TAMPA — Panthers offensive coordinator Rob Chudzinski has a multitude of weapons at his disposal, from 6-foot-6 rookie QB Cam Newton to 5-foot-9 veteran WR Steve Smith.

But sizing up what Chudzinski has in store is tough for any defense because he’s not afraid to reach deep into his bag of trick plays.

In the Bucs’ 38-19 home loss to Carolina on Dec. 4, Chudzinski had WR Legedu Naanee — who went to Boise State to play quarterback — throw a pass back to Newton for 27 yards to set up a touchdown.

On one play last week against the Texans, Newton took the snap and rolled to his right. But what the Texans didn’t see was Newton stick the ball between the legs of FB Richie Brockel, who ran for a 7-yard touchdown.

The hidden-ball trick was loosely based on a play called “the annexation of Puerto Rico” from the 1994 movie the Little Giants.

“The last time they played us, they got a little trick, throwback play,” Bucs coach Raheem Morris said. “They got out there and lined up quick and we got one guy lined up on the wrong side, and that’s all you need, is one guy on the wrong side to make a big play happen.

“We saw the chicanery … there. Last week we got to see it. And then also, Cam Newton creates that kind of dynamic on the goal line as well because of some of the things he’s able to do. It’s not often you see LeBron James get the ball on the snap and jump over the whole offensive line and score a touchdown with your quarterback and not worry about him getting hurt. … Chud has done a great job done there, just like he’s done everywhere. He’s dynamic, and he’s good for this league.”

PRO BOWL BUCS? Last season, when the Bucs went 10-6, they were snubbed by the Pro Bowl when the teams originally were announced. Eventually, LT Donald Penn, who was an alternate, was added to the roster and was the only Tampa Bay player at the NFL all-star game in Hawaii.

This season, the Bucs expect to be shut out again. However, Morris believes a few players are deserving of consideration — P Michael Koenen, G Davin Joseph and CB Ronde Barber. Koenen is 18th in the NFL with a 44.7-yard average and has 30 kickoffs for touchbacks. Barber, 36, is third on the team in tackles 72 and leads the club with three INTs.

“Our punter has done a great job all year,” Morris said. “He certainly deserves that type of accolade. Davin Joseph has been exactly what we wanted him to be when we signed him.

“Ronde Barber is always in consideration just because of who Ronde Barber is and the dynamics he has and his ability to go out there and make plays at his age. He’s the ageless wonder.”

INJURY UPDATE: The defense is struggling on the injury front. DE Michael Bennett (toe), DT Brian Price (ankle), DT Albert Haynesworth (knee) and LB Geno Hayes (knee) did not practice Wednesday, but Morris hopes they will be available for Saturday’s game. WR Arrelious Benn, who missed last week’s game against Dallas with a concussion, practiced for the second straight day. LB Adam Hayward (foot), WR Sammie Stroughter (knee), DT Roy Miller (back) and QB Josh Freeman (shoulder) had full participation.

By Rick Stroud, Times Staff Writer

In Print: Wednesday, December 14, 2011

---

Jaguars defensive end Jeremy Mincey reaches Bucs quarterback Josh Freeman on Sunday. The Bucs committed seven turnovers in their loss.
	[DANIEL WALLACE | Times]

TAMPA — No matter how many times Bucs left tackle Donald Penn knocks down pass rushers, he is only noticed when he has to help quarterback Josh Freeman get back on his feet.

Penn, named to the Pro Bowl last year, routinely stifles the league’s best sack masters. But Saturday he faces his toughest assignment — blocking out his uncharacteristically poor performance Sunday against the Jaguars.

Penn allowed a first-half sack that resulted in a Freeman fumble recovered for a Jaguars touchdown in a 41-14 loss Sunday. Freeman was harassed all day, sacked three times, pulled down by his facemask for a personal foul and hit on two other occasions. He threw two interceptions.

Bucs coach Raheem Morris called it Penn’s worst game of the year. Penn doesn’t disagree.

“I’m not happy with the way I played,” Penn said Tuesday. “We’ll see how this week goes. I’m not happy with myself, I need to play better. I can’t let up. I always talk about it. I did, I’ll be the first one to stand here and tell you. I wish I could have three or four plays back. It would’ve helped us. But I’ve got to do better. I hold myself to high standards and that wasn’t good enough on my part. What perfect way to get better than this weekend.”

Pass protection will be paramount for Penn when he faces Cowboys linebacker DeMarcus Ware, who is tied for second in the NFL with 15 sacks and has 94 for his career.

Ware can flip to either side, which means right tackle Jeremy Trueblood will be also be tested. But it’s Penn’s job to keep Freeman clean on his blindside and Ware has made some long days for left tackles this season.

“He’s having a great year this year,” Penn said. “Man, it’s going to be tough. He’s going to come at me. We’re going to have a good battle and he’s a good player. I’m going to have to really recoup. I put some bad things on film last week, I’ve got to make sure I switch it up and change it up so he doesn’t take advantage of what I did. But that wasn’t me.”

The Bucs (4-9) have lost seven games in a row and eight of their past nine. Playing the Cowboys in primetime on the NFL Network is rife with potential for ridicule or redemption.

“We’re grinding through it,” Penn said. “We’re still playing hard, we’re still holding each other to a high standard and we’re going to get through it. It’s a learning stage, too. We’re growing while we’re learning.”

At Jacksonville, seven turnovers led to 41 unanswered points, including 28 in 7 ½ minutes in the second quarter.

“It happened so fast, you’ve got to … take a deep breath and get back to playing one play at a time,” Penn said. “I wish we would’ve done some different things. We’ve got to get better and stop making so many mistakes.”

Behind Penn, the Bucs have done an extraordinary job protection Freeman. Despite yielding three sacks last week, they’re tied for eighth in the NFL in sacks allowed with 24.

“I don’t know whether you want to consider DeMarcus a d-lineman? A linebacker?” Morris said. “Whatever you want to call him, just call him a good football player and you’ve just got to be ready to deal with him on Saturday.”

Like always, Penn says he’ll have Freeman’s back.

“I don’t want to make it bigger than it is,” Penn said. “I’m going to take care of it. I’m fully aware of what I did and I’m going to get better. I’m one of the first guys to tell these other guys, “I need more.’ So it’s time for them to tell me they need more from me. The roles are reversed. I have to come out and produce.”

[Last modified: Dec 13, 2011 09:55 PM]

Click here for reuse options!

Copyright 2011 St. Petersburg Times

You must enable javascript to view and add comments.

By Stephen F. Holder, Times Staff Writer

In Print: Tuesday, December 13, 2011

---

TAMPA — Bucs Pro Bowl LT Donald Penn has a considerable challenge this week. He has the privilege of lining up against Cowboys pass rusher DeMarcus Ware in Saturday night’s home game, a task that comes on the heels of arguably Penn’s worst game of the season.

Penn, for instance, missed a block against Jacksonville LB Daryl Smith on Sunday that led to a sack of QB Josh Freeman and a subsequent fumble that was recovered for a Jaguars touchdown.

“They didn’t play great on the left side of our offensive line,” coach Raheem Morris said Monday. “There’s no sugarcoating that fact. Donald Penn didn’t have as great as game as he usually has for us. It’s the first time this season that we’re actually talking about Donald Penn, so that alone tells you he didn’t play as well as he would like to. He’s aware of that. We’re aware of that.”

Saturday, Penn will face Ware, who is tied for the second in the NFL with Eagles DE Jason Babin with 15 sacks. Ware has just one sack in his past three games, but has had games like Oct. 30 against the Eagles, when he registered four quarterback takedowns. Even when Ware doesn’t get a sack, he is a constant presence in opponents’ backfields.

Penn’s task of preventing a repeat of Sunday’s performance begins in the film room this week, Morris said.

“We’ve moved on to the Dallas game because of the short week, so we won’t have the extensive film study and be able to go back and evaluate with Donald from a one-on-one standpoint, but I’m sure Donald will be in here today and he’ll evaluate himself and he’ll come see his coaches and he’ll get that fixed and get that corrected,” Morris said.

“He struggled (Sunday) with the rusher he had against him and those guys did a nice job of taking advantage and getting our quarterback.”

A SECOND CHANCE: Morris insisted we’ve not seen the last of WR Preston Parker, whose two fumbles on special teams in Jacksonville were critical.

Parker, who has had a flurry of fumbles this season that were recovered by the Bucs, has been the team’s primary return man and third-down slot receiver for most of the season.

“I’m not going to give up on anybody,” Morris said. “Preston Parker is a dynamic guy and because he fumbled a punt that led to a (touchdown) by the Jacksonville Jaguars, I’m not going to turn my back on him. I gave (DT) Brian Price a second chance and I kicked him out of a game. It’s about us growing as a team.”

INJURY UPDATE: There is a key injury to monitor. Starting WR Arrelious Benn suffered what Morris described as “a little concussion.” He left the game in the first quarter and did not return.

Benn wasn’t available for comment and it’s unclear what his prospects are for playing against the Cowboys.

Elsewhere, the Bucs lost two players to season-ending injuries Sunday. Reserve DT John McCargo suffered a triceps injury and LB Jacob Cutrera, a special-teams contributor, suffered an unspecified head injury.

To replace McCargo, DT Frank Okam was promoted from the practice squad. The Bucs have not yet filled Cutrera’s open roster. The Bucs also will look to fill three practice squad spots this week.

QB Josh Freeman, who entered the game with a right shoulder injury and missed last week’s game against Carolina, was sore afterward but the Bucs expect him to start against Dallas.

Freeman’s injury was described as a deep tissue bruise and not a structural issue.

[Last modified: Dec 12, 2011 09:42 PM]

Click here for reuse options!

Copyright 2011 St. Petersburg Times

You must enable javascript to view and add comments.

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.

TAMPA, Fla. – It’s too early to say for sure. But there might come a day when historians look back to find the precise time the Tampa Bay Buccaneers turned the corner. Sunday might end up being that day.

A team that hasn’t been to the playoffs since the 2007 season and is only slightly removed from a horrid 3-13 2009 season, did what didn’t seem possible as recently as a week ago. The Bucs pulled off their biggest win since Raheem Morris took over as head coach in 2009.

The defense created four turnovers, Earnest Graham stepped in at tailback and rushed for 109 yards, and Josh Freeman threw for 303 yards and two touchdowns as the Buccaneers defeated the New Orleans Saints 26-20 at Raymond James Stadium.

More importantly, Tampa Bay’s defense stood up to one of the NFL’s most frightening sights. That’s Drew Brees marching the New Orleans offense down the field in the final minutes of a game. That’s been the ruination of many a team and it looked like Brees was about to pull off another comeback win.

The Saints got the ball back with seven minutes and 19 seconds left. Ordinarily, that’s an eternity for Brees, who’s shown he’s capable of putting up two or three touchdowns in that amount of time.

“Nerve wracking,’’ Morris said.

Brees and the Saints started at their own 24-yard line and moved all the way down to Tampa Bay’s 4-yard line. With a fourth-and-2, Brees dropped back and his history prepared us for what should have happened next.

“The biggest challenge in the world is getting Drew Brees out there on fourth down and whatever,’’ Morris said.

What happened next is the play the historians might point to, the play that might end up turning the tide in an NFC South race that the Saints seemed poised to run away with. Brees threw to backup tight end John Gilmore. But linebacker Quincy Black stepped in to intercept the ball in the end zone with 3:16 left and effectively ended the game.

“That’s scary when Drew Brees is coming down the field,’’ Tampa Bay offensive tackle Donald Penn said. “I’m on the sideline and I’m like ‘Oh man.’ Drew Brees is one of the best quarterbacks in the league, especially with two minutes left. I was worried, but the defense came through.’’

The defense came through all day. That’s significant because Tampa Bay came up with three interceptions and recovered a fumble against one of the league’s top offenses. That’s significant because it came a week after Tampa Bay got thumped 48-3 by San Francisco.

“We left it there in San Francisco,’’ said Graham, who was filling in for the injured LeGarrette Blount.

What the Bucs found back home in Tampa Bay (before shipping off to London on Monday morning to play the Chicago Bears next Sunday) was a bigger win than they’ve had in several years. In a 10-6 season last year, the Bucs won a lot of games against mediocre teams. Even the biggest victory earlier this season, against Atlanta, wasn’t all that impressive because the Falcons have been up and down.

But Sunday was different. There’s no debating whether the Saints are a good team. There’s no arguing the Bucs played their most complete game since Morris has been around. Graham took care of the ground game, Freeman had his best game of the season and the defense was the story of the day.

“When our defense plays like that, there’s no one in the NFL that can beat us,’’ Penn said. “No one.’’

That may sound a little grandiose, but Penn just might be right. Tampa Bay’s two best defensive games this season have come against Atlanta and New Orleans. Those are division opponents and Tampa Bay’s defense is what could end up putting the Bucs ahead of the rest of the NFC South.

The victory put the Bucs at 4-2. That’s the same record as the Saints and Tampa Bay and New Orleans are one game ahead of Atlanta in the win column. The Bucs already have wins against the Saints and Falcons and they’re very much a player for the division title.

The Saints and Falcons each have had defensive problems. Tampa Bay’s defense is very young, but it’s showing strong signs it also is becoming very good.

You could make a case that Tampa Bay has the NFC South’s best defense. If that turns out to be the case through the rest of the season, the Bucs just might end up winning a division where Brees, Matt Ryan and Cam Newton can put up points, but none of their teams are doing much on defense.

The prospect of the Bucs winning the division isn’t that big of a stretch.

Last year’s motto from Morris was “The Race to 10.’’ The Bucs ended last season with 10 wins, but just missed out on the playoffs.

That’s why this year’s message is different. The Bucs aren’t shooting just for 10 wins. They’ve made it clear the NFC South title is their goal.

“That’s what we’ve said from the beginning,’’ Morris said.

If they keep playing like this, the Bucs might be standing atop the NFC South at the end.