The What If Game

By JC De La Torre

St. Petersburg Times columnist Gary Shelton put together an interesting column, speculating on what may have happened if the Glazer family hadn't fired Tony Dungy at the end of the 2001 season. Its a confounding question - where would the Bucs be today? Further, what other what if questions can we add to the pot? I believe its definitely an interesting topic of conversation.

First, lets speculate on Dungy.
Scenario 1 - What if the Glazers didn't fire Dungy in January 2002?
Shelton speculates that Bucs would not have won the Super Bowl the following season and would have never won it under Tony Dungy. Dungy's record in Indy seems to disagree with that assumption, but let's face it - Tampa Bay has no Peyton Manning, Marvin Harrison, or Reggie Wayne on their offense - the catalyst of Dungy's success with the Colts. Jon Gruden likely would have remained in Oakland and considering the Raiders team he built went without him, he would have likely gotten the Raiders to the Super Bowl. Would the Raiders have continued their poor play throughout the decade? Its hard to say but with the braintrust that built the Raiders into a power still intact, one would have to imagine that Oakland would still be competitive today.

The Buccaneers would still have had their draft picks, with the ability to draft players like Ed Reed, Charles Grant, Lito Sheppard, Andre Gurode, or Clinton Portis - all players who were available where the Bucs would have picked in the first and second rounds of the 2002 draft. In '03 you could have seen the Bucs select Nnambi Asomugha, Drayton Florence, Kawika Mitchell or Aquan Boldin. How would any of those guys look in a Buccaneer uniform?

Mike Alstott would have definitely been better utilized by Dungy and may have completed a Hall-of-Fame career, rather than become a blocker and short yardage back as he did in Jon Gruden's offense.

Dungy and Rich McKay would have had to make the same tough decisions that Jon Gruden and Bruce Allen had to endure as the salary cap would have been a factor for them as well - but with the extra draft picks, the Buccaneers could have weathered cap hell a little better. Dungy was extremely loyal to his staff and likely wouldn't have fired offensive coordinator Clyde Christensen. It was the elevation of the inexperienced Christensen that evetually cost Dungy his job in Tampa Bay. That means either Christensen would have grown into the role and become a better play caller or the offense would continue to stagnate, worse than it has under Jon Gruden.

Would the Bucs have won the Super Bowl under Dungy? In 2002, not likely, but in 2003 - the last shot the Bucs had a being a truly competitive force during the Sapp/Brooks era, I think he could have gotten it done. Keyshawn would have continued to be a pain in the butt but he wouldn't have been kicked off the team. Benedict McKay wouldn't have bolted to Atlanta mid-season, and Alstott would likely not have injured his neck (there would have been no Joe Jurivicious to collide into on the team). The team would have likely resembled the 99 squad - with the one last hurrah. There was no power in the NFC that year, with the 11-5 Carolina Panthers going to the Super Bowl to face the Patriots. The Bucs would likely have had to beat the Eagles in the playoffs and you'd have to wonder if they could have under Dungy.

If Dungy survived the salary cap years of '04 and '05, he likely could have had the Bucs back in contention in 06 - but what would have been the ceiling? With no offense, the best Tampa Bay could hope for was 11-5 and in most seasons it would have been right around .500, in other words, right where the Bucs are today with Gruden.

Scenario 2 - What if Bill Parcells would have came to Tampa Bay?
So, let's say Dungy was fired and Parcells came to the Bucs with Jets GM Mike Tannenbaum in toe. Would the Bucs have won the Super Bowl? I'd say yes, this team was primed and ready for a championship run. Parcells would have provided the same accountability commanded by Jon Gruden and would have found the pieces on the offense to put the Bucs over the top. The Bucs would have still had all of their draft picks and would have been in much better shape for their salary cap hell. 2003 the Bucs would have had a chance to repeat but Parcells likely would have quit before 2004 or 2005 downturn hit, leaving the Bucs searching for a coach again in 05. Where would they be today? That's tough to say.

Scenario 3 - What if Marvin Lewis would have come to Tampa Bay?
GM Rich McKay picked Marvin Lewis to replace Tony Dungy, but the Glazers vetoed it, wanting an offensive mind after the years of defensive minded Tony Dungy. They also wanted to keep Monte Kiffin and the defensive staff intact, unlikely under Lewis. Would they have won the Super Bowl? Unlikely, while Lewis' teams were definitely effective offensively, there was no Carson Palmer, Chad Johnson or TJ Houshmandzadeh on the Buccaneers. The Bucs would have had their extra picks and likely would have been set up better for cap hell, but the team would still be defensive minded. Its hard to say if Lewis could have gotten it done, his Bengals made the playoffs only once and lost in that game. Lewis likely wouldn't have survived the cap years.

Scenario 4 - What if Lane Kiffin was never been head coach of the Raiders?
Lane likely would have gotten a job in college elsewhere and wouldn't have needed the security blanket of his dad to get the gig. Monte Kiffin would still be defensive coordinator of the Buccaneers, Tampa Bay would have managed to win at least two of their last four games and made the playoffs as a wildcard. Would they have gotten far? Unlikely.

As Shelton said at the end of the article - Dungy would have still brought a consistent winning product to Tampa Bay, as he's done with Indianapolis. The Bucs record wise wouldn't have been much better, but they still would have been competitive and in better position to weather the cap hell years. Likely, except under Parcells scenario, the Buccaneers wouldn't have had a Lombardi trophy to call their own.

Would you trade those memories and the Lombardi trophy for better treatment of the players, more draft picks, and more consistency in winning?

Personally, I would not. That doesn't mean I support Gruden's continued employment with the Buccaneers, but I would never trade that trophy for anything. And who knows? John Fox and Jeff Fisher weathered mediocre seasons and were on the hot seat coming into this season and they're contending for the Super Bowl. Bill Cowher had subpar years in Pittsburgh before the Steelers won it and made him the hottest coaching commodity today. You never know, Buc fans.

Raheem Morris takes over as Bucs Defensive Coordinator

By JC De La Torre

The Monte Kiffin era is officially over. Tampa Bay has named defensive backs coach Raheem Morris as Defensive Coordinator of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers the Pewter Report reported first on Christmas Day. The move solidifies the future of the Buccaneers defense while Kiffin joins his son at the University of Tennessee.

Morris is well liked by the players, energetic and has been schooled for many years under Kiffin. Morris was with the Bucs from '02 to '05 before leaving to become the Defensive Coordinator at Kansas State. That Kansas State team led the Big 12 in sacks and was one of the catalyst's behind K-State's first bowl appearance since 2003 and an upset of #4 Texas.

Morris was expected to be a sought after commodity for defensive coordinator around the league, viewed in the same light as current Steelers head man Mike Tomlin. Morris could still even be considered for some head coaching vacancies in the NFL, although that opportunity may still be a couple years off.

Buccaneers defensive players were happy with the news of Raheem's promotion.

"That's great. He deserves it," cornerback Ronde Barber told the St. Petersburg Times, "He's put in a lot of good work. His time is now. Good for him; it's a perfect opportunity for him. It's almost a natural opportunity. I look forward to working with him. I think everybody does."

"He's a young coach with a lot of energy and we can relate to that," safety Tanard Jackson said to the Tampa Tribune, "He does some of the same things we do. At the same time, he knows how to separate the business side from the personal side."

"Personally, yes, that would be a great big deal to me because me and Coach Raheem, we talk almost every day," Potential free agent cornerback Phillip Buchanon told the Times regarding whether this would have an impact on his decision to return to Tampa Bay.

"It made things a lot smoother," Tanard Jackson told the Times, "Everyone in this locker room knows Raheem and what he's capable of. The trust has always been there. I'm not going to say it was expected, but guys knew he was going to be the next D-coordinator, and everybody is going to respond well to that."

Morris, as one would expect, was generally excited about the promotion, "I'm just trying to beat Oakland right now, but I am pretty excited about this," Morris told the Tribune, "It's a great accomplishment and I'm proud they're giving me the keys to drive this defense. It's awesome."

My take on this? While there may have been more experienced candidates, you have to believe that Raheem Morris is ready to be a defensive coordinator in the NFL. One of the greatest fears for the organization this season was losing Raheem in the off-season. Under Morris, the Bucs secondary is 5th in the NFL in pass defense and 4th in interceptions and his return to the Bucs defense has helped return Tampa Bay to a Top 10 defensive unit.

Hopefully, the naming of Morris will ease the players minds about next season and they can return to the play that got them as high as #4 in total defense at one point this season (they've fallen to #9 since their defensive slump). Morris should bring a new energy and new ideas on how to attack an offense. While losing Monte is a tough blow for the Bucs organization, Kiffin wasn't going to be around forever. Morris seems to be ready to step in and take over. Hopefully, it will be for awhile.

Stylez G. White, Kiffin, and Martin Fennelly

By JC De La Torre


I like Tampa Tribune's Martin Fennelly's writing style. Sure, his prose isn't perfect (like I can talk) and his jokes sometimes make little sense but for me he's typically an enjoyable read. I like the dry humor he brings to the serious world of sports writing. I find him witty at times and hilarious others. However, with all that said, I truly believe he crossed the line in today's article concerning Jon Gruden and Joey Galloway. Oh, it wasn't the substance of the article, which primarily I agree with - I mean if Jon Gruden is the offensive mastermind he believes himself to be, he should be able to find a way to get a weapon like Joey Galloway on the football field. No, it was how Fennelly ended his column today.

Fennelly wrote in today's Tampa Tribune, "We can't always explain Gruden's world, where a Luke McCown can be good enough to back up Garcia, but when Garcia gets hurt, McCown isn't good enough and gets to back up Griese. Tell me that logic doesn't make your eyes cross. Then again, there's always a chance Bryant will get hurt. All the Bucs are doing it these days. Don't deactivate those street clothes, Joey."

I emphasized the section I had a problem with. If you've ever been in a locker room the one thing you never ever say, write or even think about - and that's a player getting injured. Don't get me wrong, I've never believed in jinxes, karma, or anything of that ilk, its just that that type of thing just isn't done. I don't believe because Fennelly wrote something, it will happen to Bryant...hell, if I believed that than this entire blog entry would consist of "JC De La Torre will win the first Florida power ball...JC De La Torre will win the first Florida power ball..." but its just not something you do if you write about sports. So Martin, I think you fumbled today and you owe an apology to Antonio Bryant for putting the fu-fu-gato on him.


Speaking of the Tribune, nice to see Buccaneer beat writer Roy Cummings caught up with the rest of us in knowing that the Bucs still control their own destiny. As you, my few but beloved readers, know, we had the entire playoff scenarios broken down for you moments after the Giants whiffed against the Dallas Cowboys in our TBSB Buccaneers NFC Playoff Scenario Madness - Week 16, deep dive anaylsis of the NFC playoff picture and where the Buccaneers figured into it as only you can find it here. As John McClane would say, Roy, "Welcome to tha party, pal!". Now if we could only get ProFootballTalk's Mike Florio up to speed we'll be all set.

In other Bucs news, defensive end Greg White has officially changed his name to Stylez G. White. Why? Who the hell knows...White told the Tampa Tribune that he picked his new name from a character in the 1985 movie "Teen Wolf," starring Michael J. Fox.

"That was his best friend's name in the movie," White said. "I always liked that name. "

Okie dokie, Mr. Stylez G. White, I'm sure your momma is proud.

Finally, Monte Kiffin made it official, he will be leaving the Buccaneers after this season concludes to join his son Lane at the University of Tennessee. Is it any coincidence that the decline of the Buccaneer defense has coincided with the rumor of Kiffin's departure? This isn't to suggest Kiffin is working any less as hard as he has in the past or that the players are not playing as hard for him down the stretch, I just find it a bit interesting that the time line seems to intertwine.

Hopefully, now that the proverbial cat is out of the bag, everyone can concentrate on football, mainly LaDanian Tomlinson.

Vols Getting the Full Monte?

By JC De La Torre

ESPN's Chris Mortensen is reporting that Monte Kiffin will leave the Buccaneers and join his son Lane at the University of Tennessee.

Kiffin refused to comment on the multipe reports, stating, "It's all just speculation, that's all it is. I can honestly tell you that. It's just like what came up with the Raiders two years ago and again last year.

According to Pro Football Talk, it may be difficult for the Bucs to block the move (not to mention pretty bad PR).

If Kiffin goes to the University of Tennessee, expect defensive backs coach Raheem Morris and Lions soon-to-be-canned head coach Rod Marinelli as the top candidates to replace him with the Buccaneers.

Monte and Gruden mentioned in Raiders Sideshow

By JC De La Torre

During the termination press conference of former Oakland Raiders Head Coach Lane Kiffin, two prominent Buccaneers coaches, Monte Kiffin (Lane's father) and former Raider Head Coach and Current Bucs Head Coach Jon Gruden's names came up.

Al Davis was in pure Darth Raider form when describing the odyssey of the Kiffin era, or error, as it were, as he called the young coach a 'professional liar'.

Davis reference Lane's father, Monte Kiffin several times during the press conference (source: Bay Area Sports Beat) -

"His father once applied for a job with us when we were in Los Angeles, that was Monte Kiffin"

“‘I know that you wanted to bring your father in to run the defense, and Monte -- that's Monte Kiffin told me that he wanted to come here, even though he is under contract to Tampa. I did not want to tamper with another team.

“We had our attorneys call Bruce Allen and tell him that Monte Kiffin, because otherwise it's a tampering charge, talked to me and all he talked to me was about Lane, how to handle Lane and things like that. What he really wanted to do was come here and coach.”

Toward the end of the press conference, a question was posed to the new interim head coach of the Oakland Raiders, Tom Cable, what was the difference between himself and the other five coaches that failed since Jon Gruden.

After Cable answered, Al Davis bristled, saying "What's that you said about Jon Gruden?".

The writer sounded a bit flustered, saying, "That all the coaches failed after Gruden...except for...you know...the Super Bowl year."

Davis smirked, "Yeah, that's right. I'd take that year every three years."

Davis then rambled on incoherantly about how they were on a short week and treated the Super Bowl like the Rose Bowl believing that he proved his point that the Raider were successful after Gruden. (Ignoring the fact that Bill Callahan had essentially the same team and ran the same offense as Gruden, so much so, Gruden used his knowledge to beat them like a drum in the Super Bowl).

You have to feel for Monte and Lane - I'm sure Lane will land on his feet. As for you Raider fans out there....wow, I hate to see what has happened to your once proud franchise. Commitment to Excellence has turned into Commitment to Excrement. Good Luck!