Three weeks ago, I wrote an article defending Raheem Morris and advocating that he was the right person to continue coaching the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Ending the season on a 10 game losing streak, the Tampa Bay Bucs fired 35 year-old Coach Raheem Morris on January 2, 2012
Wikimedia Commons

In the interim, without public support of ownership or on-the-field backing of his players, my lone voice was certainly not enough to prop up the beleaguered third year coach.

With the season ending on a frightful 10 game losing streak, on Monday, January 2nd, General Manager Mark Dominik bitterly relieved Coach Morris of his duties.

Though blame for the team’s failures can hardly be cast upon the 35 year-old, given the way the disappointing year unfolded, the Glazer family likely executed the only decision possible in these dire circumstances.

This move can only be commended if soon accompanied by wholesale roster changes. When a club sits a full $50 million below the NFL’s salary cap, there is ample room for such turnover. Yet, ownership has yet to display a willingness to its fans that they will make such bold moves.

If those moves do not follow, firing Morris is mere window dressing and not the gateway to building a team properly, for which fans of the Pewter Pirates yearn.

The 2011 Bucs’ roster featured an eye-popping 20 first or second year players. It must be noted that Raheem Morris did not make such risky decision. Furthermore, these competitors, many of whom were lower-ranked draft picks, often were forced to assume significant responsibilities, where they quickly displayed an inability to meet such a challenge. With a harsh schedule from modest success in 2010, and only a sparse checkbook provided by ownership, there was simply not enough veteran leadership to right the ship.

Admittedly, as the squad was embarrassingly outscored 203-88 during its final 5 games, such direction also did not come from its head coach. Through a multitude of missed tackles, lagging efforts, and prolific turnovers, the players made it apparent that they quit on their leader.

In the team’s final game against the division rival Atlanta Falcons, the Buccaneers even managed to fall behind 42-0 mid-way through the 2nd quarter. Such a notorious feat is not easy to accomplish in the NFL, even for the worst of teams. But it is a testament to an utter breakdown in the assembly of the club’s roster.

The necessary talent is not present, nor is the heart to win.

Only after getting beyond those issues, do problems with the coaching staff truly come to mind.

With Raymond James Stadium rarely full and football fans alienated throughout Tampa Bay, signing a new coach can inject some hope into the franchise. From that standpoint, firing Morris was a move that ownership had to make. However, given their track-record, I would caution Buccaneers’ fans to keep tempered expectations.

Let’s hope that changing the coach does not prove to be the highlight of off-season makeovers of this franchise—for this cast of misfits does not need a new tailor, it cries out for a completely new wardrobe.

Source:

Yahoo! Sports

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Do Embarrassing Efforts Mean End of Morris’ Era in Tampa Bay?

Jeff Briscoe is a writer from Florida who covers sports for the Yahoo! Contributor Network and the Fort Myers Examiner. A loyal Tampa Bay Bucs fan, his favorite sounds include the firing of the cannons at Raymond James Stadium.

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The team announced the change one day after a 45-24 loss to the Atlanta Falcons extended the franchise’s longest losing streak within the same season since 1977 to 10 games.

Morris went 17-31, including a 10-6 mark in 2010, when the Bucs (4-12) narrowly missed the playoffs.

“I have has a lot of respect and appreciation for the passion coach Morris gave to our football team, but this change is one we felt was necessary,” general manager Mark Dominik said in a brief statement released by the team, which is owned by the Glazer family.

“We want to thank coach Morris for all his hard work and dedication as head coach, ” team co-chairman Joel Glazer said.

The Bucs scheduled a 3 p.m. news conference to discuss the change.

The 35-year-old Morris was hired in January 2009, replacing Jon Gruden after Tampa Bay lost the final four games of 2008 to miss the playoffs following a 9-3 start.

This year’s collapse followed a promising 4-2 start that included wins over NFC South rivals New Orleans and Atlanta, which are both headed to the playoffs.

Morris began his stint as the NFL’s youngest coach with a seven-game losing streak. It ended with a skid that rivaled some of the worst stretches in franchise history, in part because it came only a year after it looked like the Bucs might be headed in the right direction.

Read More: Josh Freeman (QB – TAM), Jacquizz Rodgers (RB – ATL), Julio Jones (WR – ATL), Atlanta Falcons, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers headed to Georgia on Sunday for the final game of the regular season against the hometown Atlanta Falcons. The Bucs were hoping to snap a nine-game losing streak on New Year’s Day, but through one quarter of play it is looking exceedingly unlikely that will come to pass.

The Falcons have come out with guns blazing and unloaded on Tampa Bay right away. Jacquizz Rodgers scored on a one-yard touchdown run midway through the first quarter to cap off an 80-yard, 16-play drive and open the scoring. Five minutes later, Matt Ryan hooked up with Julio Jones on a 17-yard touchdown pass. One Josh Freeman interception later, Ryan launched a 48-yard touchdown pass to Jones to put the Falcons up 21-0 with the second Atlanta touchdown in 24 seconds.

That’s where the score would stand for the remainder of the first quarter.

For more on the Buccaneers, please visit Bucs Nation, SB Nation’s Buccaneers blog. For the perspective from the other side, please visit SB Nation Atlanta and The Falcoholic, SB Nation’s Falcons blog.

By T.J. Doyle

– Newsdesk contributor

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Jan 1, 2012 – The Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-11) travel to Atlanta Sunday to face the playoff-bound Falcons (9-6), looking to avoid a season-ending 10-game losing streak.

Atlanta has already clinched a playoff berth, their second straight, and a franchise first. Tampa Bay, on the other hand, has completely fallen apart after a 4-2 start to the season that included a 16-13 victory over the Falcons on September 25.

The last time the Buccaneers lost 10 straight games was in 1977, when Tampa Bay failed to win in its first 12 games, extending the franchise’s losing start to 0 for 26.

Here is everything you need to know about the Buccaneers vs. Falcons game:

Game Date/Time: Sunday, January 1, 4:15 p.m. ET

Location: Georgia Dome, Atlanta, GA

TV: FOX (Dick Stockton, John Lynch)

Distribution Map: The506.com

Radio: Buccaneers: WFUS 103.5 / WDAE 620 AM

For more on the Buccaneers, please visit Bucs Nation, SB Nation’s Buccaneers blog. For the perspective from the other side, please visit SB Nation Atlanta and The Falcoholic, SB Nation’s Falcons blog.

Read More: Atlanta Falcons, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

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By Eddie Maisonet

– Newsdesk contributor

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Dec 28, 2011 – Injuries on a football team can tend to help create depth for the future. For the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have dealt with their fair share of injuries all season, and younger players have had to step up and play. Per the PewterReport.com, rookie defensive end Da’Quan Bowers has a good perspective on the experience gained this season what the future may hold for the defensive line:

“I think we all made great strides [with] myself starting the last couple of games and Adrian (Clayborn) being in the starting lineup the whole season along with Mason (Foster),” Bowers said. “You know it just goes to show you what this team is going to be capable of in the future. Got a young team and hopefully we can get everybody back in next year and make a decent run at what we need to be on like the Super Bowl and all those type of things. Been a tough year, but [with] us being so young it is not necessarily a bad thing. It gives you a time to grow as a team and as a unit.”

That defensive line’s goal on Sunday will be to take down Atlanta Falcons’ QB Matt Ryan, as the Bucs try to finish the season strong. Here is the full injury report for the Falcons in week 17:

WR Arrelious Benn (neck) DNP
DE Michael Bennett (toe) DNP
DT Adrian Clayborn (hamstring) LP
LB Geno Hayes (finger) LP
DT Albert Haynesworth (knee) DNP
LB Adam Hayward (foot) FP
DT Roy Miller (back) DNP
WR Preston Parker (concussion) DNP
DT Brian Price (ankle) DNP
WR Sammie Stroughter (knee) FP
T Jeremy Trueblood (concussion) DNP

Legend

LP: Limited participation in practice
FP: Full participation
DNP: Did not practice

For more on the Falcons check out The Falcoholic, SB Nation’s Atlanta Falcons blog. For more on the Bucs check out Bucs Nation, SB Nation’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers blog. For more on the NFL, check out the SB Nation NFL hub page.

Read More: Arrelious Benn (WR – TAM), Da’Quan Bowers (DE – TAM), Atlanta Falcons, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

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