CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The Tampa Bay Buccaneers made sure nearly everyone got an official NFL football for Christmas.

LeGarrette Blount gave one to Carolina linebacker James Anderson, fumbling a handoff on the Bucs’ first offensive play Saturday. Josh Freeman tossed one to defensive back Jonathan Nelson for an interception to start the third quarter. Kellen Winslow presented one to defensive tackle Andre Neblett. Sammie Stroughter donated another to linebacker Jason Williams.

The Bucs (4-11) turned the ball over four times, gift-wrapping half of the Panthers’ points in a 48-16 loss at Bank of America Stadium, their ninth defeat in a row.

In fact, so charitable was the Bucs offense that Carolina got into the spirit after it reached the end zone.

Cam Newton, who broke Peyton Manning’s NFL rookie passing yardage record while throwing three touchdowns and running for another, handed a football to a young fan in the first row after his 91-yard touchdown pass to Brandon LaFell. Later, after Newton’s 49-yard scoring run, LaFell took the football and gave it to another fan.

“When one person does one thing, everybody else does it,” Newton said. “Brandon got on me because I took his touchdown ball and gave it away. So I gave him my touchdown ball and he gave it away. It’s just the added dimension of just the fun we have on the field.”

Unfortunately for the Bucs, when the obituary is written on the 2011 season, the cause of death will be turnovers. In its first six games, Tampa Bay went 4-2 and committed eight turnovers. During this nine-game losing streak, the Bucs have given away footballs 28 times.

“That’s exactly it. That’s the story of the season — turnovers,” Bucs coach Raheem Morris said. “You cannot expect to win games turning the football over. The four turnovers (Saturday) led to points. Those things can’t happen. That was the difference between this year and last year.

“Last year, we didn’t turn the ball over. This year, we’re not able to maintain possession, we’re not able to keep people off the field, we’re not able to keep people on the field to wear them down. … That caused the lopsided margins. That’s making us look uncompetitive. That’s causing meltdowns. That’s causing poor (defense). That’s causing out-of-character offense. All these are happening because of turnovers. When those things happen, it’s a downhill spiral.”

Blount, who had fumbled four times (losing three) in his previous five games, was benched for the remainder of the first half after dropping the handoff from Freeman. Statistically, the fumble was credited to Freeman, but the quarterback and Morris put the blame squarely on Blount, who also said it was his fault.

“To not be able to execute the first play of the football game is unacceptable,” Morris said. “They’re obviously not ready to play. You’ve got to bring the other guys in. I’m not ready to quit on (Blount), but certainly (Saturday) wasn’t his day. You can’t let your team down that way.”

The Bucs defense also did its part. Newton and running backs Jonathan Stewart and DeAngelo Williams combined to rush 20 times for 219 yards. Even though they practiced stopping the Panthers’ spread option all week, the Bucs seemed helpless against it.

“It’s like college football,” cornerback Ronde Barber said. “You get ready for this week and you feel like you’re back at your alumni trying to get a big option guy down on the ground. (Newton’s) difficult.”

The first time Newton played the Bucs, he ran for three touchdowns and passed for another while breaking the NFL record for rushing touchdowns by a quarterback with 13. On Saturday, he passed for three touchdowns and ran for another in breaking Manning’s rookie record of 3,739 passing yards.

“We go out and do this all … week,” Bucs defensive tackle Roy Miller said. “It’s like Rah says, ‘How can we do this in practice all week and come in a game and not do it?’ You’re sad, because you’re looking at Rah because he’s taking all this. You fumble the ball, you give up a 91-yard (pass). You can’t coach that. We’re coached every day to stop that. He’s taking all the blame and that’s bad, man. That’s bad.”

If there was a silver lining, it’s that the Bucs finally decided to spread the field on offense with three receivers and allow Freeman to increase the tempo out of the shotgun. Freeman completed 28 of 38 passes for 274 yards and a touchdown for a passer rating of 91.3. He also rushed for a score.

“I really like the offense we were in today, utilizing me as a quarterback to get into a rhythm and spread the ball around,” Freeman said. “I feel like it gets everybody involved.”

It also seemed every Bucs player was involved in the gift exchange program on Christmas Eve.

Good thing there’s only one game left. They’re about to run out of footballs.

Game time moved

The Tampa Bay at Atlanta game on Jan. 1 has been moved to 4:15 p.m. due to NFL flex scheduling.

TAMPA — Bucs coach Raheem Morris laid it all on the line — both offensive and defensive lines, to be exact — for Saturday night’s 31-15 loss to the Cowboys.

Players lost individual matchups, blew assignments and had poor execution.

But for the third time this season, Morris also said his players lacked effort.

“Generally, we haven’t had the (not-playing) hard deal,” Morris said. “But (Saturday) night, I’ve got to say, it was a little something where we’ve got to play harder.

“The Houston game, we struggled a little bit. At San Fran we struggled a little bit. I guess we were tired, the short week and all that stuff. … I wouldn’t say it’s been a continuing problem, but (Saturday) night, I’d have to say it was.”

The Bucs, who have lost eight straight in a season for the first time in 24 years, trailed 28-0 at halftime, part of a 69-0 run dating back to last week’s game at Jacksonville when the Jaguars scored 41 unanswered points.

Quarterback Josh Freeman ran 24 yards and lost a fumble on the next play, before the offense went three and out four straight times in the first half Saturday.

• On the first two plays of the game, right tackle Jeremy Trueblood yielded pressure and Freeman was flushed from the pocket. After running for a first down, Freeman fumbled on the next play.

• On third and 1 on the next series, guard Davin Joseph missed an assignment. Instead of blocking outside to the right, he crashed inside and let defensive end Marcus Spears tackle LeGarrette Blount for a 1-yard loss.

“Without calling out individual performances, it was a disappointing night as far as protection goes, not as far as scheme, not as far as coaching, not as far as any of that stuff,” Morris said. “It’s more about (man against man), stand up and block your guy, and we did not do that.

“Hence the frustration. You’ve got to go out there and execute what you’re coached to do. If it was something we weren’t prepared for that we knew was coming, I’d be a little more understanding.

The defensive line didn’t play much better. Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo completed 23 of 30 for 249 yards and three touchdowns and ran for another score.

On two of those TDs, Romo broke containment and rolled right, extending the play before firing into the end zone to receivers Dez Bryant and Laurent Robinson. On both plays, the Bucs ran line stunts with the left end looping inside the tackle.

“Some of those things, the end’s not supposed to go inside,” Morris said.

The Bucs had only 55 yards in the first half on 17 plays, including a kneel-down to end the second quarter. After the Bucs spread the field with three receivers in the second half, the offense started moving.

“I thought once we got into a groove, once we started moving, (we did) some things schematically that took them out of rhythm,” center Jeff Faine said. “We spread it out a little more and started bringing in different packages where it was keeping what they want to do off the field. It’s something we do reasonably well, and that’s no-huddle, two-minute style offense. We kept them in the nickel a little bit with our personnel. We controlled what was out there. It was like, what are they going to bring next as opposed to we put out a certain (personnel) grouping, and there’s only so much they can do. That’s pretty much what we did the entire second half.”

But Morris said that’s not the formula for the Bucs to win.

“The thing we want to do and how we’ve won a bunch of games around here is hand the ball to LeGarrette Blount a bunch of times, and when he gets to 20-plus carries … you win the football game,” Morris said.

His opening statement Sunday probably best summarized the game and his situation.

“Not a good game to watch on tape,” Morris said. “Hard to watch. Tough to deal with. Not competitive in the first half. Unacceptable. Got two weeks to go out and change that.”

TAMPA — Bucs coach Raheem Morris laid it all on the line — both offensive and defensive lines, to be exact — for Saturday night’s 31-15 loss to the Cowboys.

Players lost individual matchups, blew assignments and had poor execution.

But for the third time this season, Morris also said his players lacked effort.

“Generally, we haven’t had the (not-playing) hard deal,” Morris said. “But (Saturday) night, I’ve got to say, it was a little something where we’ve got to play harder.

“The Houston game, we struggled a little bit. At San Fran we struggled a little bit. I guess we were tired, the short week and all that stuff. … I wouldn’t say it’s been a continuing problem, but (Saturday) night, I’d have to say it was.”

The Bucs, who have lost eight straight in a season for the first time in 24 years, trailed 28-0 at halftime, part of a 69-0 run dating back to last week’s game at Jacksonville when the Jaguars scored 41 unanswered points.

Quarterback Josh Freeman ran 24 yards and lost a fumble on the next play, before the offense went three and out four straight times in the first half Saturday.

• On the first two plays of the game, right tackle Jeremy Trueblood yielded pressure and Freeman was flushed from the pocket. After running for a first down, Freeman fumbled on the next play.

• On third and 1 on the next series, guard Davin Joseph missed an assignment. Instead of blocking outside to the right, he crashed inside and let defensive end Marcus Spears tackle LeGarrette Blount for a 1-yard loss.

“Without calling out individual performances, it was a disappointing night as far as protection goes, not as far as scheme, not as far as coaching, not as far as any of that stuff,” Morris said. “It’s more about (man against man), stand up and block your guy, and we did not do that.

“Hence the frustration. You’ve got to go out there and execute what you’re coached to do. If it was something we weren’t prepared for that we knew was coming, I’d be a little more understanding.

The defensive line didn’t play much better. Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo completed 23 of 30 for 249 yards and three touchdowns and ran for another score.

On two of those TDs, Romo broke containment and rolled right, extending the play before firing into the end zone to receivers Dez Bryant and Laurent Robinson. On both plays, the Bucs ran line stunts with the left end looping inside the tackle.

“Some of those things, the end’s not supposed to go inside,” Morris said.

The Bucs had only 55 yards in the first half on 17 plays, including a kneel-down to end the second quarter. After the Bucs spread the field with three receivers in the second half, the offense started moving.

“I thought once we got into a groove, once we started moving, (we did) some things schematically that took them out of rhythm,” center Jeff Faine said. “We spread it out a little more and started bringing in different packages where it was keeping what they want to do off the field. It’s something we do reasonably well, and that’s no-huddle, two-minute style offense. We kept them in the nickel a little bit with our personnel. We controlled what was out there. It was like, what are they going to bring next as opposed to we put out a certain (personnel) grouping, and there’s only so much they can do. That’s pretty much what we did the entire second half.”

But Morris said that’s not the formula for the Bucs to win.

“The thing we want to do and how we’ve won a bunch of games around here is hand the ball to LeGarrette Blount a bunch of times, and when he gets to 20-plus carries … you win the football game,” Morris said.

His opening statement Sunday probably best summarized the game and his situation.

“Not a good game to watch on tape,” Morris said. “Hard to watch. Tough to deal with. Not competitive in the first half. Unacceptable. Got two weeks to go out and change that.”

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 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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In Print: Monday, November 28, 2011

OT_343592_WALL_Bucs_15 (11/27/2011 Nashville) Tampa Bay Buccaneers cornerback Aqib Talib (25) celebrates his interception and touchdown during the third quarter with cornerback E.J. Biggers (31). Talib had a 27 yard return on the play. SECOND HALF ACTION: The Tampa Bay Buccaneers play the Tennessee Titans at LP Field in Nashville. The Tennessee Titans won 23-17. [DANIEL WALLACE, Times]
	[DANIEL WALLACE | Times]

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By Rick Stroud, Times Staff Writer

In Print: Sunday, November 27, 2011

At 22 years old, they might not let you change lug nuts during the Daytona 500 on your first day with the pit crew. You might not get to anchor SportsCenter on Super Bowl Sunday.

But start every game at middle linebacker for the Bucs?

Now we’re talking.

At least that was the discussion coach Raheem Morris and general manager Mark Dominik had about rookie Mason Foster in April.

Do they attempt to re-sign steady Barrett Ruud to a one-year contract and let him mentor the third-round pick from Washington? Or throw Foster to the Lions (and Vikings and Bears)?

“A lot of people are going to say, ‘Man, you’re only 22 years old. You’re a rookie. There’s no way you’re going to be able to make those checks and lead the defense,’ ” Foster said. “But at the same time, nothing is impossible. I have a lot of confidence in myself, and I love a challenge.”

Same discussion, different team.

The Titans, whom the Bucs face today, used a fourth-round pick on Miami middle linebacker Colin McCarthy, a former Clearwater Central Catholic star.

But instead of baptizing McCarthy by fire, the Titans signed Ruud to a one-year, $4 million contract.

“We needed some leadership on defense, and Barrett’s been a really good fit for us,” Titans coach Mike Munchak said of Ruud, who spent six seasons with the Bucs.

“He’s a smart player who runs well and can stay on the field every play. He’s a guy that has come in and really quarterbacked the defense well. We’ve had four rookies start at the same time on defense, and Ruud’s done a great job of keeping us together.”

Ruud, 28, fought through a shoulder injury in the preseason to start the first eight games for the Titans this season, recording 63 tackles, three passes defensed, one quarterback hurry and an interception that helped finish off the Colts on Oct. 30. A groin strain prevented him from playing two weeks ago against Carolina. He aggravated the injury last week against Atlanta and will sit out today’s game.

In his first start for Ruud, against Carolina, McCarthy recorded 12 tackles, including two for losses, and a quarterback pressure. After replacing Ruud against Atlanta, McCarthy forced a fumble and led the Titans with 10 tackles.

McCarthy, 23, credits Ruud for his development, particularly film study.

“Barrett’s been playing great,” McCarthy told Titansonline.com. “He’s great to learn from. I think that’s the biggest thing as far as being a younger guy. He’s a guy that’s been around the game. He knows how to study. He knows how to prepare.”

The Titans are tied for seventh in scoring defense at 19.5 points per game. The Bucs are 29th at 26.8.

“I feel like I have a welcome-to-the-NFL moment every week,” Foster said. “I’m facing so many different backs every week and so many different schemes. Against the Texans, you’re going to face zone schemes where offensive linemen are climbing up. You go against the Saints, and you’re playing against a quarterback like Drew Brees and you’re going man-to-man against (running back) Darren Sproles, a super fast guy.

“You learn from your mistakes. Go in there, mess it up and you’ll be better able to handle it next time.”

Foster has played better than Tampa Bay expected. He leads the team in tackles with 73 and has two sacks and a forced fumble despite trying to play two games with sprained ankles. In fact, the Bucs planned on using him only in their base defense. But an injury to Quincy Black early forced him into duty on passing downs, and he hasn’t come off the field except for injury.

“Pretty much, Mason’s playing quarterback for the defense,” Morris said. “He’s making every single call. He’s making every single check. And that’s tough to do.

“It’s hard for me to look at him sometimes and get mad at him when he does make a small mistake in games. You’ve got to go and learn through fire.”

Ruud, who led the Bucs in tackles for four straight seasons, never got enough credit for his football IQ, Morris said.

“He was far beyond,” Morris said. “You’re talking about having the ability to call one defense and have it turn into three different things by the time he was done. He didn’t get enough credit for that. You have to talk about his ability to run a defense, to be that leader.”

Two teams, two approaches.

But you get the feeling both are happy with the results.

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By Stephen F. Holder, Times Staff Writer

In Print: Saturday, September 17, 2011

Bucs receiver Mike Williams catches a 47-yard touchdown from Josh Freeman off a play-action last season against the Cardinals.
	[DANIEL WALLACE | Times (2010)]

TAMPA — Bucs receiver Mike Williams made his share of big plays last season, but few were as effortless as his 47-yard touchdown catch against the Cardinals.

Williams streaked past single coverage and caught a tight spiral from quarterback Josh Freeman, crossing the goal line before he was touched.

It was the sort of play the Bucs have promised but didn’t deliver in Sunday’s season-opening loss to Detroit, when they had just one play longer than 20 yards.

But coaches and players insist big plays will come. And they’ll likely be a result of the very thing that let Williams score that easy touchdown in Arizona: play-action passes.

Every team uses it to varying degrees, but for Tampa Bay, the tactic is a basic tenet.

“That’s kind of our formula,” coach Raheem Morris said. “If you’re trying to get the formula for our offense, we want to run the football and be able to have some hard play action and throw the ball down the field and be able to get the ball in our playmakers’ hands.”

The Bucs have said all week they intend to get back to their offensive identity Sunday against the Vikings. For all the talent the Bucs have at receiver, they know those players can’t be as effective without consistent play action.

Play action, which involves a fake handoff to the running back and a “hard sell” by other players, can impact a defense in many negative ways.

“You see (defensive backs) jumping out of their coverage to go jump the run,” Williams said. “You end up, sometimes, with some wide-open routes. With play action, you have to have a good running game. You have to have (defenders) thinking, ‘I have to go down there and help.’ You see them jump and then you’re wide open. That’s what I love.”

But for play action to work, everything must come together. And there are many moving parts.

In a perfect world, here’s how it all works:

First, the running game has to be consistent and successful. Last season, LeGarrette Blount was the best thing to happen to the team’s play-action passing game. His battering-ram style required multiple defenders to make tackles, and often those extra defenders came from the secondary.

Once the running game is established, safeties begin to play closer to the line of scrimmage to support the front seven.

It’s pretty obvious when the running game is clicking, receiver Dez Briscoe said. “They start loading the box and you start to see the safety biting.”

When that happens, it falls on the receivers to take them out. Williams and Arrelious Benn are very skilled and willing blockers, a key element of the play action.

“When they’re out there taking out safeties, the safeties start looking at them because they don’t want to get hit,” receivers coach Eric Yarber said. “And they’re also looking for the run coming their way, too.

“Really, we’re setting them up.”

If the receivers prevent safeties from chipping in on run support, then it falls to the cornerbacks to help. All the while, coaches in the skybox watch the sequence and keep offensive coordinator Greg Olson abreast. When the time is right, he’ll dial up a play-action shot down the field.

“They’re watching, and they’re waiting (to use) that hard-sell play action,” Yarber said. “Once we go play action, Mike will come in and act like he’s going to hit the safety, but then he’ll go (run) a route. That’s why we call it hard-sell play action.”

If it all comes together, you get the result Williams got on that touchdown against Arizona: no safety and a cornerback trailing the play. All the ingredients were there that day. Blount ran for 120 yards, breaking numerous tackles. On Williams’ touchdown, Freeman used a fake handoff to Blount that, if only for a milli­second, froze the defense.

“When the quarterback sees dead feet, he’s going deep,” Briscoe said. “What I was always told is, when you’re even, you’re leaving.”

Without play action, however, the Bucs’ passing game won’t go anywhere.

Stephen F. Holder can be reached at sholder@sptimes.com.

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Tampa Bay’s Josh Freeman(notes) might have thrown the ball too much, while
Minnesota’s Donovan McNabb(notes) may not have tossed it enough in Week 1.

The quarterbacks will be trying to lead more balanced offenses when the
Buccaneers and Vikings go for their first wins Sunday in Minneapolis.

Tampa Bay fell 27-20 to visiting Detroit last Sunday as the Buccaneers
struggled to keep the Lions off the field.

Josh Freeman completed a career-high 28 passes in 43 attempts for 259 yards,
one touchdown and one interception, but LeGarrette Blount(notes) was limited to five
carries – four in the first half – for 15 yards, as coach Raheem Morris couldn’t
find a way to use him while implementing a 2-minute offense.

Morris said he might have gone to the hurry-up offense too early with the
Buccaneers trailing 27-13 in the third quarter.

“We want to win games with Blount bludgeoning you for 130 yards and us
having a couple of play-action bombs and being efficient with (Freeman),” Morris
said. “When we go to that 2-minute offense we take Blount out of the game and
that’s something we don’t want to do.”

While winning 10 games last season, the Buccaneers featured a balanced
offense. Freeman averaged 29.6 pass attempts while Blount ran for over 1,000
yards, averaging 5.0 per carry and recording six touchdowns.

Tampa Bay, which ranked eighth in the league in rushing yards per game with
125.1 in 2010, was 7-2 when Blount ran for 57 or more yards.

Freeman said while the offense was unable to feature Blount, it doesn’t
indicate a lack of confidence in the second-year back.

“Last year you might have seen him unsure about his protections, but this
year he’s getting to his spot,” Freeman said. “I think he’ll be big. … It
comes with reps.”

The Buccaneers were 6-2 away from home last season and now travel to
Minnesota, where Vikings coach Leslie Frazier was also defending his
play-calling.

Minnesota lost 24-17 at San Diego last Sunday after failing to protect a
17-7 halftime lead. The Vikings recorded 21 yards of offense after the break.

Donovan McNabb struggled in his Minnesota debut, throwing for 39 yards—the
fewest in a game for the Vikings since 1971.

McNabb completed 7 of 15 attempts and had a 3-yard touchdown pass to Michael
Jenkins(notes) in the second quarter. He threw for two yards in the second half.

Despite the lack of passing offense, the Vikings aren’t concerned that they
are too reliant on Adrian Peterson, who rushed for 98 yards on 16 carries.

“We’ve got the best running back in the National Football League and we’re
grateful for that and we like the way our offense is structured,” Frazier said.
“We just got to keep working to get a rhythm and find the balance that we need.
But I like our situation. I like the fact we got No. 28 in our backfield.”

Frazier said things will balance out, which would help keep the defense
fresh. San Diego was on the field for just over 37 of the 60 minutes.

“Everything that we do is based on getting (Peterson) going because it opens
up so many things for our offense,” he said. “But there has to be balance. We
understand that. But because of so much attention being paid to Adrian, it opens
up so many opportunities for other players on our offense.”

McNabb and the offense may have an easier time gaining yards against Tampa
Bay, which failed last week to put much pressure on Matthew Stafford(notes), who threw
for 305 yards while completing 72.7 percent of his passes. The Buccaneers also
failed to record a sack after finishing tied for 30th in the league with 26 a
year ago.

Tampa Bay has won four in a row over Minnesota, including 19-13 at home in
the most recent meeting Nov. 16, 2008.

By Rick Stroud, Times Staff Writer

In Print: Monday, September 12, 2011

Calvin Johnson outleaps Bucs cornerback Aqib Talib for a touchdown (his second of the game) that puts the Lions up 27-13 with 6:16 left in the third quarter.
	[DANIEL WALLACE | Times]

TAMPA — Bucs quarterback Josh Freeman scrambled for 2 yards and felt a cramp in his right side, the result of dehydration and a heat index that reached 102 degrees Sunday at Raymond James Stadium.

It was late in the third quarter when Freeman headed to the locker room, missing part of one series and all of another before returning.

“I probably should’ve gone to the IV at halftime, but I was pumping fluids the whole game knowing I’m a heavy sweater,” Freeman said. “My ankle kind of twisted. So I overreacted, and the next thing you know, I’m cramping all up my right side, and I’ve got to get off the field.”

The Bucs’ 27-20 loss to the Lions was that kind of day for Freeman and the offense.

Tampa Bay had trouble getting Freeman on the field — and an even tougher time keeping him there.

Detroit’s Matthew Stafford passed for 305 yards and three touchdowns, two to 6-foot-5 Pro Bowl receiver Calvin Johnson.

By halftime, Detroit had a huge advantage in total yards (324-108) and time of possession (21:45-8:15). Before the day was over, the Lions had mounted five scoring drives of 70 yards or longer.

Freeman, who was selected 16 spots behind the No. 1 overall pick Stafford in 2009, led the Bucs to their only offensive touchdown with 1:35 left in the game. And he had the Bucs at the Detroit 42 needing a touchdown to send the game into overtime.

But a short completion to Earnest Graham, four laterals and a fumble later, it ended like some long game of keep-away.

“You hate to start the season out 0-1,” Freeman said. “But … it’s the first game of the year, and it’s not going to make or break anybody. We fought to the end, but you hate to see that one get away from you.”

Make no mistake, the Lions dominated from start to finish.

Detroit hasn’t finished with a winning record since 2000 and lost four straight to begin 2010. But that was after Stafford got hurt in the opener, missing 13 of the remaining 15 games. And it won its final four games of last season, including 23-20 in overtime over the Bucs on Dec. 19.

Spreading the ball to five receivers, Stafford and the Lions ran 26 plays during the first quarter to the Bucs’ six. The Bucs actually led 10-6 because of two plays: Sammie Stroughter returned a kickoff 78 yards to set up a field goal, and cornerback Aqib Talib intercepted a pass that deflected off the hands of tight end Will Heller and returned it 28 yards for a touchdown.

Talib didn’t fare as well against Johnson, who finished with six catches for 88 yards. On fourth and 2 in the second quarter, he beat Talib and safety Sean Jones, who was supposed to cover Johnson over the top, for a 36-yard touchdown that gave the Lions a 13-10 lead.

“Any time you’re throwing the ball from No. 9 to No. 81, you’re in a pretty good spot,” Lions coach Jim Schwartz said.

Johnson also outleaped Talib for a 1-yard touchdown in the third quarter to leave the Bucs trailing 27-13.

“Calvin is tough to deal with. We all know that,” Bucs cornerback Ronde Barber said of Johnson, who had 10 catches for 152 yards in last season’s win. “(Stafford) made some opportune throws, and he went up and got them. We were in defenses to limit that. He beat us. That’s on us. It’s on us.”

Freeman finished 28-of-43 for 257 yards, a touchdown and an interception. But of the Bucs’ 313 yards of offense, 185 came in the fourth quarter.

The Bucs went to a no-huddle offense to start the second half, even then rarely seeming in rhythm. That effectively took running back LeGarrette Blount off the field for Graham. Blount finished with 15 yards on five carries.

What about the young Bucs defense? It allowed 431 yards, 6.3 per play, and failed to sack Stafford.

“It’s really frustrating because we felt like for sure that was a winnable game,” Freeman said.

“We just have to find a way to score points earlier.”

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

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By Rick Stroud, Times Staff Writer

In Print: Monday, September 12, 2011

Calvin Johnson outleaps Bucs cornerback Aqib Talib for a touchdown (his second of the game) that puts the Lions up 27-13 with 6:16 left in the third quarter.
	[DANIEL WALLACE | Times]

TAMPA — Bucs quarterback Josh Freeman scrambled for 2 yards and felt a cramp in his right side, the result of dehydration and a heat index that reached 102 degrees Sunday at Raymond James Stadium.

It was late in the third quarter when Freeman headed to the locker room, missing part of one series and all of another before returning.

“I probably should’ve gone to the IV at halftime, but I was pumping fluids the whole game knowing I’m a heavy sweater,” Freeman said. “My ankle kind of twisted. So I overreacted, and the next thing you know, I’m cramping all up my right side, and I’ve got to get off the field.”

The Bucs’ 27-20 loss to the Lions was that kind of day for Freeman and the offense.

Tampa Bay had trouble getting Freeman on the field — and an even tougher time keeping him there.

Detroit’s Matthew Stafford passed for 305 yards and three touchdowns, two to 6-foot-5 Pro Bowl receiver Calvin Johnson.

By halftime, Detroit had a huge advantage in total yards (324-108) and time of possession (21:45-8:15). Before the day was over, the Lions had mounted five scoring drives of 70 yards or longer.

Freeman, who was selected 16 spots behind the No. 1 overall pick Stafford in 2009, led the Bucs to their only offensive touchdown with 1:35 left in the game. And he had the Bucs at the Detroit 42 needing a touchdown to send the game into overtime.

But a short completion to Earnest Graham, four laterals and a fumble later, it ended like some long game of keep-away.

“You hate to start the season out 0-1,” Freeman said. “But … it’s the first game of the year, and it’s not going to make or break anybody. We fought to the end, but you hate to see that one get away from you.”

Make no mistake, the Lions dominated from start to finish.

Detroit hasn’t finished with a winning record since 2000 and lost four straight to begin 2010. But that was after Stafford got hurt in the opener, missing 13 of the remaining 15 games. And it won its final four games of last season, including 23-20 in overtime over the Bucs on Dec. 19.

Spreading the ball to five receivers, Stafford and the Lions ran 26 plays during the first quarter to the Bucs’ six. The Bucs actually led 10-6 because of two plays: Sammie Stroughter returned a kickoff 78 yards to set up a field goal, and cornerback Aqib Talib intercepted a pass that deflected off the hands of tight end Will Heller and returned it 28 yards for a touchdown.

Talib didn’t fare as well against Johnson, who finished with six catches for 88 yards. On fourth and 2 in the second quarter, he beat Talib and safety Sean Jones, who was supposed to cover Johnson over the top, for a 36-yard touchdown that gave the Lions a 13-10 lead.

“Any time you’re throwing the ball from No. 9 to No. 81, you’re in a pretty good spot,” Lions coach Jim Schwartz said.

Johnson also outleaped Talib for a 1-yard touchdown in the third quarter to leave the Bucs trailing 27-13.

“Calvin is tough to deal with. We all know that,” Bucs cornerback Ronde Barber said of Johnson, who had 10 catches for 152 yards in last season’s win. “(Stafford) made some opportune throws, and he went up and got them. We were in defenses to limit that. He beat us. That’s on us. It’s on us.”

Freeman finished 28-of-43 for 257 yards, a touchdown and an interception. But of the Bucs’ 313 yards of offense, 185 came in the fourth quarter.

The Bucs went to a no-huddle offense to start the second half, even then rarely seeming in rhythm. That effectively took running back LeGarrette Blount off the field for Graham. Blount finished with 15 yards on five carries.

What about the young Bucs defense? It allowed 431 yards, 6.3 per play, and failed to sack Stafford.

“It’s really frustrating because we felt like for sure that was a winnable game,” Freeman said.

“We just have to find a way to score points earlier.”

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

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By Gary Shelton, Times Sports Columnist

In Print: Monday, September 12, 2011

Lions cornerback Chris Houston intercepts a pass intended for Arrelious Benn during the second quarter. The Bucs scored one offensive touchdown, with 1:35 left in the game.
	[DANIEL WALLACE | Times]

TAMPA

Do not be fooled by the scoreboard, where things were prettied up by the end.

Do not be tricked by the final statistics, which urge you to think that maybe this loss wasn’t that bad.

Do not be swindled by the wackiness of the final play, which suggests that the Bucs were closer to victory than they were.

This was ugly, and this was lopsided and this was a disappointing way to start a football season. For most of the afternoon, it was like watching an opponent stuff Tampa Bay’s hope into a pinata, hoist it up the crossbar and then spend 60 minutes whacking at it. Whatever you thought of the Bucs’ prospects before this game, it is doubtful you feel the same resolve about it today.

Detroit 27, Tampa Bay 20. And anyone who says this was a close competition is trying to sell you a ticket.

That’s the disappointment here. It was not so much that the Bucs lost because as the losers in Week 1 always remind us, half of the teams in the NFL start 0-1. For the Bucs, the bigger jolt is the manner in which it happened. They didn’t tackle, they didn’t block, they didn’t show a lot of imagination.

In particular, they didn’t show enough offense.

After all, that was supposed to be the hope around here, wasn’t it? Despite an unimpressive preseason, the great equalizer was supposed to be Josh Franchise and the boys, flinging it around, dancing in the end zone, making the opposing defense play chase all over the field.

Instead, you may sum up the Bucs’ opening statement this way:

Clunk.

Also, plop.

And furthermore, thud.

Look, you knew the game was blacked out. You didn’t think the offensive game plan was going to be, too.

For most of the day, the Bucs were a misfiring engine, spewing and sputtering and spinning its wheels. They looked slow, they looked out of synch, and they looked as if short yardage was a long distance call.

Remember how dangerous the Bucs looked last year when Freeman, Mike Williams and LeGarrette Blount were charging down the field? Well, they didn’t look like that Sunday. For most of the day, they looked like stalled traffic.

“I didn’t feel like we were in rhythm all day long,” said center Jeff Faine.

“We weren’t us today,” said tight end Kellen Winslow.

Consider:

• In the first quarter, the Bucs gained all of 4 yards. Even that total was inflated when, on the final play of the quarter, Freeman hit Earnest Graham for a 3-yard pass on third and 10.

• You could say the Lions stopped Blount, but the Bucs helped. Blount, fresh off of his 1,000-yard season, was a spectator for most of the second half. He had five carries all afternoon, gaining 15 yards, because the Bucs spent much of the second half in the two-minute offense. Why they cannot incorporate one of their best players into their offense remains a mystery.

• The Bucs scored one offensive touchdown all afternoon, and that came with 1:35 left in the game.

• The Bucs started their day offensively on the Lions 21-yard line. Four plays later, they had moved all the way to the 20, a full 36 inches. They kicked a field goal.

• Their running backs combined for 28 yards on 11 carries. Whee.

• Early in the second half, the Bucs ran on second and one. They didn’t make it. They ran it again on third and one. They didn’t make it.

• Halfway through the fourth quarter, the Bucs went for it on fourth and one at the Detroit 11. They didn’t make it.

• As Freeman pointed out, the Bucs didn’t get the ball enough. On the other hand, they didn’t keep it enough. They had 11 offensive possessions. In six of them, they failed to get a first down.

It’s hard to blame the Bucs for trying to put the best possible spin on the disappointment. Hey, you lay an egg, you talk about how great omelettes are, you know. No one expects Tampa Bay to surrender.

But this wasn’t a matter of running out of time. This was a matter of running in place.

Here’s a number for you. The Bucs ended up with 313 yards. That doesn’t sound that bad, does it? On the other hand, more than a third came on drives when Detroit had a two-score lead. The Bucs went 67 yards for a field goal when Detroit led 20-10, and they went 59 when Detroit was ahead 27-13. It is fair to wonder how much softer the Lions’ secondary might have been playing.

If this season is going to be successful, if the Bucs are going to be contenders, they cannot play this way. They need a little more imagination. They need a little more explosion. A first down in a first quarter shouldn’t be too much to ask. Nor should a second touchdown.

Granted, it was only one loss. You are going to hear that a few dozen times this week. And it’s true. A bad day doesn’t always mean a bad season is going to follow.

On the other hand, it’s hard to see the Bucs as a team on the move as long as the offense is standing still.

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By Gary Shelton, Times Sports Columnist

In Print: Monday, September 12, 2011

Lions cornerback Chris Houston intercepts a pass intended for Arrelious Benn during the second quarter. The Bucs scored one offensive touchdown, with 1:35 left in the game.
	[DANIEL WALLACE | Times]

TAMPA

Do not be fooled by the scoreboard, where things were prettied up by the end.

Do not be tricked by the final statistics, which urge you to think that maybe this loss wasn’t that bad.

Do not be swindled by the wackiness of the final play, which suggests that the Bucs were closer to victory than they were.

This was ugly, and this was lopsided and this was a disappointing way to start a football season. For most of the afternoon, it was like watching an opponent stuff Tampa Bay’s hope into a pinata, hoist it up the crossbar and then spend 60 minutes whacking at it. Whatever you thought of the Bucs’ prospects before this game, it is doubtful you feel the same resolve about it today.

Detroit 27, Tampa Bay 20. And anyone who says this was a close competition is trying to sell you a ticket.

That’s the disappointment here. It was not so much that the Bucs lost because as the losers in Week 1 always remind us, half of the teams in the NFL start 0-1. For the Bucs, the bigger jolt is the manner in which it happened. They didn’t tackle, they didn’t block, they didn’t show a lot of imagination.

In particular, they didn’t show enough offense.

After all, that was supposed to be the hope around here, wasn’t it? Despite an unimpressive preseason, the great equalizer was supposed to be Josh Franchise and the boys, flinging it around, dancing in the end zone, making the opposing defense play chase all over the field.

Instead, you may sum up the Bucs’ opening statement this way:

Clunk.

Also, plop.

And furthermore, thud.

Look, you knew the game was blacked out. You didn’t think the offensive game plan was going to be, too.

For most of the day, the Bucs were a misfiring engine, spewing and sputtering and spinning its wheels. They looked slow, they looked out of synch, and they looked as if short yardage was a long distance call.

Remember how dangerous the Bucs looked last year when Freeman, Mike Williams and LeGarrette Blount were charging down the field? Well, they didn’t look like that Sunday. For most of the day, they looked like stalled traffic.

“I didn’t feel like we were in rhythm all day long,” said center Jeff Faine.

“We weren’t us today,” said tight end Kellen Winslow.

Consider:

• In the first quarter, the Bucs gained all of 4 yards. Even that total was inflated when, on the final play of the quarter, Freeman hit Earnest Graham for a 3-yard pass on third and 10.

• You could say the Lions stopped Blount, but the Bucs helped. Blount, fresh off of his 1,000-yard season, was a spectator for most of the second half. He had five carries all afternoon, gaining 15 yards, because the Bucs spent much of the second half in the two-minute offense. Why they cannot incorporate one of their best players into their offense remains a mystery.

• The Bucs scored one offensive touchdown all afternoon, and that came with 1:35 left in the game.

• The Bucs started their day offensively on the Lions 21-yard line. Four plays later, they had moved all the way to the 20, a full 36 inches. They kicked a field goal.

• Their running backs combined for 28 yards on 11 carries. Whee.

• Early in the second half, the Bucs ran on second and one. They didn’t make it. They ran it again on third and one. They didn’t make it.

• Halfway through the fourth quarter, the Bucs went for it on fourth and one at the Detroit 11. They didn’t make it.

• As Freeman pointed out, the Bucs didn’t get the ball enough. On the other hand, they didn’t keep it enough. They had 11 offensive possessions. In six of them, they failed to get a first down.

It’s hard to blame the Bucs for trying to put the best possible spin on the disappointment. Hey, you lay an egg, you talk about how great omelettes are, you know. No one expects Tampa Bay to surrender.

But this wasn’t a matter of running out of time. This was a matter of running in place.

Here’s a number for you. The Bucs ended up with 313 yards. That doesn’t sound that bad, does it? On the other hand, more than a third came on drives when Detroit had a two-score lead. The Bucs went 67 yards for a field goal when Detroit led 20-10, and they went 59 when Detroit was ahead 27-13. It is fair to wonder how much softer the Lions’ secondary might have been playing.

If this season is going to be successful, if the Bucs are going to be contenders, they cannot play this way. They need a little more imagination. They need a little more explosion. A first down in a first quarter shouldn’t be too much to ask. Nor should a second touchdown.

Granted, it was only one loss. You are going to hear that a few dozen times this week. And it’s true. A bad day doesn’t always mean a bad season is going to follow.

On the other hand, it’s hard to see the Bucs as a team on the move as long as the offense is standing still.

[Last modified: Sep 11, 2011 11:25 PM]

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