TAMPA — Bucs cornerback Aqib Talib, expected to stand trial later this month in Texas on a felony charge of assault with a deadly weapon, threatened to shoot a woman after a minor traffic accident a few miles from One Buc Place in December 2010, according to a lawsuit filed last week in Hillsborough County civil court.

But Talib’s attorney called it a “tale,” concocted 15 months after the accident in an attempt to gain a monetary settlement from an NFL player.

The plaintiff, Betty Atwood, 56, of Tampa, claims Talib threatened “to put a cap in (her)” after he “negligently” caused their vehicles to collide while traveling eastbound on Spruce Street near the intersection of West Shore Boulevard, according to the lawsuit filed March 2 in the civil division of Hillsborough County’s 13th Circuit Court.

Atwood said before the arrival of law enforcement, Talib threatened to physically harm her by saying, in a raised voice, “I’ll put a cap in you,” which she interpreted to mean he intended to shoot her with a firearm.

Atwood is suing Talib, 26, for excess of $15,000 for physical injuries sustained in the accident as well as depression, anxiety and “severe emotional distress.”

Tampa police told the Tampa Bay Times on Thursday that they have no accident report of the altercation alleged in the lawsuit. However, police don’t file a report unless the accident involves bodily injury.

Talib’s attorney, Jay Reisinger, released a statement acknowledging a minor accident involving Atwood and his client took place, police were called and witnesses were interviewed. Reisinger claims Atwood never made statements included in her lawsuit until discovering Talib played for the Bucs.

“In order to leverage a substantial monetary settlement, she concocted a tale to increase her alleged damages,” Reisinger said. “Aqib is evaluating his legal options with respect to this false allegation. Aqib is confident that once all of the facts are known, this matter will be resolved favorably and in an expeditious fashion.”

Attempts to reach Atwood and her attorneys were unsuccessful.

Talib’s history of violence began almost as soon as he was drafted by the Bucs out of Kansas in 2008.

The accident involving Atwood occurred nearly four months before Talib, 26, was arrested on charges of assault with a deadly weapon for his involvement in a shooting incident in Garland, Texas, a suburb of Dallas, in March 2011.

Talib was suspended the first game of the 2010 season for assaulting a St. Petersburg cab driver in August 2009. He pleaded not guilty and the case was dismissed after he entered a pretrial diversion program and agreed to take anger management classes.

TAMPA — The Bucs are in a New York state of mind when it comes to selecting coordinators.

Tampa Bay hired former Giants assistant Bill Sheridan as defensive coordinator on Friday, two days after introducing former Giants quarterbacks coach Mike Sullivan as offensive coordinator.

Both were assistants under Tom Coughlin when the Giants won Super Bowl XLII in February 2008.

“Bill is a great teacher who brings a tremendous understanding of defensive football to the Buccaneers organization,” new Bucs coach Greg Schiano said in a statement the team released.

“Over the last three decades, he has had the opportunity to work under some great head coaches like Bo Schembechler, Nick Saban, Lloyd Carr and Tom Coughlin. His experience and know­ledge will be a great benefit to our defensive staff.”

Sheridan was unavailable for comment, but the Bucs scheduled a news conference for Tuesday.

Sheridan actually left Ohio State for the Bucs. He was the last assistant to join new Buckeyes coach Urban Meyer’s staff, hired Jan. 31 after spending the past two seasons as Dolphins linebackers coach.

But before even one practice, Sheridan jumped at the opportunity to interview with the Bucs. He did so Wednesday.

Sheridan coached linebackers for the Giants from 2005-08 and was promoted to defensive coordinator when Steve Spagnuolo left to become Rams coach. But under Sheridan, the Giants gave up 427 points, second most in franchise history, and he was fired.

By comparison, the Bucs gave up a franchise-worst 494 points last season under coach and defensive coordinator Raheem Morris, who was fired Jan. 2.

Sheridan will have a familiar face on his staff. Former NFL linebacker Bryan Cox was hired as a defensive assistant. His role has not been determined.

Cox spent last season with Miami as a pass-rush coach. He previously was the Jets assistant defensive line coach (2006-08) and Browns defensive line coach Browns (2009-10). He had 511/2 sacks for the Dolphins (1991-95), Bears (1996-97), Jets (1998-2000), Patriots (2001) and Saints (2002).

In Tampa, Sheridan will have no shortage of sounding boards. Schiano was a defensive-minded coach at Rutgers. Former Rutgers defensive coordinator Bob Fraser is on the staff, and Schiano hired Butch Davis, a longtime defensive assistant, as the special assistant to the head coach. Schiano also has hired many Rutgers assistants, including Fraser, receivers coach P.J. Fleck, secondary coach Jeff Hafley and tight ends coach Brian Angelichio. But the Bucs have not officially announced those additions.

MYERS’ SON KILLED: Christopher Myers, 19, the son of Bucs preseason TV announcer and Fox NASCAR studio host Chris Myers, died Thursday in a car accident. Fox said Myers will not be part of its Feb. 26 Daytona 500 coverage. Christopher Myers died in Southern California, where the family lives.

Information from Times wires was used in this report.

.Fast facts

Bill Sheridan

Age: 53 (born Jan. 27, 1959, in Detroit)

Family: Wife Jaycine, sons Joe, Nick and Mark, daughter Natalie

NFL resume

2010-11: Dolphins, linebackers

2009: Giants, defensive coordinator

2005-08: Giants, linebackers

College

Linebacker at Grand Valley State from 1977-81

Miscellany

Son Nick was a quarterback for Michigan from 2006-09, appearing in 12 games and starting four

Top of the list

1. Jeff Fisher, former Titans coach

2. Mike Sherman, former Packers/Texas A&M coach

3. Mike Mularkey, offensive coordinator, Falcons

On the radar

1. Rob Chudzinski, offensive coordinator, Panthers

2. Jerry Gray, defensive coordinator, Titans

3. Tom Clements, quarterback coach, Packers

What’s new

• Bucs arranging interviews with Sherman and Gray (who would satisfy the NFL rule requiring teams to interview a minority candidate).

• NFL Network’s Jason La Canfora lists Sherman and Mularkey at the top of the Bucs’ list. Suggests Fisher ends up in St. Louis and Chudzinski might be leading candidate in Jacksonville.

• Fisher interviewed with Miami on Tuesday and might be leading candidate in St. Louis.

• Fox analyst and former Cowboys coach Jimmy Johnson predicts via Twitter that Fisher will wind up with the Rams.

Our take

While the Bucs are open to coordinators and college coaches, it looks like they will lean toward candidates with NFL head coaching experience.

Rick Stroud, Times staff writer

Hunt for a head coach: Day 1

TAMPA — The Bucs’ London trips, for now, are over.

Co-chairman Joel Glazer said Monday the team has told the league it does not wish to play in overseas games after doing so twice in three seasons.

The Bucs began their season-ending 10-game losing streak this season in London against the Bears. But Glazer said the decision was not made for football reasons. Tampa Bay wants to solidify its core audience here.

“We were helping the NFL build internationally. We believe greatly in that,” said Glazer, whose family also owns the massively popular English Premier League soccer team Manchester United. “But for the foreseeable future, we told them we want to focus on building our base here.”

The Bucs didn’t benefit on the field from the trips abroad. Tampa Bay also lost in London to the Patriots in 2009. The physical and mental toll from the travel wasn’t conducive to winning, either.

STOCKER’S SEASON: Rookie TE Luke Stocker didn’t have a memorable foray into the NFL in a personal or team sense. But he said he is looking ahead to a critical offseason in which he thinks he’ll grow as a player and the nagging injuries that limited him all season will heal.

“I expect a lot from myself next season, especially with a full offseason,” said Stocker, a fourth-round draft pick from Tennessee. “Missing all that time in (training) camp was a big issue.” He hurt his right hip on the first day.

“That slowed me down a lot,” he said. “Any time you have a lower-body injury, you lose strength and you lose speed. … By about the time I started getting it back, I got hurt, and I missed a couple of weeks.” That second injury, a knee sprain, cost Stocker two games in the middle of the season.

“I personally just worked every day and tried not to get caught up in the ups and the downs,” he said. “I felt that as an individual, as this season went on, I did become a better player, especially a better blocker.”

BENNETT’S OUTLOOK: DE Michael Bennett said he expects to need surgery to repair a toe injury that slowed him during the latter part of the season. He played through the injury, dealing with significant pain. Bennett is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent, one the Bucs could have significant interest in retaining. Bennett maintains he’d like to return.

FINAL STATS: The Bucs finished the season with the league’s 21st-ranked offense (16th passing, 30th rushing) and 30th-ranked defense (21st passing, 32nd rushing) among the 32 teams.

TAMPA — As Tony Gonzalez walked off the field Monday night at the Louisiana Superdome, a certain rising young star stopped him to ask what everyone wants to know.

Saints TE Jimmy Graham, named to the Pro Bowl this week in just his second season, had to ask Gonzalez: What’s his secret?

“I get that question a lot,” said Gonzalez, the Falcons tight end and likely Hall of Famer who plays the Bucs on Sunday.

“It’s not really something I can sum up in a few words. I guess, to put it simply, it’s hard work, perseverance (and) you have to have to mind-set of total conviction and a passion for the game.

“And you have to kind of be obsessed. It’s borderline crazy. Not everybody can do it. Most people can’t do it. You have to be obsessed with being the best player you can be. That means you’re going to put in a lot more work than the next guy. That means before practice, during practice, after practice. There’s really no offseason.”

The Bucs can attest. Gonzalez has been a matchup nightmare for Tampa Bay, which has opted to use CB Ronde Barber, also a 15-year veteran, against him.

Gonzalez, 35, and Barber, 36, share a mutual admiration.

“We came in (to the league) together, so obviously we’ve had a chance to go against each other a lot,” Gonzalez said of Barber. “I respect him so much because, when you talk about perseverance and being able to stick around and play at such a level like he does for a long time, obviously I know firsthand how hard it is.

“It’s not an easy thing to do. It has little to do with athletic ability. It has more to do with mind-set, and I really respect him for that. He’s always in the right place at the right time. You’re looking at the film and you say, ‘How did he make that play?’ It’s probably not even in their defensive package. But he saw something and hit the hole and made the play. It’s results, and this guy gets results. It’s a privilege to go against someone like him.”

The Bucs have had mixed results against Gonzalez. He had just two catches for 18 yards in the first meeting this season. But he had an eight-catch, 72-yard performance last season and caught nine passes for 83 yards in a meeting in 2009.

TRUEBLOOD OUT: Jeremy Trueblood‘s season is over, with the veteran right tackle ruled out for Sunday after a concussion.

According to Bucs coach Raheem Morris, Trueblood will be replaced in the lineup by James Lee, a player who becomes a free agent in the offseason but gets a final chance to impress his current team. Lee has been slowed by injuries this season, one year after he replaced Trueblood down the stretch of a 10-6 season.

The Bucs also might take a look at Demar Dotson at right tackle, Morris said. He has played extensively as a tight end in two-tight end, short-yardage situations, but he hasn’t played much as a tackle.

injury updates: WR Arrelious Benn is questionable after not practicing this week because of a neck injury. DT Albert Haynesworth (knee) also missed practice and is questionable. He missed last week’s game at Carolina, as did DT Brian Price (ankle). Morris said Price was improving and had a chance to play after practicing Friday.

Stephen F. Holder can be reached at sholder@tampabay.com or (813) 226-3377. View his blog at tampabay.com/blogs/bucs. Follow him on Twitter at @BucsBeat.

TAMPA — Raheem Morris has no problem taking all of the responsibility for the Bucs’ 4-11 record and nine-game losing streak.

But heading into Sunday’s regular-season finale at Atlanta, the third-year coach said he already is thinking about how to fix things for next season.

“I’ll be the first person, when this thing is done on Monday, when we come in here, raise my hand and say, ‘You guys can absolutely put this season on me,’ ” Morris said. “Now let’s find a way to make it better.

“It’s about the mental approach of how we’re going to get better the next year.”

Morris said it’s possible many of the rookies who were part of a 10-6 season in 2010 and 4-2 start in 2011 got spoiled and didn’t handle adversity well.

“A lot of people said you build character through adversity. Not true,” he said. “Character reveals itself when you go through adversity.

“There’s a reason why people have sophomore slumps. You get a little high on yourself. You come back. You don’t do quite the same thing. You have to bounce back. It just so happened we had so many people in sophomore slumps because we played so many rookies the year before. Again, this is not excuses. This is something that I’ve got to get better at and get those guys better at.”

STAT OF THE YEAR: Morris says stats are for losers, but he admits one guarantees losing: turnovers. The Bucs have 36 that have led to 107 points by opponents.

You’ve got to eliminate turnovers,” he said. “You’ve got to find a way to maintain possession during the game.”

Morris said some turnovers, such as the fumble on the first offensive snap in Carolina by RB LeGarrette Blount, are the result of a simple lack of focus.

“The first play of the game on offense … it’s something that you planned,” Morris said. “It’s got to be focus. Some of it is trying to do too much, and all of those things play a part of it.”

MAN OF THE YEAR: It has been a big week for G Davin Joseph. Two days after being named to his second Pro Bowl, he was named Man of the Year by the Bucs. He is eligible for the league’s Walter Payton Man of the Year honor.

This year, Joseph established the Davin Joseph Events for Cause Foundation, a nonprofit organization committed to serving urban areas in Tampa and his hometown of Hallandale. The purpose is to enhance athletic programs and performing arts programs in urban schools.

This year, Joseph adopted Blake High and donated $10,000 to the athletic program while sponsoring pregame meals for the football teams there and at Middleton High.

“I’ve been doing it out of just trying to help any way I can,” Joseph said. “I’m honored to have the award. It’s an awesome deal.

“This (award) I definitely didn’t see coming at all. I really see it as my duty as a player, here in Tampa, to definitely get out in the community and help.”

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

TAMPA — The losses have piled up, and the streak continues. Yet the Buccaneers coaching staff believes there is reason to smile when the subject of the future is broached.

Particularly, it’s the future of quarterback Josh Freeman.

The numbers posted by Freeman this fall don’t suggest there’s much to be optimistic about. But those who know him best say they see as much upside as ever.

“Certainly, you’d love to have him go through his entire career having success from Day 1,” offensive coordinator Greg Olson said. “But it doesn’t work that way. And he’s been a guy that went through some years at Kansas State that weren’t so good.

“But when he came in here — and you can talk to the guys in the locker room — he has that ‘it’ factor. And he has that confidence, and he knows what he’s going to need to work on.”

The Bucs have suffered because players’ confidence has been affected by the nine-game losing streak. How they recover next season remains to be seen. But Freeman, coaches say, is one they can rely on to bounce back.

“He’s a tremendous talent,” Olson said. “The numbers indicate it’s not the season any of us expected of him. I would say he’s had one offseason with this particular system. He’ll learn from this season. He’ll get better.”

That’s something Tampa Bay is counting on heavily. Coach Raheem Morris remains in danger of being fired — meaning his offensive staff is in jeopardy, too — and it’s unclear what type of offensive system the Bucs would run if there was a change in coaches.

But whether the current staff remains or another coach is brought in, Freeman’s play will help determine the team’s fortunes. After his 25-touchdown, six-interception 2010, Freeman has struggled. He has completed a slightly higher percentage of his passes but thrown 14 touchdowns versus 19 interceptions (tied for the league high). His average per completion is down from 7.3 yards to 6.6.

In addition, Freeman, 23, has coped with thumb and shoulder injuries, missing a game for the first time in his three-year career, on Dec. 4 against Carolina.

“It has been a struggle,” he said this week.

But he’s already moving toward Olson’s goal: learning from what went wrong this season. To that end, Freeman recalled a point emphasized recently by running backs coach Steve Logan.

“He talks about when things aren’t going your way, there are one of two ways you can go,” Freeman said. “Some people … don’t want anything to do with it. And then other people might tend to press a little too hard.

“I think that’s a little bit where I was this year in terms of decision-making; trying to press, trying to make things happen, get things done. It was unfortunate, but at the end of the day, you have to step back and look at where you are (and) continue to try to get better.”

There already are examples of that happening. Take Freeman’s success Saturday against the Panthers in the no-huddle, high-tempo offense. He completed 13 of 14 passes in the first half, including 13 consecutive. That, Olson said, was a result of growth in Freeman’s game that allowed him to run the offense at that pace.

When Olson looks at the whole situation, at Freeman’s ups and downs, he feels as much conviction as ever about him.

“I don’t have any doubt that Josh Freeman will be the quarterback here in the future for a long time,” Olson said.

“(There) will be great learning for him in the offseason. I don’t see his confidence shaken.”

Stephen F. Holder can be reached at sholder@tampabay.com. Follow him on Twitter at @HolderStephen.

TAMPA — When a team turns the ball over four times, as the Bucs did Saturday at Carolina, it puts a tremendous strain on a defense. But it also doesn’t help when the defense doesn’t get stops after those turnovers.

That has been the case too often for the Bucs’ defense, which has been put in difficult situations because of turnovers but also hasn’t done much to stop the opponent from getting points off them.

“You have to do your job, man,” LB Geno Hayes said. “We could have done more, but we didn’t.”

To put things in perspective: The Bucs have caused 22 turnovers this season and scored 65 points off them. They have 36 giveaways and have allowed 107 points off them. That’s a net difference of 42 points in one category.

“It’s our job to get the ball back and stop them from scoring in any position,” DE Da’Quan Bowers said.

Against Carolina, the Panthers scored 24 points off the Bucs’ four turnovers. Carolina scored each time it took possession after a Tampa Bay giveaway.

Overall, the Bucs have a minus-14 turnover margin, second-worst in the NFL. The Redskins are minus-15.

RONDE SPEAKS: CB Ronde Barber, who elected to come back for a 15th season in 2011, has been particularly frustrated with the inconsistency on defense.

After Saturday’s game, he vented a bit about the unwillingness of players to stick to their assignments.

“You call guys out and try to get them to be pros, to approach this like the job that it is,” Barber said. “It’s just young guys. We don’t have an excuse. It just looks like some young guys want to do their own thing. I can’t give you a reason. I’d sound that like I was making up excuses, and I’m not going to do it.”

SMITH SHUT DOWN: Against Carolina, the Bucs — primarily Barber — did an excellent job against All-Pro WR Steve Smith, who had one reception for 9 yards. But the Panthers still had 433 yards of offense.

There was concern about Smith because the Bucs had just placed CB Aqib Talib on injured reserve. Talib usually takes on the opponent’s premier receiver.

“We used to go into games having to have a plan for Steve because you knew he was going to get his opportunities,” Barber said. “They didn’t even need him (Saturday). That’s just how far (the Panthers) have come and how far we’ve gotten away from what we used to be.

“If we make (Panthers QB Cam Newton) pass, we probably have a chance to win this game. But when they can run the ball for 200 and whatever yards (270) …”

Stephen F. Holder can be reached at sholder@tampabay.com or (813) 226-3377. View his blog at tampabay.com/blogs/bucs. Follow him on Twitter at @BucsBeat.

TAMPA — Quarterback Josh Freeman has only so much influence over the direction of games, but at least he has been given more control of the Bucs’ offense.

In Saturday’s 48-16 loss at Carolina, Freeman was finally allowed to push the pace of the offense, operating primarily from the shotgun and spreading the field with three and four receivers.

After LeGarrette Blount fumbled a handoff on the first offensive snap, the Bucs drove 80 yards in 15 plays on their next possession, ending in a 4-yard Freeman touchdown pass to Arrelious Benn.

On their only other possession of the half (not including a kneel down), the Bucs went 61 yards in 11 plays, and Connor Barth’s 42-yard field goal cut their deficit to 17-10.

Coach Raheem Morris said a big part of the game plan was to keep the ball in Freeman’s hands and give him a better chance to get into rhythm, a departure from the plodding, run-first ground attack behind Blount.

“Up the tempo. Increase it. Get the gas going, get into a rhythm,” Morris said. “Josh did a nice job of controlling it, looking at the coverage, looking at what we wanted, getting into the correct play, and those are the things that are frustrating for young Josh right now.

“He takes the blame.”

The third-year quarterback had one of his best games of the season, completing 28 of 38 passes for 274 yards, one touchdown and the interception for a 91.3 quarterback rating.

“The first half, excluding the first fumble, we only had two drives, scored on both,” Freeman said. “And the second half, we came out and turned the ball over.

“We were trying to go out, push the tempo, get the ball in our playmakers’ hands and make some things happen.”

With Blount benched for most of the game after his fumble, running backs Kregg Lumpkin and Mossis Madu were efficient rushing and receiving. Each caught four passes and combined for 44 yards rushing on 11 carries.

The Bucs turned the ball over four times, including a Freeman interception on the first series of the third quarter while they were trailing 20-10.

The Panthers scored 24 points off turnovers.

“I had the tipped pass,” Freeman said. “It could’ve been a little higher, but the guy made a great play on it.

“I thought it was going to be a big play when the ball left my hands. … Yeah, it just didn’t go my way.”

Perhaps not, but that up­tempo offense might be the best way to go for Freeman and the Bucs.

“I was liking what (Freeman) was doing,” Morris said. “I was liking what (offensive coordinator Greg Olson) was doing with the play calling.

“We had the alerts, we had everything we wanted to get going there, dictating what they were doing on defense, and we got something going. But we weren’t able to keep it on track.”

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 the numbers

11 Interceptions the Bucs’ Josh Freeman has thrown on passes of 11 yards or more this season, according to ESPN.com.

3-11 Bucs’ regular-season record against the Cowboys.

147.2 Passer rating of the Cowboys’ Tony Romo in two games against the Bucs. He is 38-of-56 (67.9 percent) for 659 yards, eight touchdown and no interceptions.

61/2 Sacks for Bucs end Adrian Clayborn, tied for third with the Redskins’ Ryan Kerrigan among rookies and behind only the 49ers’ Aldon Smith (101/2) and the Broncos’ Von Miller (11½).

1987 The last time the Bucs, riding a seven-game losing streak, lost eight in a row during one season.

370 Points allowed by the Bucs, fewer only than the Colts (382).

What they’re saying

The Bucs were one of last year’s surprises with Raheem Morris a candidate for coach of the year. Now they’re a surprise again … a sad one … and Morris is a candidate to make it three straight for Florida NFL coaches in search of an off ramp. Based on what I saw (Sunday), he should be. Not only did the Bucs lose to a miserable Jacksonville team, they committed seven turnovers and allowed an opponent that hadn’t scored more than 21 points in any game to put up 41. The Bucs can’t put people in the seats, and now I understand why. They stink.

Clark Judge CBSSports.com

Simply put: The Bucs aren’t having a good season. But Cowboys fans shouldn’t mark this game with a big W just yet. Tampa is a scrappy bunch of players. And while the Bucs are in the midst of a seven-game losing streak, they have remained competitive in most games.

Jason Henry Fort Worth Star-Telegram

The picks

I’m guessing 40 to 50 percent of the fans at the Pirate Ship will be Cowboy fans, and that’s good for the Bucs. Maybe the Dallas cheering will drown out the calls for Raheem Morris’ job. Cowboys, 37-17.

Peter King Sports Illustrated

The Cowboys are in a spot where they can’t afford another loss. The Bucs are just hoping for a victory to snap their seven-game losing streak. Can’t see that happening. Dallas will put up some good offensive numbers against a Bucs defense that is struggling. DeMarcus Ware spends the night in the Tampa Bay backfield. Cowboys, 28-15.

Pete Prisco CBSSports.com

It’s that special time of year again, that period when the Cowboys start feeling charitable and begin giving away football games. Giving up two TDs in the final three minutes against the Giants will probably result in another giveaway — the division title. Cowboys, 20-13.

Gerry Dulac Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

The Bucs’ horrid run defense allows 6.1 yards per carry. Yet somehow, the Tee Bees will cover. Cowboys, 23-17.

Greg Cote Miami Herald

Tonight: Bucs vs. Cowboys

8:20, Raymond James Stadium, Tampa

TV/radio: Ch. 38, NFL Net.; 620-AM, 103.5-FM

Line/over-under: Cowboys by 7; 47

TAMPA

What were you doing eight weeks ago?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

TAMPA — The Bucs were coasting along with a 14-0 lead against a team that had been averaging fewer than 13 points, and it seemed the possibilities were endless.

And then it happened.

A tidal wave buried the Bucs, the Jaguars scoring 28 consecutive points while Tampa Bay seemingly couldn’t decide what to do about it. Jacksonville scored in every conceivable fashion: on special teams, on defense, on offense.

As the stunning sequence played out Sunday, you might have wondered why the Bucs couldn’t stop the bleeding. That’s still unclear, but the team’s inability to respond to challenging situations has undoubtedly been a question all season.

“It just was a spiral, a funk we couldn’t get out of until, eventually, it overtook you and (we) lost the football game,” coach Raheem Morris said.

The Bucs went on to lose 41-14.

“That’s the thing that happened the other day,” Morris added. “You have to find a way to break that, whether it’s (Michael) Koenen bombing a punt and pinning them on their 1-yard line or going out there and getting a three-and-out (on defense). … Those are the things you have to have happen when things start to spiral on you. You need somebody to make a play.”

But that takes mettle. And it requires poise. There have been instances this season that raised questions about whether the Bucs possess enough of those qualities.

Other prime examples:

• On Oct. 9 at San Francisco, the Bucs trailed the 49ers 7-3 in the first quarter, having just recovered a Frank Gore fumble, when the turbulence hit. Quarterback Josh Freeman’s interception was returned 31 yards by cornerback Carlos Rogers for a touchdown. Instead of answering, the Bucs fell apart. Freeman threw another interception and the 49ers converted with a Gore touchdown run, making it 21-3. The Bucs barely showed a pulse the rest of the way, losing 48-3.

• On Nov. 13 versus Houston, Tampa Bay was blindsided by first-half touchdowns of 80 and 78 yards, including Jacoby Jones’ catch and run on the Texans’ first play from scrimmage. The Bucs failed to compose themselves, managing just a field goal before yielding 14 consecutive points in the third quarter.

As with many questions about this team, some of the answers can be traced to inexperience. With a roster full of players who are untested as pros, many Bucs can’t rely on past experience in these predicaments.

“I think it does take time (to learn),” linebacker Geno Hayes said. “Sometimes you can get a little complacent and you can get into a little slump and not come out of it. I think a lot of young guys are learning that once that (bad) play is over, we have to move on to the next play. You can only do better on the next play. I think that’s something guys are really picking up on when we watch film.”

Morris often talks about qualities such as mental toughness and calls distractions “gray matter.” But it’s one thing to talk about it and another to actually face such obstacles.

And in the NFL, rarely do things go the way they are planned. Opponents are there to make certain of that.

“When Raheem first got the job, there was a phrase that he kept throwing at us,” linebacker Quincy Black said. “It was ‘love to be miserable.’ It didn’t make sense at first.

“But you have to realize that this is a man’s game. Things are going to happen in games that are not necessarily going to be in your control. At the same time, you have to learn to control the things that are and do your best and perform when the opportunity arises. You have to do your job.”

What’s interesting is the Bucs in 2010 were renowned for weathering, and eventually overcoming, storms. But will we see that again?

“We’ve had some situations where we’ve turned the ball over and fallen behind,” offensive coordinator Greg Olson said. “We have to come back, and we’ve proven it. We’ve done it in the past. We have to get back to that confidence level and do it again.”

In the NFL, there will be unfortunate moments. What the Bucs do then will ultimately define them.

“We just have to handle ourselves better,” cornerback Ronde Barber said. “We have to handle adversity and find a way through it.”

Stephen F. Holder can be reached at sholder@tampabay.com or (813) 226-3377.