Bucs Drown Drew and the Saints

By JC De La Torre

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers clinched their third winning season in the last four years and in process may have buried the pre-season favorite to win the NFC South this season, beating the New Orleans Saints in a quagmire, 23-20. Tampa Bay slogged through the victory with opportunistic defense and just a smidge of enough offense, battling the elements and a Saints team desperate to continue on the winning track. With the win, the Bucs improved to 9-3 on the season and set up a showdown with fellow 9-3 Carolina for the division lead on Monday Night Football.

Torrential rains plagued the majority of the first half, limiting the production of both offenses. On their first drive of the game, the Saints marched down to the Buccaneers 30 yd line where they faced 4th and 1. Inexplicably, Saints Coach Sean Payton tried to trick the Bucs defense, running an end around with Devery Henderson, the Bucs weren't fooled and hit Henderson for a three yard loss. On the ensuing Bucs drive, facing 3rd and 2, Bucs QB Jeff Garcia hit receiver Michael Clayton over the middle. Clayton was hit at the same time the ball got there and didn't have a chance to put it away, Saints middle linebacker Jonathan Vilma took advantage, ripping the ball from the receiver's hands and returning it 6 yds to the Tampa Bay 35 yard line. The Bucs defense held, forcing a 3 and out by the Saints and New Orleans had to settle for a 47 yd Harley field goal.

Tampa Bay would responded on the next drive as Jeff Garcia took the Bucs 57 yds on 13 plays, setting up Matt Bryant on a 38 yd field goal to tie it at 3 six seconds into the second quarter. The next five drives of the football game would end in punts. After a sinctilating punt return by Clifton Smith set the Bucs up at the New Orleans 39 with 6:31 left in the first half. The Bucs drove it down to the New Orleans 5 yd line, thanks in part to Jeff Garcia's 20 yd scramble, but the Bucs red zone woes came back to bite them, as Garcia missed on a 3rd and 3 pass to Michael Clayton forcing the Bucs to settle for 3. Bryant converted a 23 yder to give the Bucs their first lead of the game with 2:38 left in the 1st half. 2:38 was plenty of time for Drew Brees to do what he does best, throw down field. After Courtney Roby returned the kickoff to the 28, Brees hit Shockey for 14 yds, Marcus Colston for 21, then handed off to Reggie Bush, who scampered 13 yds to the Bucs 13. Brees hit Lance Moore over the middle in the End zone for a touchdown, giving the Saints a 10-6 lead at the half.

Tampa Bay came out on all cylinders in the second half. After Clifton Smith returned the opening kickoff to the 39, Warrick Dunn fired off right guard for 9 quick yards. After a couple runs, Garcia hit Antonio Bryant for 12 yds to the Saints 19, then scrambled 11 yds to the Saints 8. From there, the Bucs ran a toss to Cadillac Williams, who in pure Caddy fashion got the corner turned and powered into the End Zone for his first touchdown since September of 2007. Bucs led 13-10. Another 3-and-out pitched by the Bucs defense, Clifton Smith returned the New Orleans punt to the Saints 43. After Warrick plunged off right guard for 4 yds, Garcia rared back and fired a dying duck to Antonio Bryant who got behind the Saints secondary. Bryant adjusted, hauled it in, and waltzed into the endzone to give the Bucs their biggest lead of the game, 20-10. On the play, it appeared the Saints secondary gravitated over to Wide Receiver Joey Galloway, who was running a streak to the opposite side. The busted coverage allowed Bryant to blow past his defender and with no safety help it was easy pickens for Garcia.

The Saints offense finally came to life driving all the way to the Tampa Bay 20. Brees tried to force the ball to Shockey in the endzone but had the pass tipped away by Ronde Barber and intercepted by Cato June, ending the threat. Tampa Bay's offense began to sputter and New Orleans began another drive down the field as the quarter expired.

Brees got the Saints to the Tampa Bay 33, then fired a pass into the end zone that was picked off by the Buccaneers - unfortunately for Tampa Bay, Ronde Barber was called on a very questionable defensive holding call. Replays showed that Tight End Jeremy Shockey initiated contact, driving himself into Barber and trying to push him off, but Barber got the call. Two plays later, Brees hit running back Pierre Thomas in the flat and Thomas put together a spectacular bobbing and weaving run, making several Buccaneers miss en route to the end zone, to cut the Bucs lead to 20-17.

The Bucs offense would sputter again, going three and out but the Saints returned the favor and had to punt it back to Tampa Bay. Once again, the Bucs offense failed to generate a first down and this time it would cost them. Normally reliable punter Josh Bidwell shanked a punt 18 yds, giving the Saints the football at the Buccaneer 48 yd line. Brees would hit Jeremy Shockey over the middle to the Tampa Bay 27 yd line, before finally settling for a 43 yd Hartley field goal to tie the game at 20.

On the ensuing drive, the Bucs finally achieved a first down but the drive stalled at the Bucs 44 yd line. Bidwell made up for his pitiful previous punt by pinning the Saints in at their own 7 yd line. The wheels then fell off the Saints. After Brees hit Billy Milner over the middle for a 1st down at the 17 yd line, Brees tried to hit Marcus Colston at the 30 but Jermaine Phillips stepped infront of the pass and interecepted, returning it 13 yds to the Saints 17 with 2:33 left in the ballgame.

The Bucs offense self-destructed again - a one yd run by Dunn, an incomplete pass by Garcia that was nearly intercepted, then Garcia was sacked on third down. It pushed the Bucs back to 19, but Matt Bryant was able to angle the 37 yd field goal in as they reached the two minute warning to give the Bucs a 23-20 advantage.

After a kick return to Saints 27 and an incompletion, Brees scrambled away from pressure by Gaines Adams and fired up a prayer that would not be answered but instead picked off by Phillip Buchanon at the Saints 33 with only 1:45 left and the Saints with only one time out left. The Bucs offense would kill the remaining time and that was the ball game.

"We had our perfect chances out there and we didn't take advantage of it," Saints QB Drew Brees told the Associated Press, "It's disappointing, very disappointing. It's probably one of the more disappointing losses I have ever been a part of."

"We all knew [Brees] was going to throw the ball 45 times and when you throw the ball that much you're going to give us opportunities to make plays," Ronde Barber told the Tampa Tribune, "We relish opportunities like that."

Tampa Bay's victory did not come without a dark cloud on the horizon, as long time defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin, the architect (with former head coach Tony Dungy) of the famed Tampa 2 is strongly rumored to be leaving the Bucs to take over the Defensive Coordinator duties for his son, Lane Kiffin, in Tennessee.

"It's not fair to our players," Kiffin told the Tribune when asked about Tennessee, "Tonight is not about Monte Kiffin. It's about the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Jon Gruden, our offense, defense and special teams and a great, great win."

Whether or not Kiffin's twelve year run ends after this season, the Buccaneers have one goal in mind, that it ends at home in February playing for the World Championship. The Bucs completed the first leg of a 3 game slate that could go a long way in giving the Bucs their best opportunity to become the first team in NFL history to play the Super Bowl in their home stadium.

Next week is probably the biggest of the 3 - as the Bucs go on the road to face the Carolina Panthers on Monday Night Football.

"I don't know how we can win the division last year but have to go over there for a Monday Night game," Jon Gruden told the Buccaneer Radio Network after the game, "I'm a little ticked about that and so are our players."

Tampa Bay improves to 9-3 and remains tied for first in the NFC South with Carolina. The Saints fall to 6-6 and remain in the NFC South cellar. New Orleans would likely need to win all of their remaining games and get some help to have a chance for post-season play.

Bucs Start the Big 3 Slate

By JC De La Torre

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have begun the 2008 season winning 8 of their first 11 ball games. At home they're undefeated and on the road they've won two straight. The Bucs currently sit as the #2 seed in the NFC and in position to win the NFC South title. None of that matters now. All that matters for the Buccaneers and their hopes to become the first team in NFL history to play the Super Bowl in their home stadium are the next three games beginning Sunday with the hated New Orleans Saints at Raymond James Stadium, followed by the final two road trips of the year to Carolina and Atlanta.

Take two out of 3 games, and the Bucs are in good position to stay in the race. Win all three and the race is all but over with the Bucs on there way to the second round of the playoffs for the first time since the Super Bowl year. Lose 2 out of 3 or all 3 and the Bucs are in deep trouble, not only in the division race but the playoffs overall. The easiest of the three (if there is an easiest) is this week's New Orleans game. Of course, New Orleans has won two straight and just beat the Green Bay Packers 51-29 shellacking on Monday Night Football.

So let's take a look at this match up a little more in depth -

Tampa Bay's Offense vs. New Orleans' Defense

Tampa Bay has the NFL's 12th ranked offense (13th rushing, 11th passing) and is averaging 23.4 points per game. The Saints defense is once again in the lower half of the league, ranked 22nd overall (18th against the run, 24th against the pass) and gives up an average of 25 pts a game. The Bucs will be without the services of their leading rusher Earnest Graham who is out for the season but is easing former NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year Carnell "Cadillac" Williams back into the rotation. The Bucs will go primarily with Warrick Dunn at running back. As for their passing offense, Jeff Garcia continues to be steady but not spectacular at QB, while receivers Antonio Bryant and Ike Hilliard and tight ends Alex Smith and Jeramy Stevens have propelled the passing attack. Missing in action is Joey Galloway, who hasn't seen significant playing time since Week 1 against the Saints.

The running attack and short passing game is going to be crucial to Tampa Bay, as will be protecting the football. Playing keep away while sustaining drives, controlling time of possession and keeping the ball out of the hands of the New Orleans offense is just as crucial as scoring points when the opportunity presents itself. This week would be a great time for head coach Jon Gruden to take the the mothballs off of Joey Galloway.

New Orleans' Offense vs. Tampa Bay's Defense

The Saints offense comes in red hot, leading the league in total offense and scoring 51 points against a decent Green Bay Packers defense. New Orleans is #3 in scoring, #1 Passing, but #27 rushing. The Saints will be getting running back\wide receiver Reggie Bush back just in time to face the Bucs #4 ranked defense. The Bucs 2nd ranked pass defense will get its stiffest test since meeting the Saints in the opener, while the 13th ranked rush defense will need to contain Bush, Pierre Thomas and their old nemesis, Deuce McCallister. The Bucs defense is 3rd in the NFL in scoring defense and looks like they'll be getting a boost with starting strong safety Jermaine Phillips returning to the lineup.

Tampa Bay's Special Teams vs. New Orleans' Special Teams

Returner Clifton Smith has breathed life into an anemic Buccaneer return game. Thanks to Smith's heroics, the Bucs rank 3rd in the NFL in kick return yardage, and have risen to 16th in punt return yardage after spending most of the season dead last. The Bucs have a kickoff return and punt return for touchdowns (both by Smith) in the same season for the first time in team history. The Saints have had their share of heroics as well, getting three punt returns for touchdowns and leading the league in punt return average. The Saints kickoff and punt return coverage are a little suspect as they rank 21st and 26th respectively. The Bucs boast solid coverage play ranking 5th on kickoff coverage and are 17th in punt coverage. Bucs Punter Josh Bidwell ranks 10th in the NFL in punt average, while the Saints Ben Graham ranks 23rd. The Saints are on their third kicker this season, Garrett Hartley, who has made all six field goal tries since coming aboard, including a 44 yder. The Bucs Matt Bryant has been solid for Tampa Bay, making 86% of his field goals with a long of 49.

Coaching

Jon Gruden is the winningest coach in Buccaneer history and has the Bucs in contention for their 4th division championship in the 7 years of the NFC South. Sean Payton is one of the most innovative offensive head coaches in the NFL and his passing attack is feared through out the league.

Intangibles

The Bucs have won 4 of the last 7 meetings with the Saints and 2 of the last 3 in Tampa. Brees has had trouble finding his rhythm on the road as he has thrown five touchdown passes and seven interceptions in five road games compared to 17 TD passes and four picks in five home games. The Saints have also struggled on the road, as they opened the season with four straight road losses before a 30-20 win at Kansas City on Nov. 16. The New Orleans defense gives up an average of 29.7 points on the road. The Bucs are 5-0 at home this season, winning by an average of 13 points. New Orleans won the last meeting in Week 1 24-20, holding off a last minute drive by Jeff Garcia and the Buccaneers with a late interception.

Final Prediction

Its an irresistible force meeting the immovable object. Frankly, the Saints offense vs. the Bucs defense isn't what will decide this ballgame - the two will battle to a stalemate. I think what will be the difference is whether or not the Bucs offense can score on a Saints defense that gives up an average of 29 points a game on the road, whether they can control the ball, thus the clock limiting the cracks Drew Brees has at the Bucs secondary. The Bucs offense must also avoid the costly turnover and short field for the Saints. Don't help them. A few nice returns by Clifton Smith certainly wouldn't hurt things. The Bucs have it all ahead of them starting this week. I think they get the job done against a tough New Orleans team coming off an emotional win on national television.

Final Score: Tampa Bay 27, New Orleans 20.

Cowardly About the Lions - Bucs Must Beware the Oh

By JC De La Torre

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers take their show on the road Sunday to Detroit, where they face the Bizarro-Patriots, the Detroit Lions. The Lions are 0-10 and making a run to become the first team since the 1976 expansion Tampa Bay Buccaneers to go winless for an entire non-strike shortened NFL season (the Indianapolis Colts finished 1982 strike year 0-8-1). While playoff favorite Tampa Bay should dominate the Lions, history suggests that the Bucs should be worried about facing a winless team this deep into the season. Not including the 82 strike season, since the Expansion Bucs achieved the Oh, thirteen NFL teams have started 0-10 or worse, five of those teams found victory in their 11th game. Guess which game is the 11th for the winless Lions?

Here are the worst starts since the 1976 Tampa Bay Buccaneers -

The 1977 Tampa Bay Buccaneers continued the NFL's longest losing streak for 12 more games (26 straight losses total, still a record today), before finally getting the franchise's first victory in New Orleans in Week 13, beating the Saints 33-14.

The 1980 New Orleans Saints came the closest in the quest for Oh, going 0-14 before finally beating the New York Jets 21-20.

The 1983 Houston Oilers lost their first 10 games before finally breaking through against the Detroit Lions 27-17

The Oilers loved the quest for Oh so much in 83, they decided to try for it again in 1984, starting once again 0-10 before beating the Kansas City Chiefs 17-16.

1984 was apparently a banner year for bad as the Buffalo Bills started 0-11 before upsetting the Dallas Cowboys 14-3.

The 1986 Indianapolis Colts went 13 weeks without a win, before finally beating Atlanta 28-23. The Colts went on to win their final 3 games to finish 3-13.

The 1991 Indianapolis Colts would try once more, going into Week 11 before finding victory against the New York Jets 28-27 .

The 1993 Cincinnati Bengals under David Shula started 0-10, before finally beating the Los Angeles Raiders 16-10.

The 1997 Indianapolis Colts took another stab at "Oh-mortality" starting off the 97 campaign 0-10. The Colts shocked the eventual NFC Champion Green Bay Packers 41-38.

The 2000 San Diego Chargers went 0-11 before finally getting their first win against the Kansas City Chiefs 17-16.

The 2001 Detroit Lions started 0-12 before beating the Minnesota Vikings 27-24.

The 2007 Miami Dolphins went 0-13 until finding victory for the 1st time, getting the Baltimore Ravens in overtime - 22-16.

The eggheads at AllExperts.com say, "When the NFL was formed in 1920, winless seasons were not uncommon. In fact, for the first ten years, from 1920-29, there was always at least one team which went winless. Between 1930 and World War II, only the 1934 Cincinnati Reds went winless. The Reds were 0-8-0 when they folded with three games remaining in the season. A new team, called the St. Louis Gunners, was formed. The Gunners had been an independent team operating in the area and they went 1-2 in the remaining three games.

World War II saw a fewer players available for NFL action and, as a result, some teams suffered more than others. The 1942 Detroit Lions went 0-11; the 1943 Chicago Cardinals went 0-10 and the combined Card-Pitt team of 1944 went 0-10.

Since World War II, only the expansion Dallas Cowboys of 1960 (0-11-1), the expansion Tampa Bay Bucs of 1976 (0-14), and the 1982 Baltimore Colts (0-8-1 in a strike-shortened season) have gone winless. "

Winless Teams in the NFL history are -
1934 Cincinnati Reds (0-8)
1942 Detroit Lions (0-11)
1943 Chicago Cardinals (0-10)
1944 "Carpets" (Chicago Cards-Pittsburgh Steelers merged team) (0-10)
1960 Dallas Cowboys (0-11-1)
1976 Tampa Bay Buccaneers (0-14)
1982 Colts (0-8-1) (strike-shortened season)
source: AllExperts

The Buccaneers have never lost to a team that was 0-10 or worse, but they definitely do not want to join that dubious list. Four of the Lions last six games were decided by a touchdown or less and we all saw what the Bucs did in Kansas City. The Buccaneers have the propensity to play down to their opponents.After the Bucs, the Lions host Tennessee on Thanksgiving in the NFL's first ever 11-0 vs. 0-11 matchup. Then Detroit hosts Minnesota before going to Indianapolis, coming home for the Saints, then ending the year in Green Bay.

Tampa Bay may be the Lions last real shot at victory in 2008. The Bucs must end those thoughts quickly with a good start in Detroit.

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 Run Out of Time in Denver

By JC De La Torre

The strange quarterback carosel of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers just got a little stranger as Jeff Garcia relieved an injured Brian Griese while the Bucs fell short against the Denver Broncos 16-13.

It was a terribly disappointing performance by the Bucs, as they only managed 13 points against one of the league's worst defenses while the Bucs defense had a good game, holding down the #1 offense in the NFL to under 340 yds and only 16 points.

Garcia relieved Griese in the fourth quarter after Griese was blasted by Champ Bailey on a corner blitz. Griese apparently hurt his shoulder and could not return. The severity of the injury isn't known. Garcia promptly threw an interception, but the interceptor, defensive lineman Marcus Thomas, fumbled and the Bucs offense got the ball back. Garcia managed to get the Bucs down the field and score a touchdown with 2 minutes left in the game, but the defense could not get Jay Cutler and the Bronocs offense off the field to give Garcia another chance to tie.

The Bucs fall to 3-2, tied for second in the division with the surprising Atlanta Falcons. The New Orleans Saints could make it a three way tie if they beat the Vikings on Monday Night football. The Bucs host the first place Carolina Panthers Sunday in a crucial NFC South showdown.

The question is - who will be the quarterback?