Spires out a couple more weeks

Defensive end Greg Spires finally talked about his calf injury today.

He tells me he tore the left calf muscle and has been told it will take him four to five weeks to return. Since Spires sustained the injury two weeks ago, he's looking at another two to three weeks on the shelf. He says his recovery is coming along well, and the swelling has subsided considerably.

To clarify, Spires initially thought he had injured -- or even ruptured -- his Achilles' tendon, and shared that with me after the game in which he was hurt (that's what we originally reported). But it was later discovered that the Achilles was intact and the damage limited to the calf.

Comments

[Skylar]

Godspeed.

[DR]

So Spires sacks himself and doubles his sack total for the year. Wow. Even more troubling, he has zero tackles for loss. You really can't argue that this is a loss. This will open up a spot for hopefully someone who will step up and shine.
A troubling stat for Tampa's defense is that they have one of the fewest tackles-for-loss stats in the league. They are behind the worst defenses in the league in that stat. I know I am looking too much into it but that stat is a sign that the defensive line aren't making plays in the backfield, not putting pressure in the backfield like they need to in the Tampa 2.

[DR]

Tom, and Skylar, in the other blog Tom made a comment that the 2005 11-5 Bucs were "as good as any of the Dungy years teams" which I find rediculous. Especially, with your defense of Gruden throughout the year and how he is rebuilding the team. This year is amazingly similar to this year.
In 2001, Dungy's 6th year, he signed a veteran QB known to do well, Brad Johnson, after having an inconsistent Qb, Shaun King the previous year. The Bucs lost LT Jason Odom and G Frank Middleton and drafted Kenyatta Walker so they had a young inexperienced line as well. The Bucs also signed Simeon Rice and drafted Dwight Smith to hopefully make their defense better.
Their OL could not open holes for the running game. Dunn has had a great career and he wasn't always used right, but there wasn't run blocking. Dunn played through injury that year as well. Alstott has always been an in betweener, not a FB because he lacks blocking skills but not a full time HB either. Dungy signed Key the year before and signed Brad Johnson the next, there is no way you can't tell me he wouldn't have done anything in the free agent market the next year. Dungy made the playoffs his 6th year and was fired in a cowardly way. Gruden is in his 6th year, and his record is horrible compared to Dungy's. Why should Gruden keep his job even if he makes the playoffs in a weak division? By the way, the Bucs were in a strong division that year with the Packers and the Bears, way stronger than any division Gruden has coached in.

[Skylar]

I know I've never said Dungy wasn't a good coach so I'm not sure why you are including me in your discourse. However, I do believe that Gruden is a good coach too. That's just my opinion based on the overall facts of his coaching career. I see the team getting better and I've seen what he can do when he's got the talent on the field. I believe that they had to tear down the old regime and build a new one which is near completion. He has his moments which I disagree with, but so did Dungy - which is why he got fired. As Gruden is so apt to say; he'll get what he deserves.

I don't believe Dungy was fired in a cowardly way; he was just fired. The coward was the jerk who leaked it to the press so that it was news before Dungy had time to clean out his office. I'm sure the owners didn't do that, but you believe what you want to. To be quite honest, it was probably that little weasel McKay.

This year's division might seem a bit weak, but it has otherwise been considered the strongest since realignment, so I wouldn't go there if I were you DR cause that's a reach. It's fine to have an opinion and make a point, but don't make s@@t up. The NFC South has put a team in the NFC Championship game since its inception and has represented in the SB twice with 1 winner (a Gruden coached team.) I'd say that's a pretty damn good division overall. Oh and don't forget about those 2-14 Lions & 5-11 Vikings from the 2001 NFC Central division!

If Gruden wins the division it will be the 3rd time in his 6 year tenure. I'm not sure what you want from this guy but he's not going to get fired barring a complete meltdown. Anyone with the least bit of insight can see that he has done as good a job with the talent he's had. You so conveniently forget about how these seasons actually turned out and why. As far as you're concerned, everything is the coaches fault. Thank God there are general managers out there that don't listen to DR or else Jeff Fisher or Holmgren might not have jobs!!! But what I find more ridiculous than your absurd and unwarranted hatred for a good coach is that you still can't spell the word ridiculous.

[DR]

My God Skylar, I'm calling the police to file sexual harrassment charges for Gruden. You disgust me with you're filthy comments about Gruden. The Bucs needed to reload after the Super Bowl ha? That may be the dumbest comment I've ever heard. Congrats Skylar, you just made everybody dumber on this blog. The coaches and management made bad personnel decisions after the Super Bowl. Thats a fact. They said Lynch was done. Was he? Gruden may win his 3rd division title in 6 years, whoopty f\/kin' do! The Bucs may be able to win the division with a 8-8 record, without a doubt, 9-7 will win the division. That makes a great coach, coaching in a terrible division? Jeff Fisher is a great coach, he makes more with less. He gets the best out of his players. Gruden can't hold his jock.
There you go making stupid excuses for Gruden again, his losing seasons aren't his fault. Look at what happened. Whaaa, whaaa. Have you're mom pick you up and pat you on your back little baby. If it's not Gruden's fault his team lost, than who is to blame?
Tampa will never come close to the Lombardi Trophy again as long as Gruden is the coach. They make the playoffs this year with their weak schedule like they did 2 years ago and it will be an early exit.
I'm going to laugh too if Garcia goes out with an arm injury.

[Skylar]

So melodramatic, yet uninformative you are my child. You should write fiction, because that's all you got on here. I like the one about how the NFL apologized for the Alstott 2-pt conversion. That's such a laugh; the NFL doesn't apologize for anything firstly and secondly, they made the right call on that one...go check the tape. You're the only one that cries on here (probably because of all the b##tchslapping you take from me,) so get along little doggy and make everybody's life a little more at ease.

BTW - Stop using my lines on me that I originally b##tchslapped you with. Fisher has an overall record of 105-93 in his coaching career (a .530 winning percentage.) He has had 4 winning seasons in his 13 year coaching career. Shall I go on b##tchslapping you here? He is a good coach as I stated before, but his numbers don't even come close to Gruden's winning percentage or overall accomplishments (ie division titles, conference championship appearances and Superbowl victory.) Now stop being such a numbskull, two-party, non-thinker and get your head out of your azz and get with it Doofus Ray. My hand is black and blue from slapping you around already!!!