out Marima's FanShot.

Congratulations Lee Roy Selmon!

Niko Houllis — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 10:00:16 -0000

Selmon 63

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No other player ever has, nor ever will, wear number 63 for the Bucs. Thats because he was the first player ever chosen by the Bucs so hes the first to wear 63 and the last! Not even MIke Alstott has his number officially retired. That ceremony was just for his retirement, and the presentation of his jersey. However, the Glazers may be up to something in the future, as no one has worn 99, 47, 55 or 40 since those Bucs that made the numbers famous did. Come to think of it, number 42, worn by Ricky Bell, was only briefly taken in the late 80s. It hasnt been used in some time.

Lee Roy was joined on the field Sunday as he was on the field in 1977 by his brother Dewey Selmon who wore 61 first then 58 later. Dewey Selmon played linebacker on the '79 NFC Central Division Championship team with Lee Roy, and was quite emotional pregame on the field. Now we can turn to some of the other members of the Bucs who would look good up there next to him.

At any rate, there was no debating who belonged in first, and just in case there are doubters....he is a brief case made for Lee Roy by video.