Last week, this column described the then upcoming meeting with the Carolina Panthers as a litmus test for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Though both teams are far removed from playoff consideration, the game was significant for the Bucs because of the dire ramifications of home loss to a struggling 3-8 team.

Losers of 6 consecutive games, the wayward course of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers appears doomed like a sinking ship
Jeff Briscoe

Sadly, not only were the Buccaneers defeated, but the 38-18 drubbing on December 4, 2011 was a stinging low point of an already bitter 2011 season.

In the home team’s defense, they competed without top quarterback Josh Freeman(notes), who was held out due to shoulder and thumb injuries. However, Freeman’s forgettable stats through 11 games might have otherwise suggested this was an opportune time to see what Josh Johnson(notes) could do.

While the backup signal caller achieved only minimal success guiding the team’s offense, he was hardly responsible for yielding 38 points to the Panthers.

Instead, the Bucs performed miserably as a team and all aspects of the franchise—from coaching to leadership to talent—must be questioned.

In looking at their 2011 schedule, there is no question that Tampa Bay faced a daunting challenge to match its surprising 10-6 record from last year.

However, while losses to teams like the Green Bay Packers and New Orleans Saints are certainly understandable, the lack of hustle, ill-conceived play calling, and general inability to execute against weaker teams at home is entirely unforgivable.

In a results-oriented NFL, the loss to the Panthers at Raymond James Stadium results in the harsh receipt of an “F” on Sunday’s litmus test.

Quite simply, it is no longer fair to contemplate difficult scheduling, unfortunate injuries, or bad breaks—and that is because the Buccaneers resemble a flat-out bad team.

As a sports fan, I rarely sugar-coat negatives for my favored teams and cannot do so here. The Bucs have chosen to rebuild through a youth movement that emphasizes potential over experience. The 2011 season suggests that this plan is not working.

In moving the ball, despite the benefit of a solid offensive line, the Bucs lack any cohesive identity. Offensive coordinator Greg Olson is a holdover from the prior coaching staff and his decisions certainly must be challenged. At times noncommittal to the run, at other times reluctant to pass vertically, Tampa Bay often seems dedicated solely to its kicking game.

On defense, much trust has been placed in largely unproven starters like Quincy Black(notes) and Aqib Talib(notes), players who appear to specialize only in missed tackles. Furthermore, as one of the league’s most penalized units, the Bucs racked up another 9 infractions for 73 yards on Sunday. Such mistakes invariably provide opponents too many chances for success.

While the building blocks may be in place at certain positions, the undisciplined squad has not responded well to the lack of on-field leadership or the presence of a players’ coach in the locker-room.

Nothing symbolized these woes better than Coach Raheem Morris’ decision to eject Brian Price(notes) from the field against Carolina following a bone-headed personal foul that erased a 3rd and long. As the hefty defensive tackle removed his helmet and headed for the showers, I wondered if another dozen or so could follow.

As the Bucs complete the last quarter of a disappointing 2011, huge questions loom for the coming off-season. They begin at head coach and conclude only when reaching the last man on the roster. Fans hope better answers await than the frustrating inactivity of the recent past.

Source:

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Buccaneers Face Distressing Litmus Test

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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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By Stephen F. Holder and Joe Smith, Times Staff Writers

Posted: Dec 05, 2011 02:56 PM

TAMPA — QB Josh Freeman, who missed his first game in two years Sunday due to a right shoulder injury, is on track to return to practice Wednesday and is optimistic he’ll play against the Jaguars next Sunday.

Freeman said the plan is to rehab the shoulder for a couple days with hopes of resuming throwing during Wednesday’s practice. He had been limited last week to some soft throws after injuring the shoulder on the final play of the Bucs’ loss to the Titans on Nov. 27. Coach Raheem Morris remained hopeful Freeman would return Wednesday, but acknowledged they’ll be cautious with their franchise quarterback.

“You don’t want to hurt your quarterback any further,” Morris said. “You want to be smart with him and figure out what he can do and how fast you can let him do it.”

Also on the injury front, CB Aqib Talib is unsure if he’ll play Sunday after aggravating a hamstring injury on the first series against the Panthers. Talib, who was forced to leave the game, has been coping with the injury for weeks and has played through a great deal of discomfort.

“It’s still in there,” Talib said of the injury. “You can play with it until you make a certain move.”

Morris said Talib will undergo an MRI, but pointed out the corner has a lot of pain tolerance.

“He’s a tough kid. His toughness is off the charts when it comes to dealing with certain injuries,” Morris said. “He’s kind of Ronde (Barber)-like in that sense. . . We’ll have to see where he is, go through the MRI process, see when you can run, see if you can run.”

PRICE CHECK: Morris apologized for using a four-letter expletive during Sunday’s post-game news conference, calling it “frustration on my part.” He used the term in responding to a question about why he told DT Brian Price to leave the field after committing a costly personal foul penalty in the third quarter.

Morris said Price’s standing in the lockeroom played a role in why he made the move, pointing out he has a “low tolerance” for players he depends on for leadership.

“We cannot make those types of mistakes, and he’s got to be an example-setter,” Morris said. Morris said he spoke with Price Monday and will talk to him again about the incident.

“He knows he can’t hurt his football team that way,” Morris said.

NOWHERE TO RUN: Wondering why RB LeGarrette Blount seemed to have nowhere to run on his 11 mostly fruitless carries?

That’s because the Panthers, knowing that Freeman was out, made certain of it.

“With Josh Freeman out and (Josh Johnson) stepping in, a lot of teams would be looking to stack the box,” Blount said. “(They think) we don’t have Freeman so they don’t have nothing to worry about.

“When safeties shoot through gaps, they’re not respecting your pass at all.”

Blount went on to say that Johnson acquitted himself well, saying, “We didn’t miss a beat with Josh Johnson in there. I don’t know what else we can ask for. He’s a solid backup.”

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By Rick Stroud, Times Staff Writer

In Print: Monday, December 5, 2011

Panthers quarterback Cam Newton flies over the Bucs defense for the first of his three rushing touchdowns. He also throws a touchdown and catches a pass.
	[DANIEL WALLACE | Times]

TAMPA — After falling into the dark and dank cellar of the NFC South, it’s awfully hard for the Bucs to see any of the goals they visualized for this season.

The chance to win a division championship has vanished. Hope of reaching the playoffs has faded from view. A winning record? Disappeared.

So after the Bucs’ 38-19 loss to rookie quarterback Cam Newton and the Panthers on Sunday — their sixth straight defeat to drop to 4-8 — Bucs players said there was still something to play for:

Save the jobs of coach Raheem Morris and his staff.

“We’ve got to turn it around,” linebacker Geno Hayes said. “It’s not only our jobs. They’ve got a family to feed as well. Our play dictates their stability. We love our coaches. We’ve got to find a way to get everything back on track.”

Safety Tanard Jackson said, “This is a business. We’re in the business where if you don’t win, a lot of changes will be made.”

And center Jeff Faine, a nine-year veteran, added, “I’ve been in this business long enough where if we continue to slide, something is going to change, unfortunately. So personally, there’s a lot to play for.”

Playing without starting quarterback Josh Freeman, who was inactive due to a right shoulder injury, the Bucs traded touchdowns for field goals with Newton and the Panthers.

Newton added another record to his historic rookie season, running for three touchdowns and throwing for another. He now has 13 rushing touchdowns, the most by a quarterback in a season in NFL history, surpassing Steve Grogan’s 12 in 1976 with New England.

Bucs backup Josh Johnson, making his first start since 2009, passed for 229 yards with one touchdown and an interception and led the Bucs with 45 rushing yards. But the offense produced only four field goals by Connor Barth until Johnson hit Dezmon Briscoe for a 23-yard touchdown with 6:35 remaining in the game.

Johnson’s biggest mistake came during the first drive of the second half.

Trailing 24-12 and facing third and 8 at the Carolina 30, he attempted to call an audible. But Faine misinterpreted the signal as part of the cadence and snapped the ball before Johnson was ready. The error was compounded when Johnson tried to throw the ball under pressure.

It was tipped and intercepted by defensive end Thomas Keiser.

The Bucs drove inside the Panthers 35 seven times but came away with four field goals, one interception, one touchdown and one fourth-down failure.

“The grade is simple. It’s not good enough,” Johnson said of his performance. “As an offense, we’re disappointed. We got in the red zone … repeatedly, and we came away with field goals, field goals, field goals.”

The Panthers weren’t interested in field goals, and the Bucs defense was equally bad against the run and the pass. Jonathan Stewart (14 carries for 80 yards and a touchdown), DeAngelo Williams (11 carries for 29 yards) and Newton (14 rushes for 54 yards and three touchdowns) combined for 163 yards on the ground. Newton was 12-for-21 passing for 204 yards and even had a 27-yard catch.

The Bucs also had nine penalties for 73 yards.

It got so bad that Morris ejected defensive tackle Brian Price from the game after his personal foul penalty in the third quarter. Morris also used an expletive during his postgame news conference describing why he did it.

“Yes, I sent him to the locker room,” Morris said. “I told him go home. (Expletive) yeah. Because it’s foolish. It’s selfish to your teammates, to everybody in your organization, to your fans. That’s terrible. That’s just selfish behavior to get a 15-yard penalty in that situation when that’s all we talk about, when that’s all we discuss.

“You just can’t do that to your team.”

Why hasn’t Morris been able to get his message across?

“They’re not listening,” Morris said. “They’ve got to listen, and we’ve got to do a better job of coaching.

“The thing I need to do right now is go back and make sure we continue to build the team for the future. We’ve got a lot of young players. I don’t want things to get away from us.”

It if does, Faine said, change is the only thing the Bucs can count on.

“I love the situation (with Morris),” Faine said. “I know my teammates love the situation we’re in from an organizational standpoint, from the way our leadership is here, the way our coaching staff is here. We’ve got to finish on an incline if we want it to stay that way.”

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

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By Rick Stroud, Times Staff Writer

In Print: Monday, December 5, 2011

Panthers quarterback Cam Newton flies over the Bucs defense for the first of his three rushing touchdowns. He also throws a touchdown and catches a pass.
	[DANIEL WALLACE | Times]

Sore shoulder keeps Freeman out

The decision to sit quarterback Josh Freeman with his shoulder injury Sunday wasn’t difficult, Bucs coach Raheem Morris said. Morris said Freeman simply wasn’t ready but hopes he can return Sunday at Jacksonville.

TAMPA — After falling into the dark and dank cellar of the NFC South, it’s awfully hard for the Bucs to see any of the goals they visualized for this season.

The chance to win a division championship has vanished. Hope of reaching the playoffs has faded from view. A winning record? Disappeared.

So after the Bucs’ 38-19 loss to rookie quarterback Cam Newton and the Panthers on Sunday — their sixth straight defeat to drop to 4-8 — Bucs players said there was still something to play for:

Save the jobs of coach Raheem Morris and his staff.

“We’ve got to turn it around,” linebacker Geno Hayes said. “It’s not only our jobs. They’ve got a family to feed as well. Our play dictates their stability. We love our coaches. We’ve got to find a way to get everything back on track.”

Safety Tanard Jackson said, “This is a business. We’re in the business where if you don’t win, a lot of changes will be made.”

And center Jeff Faine, a nine-year veteran, added, “I’ve been in this business long enough where if we continue to slide, something is going to change, unfortunately. So personally, there’s a lot to play for.”

Playing without starting quarterback Josh Freeman, who was inactive due to a right shoulder injury, the Bucs traded touchdowns for field goals with Newton and the Panthers.

Newton added another record to his historic rookie season, running for three touchdowns and throwing for another. He now has 13 rushing touchdowns, the most by a quarterback in a season in NFL history, surpassing Steve Grogan’s 12 in 1976 with New England.

Bucs backup Josh Johnson, making his first start since 2009, passed for 229 yards with one touchdown and an interception and led the Bucs with 45 rushing yards. But the offense produced only four field goals by Connor Barth until Johnson hit Dezmon Briscoe for a 23-yard touchdown with 6:35 remaining in the game.

Johnson’s biggest mistake came during the first drive of the second half.

Trailing 24-12 and facing third and 8 at the Carolina 30, he attempted to call an audible. But Faine misinterpreted the signal as part of the cadence and snapped the ball before Johnson was ready. The error was compounded when Johnson tried to throw the ball under pressure.

It was tipped and intercepted by defensive end Thomas Keiser.

The Bucs drove inside the Panthers 35 seven times but came away with four field goals, one interception, one touchdown and one fourth-down failure.

“The grade is simple. It’s not good enough,” Johnson said of his performance. “As an offense, we’re disappointed. We got in the red zone … repeatedly, and we came away with field goals, field goals, field goals.”

The Panthers weren’t interested in field goals, and the Bucs defense was equally bad against the run and the pass. Jonathan Stewart (14 carries for 80 yards and a touchdown), DeAngelo Williams (11 carries for 29 yards) and Newton (14 rushes for 54 yards and three touchdowns) combined for 163 yards on the ground. Newton was 12-for-21 passing for 204 yards and even had a 27-yard catch.

The Bucs also had nine penalties for 73 yards.

It got so bad that Morris ejected defensive tackle Brian Price from the game after his personal foul penalty in the third quarter. Morris also used an expletive during his postgame news conference describing why he did it.

“Yes, I sent him to the locker room,” Morris said. “I told him go home. (Expletive) yeah. Because it’s foolish. It’s selfish to your teammates, to everybody in your organization, to your fans. That’s terrible. That’s just selfish behavior to get a 15-yard penalty in that situation when that’s all we talk about, when that’s all we discuss.

“You just can’t do that to your team.”

Why hasn’t Morris been able to get his message across?

“They’re not listening,” Morris said. “They’ve got to listen, and we’ve got to do a better job of coaching.

“The thing I need to do right now is go back and make sure we continue to build the team for the future. We’ve got a lot of young players. I don’t want things to get away from us.”

It if does, Faine said, change is the only thing the Bucs can count on.

“I love the situation (with Morris),” Faine said. “I know my teammates love the situation we’re in from an organizational standpoint, from the way our leadership is here, the way our coaching staff is here. We’ve got to finish on an incline if we want it to stay that way.”

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

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By Rick Stroud , Times staff writer

In Print: Saturday, December 3, 2011

TAMPA — QB Josh Freeman threw soft passes in practice Friday, the first time he tested his sore right shoulder this week. Freeman is listed as questionable against the Panthers, but his final status won’t be determined until just before Sunday’s game.

“I did a little bit, but today really isn’t important,” Freeman said. “Same status. I’m just listening to the trainers and trying to ease into it, you know?”

Freeman was injured on a fourth-and-1 sneak in Sunday’s 23-17 loss at Tennessee.

Backup Josh Johnson has taken most of the repetitions with the first-team offense this week. But Freeman’s improvement has been encouraging.

“He’ll be a game-time decision, and we’ll take it right up until the last moment of truth out there, so we’ll see,” coach Raheem Morris said. “He went out and threw the ball around a little bit. Still limited. … The first couple days he didn’t throw it as much. He threw it a little (Thursday), he threw it more today.”

Freeman has 35 consecutive starts since taking over as a rookie from Johnson after the team’s 0-7 start in 2009. Morris said because Freeman prides himself on playing through injury, the team will have to watch him closely.

“He won’t tell me (how he feels), there’s no doubt about it,” Morris said. “That’s why we’ve got to have doctors around. He’s one of those guys that wants to lead like that, think like that. Everybody wants to be Brett (Favre), and Brett set a great example for all these young quarterbacks and what the standard looks like and the model looks like. It’s one of those decisions you’ve got to make as a head coach.”

Johnson went 0-4 as a starter in 2009. But he is a more mature quarterback and has had a good week of practice, Morris said.

“Josh Johnson had a spectacular week of practice,” Morris said of the fourth-year player. “We talked about the kid being very motivated, talked about the guy going out there and really being prepared. When you have a week like this and he takes all the reps, you can see how prepared he really is and how much he really wants it and how much he’s been paying attention. Those things are helpful for me.”

DT Brian Price, carted off with a right ankle sprain Sunday, returned to practice and is listed as questionable. DE Michael Bennett, who missed last week’s game (groin), did not practice and won’t play. DE Adrian Clayborn (back), DT Albert Haynesworth (knee), LB Adam Hayward (foot), S Tanard Jackson (hamstring) and LB Dekoda Watson (groin) are probable.

MILDCAT OFFENSE: One element Johnson could bring is the spread option or a version of the wildcat offense that he has operated this season (five carries, 17 yards).

“That could be different, but we’ve been running it, so teams have film on it,” Johnson said. “It’s just now if I’m in there as the full-time quarterback, it can be different scenarios in the game and we can sneak one of those in there and they might not be exactly as prepared for it as if I was just coming in for one play.”

The Broncos are 5-1 since turning to QB Tim Tebow and their version of the spread option.

“We have had some success running it here,” Johnson said. “They’re doing a great job with it (in Denver). They’re doing a lot of different types of variations of the spread than we’re doing, but he’s having success with it. I’m pretty sure, since he’s doing well, a lot of coaches might look into it. But (Tebow) and I are two different kind of guys. He’s 240 (pounds). He can take those beatings. I try to keep it so I can maintain mine. I’m only 210.”

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TAMPA –

Although Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Josh Freeman continues to be limited in practice, his injured right shoulder showed progress Friday.

His availability for Sunday’s game against the Carolina Panthers at Raymond James Stadium will be a game-time decision, coach Raheem Morris said.

Freeman hurt his shoulder on the final offensive play of Sunday’s 23-17 loss at Tennessee after he bobbled a snap on fourth down. He threw lightly on Friday and backup Josh Johnson continued to take most of the reps heading into Sunday’s home matchup.

“We’ll take it right up to the moment of truth,” Morris said of Freeman, who hasn’t missed a start since becoming Tampa Bay’s No. 1 quarterback midway through his 2009 rookie season. “Josh Freeman went out and threw the ball around a little bit today, but he’s still limited. Obviously, there was progress. He threw a little bit yesterday and a little more today.”

Morris indicated he would take a cautious approach about dressing Freeman as the Bucs attempt to end a five-game losing streak.

“Obviously, you don’t want to do anything that’s going to hurt him,” Morris said. “We’ve got very capable doctors and they’ll inform me if he can do any further damage.”

Knowing Freeman wants to play, Morris said his 23-year-old quarterback won’t have much of a say in the final decision.

“Everybody wants to be Brett (Favre),” Morris said of the former NFL quarterback who reeled off a record streak of 297 consecutive starts. “Brett set a great example for all these young quarterbacks. We’ll go with the eyeball test and we’ll talk to our doctors to evaluate what Josh can do and can’t do.”

Bulletin board

In talking up his tight end duo of Greg Olsen and Jeremy Shockey, Panthers rookie QB Cam Newton may have inadvertently provided Tampa Bay’s defense with some extra motivation.

Carolina acquired Olsen in a trade with Chicago and Shockey through free agency this summer. Through 11 games, they have combined for 67 catches and five touchdowns, working the middle of the field effectively while opening up room on the flanks for big-play WR Steve Smith.

“It’s all about comfort in this league,” Newton said, “and having guys to throw to with excellent skill sets beings about comfort. Tampa Bay likes to play man to man and it’s a mismatch, in our opinion, with our tight ends on whoever they match them up with.”

Next challenge

Two weeks after shutting down Pro Bowl WR Greg Jennings in Green Bay, Bucs CB Aqib Talib is gearing up for Smith, who owns six 100-yard games against Tampa Bay and is on pace for his fifth Pro Bowl berth.

“Aqib’s got the big dog coming to town,” Morris said. “He looks forward to these types of challenges. These are the ones that separate the big-time corners from the OK corners to the bad corners, when you play these kinds of guys. I look forward to watching the show myself on the sideline.”

After finishing last in the league in total offense in 2010, the Panthers have vaulted to No. 5 with the dynamic Newton under center.

“Having Newton there makes him (Smith) want to play,” Talib said. “He gives him a reason. They’ve got an explosive offense and everyone wants to be part of that. Smith’s 5-foot-10 or 5-9, but he plays like he’s 6-3 or 6-4. And he runs like he’s 5-9. He’s just a strong all-around receiver.”

Extra points

DT Brian Price (ankle) is likely to play Sunday, but DE Michael Bennett (groin) remains doubtful, Morris said. …Since 2008, the Panthers lead all NFL clubs with 8,269 rushing yards. …The Bucs are 12-1 in the past two seasons when holding their opponents to fewer than 21 points.

TAMPA – Tampa Bay Buccaneers coach Raheem Morris is not giving up on the season despite a five-game losing streak that has all but ended any playoff hopes.

“We remain committed to growing as a football team,” Morris said on Monday, one day after Tampa Bay dropped to 4-7 following a 23-17 loss at Tennessee. “I don’t think the mentality of this team is ever going to change.”

Morris said he has a bunch of guys playing with pride.

“They’re not done playing, and we’re not done coaching,” he said. “We’ll keep going out there and keep giving it our best effort. I don’t see any quit in these guys.”

Tampa Bay cornerback Aqib Talib called the long skid “the most frustrating thing that can happen to a football team.”

“We’ve just got to find a way,” Talib said. “It’s all about finding a way. We go out there and play on Sunday, we try to win. Stuff happened and we lost. It’s football.”

The Bucs continued a season-long trend of not finishing games. Tampa Bay had the ball late looking for the win on Sunday, but quarterback Josh Freeman fumbled a fourth-down snap, recovered the ball and only managed to get back near the line of scrimmage with 40 seconds left.

Officials ruled Tampa Bay had turned the ball over on downs, and the Titans ran out the clock to finish off the six-point victory.

“That’s been the deal,” Morris said. “We’ve had, I think, three games right now with the ball in our hands with a chance to get the lead and win. You got the Detroit game, the first game of the season, yesterday and the Chicago Bear game. Last year we won those games. We haven’t been able to get that this year.”

Freeman threw for 199 yards and a touchdown, but he had an interception and lost a fumble.

“We’ve got to play better,” Morris said. “Guys got to step up. We don’t make excuses. We didn’t play well.”

Chris Johnson ran for 190 yards, and Matt Hasselbeck threw the go-ahead touchdown to Damian Williams on fourth down with 3:01 left against a struggling Tampa Bay defense.

“I don’t know, man,” Talib said. “I don’t have the answer.”

Tampa Bay had been giving up 133.5 yards rushing per game. Johnson shredded the Bucs at times after being booed heavily most of this season after signing a $53.5 million extension.

The Bucs will look to stop the lengthy slide this Sunday when they host the Carolina Panthers.

“We’re grown men,” Talib said. “We’ve all had seasons like this. We’ve got more games to play, so we’re going to play more games.”

Notes: Morris said the status of DT Brian Price, who hurt an ankle Sunday, will be evaluated during the week.

By Stephen F. Holder, Times Staff Writer

In Print: Tuesday, November 29, 2011

TAMPA — With the Bucs out of contention for a playoff spot, some attention is likely to turn to the future of the team’s young players.

Today, after a solid debut in his first career start, the Bucs have to feel better about what lies ahead for DE Da’Quan Bowers.

The rookie second-round pick from Clemson was credited with one tackle and one quarterback hit, and coaches were cautiously optimistic about his first full game.

“Bowers played well for his first time out there,” coach Raheem Morris said. “His first time out the box. (There were) growing pains of course. He obviously had some bad plays but he had some really good plays. … We can get him to play better. We just keep seeing him grow throughout the season.”

Clearly, Bowers has work to do, but his growth could be accelerated by opportunities like he had Sunday.

Having a full game on tape, he said, will help his self-evaluation.

“It’s definitely something to build on,” he said. “I can’t wait to get in there and critique myself to see what I need to work on.”

Bowers had played in a limited capacity until Sunday, when he replaced injured left end Michael Bennett (groin) as a starter. Bennett’s solid play throughout the season resulted in only sporadic reps for Bowers, but coaches have seen him emerge in recent weeks and think he’s ready for a bigger workload.

Meanwhile, Bennett, who didn’t make the trip to Nashville, said Monday he feels better after a week off and might return Sunday against Carolina.

NO QUESTION: The Bucs’ decision to have QB Josh Freeman spike the ball to stop the clock after converting a first down with 1:14 left was questioned by some, but Morris said his staff never wavered.

“We spike the ball on every first down you get (in a two-minute drill),” Morris said. “You pick up a first down, you have to go down and spike it. You have no timeouts left. You have to be ready to deal.”

Had the Bucs had an extra down at the end of the game — spiking the ball made it second down — perhaps the outcome would have been different. But players pointed out that hurriedly running an unorganized play with the clock running could have resulted in a turnover or a loss of yardage.

CAM CAN: When DE Tim Crowder looks at Panthers rookie QB Cam Newton, he sees some similarities to his former University of Texas teammate, QB Vince Young. And Crowder said he feels Newton and the Panthers have a bright future.

“He’s very unique,” Crowder said of Newton. “I practiced against a guy everyday in college (Young) that has those talents. He’s the same guy. He can throw, he can run, he’s got a lot of confidence over there. And they’re just one of those teams on cusp, too. They’re probably one of those teams next year that’ll be fighting for the division lead.”

WAITING ON WORD: The Bucs didn’t update the condition of DT Brian Price, who left Sunday’s game with a sprained ankle. Price, who was at One Buc Place on Monday wearing a walking boot, did not speak with reporters but had further tests.

Times staff writer Joe Smith contributed to this report.

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By Rick Stroud, Times Staff Writer

In Print: Saturday, November 26, 2011

TAMPA — The Bucs defense is focused on stopping Titans RB Chris Johnson, who can’t seem to get going.

Johnson, who signed a six-year, $56 million contract after holding out of training camp, rushed for 130 yards in a win over Carolina two weeks ago and appeared on the verge of a breakout.

But in a loss to the Falcons last week, Johnson rushed for only 13 yards on 12 carries.

“I’ve played against a lot of fast guys, but he has that elite speed and is extremely fast,” Bucs LB Mason Foster said of Johnson, a Pro Bowl selection in each of his first three seasons. “That separates him from a lot of running backs in the league.”

The Bucs rank 26th in the league in rushing defense, allowing 133.5 yards per game. Johnson has eclipsed the century rushing mark twice this season and has 509 yards and two touchdowns on 160 attempts.

That’s below par for the 26-year-old from Orlando, who rushed for 4,598 yards his first three pro seasons.

“He just hasn’t had the big breakout runs he had last year,” Bucs coach Raheem Morris said. “Hopefully, we can continue to keep that process going. He’s only one snap away from returning to his old form.

“He’s fast, he’s quick, he’s dynamic. He’s a great running back … who is just searching for the big play. Hopefully, he doesn’t get it this weekend.”

BETTER TO RECEIVE: QB Josh Freeman is coming off a career-high 342 yards passing in a loss to Green Bay, thanks in no small part to the improved performance of his receivers.

TE Kellen Winslow had a season-high 132 yards receiving while WR Mike Williams recorded only his second touchdown of the season and his first since Week 1.

“Guys were making plays,” offensive coordinator Greg Olson said. “If they weren’t open, Josh threw them open. That’s kind of the NFL. You’re looking for those guys, when it’s a one-on-one matchup and you’ve got an opportunity to make a play, the quarterback has got to put the ball there for you and you’ve got to make the play, and they did that last week.”

The Bucs will see a lot more zone defense Sunday against the Titans, but Olson is hopeful last week’s performance will carry over.

“We hope so,” he said. “The players felt it. Early in the game (last week), there was that confidence and that swagger. … There was excitement and energy on the sideline we hope will carry over and remain on a consistent basis.”

INJURIES: DE Michael Bennett (groin) is doubtful for Sunday. S Tanard Jackson (hamstring) and LB Dekoda Watson (groin) did not practice Friday and are listed as questionable. DT Brian Price (forearm) and T Jeremy Trueblood (knee) are probable. DT Albert Haynesworth (knee) did not practice Friday but is probable.

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Read More: Jeremy Trueblood (OT – TAM), Kellen Winslow (TE – TAM), Dekoda Watson (LB – TAM), Brian Price (DT – TAM), Tennessee Titans, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers got back to the practice field today, but were missing one of their defensive ends. Michael Bennett missed practice dealing with groin injury. The Bucs have dealt with some injuries on their defensive line all season, especially with defensive tackle Brian Price. Price was limited in practice dealing with a forearm injury.

The Bucs also had a few players return back to practice in full, having dealt with injuries last week. Safety Tanard Jackson, who’s been nursing a hamstring injury was a full participant today, as was offensive tackle Jeremy Trueblood (knee) and linebacker Dekoda Watson (groin).

Tight end Kellen Winslow also missed practice, but it was not injury related. The Bucs have certainly gotten healthier after having dealt with key injuries at critical positions early in the year.

For more coverage of the Buccaneers, please visit Bucs Nation, SB Nation’s Bucs blog. For more coverage of the Titans, please visit Music City Miracles.

By Rick Stroud, Times Staff Writer

In Print: Thursday, November 10, 2011

Albert Haynesworth played poorly with his last two teams.

TAMPA — Mark Dominik did not talk to anyone with the Patriots or Redskins before claiming troubled but talented defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth off waivers Wednesday.

Instead, the Bucs general manager watched tape of the 134 snaps Haynesworth played with the Patriots this season — twice — and counted seven quarterback pressures and 15 disruptive plays to go with what he calculated to be only eight tackles.

“Which isn’t tremendous, I agree with that,” Dominik said.

But for all the analysis, what really made Dominik pull the trigger on Haynesworth is the paralysis of the Bucs defensive line with the season-ending torn bicep injury to Gerald McCoy, the third overall pick in 2010.

Tampa Bay ranks next to last in the NFL with 12 sacks, only two in the past four games. What’s more, with no push inside, opponents have focused their blocking schemes on doubling defensive ends Adrian Clayborn and Michael Bennett.

“I can say candidly that if Gerald wasn’t hurt, I probably wouldn’t make this move,” Dominik said. “But because of the situation we’re in, I feel like Albert Haynesworth has the best ability of any defensive tackle out there. For me, it made sense as an organization to bring him on board. … It’ll be up to him and how he plays and how he performs.”

Haynesworth, 30, nearly signed with Tampa Bay in 2009 before opting for a seven-year, $100 million contract offer from the Redskins. But when Washington switched to a 3-4 defensive alignment in 2010, Haynesworth was combative about becoming a two-gap nose tackle. His disenchantment led to a season of acrimony with coach Mike Shanahan and paved the way for his trade to New England after the NFL lockout.

A 2002 first-round pick and two-time All-Pro with Tennessee, Haynesworth had 14½ sacks in his final two years with the Titans. But coaches have questioned his effort over the past three seasons in which he has notched only 6½ sacks, making a total of six tackles in six games for the Patriots.

The final coffin nail for the 6-foot-6, 350-pound Haynesworth in New England came in Sunday’s 24-20 loss to the Giants. According to reports, Haynesworth failed to play the right technique on Brandon Jacobs’ 10-yard touchdown run in the third quarter, had words with defensive line coach Pepper Johnson and never played another snap for New England.

“I think a thing that I’m going to bank on a little bit here is our defense and what we ask the 3-technique to do,” Dominik said. ” … It made sense to me to put the claim in for a guy I think can help us in this second-half stretch.”

The Bucs will be on the hook for roughly half of Haynesworth’s $1.5 million salary in 2011. He is under contract for 2012 at $6.7 million, though Dominik was clear that his tenure in Tampa Bay initially will be evaluated “week to week.”

Minutes before the Bucs’ claim of Haynesworth, defensive line coach Keith Millard lamented the loss of McCoy and how it impacted the defensive line. Tampa Bay has only two healthy defensive tackles, Brian Price and Roy Miller.

“As soon as (McCoy) went down, they doubled (Price), and now if you don’t have the speed or the quickness to whip guys one-on-one, now what they do is start chipping your ends,” Millard said.

Then came the announcement of Haynesworth, which viewed in a vacuum seemed out of character for the Bucs who have mostly ignored veteran players during free agency.

“We’ve had a lot of star power here in the past,” Dominik said. “We’ve been able to handle it.”

What did Dominik see of Haynesworth on tape?

“That he can be strong, powerful, dominating, disruptive, still,” he said. “He can overpower his opponent. … He’s not one these older players who can’t play anymore. I just want him to play our way.”

[Last modified: Nov 09, 2011 09:23 PM]

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TAMPA – This much we know: Life is not going to get
any easier for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

First came the news Monday that everyone expected. Star defensive tackle Gerald
McCoy – coming into his own as a force on the field and a voice of the team –
is indeed lost for the season with a torn right biceps muscle.

It’s a major blow to the D-line’s pass-rushing and run-stopping prowess, and a
serious setback for last year’s No. 1 pick for Tampa Bay. The sad part is that
McCoy missed the final four games of last season after suffering a torn right
biceps – and he was just returning to action after missing two games with an
ankle sprain.

“You lose the get-off, the explosiveness – you’re talking about a top-3
pick,”
head coach Raheem Morris said on Monday. “You’re talking about a guy who
gets off the ball and causes disruptions. When he played, he’s been playing
well for us.”

Now comes the hard part: facing one of the AFC’s hottest and most dangerous
offensive teams, the Houston Texans, Sunday at 1 p.m. ET in Raymond James
Stadium.

For the Bucs, the challenge will be finding a way to cut down on the wave of penalties
that have killed potential scoring opportunities time and time again this
season – and find a way to start off strong.

The inability to do either of those things contributed heavily to their 27-16
loss at New Orleans on Sunday. Consequently, the Saints tightened their grip on
the NFC South Division after an upset loss to St. Louis one week earlier,
improving to 6-3. The Bucs, on the other hand, dropped to third place at 4-4 –
just three weeks after a rousing 26-20 home win over the Saints that tied them
temporarily for the division lead at 4-2.

What a difference three weeks make. Suddenly, the Bucs are at an early
crossroads. If they can beat Houston, they’ll head north at 5-4 to face
unbeaten Green Bay (8-0) Nov. 20 – a game that by any stretch is tough to
imagine them winning. They could weather a loss to the Pack and still be 5-5
heading into two road games in the next three weeks (Tennessee on Nov. 27 and
Jacksonville Dec. 11, with a home again against Carolina sandwiched in between
on Dec. 4).

But if the Texans and their one-two punch ground attack of Arian Foster and Ben
Tate prevail, Morris and his team face the distinct possibility of finishing
Week 10 in a 4-6 hole and with a four-game losing streak. With the Saints and the
second-place Falcons (5-3) playing well again, that would make it increasingly
difficult for the Bucs to keep pace in the playoff hunt.

Morris looked at the tape of Sunday’s loss to the Saints and saw a game that
turned on a handful of missed opportunities – including a pair of passes by
quarterback Josh Freeman that were just out of reach of tailback Kregg Lumpkin
and fullback Erik Lorig. The one to Lumkpin would have gone for a touchdown
early in the third quarter and cut the deficit to 17-10; the one to Lorig would
have been a first down in the red zone late in the third with the Saints up
24-6.

“The quarterback (Freeman) had a 103 rating and then he missed two big
throws – whether you want to call them drops, whether you want to call them
misses – those are the difference in the game,” Morris said. “You get
in the red zone against the Saints, you have to score touchdowns. They’re too
good an offense.”

Morris pointed to needless penalties that continue to undercut the Bucs’
chances at winning. He differentiated between the tripping call in the fourth
quarter against offensive tackle Donald Penn (pushing the Bucs out of the red
zone) and the flagrant shove in the face delivered by tailback LeGarrette
Blount – a foul that turned a third-and-1 with a potential touchdown drive
developing, to a third-and-16 leading instead to a field goal.

“You talk about the foolishness (with) 15-yard penalties,” he said.
“Donald’s penalty was a tripping penalty – that was an effort play. … The foolish
ones are the ones you’ve got to get rid of. That stuff is hurting us.”

Blount’s impact on the ground was promising – 13 carries for 72 yards – but he
wound up not being as involved in the offense as planned. Morris said that was because
the Bucs fell behind early, had to pass more often and shifted to the
two-minute offense in the final half of the fourth quarter.

“That’s going to take away some carries from
(Blount),” Morris said. “The time we beat the Saints with Earnest
Graham, we were in four-minute drills – to keep those guys off the field, to
keep Drew Brees from being able to finish off a game.”

Now the NFL’s youngest team needs to focus on not finishing itself off with too
many silly mistakes.

“I’m not going to sit here and say youth – I’m not talking about us being
young,” linebacker Dekoda Watson said. “When it’s all said and done,
age doesn’t matter with anybody. We just need to go out there and be
disciplined and play fundamentally sound. Age isn’t a factor – it’s just us.”

Added defensive tackle Frank Okam, who missed the game with a calf injury:
“This league’s too good to hurt yourself. I think any time you can get the
penalties that can knock your offense back or put your defense in bad
situations, you can only overcome those so many times, just percentage-wise.

“We’ve been making note of that in practice and really
trying to hone in on that. It’s an emotional game and emotional things happen.
But that’s no excuse – it’s time to inject some intelligence, emotional intelligence,
and play football.”

Okam has been a pleasant addition to the Bucs, with his 6-5, 350-pound frame
that’s made him particularly strong against the run and in drawing double
teams. With McCoy gone, Okam will be needed more than ever, teaming with Roy
Miller and Brian Price.

“Any time a soldier goes down, the next guy up has been
our mantra ever since I’ve been here,” Okam said. “You just want to
be back there helping Roy and Brian out, so we can solidify that position again
and play up to our capability.”

McCoy’s injury resulted, Morris said, from reaching out with his arm to make a
tackle: “He got off the ball and had a chance to make a play on the back
and he kind of reached out, rather than putting his face in there. You have to
move into the ball … and hit on contact. He reached for the guy, which is a
common mistake coming off a block.”

As for any long-term concerns about McCoy’s health and his pattern of injuries
in two seasons, Morris dismissed them. “Matt Stafford missed two seasons
with the Detroit Lions and this has been his best season right now,” he
said. “(McCoy’s) got to come back. He’s got to go rehab and come back
ready to play 16 games.”

Morris said the team will now have to add a player to the roster and get him
ready to play. Meanwhile, the Bucs will have Tuesday off as usual, then
re-convene Wednesday with their sights set on derailing the Texans. In some
respects, it’s a challenge similar to the one they faced three weeks ago when
they rebounded from a tough loss against San Francisco and played their best
game of the season against the potent Saints offense.

They’ll have to find a way do it again – or face the prospect of falling into
deepening hole.

All 90 players for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have iPads instead of the traditional phonebook-sized playbooks. The St. Petersburg Times reports that Bucs players will now use these tablet computers to store playbooks, reference game footage and also to review videos of their opponents. The new technology came back in training camp at the cost of $500-600 each and now the team has had a few weeks into the season to try them out.

Apple’s iPad mobile computing device, running the iPad version of their touch-based iOS.
Wikimedia Commons

There are several big benefits to the players using iPads in place of their playbooks. First, players don’t have to ask for a DVD to take home to review game footage and second, there are no print copies of sensitive information that could end up in the wrong hands. The major advantage to a digital device like the iPad is that if it becomes lost or stolen, all the data on it can be instantly deleted with the click of a button, even remotely.

Another benefit to the players is that they don’t have to rewind or fast forward to review certain pieces of game footage. Instead they can flip through the plays and find the ones they want to see at that time. It makes it easier and more efficient to study, which is important to the players. The Bucs have been using these iPads as playbooks since training camp but they are not the only team now to do so. While they were the first to start the 2011 season with them, recently the Baltimore Ravens adopted the iPad for their whole team as well.

These two teams are clearly setting the stage for the future of the NFL. Since pro sports have had issues with players losing playbooks for decades, it’s a bit surprising that more teams have not already adopted the iPads like the Bucs.

While technology is not going to instantly translate to more wins on the field, what we do see is creativity and innovation at its best, which will pay off in one way or another for the teams that continue seeking new ways to improve their game, individually and as a team.

Lisa was born and raised in Tampa, Florida and has been a Bucs fan as long as she can remember, although she now lives deep in football territory of Texas.

More from Yahoo! Contributor Network:

Bucs starting defense will not play against Washington: Fan’s analysis

Brian Price re-injures hamstring, will start against the Vikings: Fan reaction

Tampa Bay brings home an amazing comeback win: Bucs vs. Vikings fan reaction

Note: This article was written by a Yahoo! contributor. Sign up here to start publishing your own sports content.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are scheduled to “host” the Chicago Bears on Sunday, October 23rd at Wembley Stadium in London. This is their second trip to London in three years and this will be the NFL’s fifth International Series game at Wembley Stadium.

Photo taken at Raymond James Stadium of the game between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Carolina Panthers on Nov. 6, 2005. It is taken from the northeast corner of the stadium.
Wikimedia Commons

As for game predictions, many believe the jet lag and 6-hour time difference might catch up to the Bears whereas Tampa Bay has been there for nearly a week already.

The Bucs will become the first team to play in London twice in the regular season and they have expressed desire to return. One thing is true, however, and that is that more factors than just time differences come into play when we look at football games overseas.

For one, the game will be played at 6pm London time, making it a night game. The Bears have the advantage here as this is their third consecutive night game and their ninth in the last three seasons. The Bucs are at a bit of a disadvantage as they have only played two night games over the past three seasons, both of which they lost.

This overseas game presents challenges to both teams and while I’m rooting for my Bucs, I won’t call this one “in the bag” until the score reflects it on Sunday. Win or lose, it should be an interesting game for the Bucs who seem to enjoy playing overseas and leading the proposed push of the NFL to Europe.

At a forum in London on Saturday, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have become leaders in the NFL’s effort to expand its presence in the United Kingdom and have expressed interest in playing here on a regular basis.

Goodell added, “I think they recognize that the growth of the league is important and they’ve been leaders in this area. I think they want to see the Bucs become a global franchise and I think that’s a great thing for Tampa and a great thing for the NFL.”

Not everyone thinks the NFL moving to Europe is a good idea. Fellow sports writer, Derek Ciapala, writes about why he thinks the idea to grow American football in Europe is flawed. What do you think?

Lisa was born and raised in Tampa, Florida and has been a Bucs fan as long as she can remember, although she now lives deep in football territory of Texas.

More from Yahoo! Contributor Network:

Bucs starting defense will not play against Washington: Fan’s analysis

Brian Price re-injures hamstring, will start against the Vikings: Fan reaction

Tampa Bay brings home an amazing comeback win: Bucs vs. Vikings fan reaction

Note: This article was written by a Yahoo! contributor. Sign up here to start publishing your own sports content.