Hey Panther Fans,

Congrats on your win tonight. To say I'm stunned is an understatement. Kudos to your boys Stewart and Williams. Basically they run the Bucs defense into the ground. What an accomplishment by your Panthers. The Buccaneers have faced some of the best runners in the league and came in allowing only one rusher to run for 100 yds against them and allowed only 1 rushing touchdown all season. The one thing you could always count on for the Buccaneers is that they would shut down the run.

But not tonight...The Panthers were unquestionably the better team tonight and you guys have the division in your hands - but its not over yet, fellas. You gotta hold on to it.

Good luck the rest of the year...maybe we'll see a tiebreaker match in the post-season.

So what do you think Buc fans? We ready for this showdown with the hated Panthers? Personally I think the Bucs are ready for this challenge. We're the better football team -better on offense, better on defense, better on special teams and I think they have been waiting for this one for awhile. It won't be easy, its going to be a dog fight - but we're winning this week.

What do you think?

Well, despite the poor predicitions from some of your fans (so much for Brees burning the Bucs), we are here. 9-3 vs. 9-3, mano-e-mano - the battle for control of the NFC South.

As Bill Parcells said, "You are what your record says you are", so we know both teams are great football teams coming in - but the question is which team is better?

Well, if you go by recent body of work, you'd have to say Tampa Bay. Carolina has struggled to beat Oakland, Detroit, AND Green Bay, while the Bucs took Minnesota and Detroit to the woodshed and shut down Drew Brees. Statistically, the Bucs are better on offense, defense, and special teams. If we go back to the last meeting as an indicator, Carolina came in playing some of their best ball of the season, while Jeff Garcia was just getting back into the groove as Bucs QB...and the result was 27-3.

In divisional rivalries anything can happen and I truly believe that if the Panthers are going to win this game, they must force the Buccaneer offense into mistakes. If the Panthers can get some turnovers, get a short field for Delhomme and the offense, then that will definitely help.

If the Bucs protect the football, I think they win this game going away. The Panthers aren't going to be able to run the football on the Bucs defense and its going to force Delhomme to win the game. I don't know if he still has the juice to get it done.

Yes...yes...I know...he did it against Green Bay. Surely you're not going to compare Green Bay's defense to the Buccaneers. Add to that the Bucs have won two of the last three trips to Carolina and Jeff Garcia is 9-2 lifetime against Carolina...I feel real good about my team's chances.

You may commence in your attacks!

JC De La Torre

Come visit JC De La Torre's Tampa Bay Sports Blog

Hey guys - BAD NEWS!

Original Article

The horrible experiment of NFL American Football in England continues next year and this time around, its the Bucs who lose a home game because of it. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers will "host" the New England Patriots in London's Wembley Stadium on October 25th, 2009, the NFL has announced today.

Not only do the Buccaneers lose home field advantage for a game, have to take a ridiculously long road trip, and have their season interrupted, but they have to do it against Tom Brady (we think) and the New England Patriots. Considering the Bucs are 6-0 at home with struggling San Diego and woeful Oakland left on the schedule and only 3-3 on the road, this is a tough blow for the Bucs.

Yeesh. Thanks a lot, NFL.

Hey Saints Fans,

i want to commend your boys on a great game. It was a tough one, especially with the god awful weather. Brees is a monster to try and contain but the Bucs did a pretty good job. I'm not going to gloat all that much, the game could have gone either way and it was a dogfight to the final minutes. I must admit the Saints had me a bit worried when they rallied to tie it at 20. The better football team won but it wasn't pretty.

I wish you guys the best of luck the rest of the year.

JC De La Torre

Hey, I know we (the Bucs fans) hate you and you hate us but i just wanted to wish you guys a very happy thanksgiving.

I'm hoping both our teams win this week so we can put on one heck of a show for Monday Night Football. I'm sure that the Panthers are definitely out for revenge while the Bucs look to really take a control of the division. it should be a great one. Of course, first thing's first - lets see the Bucs get past the Aints and you guys beat Green Bay like a drum.

Happy Holidays and I'll talk to you guys next week!

GO BUCS!

JC De La Torre

Hey guys, even though we (the Buc fans) hate you and you hate us, I just wanted to wish you guys a Happy Thanksgiving.

I'm really hoping both teams take their next two games a set up a heck of a game in a few weeks. I wasn't surprised your boys worked over Carolina, I think they're kinda a farce. Ryan continues to look like a force - that really surprised me, I must admit.

In any event, Happy Holidays and we'll be talking in a few weeks.

JC De La Torre

Hey Lions fans,

I just wanted to wish you guys a happy thanksgiving. As a fan of the Bucs, I will most certainly be rooting for you guys today. I know you're down on Rod Marinelli and Joe Barry, but they were great coaches and great men when they were here in Tampa Bay and we don't want to see them become the answers to trivia questions on who coached the last winless team in the NFL.

GO LIONS! Shock the World!

And of course, go Bucs!

Happy holidays everyone!

JC De La Torre

Continue reading this post »

Hey fellow Buc Em Bucs Fans,

First, happy thanksgiving to all.

I've been over on the Saints sbnation site and they are pretty riled up over there. They think Drew Bress is going to do the same to the Bucs as he did to the Pack.

We'll see, personally, I think the Bucs have been looking toward this three game stretch for a month now and are glad they finally got the "second pre-season" out of the way.

I think the Bucs put the Saints and their fans out of their misery, what do you think?

JC De La Torre

JC De La Torre's Tampa Bay Sports Blog