Carolina Runs the Bucs Out of Charlotte

By JC De La Torre

To steal a term from Awful Announcing's superstar Emmit Smith, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers defense got "debacled" Monday Night in Carolina. The Bucs defense came into the game ranked 9th in the NFL against the run, through 12 games this season they gave up only one touchdown rushing and only one 100 yd rusher all season. Tonight they gave up 299 yds rushing and 4 rushing touchdowns with two runners (DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart) over 100 as the Panthers pulled away from Tampa Bay 38-23 to take over sole possession of first place in the NFC South. In the process, the Bucs wasted one of the best nights of a Tampa Bay Wide Receiver in team history as Antonio Bryant hauled in 9 catches for 200 yds and 2 touchdowns.

The Bucs opened the game with a three-and-out, then followed it with a terrible 38 yd punt by punter Josh Bidwell giving the Panthers excellent starting field position at their 48. Carolina would take advantage, driving 30 yds on 8 plays to set up a 33 yd Jon Kasay field goal to give the Panthers a 3-0 lead.

The Bucs tried to answer back, driving 52 yds in 14 plays and bleeding 8:36 off the clock. Unfortunately, Matt Bryant's 40 yd field goal try clanked off the left upright.

Moving into the second quarter, Ronde Barber intercepted Carolina quarterback Jake Delhomme to end a threat by the Panthers. Bucs QB Jeff Garcia connected with WR Antonio Bryant on a 52 yd bomb taking the Bucs all the way down to the Carolina 3 yd line - but that old Buccaneer bug-a-boo the Red Zone offense came up and bit them again. On 1st and goal, Alex Smith dropped a touchdown pass in the end zone. On second down, Cadillac ran up the middle for no gain, then Garcia missed on a pass to Jerramy Stevens in the back of the end zone, forcing the Bucs to settle for a 20 yd Matt Bryant field goal to tie the game at 3.

On the ensuing drive, Carolina's DeAngelo Williams took over. 1st and 10 from the 27, Williams blasts for 9 yds, then rushes for 1, then explodes for 40 yds, running over several Buccaneer players to deep inside the Bucs territory. From there, Jonathan Stewart would finish the drive off, pounding in from two yards for the first touchdown of the game, only the second rushing touchdown given up by the Bucs this season, at the half it was 10-3 Carolina, the Panthers had 80 yds rushing, most coming on the big run by Williams.

In the second half, Carolina drove to their 46 yd line thanks to Jonathan Stewarts 28 yd blast. Delhomme would be victimized again as Jermaine Phillips picked him with an acrobatic tip up of a low pass and then have the ball fall into your lap play. One play later, Jeff Garcia found a wide open Bryant for a 50 yd touchdown, the Bucs tied the game at 10. Back came Carolina, drive 73 yds in 6 plays, capping the drive with Jake Delhomme's best pass of the game, a 38 yd strike to Steve Smith who took advantage of a busted Bucs coverage to give Carolina the lead back at 17-10.

Tampa Bay wouldn't quit, back they came driving 69 yds in 9 plays part of the way set up by another great play by Antonio Bryant, who caught a 39 yd pass. From the Carolina 4 yd line, Carnell "Cadillac" Williams drove into the end zone for the tying score, 17-17 with 3:37 left in the 3rd quarter.

Carolina would respond thanks to their running game. Williams and Stewart blasted down the field gashing the Bucs defense for runs of 9, 8, 14, and 9 finally culminating in a 4 yd score by Jonathan Stewart, giving the Panthers the lead back at 24-17. So the Bucs would come right back, right? Well, not quite. The Bucs drive stalled at the 43 and a 57 yd punt by Bucs punter Josh Bidwell pinned the Panthers at the 10 yd line. Perfect scenario for the Bucs defense, right?

Well....not exactly. DeAngelo Williams exploded to the right for 41 yds to the Tampa Bay 49. Jonathan Stewart blasts for 3 yds and then back to the right side for another 30 yds to the Tampa Bay 16. Williams checked back in and the Panthers continued to exploit the right side of the Bucs defense, as he busted for 16 yds and another touchdown to give the Panthers a commanding 31-17 advantage and the Bucs defense was left stunned.

The Bucs drove to the 48 yd line, but again the drive stalled and the Bucs had to punt it again, this time the defense found a way to contain the Panthers and forced a three and out. Garcia and the Bucs quickly moved down the field in the two minute drill and with 2:36 left in the game, Garcia hit Antonio Bryant again, this time on a spectacular one-handed grab by Bryant that will be on highlight reels all week. Matt Bryant's extra point was blocked and the Bucs trailed by 8, 31-23. Tampa Bay attempted the onside kick, but Carolina recovered.

Antonio Bryant's Amazing touchdown catch, courtesy of youtube.com

The Bucs had to get the ball back to have a chance. Run off tackle by DeAngelo Williams for 3 yds, time out Tampa with 2:28 left. Williams plunged up the middle, time out Bucs - 2:17 left. The Bucs defense faced 3rd and 5 at their own 36. If they held, their offense would get a chance, give up the first down, the Panthers could run out the clock. The Panthers pitched DeAngelo Williams to the right and Williams not only got the 1st down but scampered nearly untouched 36 yds for the touchdown, giving the Panthers an insurmountable 38-23 lead.

The Bucs had time for one more drive but failed to execute on 4th and 1 at the Tampa Bay 47, enabling the Panthers to run out the clock.

Carolina takes over 1st place in the NFC South with a 10-3 record, the Bucs fall to 9-4, currently the 5th seed in the NFC. The 299 yds by Carolina was only the 4th time since 1996 the Bucs have give up more than 250 yds rushing in the game and was the 2nd most in Buccaneer history. Antonio Bryant was 12 yds shy of the Buccaneer single game receiving record (Mark Carrier's 212 yds).

For the Bucs, they'll need to recover from this smackdown quickly, as they head to Atlanta on Sunday against another team that can run the football. The run defense's failure tonight is correctable and they better do it quickly or a season that appeared to be so promising may suddenly be on the brink.

Welcome MVN Visitors

By JC De La Torre

The TBSB would like to welcome visitors from the Most Valuable Network! Yours truly was invited to participate in an article regarding Monday Nights game. The article is now posted on the MVN Outsider blog.

For those of you visiting for the first time, we cover the Buccaneers, Lightning, Rays, Arena League Tampa Bay Storm as well as our colleges USF and my favorite school, the University of Florida (sorry, no FSU or Miami here).

If you're looking for our coverage of the Bucs-Panthers showdown as well as any other Buc info here's a run down of our Buc stories going into tonight's game -

MNF Madness Bucs @ Panthers Preview - This is our breakdown of tonight's game, matchups and predicition included.

TBSB Buccaneer NFC Playoff Scenario Madness - Week 14 - Each week we will break down every angle, every possibility of the Buccaneers playoff aspirations including detailed explanations of tie-breakers and other scenarios.

Good Day for the Bucs - The Bucs had a good day yesterday - we detail why.

Thanks again for stopping by and we hope you'll visit us regularly, whether you're a Tampa Bay fan, one of our hated rivals, or just like interesting sports!

GO BUCS!

MNF Madness - Bucs @ Panthers Preview

By JC De La Torre

3 months and 13 weeks of football - 12 games have led to this moment. While the so-called experts fawned over the likes of the Dallas Cowboys, Philadelphia Eagles, Cleveland Browns and New Orleans Saints - these two teams just went about their business. Both boasted stingy defenses, both had offenses that did just enough to win - and really, isn't that what its all about? Winning? The Carolina Panthers and Tampa Bay Buccaneers have been joined in their anonymity. Neither boasts many stars, although there are names that are known - Julius Peppers, Steve Smith, Derrick Brooks and Ronde Barber among them.

Neither has had features on them on ESPN, the network broadcasting Monday Night's titanic battle that may go a long way in deciding the NFC South title. Neither have been the Fox National game or been on NFL Network's game of the week. Tampa Bay has had one Sunday Night NBC game, but shared the spotlight in their own town with the Tampa Bay Rays, who were playing Game 7 of the American League Championship Series at the exact same time. Both teams have been described as boring. Yet when the Buccaneers and Panthers take the field Monday night, the team's will walk in tied for the 2nd best record in the NFC and 3rd best record in the entire NFL. Once 60 minutes (or more) of hard fought football is completed, one of these teams will be in the drivers seat - but who will it be? One thing is certain, we should have one heck of a show for the national audience.

Let's look at the match ups of these two unappreciated power teams in the NFC -

Carolina's Offense vs. Tampa Bay's defense
The advantage in this match up is clearly the Buccaneers defense. Tampa Bay comes into this ballgame ranked 4th in the NFL in total defense, 3rd against the pass, 9th against the run, 4th in scoring, they're tied for third in the NFL in interceptions (17) and defensive scores (3). Carolina comes in with the 17th ranked total offense in the NFL, 7th rushing, but 22nd passing, and 14th in scoring. The strength of the Panthers offensive attack is their powerful running game, led by shifty DeAngelo Williams and powerful rookie James Stewart. Williams is coming off a 4 touchdown performance against the Green Bay Packers. The Panthers passing game is struggling this year, but with a big time threat like Steve Smith, you can never be relaxed. The Buccaneers defense, led by the immortal Derrick Brooks and Ronde Barber, along with young budding stars Barrett Ruud, Tanard Jackson and Gaines Adams have allowed only one 100 yd rusher this season (Jamaal Charles, Kansas City), and only one rushing touchdown. The secondary, bolstered by Jermaine Phillips return and the solid play of Phillip Buchannon and rookie Aquib Talib, has shown big play capability.

Tampa Bay's Offense vs. Carolina's Defense
Like Carolina, the Buccaneers offense is a middle of the road work in progress. Tampa Bay ranks 14th in total offense, 11th rushing, 12th passing, and 17th in scoring. They'll face a Panthers defense ranked 11th in total defense, struggling a bit against the run at 18th, while ranking 12th against the pass and 7th in scoring defense. The Buccaneers offense took a significant blow when leading rusher Earnest Graham went down with an ankle injury that ended his season. Coincidentally, Carnell "Cadillac" Williams has returned the Buccaneers lineup to bolster the running attack that now has fallen on the diminutive shoulders of veteran Warrick Dunn. The jitterbugging QB Jeff Garcia's mobility is both a blessing and a curse for the Bucs offense, with Garcia, the play is never dead but at the same time, Garcia will miss a lot of opportunities down field as he jumps and scatters around. Antonio Bryant has buoyed the passing game while Michael Clayton has played better and vet Ike Hilliard still proves to be dependable. Tight ends Alex Smith, Jerramy Stevens, and John Gilmore have made impacts in both the passing and running game. The greatest improvement in the Buccaneers offense is without question their offensive line. Led by center Jeff Faine, the Bucs boast an athletic, powerful line that can get to the second level and make plays. The two big issues for the Bucs offense has been red zone efficiency, the Bucs are second to last in the league in TDs scored in the red zone, as well as turnovers (Tampa Bay is ranked 19th with 21 turnovers).

The Panthers defense has been kind of bend-but-don't-break style that gives up a lot of yards but not a lot of points, they rank 7th in red zone defense. Julius Peppers continues to terrorize quarterbacks, while linebacker Jon Beason and corner Chris Gamble lead the second and third levels. The defense started the season off strong but has struggled of late, giving up 98 points in their last three games.

Carolina Special Teams vs Tampa Bay Special Teams
The Bucs have had a resurgence in their special teams thanks to the emergence of young return Clifton Smith. Thanks to Smith, Tampa Bay is ranked 2nd in the NFL in kick returns and 15th in punt returns (after being dead last in the NFL before Smith was called up from the practice squad). Smith is ranked #1 in kickoff return average (29.5) and is 2nd in the NFL in punt return average (17.6) and he became the first Buccaneer to have a kickoff return and punt return for touchdown in the same season. Tampa Bay also has the dependable Matt Bryant kicking and Punter Josh Bidwell, who continues to change field position and pin opponents in holes. Tampa Bay boasts some of the best coverage units in the NFL as well, ranking 5th in kickoff coverage and 11th in punt coverage.

Carolina is no slouch on special teams either. The Panthers are 9th in kickoff returns and 8th in punt return average as former Buccaneer Mark Jones does the returning for Carolina. Like the Bucs, the Panthers are very strong in coverage as well, ranking 8th in kickoff coverage and are 6th in the NFL in punt return coverage. The Panthers are in good hands in the kicking game with veteran John Kasay hitting 95% of his field goals and punter Jason Baker boasting a solid 45.3 punting average.

Coaching
Jon Gruden won his 100th victory as a head coach in the NFL with last week's victory over New Orleans, John Fox put to rest rumors of his replacement by former Steelers coach Bill Cowher with a solid season by his football team.

Intangibles
Obviously, a raucous crowd will be a big advantage for the Panthers as they go bananas for the Monday Night Football cameras. The Panthers have a significant incentive to avenge the early season 27-3 beat down by the Buccaneers. Tampa Bay has not played as well on the road as they do at Raymond James Stadium, where they are undefeated, but only .500 away from Ray Jay.

Final Prediction

After facing the dynamic New Orleans Saints passing offense, the Bucs will get a different test with a very tough Carolina running attack. The Bucs jumped on the Panthers early in their contest in Tampa, forcing Carolina to abandon the running game in an effort to catch up. As always, the Buccaneer offense must avoid the costly turnover and turn red zone opportunities into touchdowns, not field goals. If Carolina can force the Bucs offense into errors (turnovers, drive killing penalties), the Panthers can win this football game. Jeff Garcia is 9-2 lifetime against the Panthers and the Bucs have won 2 of the last three meetings overall and in Charlotte. I think the Bucs defense will stand tall, Clifton Smith will provide field position in a field position critical game, and the Bucs offense will do just enough to pull off a huge road win.

Final Score: Tampa Bay 24, Carolina 17

OH THE HUMANITY! Bucs Survive Motown Scare

By JC De La Torre

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have gotten this rally thing down pat. Now let's not see it anymore. Tampa Bay fell behind 17-0 to the putrid Detroit Lions, then rallied with a 21 point 2nd quarter and two more scores in the 3rd to subdue to plucky Lions 38-20. The victory, combined with Atlanta butt kicking of the Carolina Panthers move the Bucs into a 1st place tie in the NFC South. If the playoffs ended today, the Buccaneers would have their third division title in four years and a first round bye.

The Bucs began this game as a team that looked anything but a team in playoff contention. After the teams exchanged punts on their opening series, the Lions drove 71 yds in 7 plays with new Lions QB Daunte Culpepper hitting the monster WR Calvin Johnson for a 41 yd strike to the Tampa Bay 17 yd line, then found Johnson again in the endzone for a 15 yd score and a 7-0 lead.

The Bucs got the ball back at the 29. Garcia hit Jerramy Stevens for a 5 yd gain, then WR Antonio Bryant for 17 to the Lions 49. Then disaster struck. Head Coach Jon Gruden inserted running back Carnell "Cadillac" Williams for his first action of the 2008 season - showed. Garcia had the inclination to play action to Williams and go for Antonio Bryant deep, unfortunately Garcia and Williams collided in the backfield, knocking the ball loose and Detroit safety Daniel Bullocks picked up the fumble and rumbled 49 yds for a score. The stunned Buccaneers trailed 14-0.

Tampa Bay would go three and out, then normally reliable punter Josh Bidwell shanked a punt 34 yds, setting the Lions up in superb field position, allowing them to drive it 36 yds to set up a 38 yd Jason Hanson field goal with 0:15 left in a nightmare first quarter for the Buccaneers. After one quarter of play, it was the Lions 17, the Buccaneers 0.

Then the second quarter began and things changed. A terrific kick return by Clifton Smith set the Bucs at midfield. From there, Garcia would drive the Bucs 50 yds in 7 plays, setting up a whirling derbish touchdown run by the ageless Warrick Dunn, cutting the Detroit advantage to 10. After a 3-and-out by the Lions, Garcia marched the Bucs back down the field again, driving Tampa Bay all the way down to the Lions 36. On 3rd and 13, Garcia scrambled, then found WR Ike Hilliard wide open for a 36 yd score, suddenly the daunting lead of the Lions had been shaved to only 3.

In typical Lions fashion, Detroit would set the Bucs up in prime field postion, as Daunte Culpepper's short pass that was intended for Shaun McDonald ended up in the hands of Bucs CB Ronde Barber, setting the Buccaneer offense at the Detroit 24 yd line. The Bucs would take advantage immediately, in almost a carbon copy of their last score Garcia found a quarrantined Jerramy Stevens all alone for a 24 yd touchdown. Shocker reversed - Tampa Bay led at the half 21-17.

In the 3rd quarter, the both teams would punt on their opening drive - but Tampa Bay's Clifton Smith would return the Detroit punt 70 yds for a touchdown. Clifton Smith became the first Buccaneer in team history to have a kick return and punt return for a touchdown in the same season. If Smith can ever figure out how to not lose the pigskin (he fumbled for the fourth straight game today), he might become a special teams superstar in the vein of Devin Hester or Dante Hall. This guy has the chance to break it each time he touches the ball. Smith is an undrafted rookie free agent out of Fresno State - what a find by the Buccaneer scouting department.

With 9:33 left in the third quarter and the Bucs driving, Jeff Garcia was hit from behind and fumbled the football. The Bucs challenged the call and replays appeared to clearly show Garcia down, but inexplicably, referee Bill Corollo decided there wasn't enough evidence to overturn the call. The Lions had the football at the Tampa Bay 45, then promptly threw it away. Daunte Culpepper telegraphed an out intended for Shaun McDonald and Barber, as he's done so many times before, stepped in front for his second pick of the game and raced 65 yd for the score, putting the Bucs up 38-17.

Jeff Hanson would take advantage of a muffed punt by Ike Hilliard to pound in a 40 yd field goal to pull the Lions within 18 but they would get no closer. Drew Stanton would briefly make an appearance for the Lions going 2 for 6 for 13 yds before being knocked cuukoo and out of the game. The benched Culpepper would re-enter the ballgame and basically not do much. Someone who did get a chance to do a lot was Carnell "Cadillac" Williams. The Bucs rested Warrick Dunn in the 4th quarter, allowing Williams to get a good feel for the game. Williams at one point carried the ball eight straight times, finishing with 27 yds on 16 carries. Sure the average isn't much, but Williams got an opportunity to get a feel for the speed of the game, got to cut on the fieldturf, got hit, and survived, feeling sore but great. No ill effects from the knee injury and it appeared that he still had that speed and power that was a trademark of Williams game. It will take some time, but Cadillac definitely showed some glimpses of why the Bucs were so proud of the miraculous comeback he has made.

Tampa Bay improved to 8-3, tied for 1st in the NFC South and head back home to host the struggling New Orleans Saints in a big time revenge game for the Buccaneers. The Lions fell to 0-11, and their bid for OH-mortality remains intact.

2009 Pro Bowl - AFC vs. The Washington Redskins?

By JC De La Torre

In a nearly inconceivably laughable circumstance and brilliant campaigning by the Washington Redskins, 20 members of the 6-4 Washington Redskins are leading in fan voting for their respective positions for the Pro Bowl. The Redskins have had an aggressive Obama-styled get out the vote campaign that has led to the Redskins leading the NFC ballots in 16 of 19 positions, eight of the 11 NFC starters on both offense and defense would be Redskins, plus all four special teams players. Shawn Springs who has missed six games with injuries, is the leading vote-getter at cornerback.

None of the 7-3 Tampa Bay Buccaneers or 8-2 Carolina Panthers are leading in any position and only Justin Tuck of the 9-1 New York Giants is leading at his position. Basically, the Redskin fans have made a mockery of the Pro Bowl. However, they are not to blame, nor is the Redskin organization. The National Football League invited this kind of sham with the "Vote Again" option. If you had the stamina and the where-with-all to do so - you could vote a million times for the same player and "stuff the ballot box". The NFL invited this type of silliness.

This is not to say that when the Pro Bowl kicks off in February that 20 of the 22 positions will have Redskins as starters. Fan voting is just one third of the complicated equation that the NFL uses to decide who earns a trip to Honolulu. Some players, like Fullback Mike Sellers, has such a substantial lead in voting that even votes from the players and coaches vote for others it will not matter.

Needless to say, its likely because of the chicanery of the Redskin fans that the Buccaneers and perhaps the majority of the second best division in football, the NFC South, will be shut out of the Pro Bowl proving what a farce this game really has become. How not one player from three teams with a combine record of 21-9 .700 (Tampa, Carolina, Atlanta) goes to the Pro Bowl is proof enough that the game needs to be done away with and league all-star honors should be issued by players, coaches, and beat writers. Fans should not be included when deciding player's bonuses and hall of fame credentials.

Ironically, most NFL players have incentives for making the Pro Bowl in their contracts. If all 20 players made the Pro Bowl, not only would Daniel Snyder get drilled in the pocket book, it could have damaging ramifications to the team's salary cap for next year. Redskin fans could be hurting their team's ability to compete in 2009.

Southern Comfort - A look at the NFC South Stretch Run

By JC De La Torre


Coming into 2008, the talk of the NFL was the powerful NFC East, the rugged AFC West, the talented AFC South, and tough AFC North. Meanwhile, the Bucs' NFC South division was considered one of the worst in the league. Amazing how ten weeks of football can change opinions.

As it turns out, the NFC South is the 2nd toughest division in football, second only to the NFC East.

As it stands through Week 10 of the NFL season - here's the combined records of the divisions-

W-L Division
24-12 NFC East
23-13 NFC South
22-14 AFC East
21-15 AFC South
16-20 AFC North
14-22 NFC North
12-24 NFC West
12-24 AFC West

The Buccaneers, who have been largely ignored by the mainstream media, have amassed a 6-3 record in this tough division, including a 2-1 record within the division.

Let's take a look at the remaining schedules for each of the division opponents and futurecast their final record.

Carolina leads the NFC South with a 7-2 record. The Panthers are home against Detroit (0-9), at Atlanta (6-3), at Green Bay (4-5), home against Tampa Bay (6-3), home against Denver (5-4), at the Super Bowl Champion New York Giants (8-1). and at New Orleans (4-5). The Panthers clearly have the toughest schedule out of the three top contenders for the NFC South crown. Lets give the Panthers victories over the losing teams Detroit and New Orleans, and home victories against winning teams Tampa Bay and Denver. Then will give losses to the Panthers against teams with winning records that they face on the road - Atlanta and the Giants, we'll have them drop one to Green Bay, because the Panthers, like most teams, don't fare very well at Lambeau Field (1-3 lifetime). That will drop Carolina to 11-5 (4-2 in division play).

Tampa Bay is 2nd in the division at 6-3. The Buccaneers are home against Minnesota (5-4), at Detroit (0-9), home against New Orleans (4-5), at Carolina (7-2), at Atlanta (6-3), home against San Diego (4-5), and finish home against Oakland (2-7). Lets give the Bucs victories at home against Minnesota, New Orleans, San Diego, and Oakland. We'll also give them the win on the road against Detroit. The crux of the Bucs season will be the back-to-back road games against Carolina and Atlanta. If the Bucs take one out of two, they finish 12-4 and (4-2) in division play. If they lose both, they'll fall to 11-5 (3-3 in the division). If they win both, they should (if the theory holds through) roll to 13-3 (5-1 in the division). Earlier this week, I predicited the Bucs would lose those two games and finish 11-5 - I'll stick with that for right now. So the Tampa Bay finish 11-5 (3-3 in divisional play).

Atlanta is 3rd in the NFC South at 6-3. The Falcons are home against Denver (5-4), home against Carolina (7-2), at San Diego (4-5), at New Orleans (4-5), home against Tampa Bay (6-3), at Minnesota (4-5), home against St. Louis (2-7). Let's give the Falcons home wins against Denver, Carolina, and Tampa Bay. I know that for the other two opponents, I applied victories against teams with losing records, but the Falcons suffer one disadvantage compared to the other two teams, a rookie QB. I know Matt Ryan has had a solid season for a rookie, but let's face it - on the road in November and December is not for the faint of heart. The Falcons have a cross-country trip to San Diego, who are battling for their playoff lives. That will be a tough one for Atlanta to win. They head down to New Orleans, never an easy place to play (their four wins have come at the Superdome) and go to Minnesota, who's 4-1 at home this year, while going to St. Louis to finish out the year. Let's give them a win in St. Louis, another in New Orleans, but lossess at San Diego and Minnesota. That'll put Atlanta at 11-5 (4-2 in the division).

I guess out of respect, we should do the Saints. New Orleans is 4th in the NFC South at 4-5. New Orleans goes to Kansas City (1-8), Green Bay (4-5) at home, they go to Tampa Bay (6-3), they come home to play Atlanta (6-3), they go to Chicago (5-4) and Detroit (0-9) before finishing up at home against Carolina (7-2). As a losing team, we can't give the Saints the same considerations as the winning teams in the division. So lets give New Orleans home victories over Kansas City and Green Bay. We'll give them a rare road win at Detroit, but we'll hand them losses to Atlanta, Chicago, Tampa Bay, and Carolina. This will leave New Orleans 7-9 (1-5 in division) and out of contention.

This scenario is bad news for the Bucs...By virtue of a better conference record, Atlanta would win the NFC South, the Panthers, by virtue of a better division record would finish 2nd, the Buccaneers would be 3rd.

Conceivably, 11-5 should be enough to get you into the playoffs as a wild card, but with Washington, Dallas, and Philadelphia breathing down the Bucs' neck, Tampa Bay really doesn't want to see this thing come down to tie-breakers.

Bottom line for the Bucs - win your home games, beat the teams your supposed to beat and take one out of two from the two big divisional battles and the NFC South will be yours. Fail and you'll be driving me crazy because I'll have to bring out the protractors and slide rulers to try and figure out how the heck the Bucs will make the playoffs.

Of course, as you know, nothing ever goes as it should in the NFL. That's why they play the games.

JC De La Torre is an author of Science Fiction/Fantasy and other realms of Speculative Fiction - check out his latest works at JC Delatorre.com

Bucs Fan Guide to Bye Week Football

By JC De La Torre

If you're a fan of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, you're jonesing a bit this week as your favorite football team is not taking the field this Sunday. The bye week is here for Tampa Bay and the loss of Buccaneer football is being felt all over the area. Just know, you can still get your football fix in.

There are several games that significantly impact the Bucs playoff chances.

#1 New Orleans at Atlanta

This is a big one in the NFC South. The surprising Falcons are trying to stay in the divisional race with the Bucs and the Carolina Panthers, while the Saints are just trying to keep their playoff hopes alive. The Falcons have been a solid home team, going 3-0 with wins over Detroit, Kansas City and Chicago. This is the first of three straight home games for the Falcons. If the Saints can get the upset, both teams fall to 5-4, a game behind Tampa Bay in the NFC South.

Bucs rooting interest: Slightly Saints - if the Saints lose, they're pretty much done and that's not necessarily a bad thing for the Bucs - but a Saints victory would cool off the Falcons at home.

#2 Carolina at Oakland

The 1st Place Carolina Panthers travel cross-country to face the laughingstock that is the Oakland Raiders. The Raiders are a mess, firing Head Coach Lane Kiffin in September and cutting one of their better players, DeAngelo Hall this week. The natives are restless, the team is doubting management publicly and its just an ugly, ugly scene. Meanwhile, the Panthers roll into this one with a 6-2 record and rested coming off a bye. With a victory, the Panthers would take their first of two winnable games the next two weeks (they have winless Detroit next week), giving them a buffer before they have to began the final stretch run where they face playoff contenders Atlanta, Green Bay, Tampa Bay, Denver, and the Super Bowl Champion New York Giants. Many good East Coast teams have made the trek to the Black hole, only to be stunned by a stinging upset defeat. Carolina should win this game going away but as Chris Berman says, "That's why they play the Games..."

Bucs Rooting Interest: A Raiders Win - For obvious reasons, a loss by the Carolina Panthers drops them into a two-way (possibly three-way depending on Atlanta's game) with the Buccaneers.

#3 New York Giants at Philadelphia

This game is of interest to Buc fans because the Eagles are one of the teams the Bucs are competing with in the NFC wildcard race. A victory by the Eagles, puts them at 6-3, tied with the Bucs and Redskins, beginning a myriad of tie-breaker scenarios that we don't want to begin to talk about just yet. The Giants can do Tampa Bay a favor by slapping around the Eagles and keeping them a game back in the wild card race.

Bucs Rooting Interest: Giants Win - As stated above, to keep the Eagles at bay.

#4 Green Bay at Minnesota

The Vikings are the Bucs next opponent. Nothing could be better for Tampa Bay than for Minnesota to engage in a knockdown drag out division war with one of their most hated rivals a week before they come to the Ray Jay. After starting the season 1-3, the Vikings have heated up, winning three of their last four to climb back into the NFC North race.

Bucs Rooting Interest: A Good Game - At this point, it doesn't really matter to the Bucs who wins between Green Bay and Minnesota, what Tampa Bay is hoping for is a slobberknocker of a contest that will go down to the wire, draining emotionally and physically the Vikings before they make the long trek down from Lake Minnetonka to Tampa Bay. A lopsided decision either way would not help the Bucs.

So there you have it, your Sunday guide to the bye week. Hang tough, Buc fans. It's just seven more days until we're back at Ray Jay rockin with our Pewter Pirates. Don't forget to vote in our poll on how the Bucs will finish 2008.

Bucs Smackdown Panthers!

By JC De La Torre

There haven't been many opportunities to say this - so I will enjoy this while I type it. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers up and laid the SMACKDOWN on the Carolina Panthers yesterday. The Bucs crushed Carolina 27-3 in a game that really wasn't even as close as the score. This was as a complete victory as we've seen from this Buccaneer squad in some time. The special teams contributed (blocked punt), the Offense contributed (20 points), and the defense absolutely dominated (3 interceptions of Jake Delhomme).

The Panthers turned the ball over three times and were limited to only 282 yds of total offense (most of which came in garbage time when the Bucs were playing reserves). The game not close from the outset. Rookie Linebacker Geno Hayes blocked Carolina punter Jason Baker's punt, recovered and took it in 27 yds for a score to give the Bucs a 7-0 lead. With 5:21 left in the first quarter, Tanard Jackson intercepted Delhomme, setting up a 5 play, 26 yd drive that culminated in a 2 yd Garcia to Alex Smith TD pass.

The teams would trade field goals in the second quarter and Matt Bryant would add another in the 3rd quarter to increase the lead to 20-3.

The Bucs would put the finishing touches on this one, driving 56 yds in 10 plays, as Earnest Graham plunged in to the end zone from the fullback position to stake Tampa Bay to a 27-3 advantage with 14:11 left in the ball game. The rest of the game consisted of failed Carolina drives and Warrick Dunn's running, as Warrick became the first back in 2008 to rush for over 100 yds against the vaunted Carolina defense. Dunn finished the day with 115 yds on 22 carries.

Tampa Bay didn't escape the game in perfect shape. Penalties continued to be a major issue for the team, as they were flagged several times for unsportsmanlike conduct. The Bucs finished the day 7 penalties for 80 yds. They also sustained injuries to FB Bryan Storer, WR Maurice Stovall, and LG Aaron Sears. Injured players Sabby Piscitelli and Barrett Ruud made it through without issue.

Then, there's the QB debate. Jeff Garcia looked steady, moving around in the pocket and making plays. He didn't turn the ball over and made the plays that resulted in the two Tampa Bay offensive touchdowns. Garcia was 15 for 20, 173 yds, with 1 TD. He was not sacked, which is a credit to the o-line who had a terrific day handling one of the fearcest front fours in football. I said to a friend, if Griese is going to be gun shy - he is no use to us. He may turn the ball over, but he also takes more chances that moves the chains and gets the Bucs into scoring position. Against Denver, he looked afraid to make a mistake, and that's not going to help the Bucs. Garcia looked confident, made plays, and most importantly, didn't turn the ball over. He looked like the old Jeff Garcia from last season. I think if Jeff Garcia has his head on right and is playing like he did last season - he is the choice for quarterback.

The Bucs improve to 4-2, dropping Carolina to an identical 4-2 record and enter a 3 way tie for first place in the NFC South with Carolina and Atlanta - two teams the Bucs dominated at home. Next week will be a big one, as it is Mike Alstott Commemorative Night. The Bucs will honor the A-train in front of a National television audience. The struggling Seattle Seahawks provide the opposition.