SB Nation User Blog: Craig T

Week 15 Snapshot Preview: Tampa Bay Buccaneers @ Seattle Seahawks

Craig T — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 15:41:05 -0000

Overview: The Tampa Bay Buccaneers' quest for their second win of the season... or for their continued eligibility in the Ndamukong Suh sweepstakes... continues at the appropriately-named Quest Field in the great Pacific Northwest, where the Bucs and Seattle Seahawks clash at 4:15 ET today. The Seahawks come into Sunday's contest at 5-8, fresh off of a difficult 34-7 loss at Houston that basically eliminated the remaining minimal hope Seattle might have had in making a late run at the division title. Although Seattle did what it does best defensively, hold the opposing running attack to under 100 yards rushing, they yielded a monster game to Andre Johnson, Matt Schaub, and the Houston passing attack. Similarly, the Bucs come into Sunday's game off of a similar lopsided loss...26-3 at the hands of the New York Jets and their top-ranked defense. A win today, while not relevant in the playoff picture, would go a long way towards earning some goodwill for the prevailing head coach.

Keys to a Buccaneer Victory:

First thing's first... cut out the bad throws and turnovers. Josh Freeman has put his team in the hole the past few weeks with some questionable decision-making and off-target throws. There's no other way to put it. Bad throws to undisguised underneath LB zone coverage. Badly missing open receivers coming across the middle. That's not to discredit some of the good things he's done. He showed up well at times in that Carolina game, making some fine deep throws to KW and Bryant. He was pretty good at Atlanta for most of the game. However, for the good he does, the turnovers have to go, especially with the defense starting to play well again. Punting or throwing the ball away isn't always a bad thing by any means. Put the inconconsistent Seattle offense in a long field and let your defense continue to improve and give you a chance to win.

On defense, the Bucs actually match up decently well with Seattle's offense. Seattle ranks a lowly 28th in the league in rushing yards per game with 91 and boast a running back that, in my opinion, isn't starting material while keeping a budding young star on the bench. Jim Mora has been known in the past to be loyal to a fault to veterans, and that appears not to have changed by continuing to feature two-yards-and-fall-down-at-first-contact Julius Jones as the starter while keeping the surprisingly effective Justin Forsett in a secondary role. As such, as long as the Bucs can continue to get good gap penetration, they can give the LBs the opportunity to make tackles, take away the threat of play action, and effectively keep the Seattle offense in 2nd and 7's, 3rd and 5's... where the Seahawks have not shined this year with a paltry 33% conversion percentage on 3rd down.

Keys for a Seahawk Victory:

There's a guy on that Seattle defensive line in the 4-3 that's made a big difference.... DT Colin Cole. He's a guy I wrote a piece on in the offseason that the Bucs needed to kick the tires on, especially when implementing a 2-gap system and with the absence of ideal 4-3 big-bodied undertackles. Instead, the Bucs passed on him and he went to Seattle, where he's anchoring a defensive line that ranks near the top of the NFL in stopping the run, allowing only 81 YPG. If the defensive line can continue to limit the Buccaneer running game and force them to completely abandon it, that'll allow them to stay in a 4-2-5 set, which will allow them to use the nickleback to double cover Antonio Bryant in most non-spread sets and take away Josh Freeman's primary target. That's essential, because the Seahawks have struggled to stop the pass lately, giving up solid receiving numbers to Andre Johnson, Michael Crabtree, Donnie Avery, and Sidney Rice.

On offense, the Seahawks need to find a way to get the running game going, because the absence of Nate Burleson will be felt in the passing game. They need to get Jones and Forsett involved in the short passing game and outside runs and get the linebackers off-balance and out of the middle of the field to set up the mid-range passing game to TE John Carlson and slot receiver Deion Branch.

Prediction: The absence of a running game will put the game Freeman, who will find Antonio Bryant often. However, he won't be quite consistent enough to sustain scoring drives and will set up Seattle a time or two with a short field. Seattle won't blow up on the ground, but they'll open up the run in passing formations through a relatively successful passing game that will have enough balance to move the ball and control the time of possession. Seattle 20, Tampa Bay 13.

Week 15 Player Profile: RB Carnell "Cadillac" Williams

Craig T — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 16:58:42 -0000

More photos » by Rob Carr - AP

If the Bucs want to win another game this season, this man will need to put the team on has back and carry them to the finish line. (AP Photo/Rob Carr)

Browse more photos »

Overview: Austin Powers might be known as the "international man of mystery", but several Buccaneers hold that title here in the bay area, and Cadillac Williams is as much of a man of mystery as anyone. He's been suspiciously absent from the Buccaneer backfield (and the endzone) far more often than most of us would like or expected this season.

Really, mystery should be one of the words used to describe this season. To most of us, it's been a mystery why Raheem and the Buccaneer front office cleaned house and proclaimed that they were looking to go in a new direction and that this would be a violent, physical team. They went out and got RB Derrick Ward to create a RB triumverate of Ward, Caddy, and Earnest Graham. Clearly, with Caddy coming off of two torn pattelar tendons, they wanted to ease him back in the game and they saw something they liked in Derrick Ward as a possible featured back.

Flash forward to Week 15...

The Bucs sit at as arguably the worst and least physical team in the league with a 1-12 record and a basement-worthy rank of rushing yards per game. Rookie Josh Freeman has supplanted two ineffective Buccaneer quarterbacks. Despite his hot-and-cold see-saw performances from week-to-week, the Buccaneers continue to throw at a percentage that would make Tom Brady and Peyton Manning blush. The line can't get a consistent push and the running game is nearly non-existent.

Many fans are angrily calling out the coaching staff not just for the painful results this season, but for the questionable offensive philsophy the team has taken, especially since the FOTF (Face of the Franchise) Josh Freeman has taken over the reigns of the offense. Why do they refuse to run the ball consistently? We hear it week in and week out on Total Access and at the weekly presser that they're going to find a way to run the ball more, but that proclamation gets thrown out with the trash come Sunday, as Josh Freeman continues to air it out 60-70 percent of the time.

The Bucs certainly aren't without playmaking talent at running back. They've got a couple of guys who've thrived at different times on this team, one of whom is our main home run threat and fan favorite, Cadillac Williams. Although never putting together an MVP-calibur season, he's shown to be able to give the Bucs a big-play threat and carry the load when needed... and healthy, which has been a problem for him. He hit the ground running, literally, in his 2005 rookie campaign, exploding onto the scene with 1178 rushing yards at a respectable 4.1 yards per clip. Lingering injuries and Gruden's love affair with the short pass in lieu of the run limited Caddy's opportunities from '06 through '09. Despite the devastating patellar tendon injuries that sidelined him for parts of '07 and '08, he's come back running hard and determined... and it appears the previous regime and current staff forgot he can run like this...

Highlights: The first two plays are an exhibition of why you stick with the run early and often, even when the sledding gets tough early, and worth looking at a little more closely. Just as our defense did against Thomas Jones in the 2nd quarter last week, players miss tackles, take bad angles, and miss assignments, leading to big plays. What's great about having a guy like Caddy is that he can make that big play...hit that home run.

First play is a single back, two tight end set. A simple dive play. Caddy hits the A-gap with a good burst and quickly finds the optimal route to a 12-yard gain and a first down. The key on this play is two-fold, in my opinion... the line, all 5 of them, got a good 2-yard push on the front 7 and locked up their defenders right between the pads. Michael Clayton made a heck of a block on the outside linebacker, which was probably made a bout a 9-yard difference.

On the very next play, a tremendous individual effort from Caddy resulted in the first Buccaneer points of the game. Strong right I-formation, off-tackle run called. However, the end comes into the backfield unblocked and Caddy, recognizing his lane closing, hits the L1 button and cuts left away from the play and takes it to the garage. It almost looked like an iso counter. Good vision, quick feet, and good speed.

Against New England, Caddy runs a simple iso up the middle for a solid gain, showing his willingness and ability to put his head down and run over defensive backs. Faine and Joseph pushed back Wilfork and Trueblood pushed out the defensive end nicely, creating a big alley for Caddy. It's also nice to see a guy coming off two devastating knee injuries not being afraid to take contact with multiple defenders and push hard for the extra yards.

Finally, Caddy hits the hole against Washington, puts on a move, and takes it for almost 20 yards. Although he has not managed to stay on the field, which certainly can't go overlooked if you're looking for a running back to feature, he has good straightline speed and can get to the linebackers more quickly than other backs. That split-second difference makes a huge impact in the runnign game if the line is having a hard time holding their blocks.

Prospects for Week 14:

Despite promising us several times that they're going to find ways to get the running game going, I just don't see them sticking with the running game, which is a shame because as I said before, big plays can be had on the ground just as they can through the air with far less risk of a significant negative play or turnover. Seattle is actually pretty good against the run, ranking 5th in the NFL in 81 YPGA. Despite their blowout loss last week, Seattle held the Texans' backs to a combined 85 total rushing yards. Based on the Bucs' offensive tendencies and Seattle's solid run defense, I'd expect about 11-13 carries for 50-65 yards and maybe one score on Sunday.

Re-Introducing "Prospecting the Draft" With Craig T, Version 2.0

Craig T — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 04:01:35 -0000

Hello gang.... I just wanted to give a heads-up that we here at Buc'Em are planning on rolling with our "Prospecting the Draft" segment during the offseason starting in January, which I will be spearheading. For those that recall last year, each week we selected a player at a position of projected need for the Bucs. I broke down some video of their college performance, looked at their college statistics and various statistical trends and performances, and examined their combine results and physical strengths and weaknesses. Each week, the piece would culminate with a poll requesting your opinion on whether the prospect would be worth being picked and a discussion in the comment section on why you would/wouldn't select the particular player. If you want a refresher on the series, I encourage you to peruse the archives and take a look at our pieces on Josh Freeman, Percy Harvin, Everette Brown, etc, that I posted back in February/March of this year. Of course, this series would be in addition to regular mock drafts and forums/discussions on the combine, individual workouts, and offseason free agent acquisitions that might impact draft needs.

I was also thinking of making this thing a bit more democratic this year and putting it to you all, our readership, to determine who you'd like to see featured and evaluated the next week. Do you all have any other suggestions or requests that you'd like to see in this series that we didn't cover last year?

Buc'Em Fantasy Football Review Finale

Craig T — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 03:44:53 -0000

More photos » by Tom Hevezi - AP

Will Antonio Bryant cash in for the Bucs and his owners this week against a Seattle secondary that was humiliated by Andre Johnson and Houston last week? (AP Photo/Tom Hevezi)

Browse more photos »

As we roll into Week 15 of the NFL season, it's the championship game for many of you hopefully still fighting for your league trophies, prize money, and 9-month bragging rights. As usual, after you lock your must-start #1's into your lineup, it's time to make some tough decisions, so let's get down to it...

QUARTERBACKS TO START

1. Matt Schaub @ STL. Schaub and Johnson could blow up again for second straight week... both have top-5 potential.

2. Tony Romo @ NO. Barber and DAL rushing attack has been putrid of late and Cowboys also should be trailing, meaning the passing game will be predominant again. Romo is consistently hitting 250-350 yards and multiple scores, with his main weapon Miles Austin capable of blazing Saints' defense on turf.

3. Alex Smith @ PHI. Eli Manning rolled the PHI secondary last week and few QBs have been consistently hotter than Alex Smith over the past month and a half.

QUARTERBACKS TO SIT

1. Joe Flacco vs. CHI. Bears' secondary showed it's still capable of limiting a good offense (last week vs. GB), and if there's a weakness to exploit on Bears' D, it's that run defense, so BAL should be pouning the ball.

2. Eli Manning @ WAS. Tough Washington secondary and budding star DE Brian Orakpo could give Eli some fits Monday night.

3. Matt Hasselbeck vs. TB. Yes, yes dears, our Buccaneer defense is underwhelming as a whole, but our secondary has actually done a pretty good job keeping opposing passing attacks somewhat under raps. Also, Hasselbeck's #1 guy, Nate Burleson, is expected to be out Sunday. He could have a decent game, but I just don't think he blows up Sunday.

RUNNING BACKS TO START

1. Thomas Jones vs. ATL. Atlanta defense gives out TDs to opposing running backs like Freeman has been giving out turnovers lately.

2. Jamaal Charles vs. CLE. The possible waiver wire claim of the year has RB1 potential this week.

3. Ray Rice vs. CHI. Should be featured guy in Baltimore offense that will be looking to run most of the time against a CHI defense that was just burned by the inconsistent Ryan Grant.

RUNNING BACKS TO SIT

1. Brandon Jacobs @ WAS. Jacobs has struggled this year... and did I forget to mention that WAS is doing a pretty good job of stopping opposing rushing attacks as well lately? Haynesworth starting to earn his money.

2. Marion Barber @ NO. Cowboy offensive line not getting much of a push for Barber, who's not getting much more than 3-5 yards on any given carry lately. After another paltry performance last week, still hasn't rushed for 100 yards since Week 2 or scored since Week 8.

3. Matt Forte @ BAL. With the Chicago passing attack sputtering under Cutler, the Ravens should tee off on Forte and the CHI ground game Sunday. Ick.

WIDE RECEIVERS TO START

1. Miles Austin @ NO. Should hit some big plays and continue his streak of putting up double-digit fantasy points.

2. Michael Crabtree @ PHI. Big play potential against a risk-taking defense with a hot QB throwing him the ball makes me feel giddy about Crabtree's chances to have a big game.

3. Robert Meachem vs. DAL. DAL in bottom half of league in passing YPGA. Although Meachem's TD streak was snapped last week, he managed to lead all Saint WRs in RecYds with 57 and has clearly earned the trust from his QB as the team's second option in the passing game. Start.

BONUS: Antonio Bryant @ SEA. AB free of Revis and going up against a secondary that is prone to give up the big play.

WIDE RECEIVERS TO SIT

1. Donnie Avery vs. HOU. In case you hadn't heard, there was an H1N1 outbreak at Rams practice this week. Keith Null's absoutely dreadful performance might be even more sickening than that.

2. Roddy White @ NYJ. Most of you Roddy White owners took him as a high pick, but expect a 4-5 catch, 40-55 yard range if you don't have a better option.

3. Steve Smith @ MIN. Both starting tackles out for CAR, which will subject Matt Moore to pressure all game. If you have better options, think about it.

TIGHT ENDS TO START

1. Fred Davis vs. NYG. Becoming top red-zone target for Campbell and Skins, hauling in 4 TDs in last 3 games. Celek had a nice game against NYG last week.

2. Brent Celek vs. SF. Has scored in 5 of past 7 games and caught 4 passes each game in the 2 games where he didn't score.

3. Visanthe Shiancoe @ CAR. Panther passing defense is strong, but Shiancoe has scored in 3 of last 4 and is Favre's main red zone target. Keep him active.

TIGHT ENDS TO SIT

1. Jeremy Shockey vs. DAL. Although DAL pass defense ranks low, they've been effective in covering the TE this season. Shockey's production has been overall disappointment this season.

2. Zach Miller @ DEN. Not sure who Charlie Frye will lock in on. Denver's back 7 is athletic enough to slow down Miller.

3. Heath Miller vs. GB. Packers' pass defense is ranked 3rd in NFL and Miller hasn't scored in 3 games and has become tercery option in PIT passing game.

DEFENSES TO START

1. Denver vs. OAK.

2. Houston @ STL.

3. Arizona @ DET.

BONUS: New York Jets vs. ATL.

DEFENSES TO SIT

1. Dallas @ NO.

2. Pittsburgh vs. GB.

3. Washington vs. NYG.

As usual, if you have a lineup question, fire away, and we'll do our best to chime in and help. Thanks to all who read and commented on these posts the past couple of months!

Dominik on Suh: "He's got to be at the top, or very near the top, of every team's draft board."

Craig T — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 13:40:16 -0000

Dominik on Suh: "He's got to be at the top, or very near the top, of every team's draft board."

Whew... at least our GM recognizes the potential greatness in Suh. However, Dominik also stated: ""The only thing that worries me is living up to the hype. If he gets six sacks as a rookie playing defensive tackle, someone's going to call him a bust because of the high expectations. How's he going to handle that?''

6 sacks from a rookie DT? We have a hard enough time getting 6 sacks from a DE! If he's there... don't outthink yourself!

Raheem Morris on Sunday's Onside Kick: It's One of the Few Times I've Enjoyed Being a Head Coach

Craig T — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 03:04:43 -0000

by Dave Martin - AP

Is this the face of an NFL coach that's happy with his gig? (AP Photo/Dave Martin)

View full size photo »

I raise this to you, our community, as this topic caught my attention Tuesday on the Ron & Ian Show. As some of you may already know, the aforementioned words were spoken by our head coach Monday on the Buccaneer Total Access Raheem Morris show on 620 WDAE. If you didn't get a chance to listen to it on Monday at 6 pm, click here to check out the archived show on the Buccaneers' website. I typically listen to the show at work, but I couldn't catch it Monday. At the 16:12 mark, Scott Ledger asks Raheem if he had planned to kick the onside kick all along when he decided to go for the field goal on 4th and 5, trailing 19-0 in the third. The first words in response were that decision was one of the few times he enjoyed being a head coach.

Some of you might not care, nor find this comment worthy of a detailed discussion, but I think any time your head coach gives an in indication that he may or may not be happy with his job, it's worth delving into a little bit. Some might see the comment as a slap in the face to an ownership group that took a huge chance and did Raheem a big favor by promoting him to a position he certainly couldn't refuse. Others might see his comment as a further demonstration that he's in over his head and is not ready to take on the challenges that come with being a head coach.

Personally, the comment doesn't really bother me, as he's human like all of us and it's certainly been a frustrating season that everyone, players and fans, would like to quickly forget. Heck, it probably hasn't been fun dealing with angry fans, underperforming players, and a critical group of media members, some of whom are calling for his head. To me, his comments reflect that sentiment and capture the frustrations in dealing with difficult decisions he's been faced with this year. He's had to pick up some of the pieces that were left behind from the disastrous end to the 2008 season and the personnel debacles that followed this past offseason... and that sure as heck could not have been easy. I also don't think the comment serves as further ammunition to those who claim Raheem doesn't know what he's doing and is not ready to handle a head coaching position. It certainly doesn't show that any more than the impulsive staff hirings/firings and questionable in-game personnel decisions and playcalling that have gone on this year.

So I put it to you... our trusted community... to weigh in and discuss the matter. What's your position on Rah's comments? Are you bothered, or is it just a meaningless comment taken out of context by some?

Closing the Book on Week 14: Bucs Dominated In Every Phase of the Game, Swept by the Big Apple

Craig T — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 01:42:32 -0000

More photos » by Steve Nesius - AP

When your offense can't stay on the field and spell the defense, this sight was inevitable. (AP Photo/Steve Nesius)

Browse more photos »

If you've got a weak heart, don't read this article.

They say "Home is Where the Heart Is." Maybe somebody needs to put that sign over the door to the Buccaneer locker room, because they sure haven't shown much heart at home this season. There's no other way to sugar-coat Sunday's debacle. No gameplan. No inspiration. No nothing. The result: another home blowout loss to a decent, but not great opponent from the Big Apple. Back in Week 3, I thought that the Buccaneers hit rock bottom in all phases against the New York Giants. One red zone trip in the final minutes. No first downs until end of 3rd quarter. Blown coverages. Missed tackles. Leftwich couldn't complete a pass to an open receiver to save his life. Just dominated on both sides of the ball.

Sunday's game at the Jets just reeked of many the same old problems.... plus a new one that's reared its ugly head recently. Our Face of the Franchise Josh Freeman carried over his myopic tunnel vision from last week on the game's first play, trying to force the ball into a blanketed Antonio Bryant. AB ran a skinny post with a cornerback slightly trailing, where a safety was ready to step in front of the already covered Bryant if the flat-footed ILB David Harris had not had the ball gift-wrapped for him. Again, like last week, Freeman locked onto his #1 wide receiver from the snap, enabling the safety to slide over and get what would have been a pick or break up if the underneath LB zone coverage had whiffed. Freeman has to show better awareness, as there was no way Bryant could have caught that ball.

The playcalling was suspect. 40 passing plays against 16 rushes... with all 3 running backs and all 5 offensive linemen active and available? With a struggling rookie quarterback who's locking onto wide receivers, having problems recognizing simple NFL zone coverages? With Darrelle Revis consistently locked in between the "8" and "9" on Bryant's jersey? Yes, I understand the Bucs were trailing, but they came out throwing and never made a serious attempt to match the physicality of the Jets defense and establish a consistent, serious ground attack, especially into the second quarter, when the Bucs were trailing by 6 and 9 points. (When your offensive line is getting whipped on each play, I can undestand you've got to try something else. Then again, when your rookie QB is taking sacks and tossing picks, trying to establish the run can at least limit some negative plays that set up Jet scores.)

From there, things just got worse. Zero first half yards. No, that is not a mistype. Zero yards. Even with the immovable Kris Jenkins on IR, Jeff Faine and the guards got NO push against the interior of that Jet defensive line, leading to a porous 1.4 YPC for Caddy, Ward, and Graham.

The aggressive Jet defense got in Freeman's face early and often, bringing him down and/or forcing some ill-fated throws. As I noted in my game preview, the Jets love to blitz multiple guys from the same side, and they did just that. Their blitz of choice was to overload the right side of the Buccaneer offensive line and go after Freeman, mainly on 2nd and 3rd down. One drive-killing sack put the Bucs back deep at their own 6 yard line, which eventually led to a Jay Feely field goal. A 4th quarter blitz off the left side collapsed the pocket, contributing to Freeman's off-target mid-range throw and Revis' game-clinching pick. Unfortunately, as I also discussed in my preview, the Buccaneers failed to make the aggressive Jet defense pay... to wit, by failing to run some running back screens, wide receiver bubble screens, and delayed swing/flat passes to the running backs and tight ends. Granted I didn't see everything in between trips to the beer stand, but I don't recall seeing them run a screen or designed play to get behind the blitz once.

Really, with very, very few (if any) positives coming out of this game, where does the onus of the blame lie for this debacle? There are plenty of culprits...

Offensive line: It's just so baffling that an experienced group of veteran lineman on this roster could be so ineffective as a unit this year. In keeping with the season-long trend of the Bucs inability to establish a ground game, the Buccaneer running backs managed a meager 22 yards on 16 carries... less than a yard and a half per tote. It's tough for a back to run through a wall, and the holes just weren't there at all. As Davin Joseph said on his radio show last week, the Buc line has gone from a primary zone-blocking scheme to a mixture of zone and assignment-blocking schemes. I've got to go back and watch a little bit more, but the two-gap system clearly gave them fits and I've got to wonder if playing against the Jets' defense, which switched between base 3-4 and 4-2 nickel fronts, confused our guys and led to an increased number of missed assignments. Regardless, to put things into perspective about this line, when's the last time this offense executed an interior run, where a large hole opened up and our back got to the second level and ripped off a 20-40+ yard run??? This unit just isn't getting the push needed to hit some big plays on the ground and consistently move the chains.

Coaching: It's the same coach-speak, week in week out, and this week was no different. The coaches were going to make a conscious effort to be physical... to run the football consistently and establish a running game. That plan might have been nipped in the bud by the halftime score, but I don't think they had created enough plays to overcome the Jets' blitzes. Same spread formation, same mid-to-deep range passing plays. No screens or swing passes to negate the blitzes. Raheem Morris admitted today at his presser that he didn't have the team ready to go Sunday. I think that's true with both the milquetoast offensive game plan and lack of urgency, hustle, and toughness that was noticeably absent on Sunday. Even though the offensive line is underperforming, it's incumbent on Morris to find a way to get some balance into this offense and some success on the ground. It's just not getting done. To be fair, the defense has played better with Raheem running the defense and their gap penetration has limited the gaping holes to the linebackers and secondary for opposing backs (even a little better than the Bucs did in the last four games of the 2008 season), but at the end of the day, the numbers continue to demonstrate this being a defense that yields alot of yards.

Josh Freeman: For the third straight week, he looked like the rookie he is. It's starting to look like defenses are figuring out that Freeman locks onto receivers and that if you keep an underneath 3-LB basic zone coverage (not even a zone blitz where they drop an end or 3-4 OLB, but a simple drop zone coverage), you can break up the mid-range pass or turn him over. First pass of the game was an unmitigated disaster to a completely blanketed AB. Whenever AB, Brian Clark, or Kellen Winslow managed to get a slight bit of separation, Freeman continually missed them. His pass behind AB in the first half killed one drive and his pass behind Brian Clark in the 4th quarter led to the final Jet score that salted the game away. He looked every bit as green as he is and appears to be regressing since exploding onto the scene. Time will only tell if his dropoff can be attributed to the dual role of Olson as coordinator/QB coach (check out BucWild's article from today... fantastic read), or if his NFL production can be expected to be as inconsistent as his college numbers turned out at Kansas State.

Defense: Well, what can you really say when you're on the field the entire game? Our overworked D held Thomas Jones to just under 100 yards rushing on 24 carries. Not terrible, considering the Jet front pounded our front 7 with 39 designed runs to the Jet running backs and wide receivers... but still... 175 rushing yards and 4.4 YPC is not particularly great. Missed tackles in the middle and a bad angle from Tanard Jackson led to a 33-yard TD run from Thomas Jones, putting the Bucs in a huge hole early. The Bucs also were beat in coverage in one-on-one situations and were lucky that Kellen Clemens missed some open receivers. By contrast, the Jets' defense was a pillar of consistency on each play and showed what great defenses do... execute on every single play. The longest Buccaneer run of the game was 6 measly yards, and the Bucs failed to hit any big play in the passing game that could turn the tide of the game or, heck, even flip the field a time or two.

What were your impressions from Sunday's game?

Week 14 Game Preview: Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. New York Jets

Craig T — Sun, 13 Dec 2009 15:14:56 -0000

More photos » by Rick Havner - AP

16 days ago: Tampa Bay Buccaneers' Josh Freeman (5) throws a pass under pressure from Carolina Panthers' Everette Brown (91) in the first half of an NFL football game in Charlotte, N.C., Sunday, Dec. 6, 2009. (AP Photo/Rick Havner)

Browse more photos »

Overview: In a season of disappointment, missed opportunities, and derailed hopes, the Buccaneers hope to turn the tables and derail the hopes of another today, as the 6-6 New York Jets invade Raymond James Stadium today trying to keep pace with Jacksonville, Baltimore, and Miami for one of the final AFC playoff spots. The Jets will be without the "SANCHISE" today... Mark Sanchez, who has been ruled out of today's matchup due to an ailing knee. Kellen Clemens will get the nod instead.

The Jets started off the season "en fuego", blasting the much-hyped Texans 24-7. Rex Ryan's defense looked aggressive and nasty, Mark Sanchez threw his first TD pass, and Ryan started off his career the right way - in the win column. The next week, Ryan's bunch backed up their head coach after stating he wouldn't kiss Belichek's rings by popping the Patriots in the mouth in a physical 19-9 home victory. After pulling off a blockbuster trade earlier this season that sent Chansi Stucky and a draft pick to Cleveland for embattled WR Braylon Edwards, the Jets fell off the turnip truck, losing 6 of 7 during a span which saw their coach cry before his team and some Jet players call out the Dolphins for using the "gimmick" Wildcat formation. At 4-6, the Jets won back-to-back games over Carolina and Buffalo to even their record at 6-6 and make this game today probably the most important game of their season. A win and they've got a realistic shot to get to 9-7, which might give them a shot at the AFC 6 seed. A loss today and, with a trip to Indianapolis and a home finish with Cincy pending, 9 wins could be a very tall task.

What sticks out to me is their 38-0 man's game beat down of the Oakland Raiders in Week 7. In a game that saw them lose their speedster Leon Washington to a broken leg, another Jet running back stepped up and made a big first impression on the NFL community. Rookie Shonn Green blasted the Raider defense for 144 yards and 2 scores, giving the Raiders a potent one-two punch with Thomas Jones and Green that they hope will carry them to victory today.

Meanwhile, the focus for the Buccaneers is to continue to find its identity on offense, while getting reacclimated on defense to the old Tampa 2. The challenge for the Buccaneers today will be two-fold: on offense, recognize and pick up the disguised Jet blitzes; on defense, maintain gap assignment like the Buc defense did well after the first quarter of Sunday's game at Carolina.

However, that's not the only focus for some Buccaneer fans today. (Getting on high horse) The Buccaneer nation is split, to some degree. To "Suh" or not "to Suh"... that is the issue that actually divides some fans into pulling for their beloved Buccaneers to prevail Sunday, and for some to actually say they hope their team doesn't win. I... I just can't understand the latter opinion. Sure, if the Bucs lose out and get the one seed, Ndamukong Suh is a tremendous consolation. However, when watching the game, how can you actually pull for your team not to win? How do you hope David Harris gets a crease through the line and takes down Freeman? How can you clap your hands as Braylon Edwards pulls one down and streaks to the end zone for a score? How?! Moreover, there's no guarantee that St. Louis will win again, especially since there's no likely win remaining on their schedule, so you might as well pull for your team to win. (climbing down off high horse)

Keys to a New York Jets victory:

The Jets employ a pretty balanced offense, as evidenced by their last game against the Bills. They often run out of a two back strong set, pounding away with the run. They are a bloody-your-nose football team, an assignment-blocking, run-between the tackles offense. Thomas Jones has shown to be a pretty good back since leaving Chicago, producing a solid season with almost 1100 rushing yards at a healthy 4.5 yards per clip. Shonn Green, as mentioned, provides a good pop and is a little wrecking ball. However, what makes the New York offense even more dangerous is the success they've had in play-action out of their running formations. In the first quarter against the Bills, Sanchez play-faked the draw beautifully and laid a great ball into Braylon Edwards, who did what he too often does... let a sure TD bonk off his face-mask. Speaking of play-action, the diversion created through the Jets' success running the football gives Edwards, Jerricho Cotchery, and David Clowney, a rather meh group of receivers, the ability to get a step on the defense. This team really doesn't have a WR that can change a game or burn you repeatedly. Bottom line, if the Jets can run the ball successfully, they will have plenty of opportunity in the play-action game for Clemens to hit a big play or two.

On defense, Rex Ryan employs an aggressive 3-4 scheme, blitzing early, often, and from all directions. It's like the 3-4 version of the Philly defense. They love to load up one side of the line and bring the pressure from their nickelback, OLB, and MLB, bringing one more player than can be blocked on one side. Or, they'll bring OLB David Thomas on a delayed stunt up the middle and force the play outside if they don't pick up a sack. If the Bucs don't recognize the blitzes and stop them, they could be working in 2nd/3rd and long distances far too often.

Keys to a Buccaneer victory:

As noted, the Bucs are going to have to recognize, pick up, and scheme for the Jets' blitzes. That includes obviously keeping one or two backs and/or tight ends in formation on shotgun passing downs. What would be effective against the 3-4 blitz is the screen pass to the back or to the slot receiver going in motion. When the Jets' blitz, they employ a tight man coverage in the expectation that the quarterback will have to get the pass away quickly. Accordingly, if you streak your WR on the side of the screen pass, you could expect a void on that side of the field for the guard and tackle to create a pocket and pick up a nice gain. Also, Josh Freeman is going to have to look off the safeties and coverage a helluva lot better than he did last week. Looking back at last week's game, when Josh threw his interceptions, he locked onto his receiver and didn't hit the hot route, which was clearly available on the first interception, or chuck the ball through the end zone or try to make a play with his feet. The Jets' 3-4 scheme puts their safeties in 2-deep position, so Josh will have to look them off from time-to-time to hit the seams and deep routes.

Realistically, if the Bucs are going to win today, they're going to have to hold their gaps defensively and cause some stalemates on the offensive line, giving our linebackers the ability to make the tackle, which they must do. Against Carolina, they managed to get a good push in the middle and created a logjam that Stewart couldn't cut outside and get around. If they repeat that performance, they have a pretty good chance today.

Prediction: Like the Panthers did last week, the Jets will have some early success on the ground and jump out to a slim early lead, but the Bucs will adjust to their blocking schemes and formations, slowing Clemens and the Jet offense down in the middle of the game. Freeman will get hit and sacked from the Jet blitz, but the aggressive scheme will swing-and-miss a few times, giving the Bucs several big plays. A late Buccaneer stop will lift the Bucs to victory. Tampa Bay 20, New York Jets 17.

Week 14 Buc'Em Fantasy Football Review

Craig T — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 22:23:00 -0000

More photos » by David Duprey - AP

Will this be a common sight on Sunday? (AP Photo/ David Duprey)

Browse more photos »

Just win, baby!!! The famous words of ~~Skeletor~~ Al Davis ring true especially this week, as virtually all of you are either in your final regular season week, in the first round of your playoffs, or at or near your championship game. Start Percy Harvin or Jamaal Charles at Flex? Sidney Rice or Robert Meachem? Tenn D/ST or Minny D/ST? Sure, you have your must-starts, and you know who they are and will start them, but making the right call in the above-referenced-type of situations can be the difference between hoisting the Sheeva (watch The League on FX, and you'll get it) and starting a long, bitter offseason early. Accordingly, without further ado......

QUARTERBACKS TO START

1. Donovan McNabb @ NYG. His favorite toy is back in the lineup, the Eagles are moving the football well, and its December, so its time for another one of those patented winning streaks for the Eagles where they look like they are playing at level 99 on Madden. He should have a nice game.

2. Tony Romo vs. SD. 700ish PaYds and 5 PaTDs since eeking one out over WAS. He and Roy Williams clearly are on the same page and are facing a SD defense that has given up yards and points to the underwhelming KC and CLE offenses.

3. Philip Rivers @ DAL. Cowboy defense stopping the run well, but giving up big plays in the passing game, which plays right into the red-hot Philip Rivers' hands.

QUARTERBACKS TO SIT

1. Jay Cutler vs. GB. Packer defense peaking and Bears' passing offense is boom or bust with Knox, Bennett, and Hester. With the pressure the Packers are bringing and the high-level that Woodson is playing, consider sitting Cutler, especially in leagues that penalize for QB sacks.

2. Eli Manning vs. PHI. Philly's aggressive blitzing confused Eli last time and Eagle defense is playing at a high level right now.

3. Alex Smith vs. SF. Yes, he's been hot lately, but the ARI defense, which has played well most of this season, just shut down Favre and the Vikings. I don't like Smith's chances to put up a big number if you need it.

RUNNING BACKS TO START

1. Jamaal Charles @ BUF. Tasty matchup against Buffalo defense that let Thomas Jones walk all over them last week (mmmmmm, Buffalo wings.... tasty).

2. Ray Rice vs. DET. Plenty of opportunities for desperate Baltimore team to score against weak Detroit defense and Rice is the cog to move that offense along.

3. Ricky Williams @ JAX. Dolphins comfortable with letting Ricky carry the offense, and he's obliging by running like a man possessed lately. Has solid RB2 value in this matchup, if not more.

RUNNING BACKS TO SIT

1. Matt Forte vs. GB. Packers' front has gone from swiss cheese to an impregnable force in a matter of weeks.

2. Beanie Wells @ SF. Made little of his opportunities against the Vikes and SF run defense ranks 5th in the NFL in rushing yards allowed and is coming off an impressive performance against the Seahawks.

3. Marion Barber vs. SD. Hasn't rushed for over 100 yds since Week 2 and hasn't scored since Week 8. Do you want to risk your fantasy season on this substandard level of production? Possible flex value, but not much more.

WIDE RECEIVERS TO START

1. Miles Austin vs. SD. Dallas has too many weapons for Chargers to focus on taking him out, and he's still getting plenty of targets (and making them count) even with Roy Williams vulturing his TDs.

2. Robert Meachem @ ATL. Now a trusted option in the Saint passing attack, he and his must-start compadre Colston should both cash in Sunday against Atlanta's suspect secondary.

3. Donald Driver @ CHI. Although likely not drafted very high, he's certainly established himself as the #1 option and a basic must-start for the pass-oriented Packers. Only reason not to start him against the Bears' defense is if you're absolutely loaded at the position.

WIDE RECEIVERS TO SIT

1. TJ Houshmandzadeh @ HOU. Not getting enough targets to warrant the WR1/2 position you drafted him at and is not likely to put up solid numbers against a Houston secondary that has limited the fantasy productivity of opposing WRs.

2. Devin Hester vs. GB. With Woodson locking up the boom-or-bust speedster, I think bust is more likely this week than boom.

3. Santana Moss @ OAK. WAS offense, will have his targets likely limited due to Redskins' offensive game plan. When he is looked to, he will be blanketed by Asomugha. Pass.

TIGHT ENDS TO START

1. Brent Celek @ NYG. Did you see what Jason Witten did last week against the Giant defense? With another high-calibur TE that has trust from his strong-armed QB taking on that defense, I expect to see some solid, if not spectacular numbers.

2. Kellen Winslow vs. NYJ. Freeman has really locked onto K2 as his security blanket, and if Darrelle Revis is able to shut down or limit Antonio Bryant, K2 will likely get alot of attention from Freeman.

3. Visanthe Shiancoe vs. CIN. Red-zone monster keeps getting first looks inside the 20 from Mr. Favre.

TIGHT ENDS TO SIT

1. Zach Miller @ WAS. WAS defense has done a nice job containing Shockey and Witten in recent weeks, plus Gradkowski is spreading the ball around alot more than Russell did.

2. Ben Watson vs. CAR. Carolina safeties and LBs are good enough to stay with the big fella.

3. John Carlson @ HOU. Hasn't hit double-digit fantasy points in standard leagues since WEEK 1. Hopefully, you've moved on to other options. If not, limit your expectations against Houston's pretty decent pass defense.

DEFENSES TO START

1. Tennessee vs. STL.

2. Baltimore vs. DET.

3. Green Bay @ CHI.

DEFENSES TO SIT

1. San Diego @ DAL.

2. Indianapolis vs. DEN.

3. New York Giants vs. PHI.

Have any lineup-specific questions? Fire away, and we'll give you our two cents...

Week 14 Player Profile: WR Antonio Bryant

Craig T — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 03:44:34 -0000

More photos » by Tom Hevezi - AP

The possibility of this happening on Sunday is not out of the question by any means. (AP Photo/Tom Hevezi)

Browse more photos »

Overview: Well, I've heard it all week and many of you probably have too... "Antonio Bryant had better get his suntan lotion and lounge chair, because he's going to be on Revis Island all day Sunday."... or something similar to this schtick. Blech. Any way you want to characterize it, Antonio Bryant, on paper, has a challenging matchup Sunday against All-Pro CB Darrelle Revis of the New York Jets at Raymond James Stadium.

So what's the big deal with Darrelle Revis anyways? Why does it matter that he'll probably be covering Bryant? Many Pro-Bowl calibur #1 wide receivers have visited Revis Island this season. Randy Moss? Twice sun burned on Revis Island. Steve Smith? Forgot his sunscreen, burned. Terrell Owens? Nada. Marques Colston? As limited by Revis as anyone else this season. Andre Johnson? 4 catches for 35 yards, his lowest total on the season.

So it's all but a foregone conclusion that Mr. Revis is going to shut down our #1 guy AB, right? Maybe, maybe not. The Jets have typically faced opponents this season with a less-pass-aggressive offense/more balanced offense (Bills, Panthers, Dolphins, Texans, Saints, Jaguars, and Titans) than the Bucs employ, which obviously limits looks and targets to those teams' #1 WRs. Giving credit where credit is due, when those teams do throw, certainly Revis has the uncanny quickness, speed, and ball skills to stay with his receiver on almost any route. That said, the ying to the yang with the success of Revis is Rex Ryan's aggressive blitzing 3-4 scheme. Hey, what would you expect from the son of Buddy Ryan?! Although the Jets statistically rank in the bottom half of the league in sacks and in the middle of the league in interceptions forced, they do create substantial pressure, which leads to hurries, aborted throws, and misfires... obviously aiding their cornerbacks. Against teams that run out of standard under-center formations, that kind of pressure makes things very difficult on a quarterback to drop back, scan the defense, find the blitz or the direction the secondary is rolling, go through his progressions, and make his throw. It's a little easier in the shotgun formation, which, with Cadillac likely out tomorrow, the Bucs could employ heavily tomorrow as they have every week. Bryant has played some pretty inspired football and, while not top-tier, has the speed to possibly get past Revis a time or two Sunday. If he can get even a small crease against Revis, we've seen he has the ability to repeatedly make a tough catch like this:

Look Back at Week 13 Highlights:

First, the Bucs come to the line in a shotgun balanced spread, 1-back set. Bryant runs hard off the line on a go route against the Panther CB and gets past him along the sidelines. With the safety late getting over to help, Bryant had clear leeway to tightrope the sidelines and make a circus catch for a huge play. Bryant flashed some jets and showed great concentration and coordination in getting just enough of the ball and the ground to make a great catch. If Freeman throws that ball a hair or two further inbounds, Bryant might have had a shot to make a house call there.

Next, the Bucs are in a shotgun trips right formation facing a standard nickel package zone coverage. Stroughter runs a hitch, drawing the underneath defender to him, and Bryant ran free on a deep dig over the middle behind the underneath zone LB coverage and ahead of the way-too-deep Cover 2. A bread-and-butter pass play against a pretty base defense.

Finally, a one-back strong right set that shifted to balanced at the snap. From the snap, Freeman looks the way of Stovall, who runs a lacadaisical slant pattern that's snuffed out by the underneath zone coverage of the dropping linebacker. Freeman finally breaks off that option, scrambles away from the sack and finds Bryant. AB ran a deep out against the corner, who was giving a heavy cushion. Astutely, AB flashed up field in a millisecond when Freeman rolled out past the left tackle and made a heavy play. Nice to see him not go Randy Moss-Oakland Raider and shut it down after his route.

Look ahead to Week 14: As discussed before, all things being equal, Bryant is expected by the prognosticators to have his hands full on Sunday with Darrelle Revis, but the Buccaneer downfield offensive passing system might actually play to Bryant's advantage on Sunday. If Stevens/Gilmore (and when asked to stay in, Winslow) and Derrick Ward can pick up the blitz well, Bryant is capable of making plays one-on-one against anybody and has the ability to get past the Revis in tight man/bump-and-run coverage. I think he suprises a bit on Sunday.