TAMPA

What were you doing eight weeks ago?

You know, just before Halloween. A little less than a Kim Kardashian marriage.

Eight weeks ago, Bucs coach Raheem Morris and his staff had won 16 of their past 24 games, the blistering .667 winning percentage was the fourth best in the NFL during that stretch. They were off to a 4-2 start this season, 2-0 in the NFC South and tied for first in the division with wins over Atlanta and New Orleans.

Eight weeks and seven consecutive losses later, Morris finds himself running out of chances to prove he should be back next season.

Personally, I believe the Glazer family (which owns the Bucs) is rooting for Morris to win the final three games, silence some of the critics and keep its plan on course.

Why? For starters, they like Morris. Bryan Glazer sits next to Morris on the team charter to and from each road game. They’re frequently together socially.

But a bigger reason should be obvious: The Bucs aren’t looking to pay a big-name, proven coach $5.7 million a year knowing full well they can’t hire one without agreeing to spend at least $50 million of salary cap space on veteran free agents.

This much is a given if Morris is fired: The Glazers can’t hire another first-time coach. They will need an older man, preferably with a few Super Bowl rings. A Bill Cowher. At the very least, a Jeff Fisher.

For a franchise that has spent the least amount of cash on salaries and signing bonuses from 2004-09, according to NFL Management Council figures, does this sound like the Bucs to you?

Yes, the new labor rules mandate the league as a whole must spend 99 percent of the salary cap in 2011. But there’s no minimum requirement for individual teams until 2013. The option on Morris’ contract, coincidentally, expires after the 2012 season.

So Morris has coached the youngest team in the league for two straight seasons and, until eight weeks ago, won as many games as nearly any coach in the league over a 24-game stretch. But coaches don’t make long-range plans for a franchise. They try to execute them.

When the plan calls for starting mostly rookies, sophomores and other young players, their backups are largely undrafted free agents or claims off the waiver wire.

Defensive tackle Gerald McCoy, the third overall pick in 2010, is lost for the season with a torn right biceps, and he’s replaced by Albert Haynesworth? How many game-changing plays has he made?

Rookie middle linebacker Mason Foster, who sprained both ankles and was forced to leave the Oct. 23 game against Chicago, misses snaps, and they replace him with Adam Hayward, primarily a special teams maven and the last free agent signed before the season. Fellow linebackers Quincy Black (in his fifth season) hasn’t lived up to his contract while Geno Hayes (fourth) was benched.

“Unfortunately, we’re not the same team,” Morris said. “We are different. But we are into the ‘next man up’ mentality. I even sold you (reporters) on it because you guys don’t realize they’re missing, either.

“It’s not about missing people. It’s about guys stepping up into those roles and using that maturity to get you over the edge. And we’ve not been able to do that thus far. We’ve got to do it (tonight). We’ve got to do it the next three weeks.”

Morris is not blameless for the slide. The Bucs have committed the third-most penalties in the NFL (108) and are tied with the Eagles for the most turnovers committed (31).

But eight weeks ago, he was the hot, new face married to the prettiest girl. Even Kris Humphries probably believes the split with Morris is going a little too fast.

Rick Stroud can be reached at stroud@tampabay.com.

Rumors that the Tampa Bay Buccaneers almost fired coach Raheem Morris following their 41-14 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars began circulating Wednesday night, continuing a string of bad news for the three-year coaching veteran. An anonymous Buccaneer criticized Morris for his lack of leadership in a Tuesday report from Yahoo1 Sports, and fans of the team are beginning to question his credentials. Tampa Bay has lost seven straight games to fall to 4-9, and into a tie with the Carolina Panthers for last place in the NFC South.

But defensive tackle Gerald McCoy stood up for his coach. Thursday afternoon, McCoy sent the following Twitter message to his 22,000-plus followers:

Everybody stop worrying about our coach and just back us up as we go and tr and knock off the cowboys!! #bucnation

McCoy here urges fans to support the team, deflecting attention from the embattled coach. It’s a positive message from the No. 3 overall pick in the 2010 NFL Draft, who’s among the Bucs’ core players.

Morris’ record with Tampa Bay stands at 17-28. Under him, the Bucs had a surprisingly strong 2010 season, finishing 10-6 thanks in part to the emergence of quarterback Josh Freeman. But Tampa Bay has disappointed mightily in 2011.

For more on the Bucs, please visit Bucs Nation, SB Nation’s Buccaneers blog.

By JC De La Torre

– Gators Editor

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Dec 5, 2011 – There are losses – then there’s what happened on Sunday yesterday at Raymond James Stadium. You can’t come home – on throwback/Ring of Honor induction Sunday – and get “debacled” by a 3-8 football team. You just can’t. Especially by a team you refer to as your biggest rival – the one you hate the most.

It’s one thing to get humiliated in front of the home crowd by Houston – a good football team with a lot of weapons. It’s another to get throttled by one of the worst teams in the NFL.

Yes, the Panthers needle is definitely pointing up but the fact remains – the Bucs were blown out by a last place team.

Another fact – the Bucs have replaced that last place team at the bottom of the NFC South.

Here’s what else we learned from yesterday’s disaster:

1. You can’t preach discipline when you’ve let the inmates run the asylum all season.

Coach Raheem Morris got tough yesterday, kicking defensive tackle Brian Price off the field after a stupid personal foul penalty continued a Panthers drive.

We guess Raheem was trying to make a point – but let’s face it, that train left the station a long time ago. You can’t expect a team that is so used to no consequences for making stupid penalties to suddenly turn that muscle memory off now that it might be costing you your job.

The time to install that mentality was at the very beginning of the season – not when it’s already been lost.

Before, you excused the idiotic mistakes as being “youngry”. Instead of covering for your players and expecting things to change – you should have made your point then and there that this kind of play is not going to be tolerated.

Doing it in the fourth quarter of the eighth loss of the season when your team is down by three touchdowns just looks weak.

2. Now he wants their respect?

He began his coaching career by allowing his players to call him “Rah”. Not “Coach”, not “Coach Morris”, nor even “Coach Rah” but just “Rah”. Now he’s demanding their respect?

Look, we understand that after the iron fist and perceived beguiling of Jon Gruden that the Glazers wanted a coach that would relate well to the players.

I don’t think he wanted someone that would be their best buds.

Morris’ act with Brian Price smacked of a coach that not only wants to change the perception that he’s soft on his team to the media and fans but that he’s quickly realizing that he’s beginning to lose control of the team – if he hasn’t already.

3.  Is it coaching or is it talent?

The Buccaneers mantra during the Dominik-Morris era is to build through the draft. Yet when most of your 53 man roster is comprised of practice squad players and 7th round draft picks – it’s difficult to compete unless your top picks pan out. How has it gone for the top three picks under this regime?

Well, the jury is certainly out on the 2011 class but we’ve seen some good things from Adrian Clayborn, DaQuan Bowers and Mason Foster. 

2010 hasn’t been as promising. Gerald McCoy hasn’t made much impact in two years. Brian Price can’t stay healthy and is now apparently in Rah’s Chateau De Bow Wow. Regus Benn has shown flashes but can’t seem to get on the field and Myron Lewis can’t beat out journeyman Elbert Mack or former 7th round pick EJ Biggers.

2009 hasn’t been that great either. Freeman has significantly regressed after a Pro Bowl worthy 2010 season. Roy Miller has been an issue against the run and a non-factor against the pass. Kyle Moore isn’t even on the team.

Even 2010′s 4th round “steal” Mike Williams, who exploded onto the scene last year, has significantly regressed.

Of the 23 players drafted under Dominik-Morris, 16 are on the active roster and only seven are full time starters (if you consider EJ Biggers the starter over Ronde Barber).  None have made the Pro Bowl (although Freeman was an alternate) and none are anywhere near qualifying this season/

With absolutely no free agency activity during the same time frame – it’s not difficult to see how this team has fallen apart.

So the chick-and-egg question rises once more – is the talent there and the coaching staff simply can’t bring it out of them or have they drafted so poorly their strategy has had no chance of working?

4. A good 4-8 versus a bad 4-8?

There was a stark contrast between two football teams that now have identical 4-8 records. Carolina is without question a terrible football team. Yet the needle is pointing upward because of a few things – first Cam Newton appears to be the real deal. They have a new direction under head coach Ron Rivera and they seem to be building toward something successful. They need significant help on the defensive side of the ball – but Rome wasn’t built in a day. Despite they’re deficiencies, their players are still giving everything they’ve got for four quarters of football.

Now, flip the page to your Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Have the Bucs played 4 quarters all season? Even in their four victories they’ve started slow having to rally late or finished poorly barely holding on to the wins they do have. One of the most disappointing things we’ve seen during the Bucs’ six game collapse are the loafs.

What are loafs? Players not running hard to the ball, not staying in their proper gaps, or taking care of their coverage responsibilities. Its very disturbing that DaQuan Bowers can cross the field and beat every defender on the opposite side to the ball carrier. It may display an amazing skillset for the Bucs’ 2011 second round pick but it also exposes everyone on that side of the defense who didn’t put the effort in to get a hat on the runner.

Carolina has shown the heart and desire to get better. That’s a good 4-8 (if there is such a thing). Many of the Buccaneer players appear to have checked out for 2011 – that’s a bad 4-8.

5. Has the team quit on Raheem?

During the disaster that was the 2009 season – the one thing you could always say about Raheem Morris’ undermanned club was they were all playing very hard for their coach. As this promising season has unraveled before our eyes, its been more and more evident that several players on this squad are simply collecting paychecks and waiting for the end of the season.

For a coach that is so far on the hot seat his backside is getting scorched, this is not a good sign. 

6. The bright side.

There were a few positive glimmers in the debacle at Ray Jay on Sunday. DaQuan Bowers was simply unstoppable and finally flashed some of that top pick ability we all believed he had. Had Bowers not had questions surface about his knee, some believe he might have been the top draft pick – ahead of Cam Newton.

He was all over Newton on Sunday, harassing the quarterback with two QB hits and sacking him 1.5 times. He also had an eye popping 5 tackles for losses. Bowers also had one sack called back by a penalty.

First round pick Adrian Clayborn also made his presence felt, sharing a sack with Bowers and getting two QB hits.

Mike Williams hauled in 5 passes for 93 yards – an 18.6 average. Slowly but surely, Williams is starting to put up numbers we were accustom to seeing from him last season.

7. The web of excuses

There’s been a significant amount of excuses pouring out of One Buc Palace about the season. From Freeman’s hand to the harder schedule (as if that should matter) to the lockout hurting the “youngry” team’s preparation for 2011 it seems the Bucs’ brass is better at excuse making than winning right now.

For a coach who’s fond of saying “no excuses, no explanations” there’s plenty of it fertilizing the practice field over there.

Raheem’s fond of saying “stats are for losers” but you know what’s more identified with losing? Excuses.  

Yes, the lockout probably hurt the Buccaneers more than most. But it certainly didn’t hurt the Lions – another youngry team. It didn’t hurt the 49ers and their new coaching staff.

We saw yesterday how much its hurt the Panthers.

Did Freeman hurt his hand in Week One? If not, how do you explain his 10 interceptions from September-October?

And yes, the schedule is much tougher than 2010 – is that telling us that what happened in 2010 was a mirage brought on by the benefit of a weak schedule and your team really hasn’t progressed in the three years you’ve been the head coach? You don’t see the Falcons or Saints whining about the schedule.

8. Tackling is want to.

In the hey-day of the Tampa Two, the one thing you could always count on is that the Buccaneers would be as sure a tackling team as any in the NFL. The 2011 version under Morris may be arguably the worst tackling team in the history of the franchise.

In the end, tackling is about desire to make the play and not fearing the collision. Its about 11 men seeking and destroying the football carrier. 

When Monte was coordinator, if all 11 guys didn’t at least touch the pile he ruled it a loaf. When was the last time you saw the Buccaneer defense rally to the football.

Bucs color commentator Dave Moore made an excellent point during yesterday’s post game on the Bucs’ radio network. In Tony Dungy’s first season, the Bucs were mired in an 0-5 start.

To illustrate to his football team that it was execution not the scheme that was failing them – Dungy put up film of the Minnesota Viking running the same defense. He showed that when played correctly not only is the scheme effective but dominant. He did the same thing with the offensive plays – showing the screen pass to the wideout that the Bucs ran were the same as the one the Packers ran – only the Packers’ receivers made their blocks while the Bucs’ receivers missed theirs.

Its why Dungy’s “we have to execute better” drove fans crazy but was the God’s honest truth. “We have to execute better” is not the same as Raheem’s “We have to play better.”

Unlike Dungy, Raheem’s team doesn’t seem to have the understanding of what they need to do to get better or the “want to” to make it happen.

9. You Play How you Practice

Both Tony Dungy and Jon Gruden strongly believed in you play how you practice. During the post game show, former Buccaneer Ryan Nece made an excellent observation. Perhaps the reason why the Buccaneers are struggling at the beginning of games is because they start their practices slowly with a walkthrough. 

Now, many teams begin practice with a walkthrough and don’t have the same issues Tampa Bay has – but Gruden’s teams would never have those types of issues. They would start practice at a high tempo and it seemed to carry over in ballgames.

Perhaps the slow start to practices has ingrained in their muscle memory to ease themselves into physical activity and it carries over to Sunday.

Or maybe it has no impact at all. Regardless – when you’re searching for answers every stone should be upturned.

10. 3rd Down Defense is just pitiful.

Tampa Bay’s defense wouldn’t be so bad if they could get off on third down. The Bucs have tumbled to 20th on third down percentage.  They’ve given up the booty 39% of the time. The Bucs seem at the worst when it’s third and long. How many times have we seem teams sustain drives after facing 3rd and 10 or more?

So many times we’ve seen the Bucs surrender a third and long play, allow the opponent to extend the drive and it eventually ended in their end zone.

Until the Bucs’ defense figures out how to get off the field on third down, they’ll never become a top notch defense.

Read More: Ronde Barber (CB – TAM), Elbert Mack (CB – TAM), Roy Miller (DT – TAM), Kyle Moore (DE – BUF), Gerald McCoy (DT – TAM), Brian Price (DT – TAM), Myron Lewis (CB – TAM), Adrian Clayborn (DE – TAM), Mason Foster (LB – TAM), Carolina Panthers, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Carolina Panthers at Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Dec 4, 2011 1:00 PM EST

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By Joe Smith, Times Staff Writer

In Print: Friday, December 2, 2011

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TAMPA — The Bucs entered this season with high hopes for their defensive line, having invested two first-round picks and two second-round picks over the past two seasons.

But on Sunday, they might not have any of their Week 1 starters.

The one exception could be DE Adrian Clayborn (back), who returned to practice Thursday. DT Gerald McCoy (biceps) is out for the season. DE Michael Bennett (groin) could miss his second game, and DT Brian Price (ankle) is in a walking boot.

“It’s next man up,” DE Tim Crowder said. “That’s the mentality around here. I’ve been in (the league) for a while, and it’s been like that.

“It’s to the point where at the end of the year, guys are going down. It’s football.”

Veteran DT Albert Haynesworth, claimed off waivers three weeks ago, has played well since joining the team, drawing double teams. Rookie DE Da’Quan Bowers made his first start Sunday. Crowder, DT Roy Miller and DT John McCargo also will see time.

“It’s just part of being a professional,” Crowder said. “I’m going to go about it just like I’m a starter.

“And I’m going to prepare like I’m a starter whenever it’s my chance to go out and play.”

NO TV: Sunday’s home game will be blacked out on local television because it did not sell out 72 hours before kickoff. The only other remaining home game, Dec. 17 against the Cowboys, has sold out and will air on the NFL Network and Ch. 38.

TOP NOTCH: WR Steve Smith does not have the prototypical size of a receiver, 5 feet 9, 185 pounds, but he’s having another standout season. He has 59 catches for 1,060 yards and five touchdowns, and has six 100-yard games against the Bucs.

“Steve Smith is a top, top, top guy,” Bucs secondary coach Jimmy Lake said. “He’s a monster.”

OLD SCHOOL: The Panthers’ one-two running back punch of DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart will provide enough of a challenge for the Bucs. But with dual-threat rookie QB Cam Newton, Carolina uses lots of option plays and zone reads. The Panthers gain 5.1 yards per rush, behind only the Eagles’ 5.6.

“It’s an innovative scheme,” Lake said. “They’re running a lot of NFL offense and a lot of college-influence offense, too; some of the stuff Newton ran at Auburn.”

LB Mason Foster said the Bucs won’t use a spy on Newton but emphasized the importance of keeping him in the pocket and staying in the rush lanes.

Stephen F. Holder contributed to this report. Joe Smith can be reached at joesmith@tampabay.com.

[Last modified: Dec 01, 2011 10:07 PM]

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By Steve Slowinski

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Nov 20, 2011 – After losing dramatically to the Houston Texans last week, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers travel to Green Bay to take on the undefeated Packers in Week 11 of the NFL season. The Buccaneers are 4-5 this season and are coming off a historically difficult stretch of matchups, and things won’t get any easier this week. They are almost unanimously picked to lose today to the Packers, and they are given an 8% chance of winning today by writers at Advanced NFL Stats.

The Buccaneers have struggled on defense this season, and they have suffered some big injuries (e.g. Gerald McCoy, out for the season). Albert Haynesworth filled in for them well last week and might be able to help them contain the Packers’ offense slightly, but this will be a large task for them. Also, the Buccaneers need Josh Freeman to step it up on offense, as he’s thrown seven interceptions over the past three weeks.

Game Date/Time: Sunday, November 20; 1:00pm EST

Location: Lambeau Field, Green Bay, WI

TV Schedule
Local: FOX
Availability The506.com

Radio Schedule
Buccaneers: 620 WDAE
Packers: WTAQ 1360 AM and others

To join in the conversation about this game and talk with fellow fans, check out the Gamethread on SB Nation’s blog for the Buccaneers, Bucs Nation.

Read More: Albert Haynesworth (DT – TAM), Josh Freeman (QB – TAM), Green Bay Packers, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

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