Tell us what you think!

We want to know what you thought about the Bucs' season opener against the Saints. Come back here after the game and give us your rants and raves. Leave your name and hometown -- we'll put some of your comments in tomorrow's paper.

Comments

[Jeff]

Get Garcia out of there. He's afraid to make any throws. Griese is a better choice until Jeff is completly healthy.

[Stephen]

This offense is still looking rushed and undecisive. The play calling and formations are not showing much promise against the Saint's pressure. Also, the play calling has not shown any kind identity or rythum. I think you have to start establishing either the run or the pass to control tempo. The defense will be fine but they have to start protecting leads not always playin to keep us in the game.

[Bucfan]

Can we have our 2nd pick back!

[ChargedCBH]

Has anyone noticed that on so many plays our WR's go about 5 yards down the field and just stop and turn around. What is THAT!! How is a screen pass to BJ Askew going to scare anybody? Gruden over thinks things and wants to trick people. Can you say Sam Wyche... Our ofense doesn't scare anyone because we don't stretch the field. We have Galloway and Dex Jackson, send them throught the zone so the crossing patterns can open up. Wants the point in getting speed just to go 5 yards and turnaround....

[ChargedCBH]

I'm starting to agree with Jeff, Garcia just looks way too shaky!!!!

[Kinn Corn Karn]

Get that bum Garcia out of the starting job! I'm so sick and tired of the dink and dunk offense! Stretch the d@mn field! The Saints don't seem to have a problem doing it. Pathetic!

[ChargedCBH]

SEE WHAT HAPPENS WE YOU STRETCH THE DEFENSE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Kinn Corn Karn]

Who got beat at cb on the long td pass to Henderson?!

[Jeff]

Kinn - Barber got beat. He fell down and went boom.

[Jeff]

Game, set, match, Saints.

[Jeff]

Garcia Blows!

[Jeff]

Garcia blows chunks!

[Kinn Corn Karn]

Great pass to end the game, Garcia! What a douche bag!

[Dave Savage]

Goodbye

Gruden & Garcia!!

How to lose a game in 3 easy steps.

After looking comfortable, we didnt have a clue how to close out the game!! One thing is for sure the superbowl maybe hosted in Tampa but we wont by there!! be lucky for a 4-12 season, I reckon!!

Time for wholesale changes!!

[ChargedCBH]

Fajita didn't even move, he was just standing there, how can you not see him?

[aaron]

we should have kept chris simms and cut garcia. and he wants a new contract? yeah right. he is sorry. bring in greise, please. or even mccown. damn at least he can through the ball down field.

nobody can handle bush nobody can handle shockey,and Ike is your best weapon it's going to be a long year folks

[Stephen]

The Bucs responded to alot of adversity by staying in the game but the inaccuracy of garcia and the non existance of the wr's was huge. Garcia will get better and once again where is the pass rush? Over all it was a good game and a nice season opener. Also, hope Brooks isn't out long if at all.

[Matt]

Same old Bucs. Garcia running for his life all day. Where's this great OL? This team is going nowhere under Allen & Gruden. Offense just painful to watch. They give you nothing to get excited about.

[Pete]

Get rid of the old........

Gway (scared to take a hit) can't catch a ball in traffic, Gcia (happy feet)can't hit an open receiver. We need a return guy. How do we give up the big play over and over again? Jon & Monte cut the strings and get rid of the gray!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Pete]

Yeah, and all Ike does is make 1st and TD's, what happen to him.............

Play your play makers and bench your gray makers...........

[jobucs]

Another case of the league getting what they want. New Orleans just got back from being evacuated and the league wanted a fill good story line for next week. The officiating was atrocious just as I expected. If you can block the way Gaines Adams was blocked onthe big screen pass to Reggie Bush evey lineman in the league would just grab the jersey inside and take you to the ground. Only the small market teams get this kind of treatment from the league. On Bush's touchdown the ref had him out of bounds on the 4 yardline. Who over turned him? I guess it was the commish because the announcers just ignored it. The FIX was in on this one.

[ChargedCBH]

BUSH is a BUSH, he sucks.... He is NOT a Running back. Don't forget about the holding. ALl Bush can do is catch little swings passes. LET'S GET REAL!!!! and HONEST

[Brett Favre]

We need Davin back big time. The interior of the o-line looked like sh*t! Garcia looked like sh*t! That's what he gets for going to the garlic festival. They should have paid me the money I wanted. By the way, the Jets and I won today!

[Leo Canadian Bucs Fan]

Exciting game. The Bucs were in it right until the end. There's no embarrassment in losing to the Saints in New Orleans.
I never expected a perfect 16-0 this year anyways. I hope the necessary adjustments are made this week and bring on the Falcons.
Leo, Burlington, Ontario

[Voc]

Reward Gruden with a new contract many of you all wanted it... Now live with it... How much time are we going to give him with the Superbowl Victory... The offense looked choppy the entire game. Way to take shots and try and stretch the field when we are down. Were is the killer instinct on this team???? Be prepared for a long season... By the way Atlanta looked good today...

[Michael in LA]

Even though the Bucs were shakey to start, I'd say the refs blew 2 calls. The fumble by Bush and the unnecessary roughness call when the Saints started the fight on Jeff Faine. Trueblood was protecting his teammate. Some might say that trueblood should not have got in the pile but it was obvious that the refs running towards the play while the saints defensine tackle was still elbowing Jeff faine did not even make an attempt to pull a flag until the Buc players started getting into it. I've never been a fan of Garcia and now even less. He needs to stand in there-It almost seems that he wants to run on every down. But I'm still behind my Bucs!

[Drew]

Stephen,

You're attempt to put a positive spin on this game is weak. Tell it like it is, they totally sucked.

I've been a Buccaneer fan for 28 years and I'd like to see a high geared offense for one season.

I've held on year after year hoping to see the team develop into a dominating offense and defense. Well, I've finally reached the breaking point and realization that it's not going to happen in Tampa.

Now that I've relocated to Milpitas, CA. it's time to turn over a new leaf and let go of a bad habit. So, without further comment I absolve myself of my legacy as a Buccaneers fan and start a new tradition as a San Francisco 49er's fan.

Signing off one last time...

[Uncle Larry]

Garcia is washed up. He needs to call it quits. Tampa's team is old. Gruden is a snuff chewing fool.

[Snook]

The NFL got just what the wanted today-- a win by the Saints. That non-call on the pulldown of Gaines Adams was the difference in this game. 2nd and 6 and a 30 yard run should've been 2nd and 16 after the holding call. What a bunch of BS. I guess it'll take a hurricane hitting Tampa for the Bucs to get any respect from the NFL.

I hate to say I told you so, but it was clear that only the Saints were ready to play. Nothing new here at all. Using all three of their second half time-outs early because they ran out of play clock. Garcia had no feel for the game and his recievers were never where he put the ball. Twice balls thrown to Bryant were defensed because, guess what, he wasn't open. Galloway and Garcia looked like they had different playbooks. There are no moral victories against a team that the Bucs beat twice last year. As of now they are already 2 games down in the divsion. It's uphill from here!!

[DV in Virginia]

First off, Dexter Jackson is a complete and total bust. What a waste of a draft pick. He literally dives for the turf! Garcia is horrible, ain't scaring anyone. Galloway is useless, too old and slow. Why in the world is Bennett inactive? We will lose to Atlanta if Garcia and Galloway are starters next week. PLEASE CUT THEM. THEY ARE OLD AND GRAY. I'd rather watch McCown or Griese play, and for what it's worth, maybe Hilliard and Stovall should be starting at WR since Gallogroin and Bryant are worthless.

[David Brothers]

This is the most contrived ending to a Bucs' game as I've seen since we were robbed blind against the Colts on MNF in '03 so that Tony D. could have a happy birthday. When the close calls go all one way and the most obvious blown calls go on big plays, it's a little too obvious.

Yeah, they made more big plays and MIGHT have won anyway, but every marginal call went their way on a big play, it all happened after halftime, and nobody knows better than the league office that judgment calls in a close game can be a game decider without anybody being able to prove otherwise. You couple that with the circumsatances and all the endless one-sided jabber by every commentator just short of genuflecting toward the Big Easy, and you get the real picture--America got its praise and pity game in and now that it turned out right, everybody feels better, sniffle-sniffle.

I'd like to see Greg Aiello on-camera denying it with a straight face. Better still, I'd like to see him tell it to MY face so I can call him a liar. Better still, the commish.

[DV]

Drew, sorry to see you have to let go of your Bucs, but I feel ya. This was pathetic, and seriously, the Saints were not that good, just lucky, combined with the Bucs suckiness. Look out for Atlanta, as they are out to make a statement. I may be looking for a new team too pretty soon, one whose owners invest in the team and not Manchester United gay soccer club.

[Vince]

It's funny because when Gruden came into Tampa, his play calling was a little more daring. Dink and Dunk IS the Tampa offense, It's just not working! The good news is that if anyone can fix it, it's Gruden!

[Darren]

Garcia not practicing showed. consistantly threw behind receivers. Refs blew a holding call. Reggie Bush holds P-Bucs facemask twice (one doesnt get called which was the winning TD). Too many penalties in the first half which stalled drives

[kevinmills]

Thoughts:

Garcia looked rusty. Kept forcing throws to galloway when other receivers looked open.

Pass protecting still an issue.

Adams needs to be a force. He wasnt.

We gave up a lot of yards. Talib made a rookie mistake and Barber lost his balance on the bomb to Henderson. Mistakes you can't make against Brees.

I say Garcia has three games to shake off the rust. If he is still erratic after that go with McCown.

The last three years we've lost our opening game. I know this year was an exception because of all the injuries but Gruden has a history of not playing his starters much in preseason anyways. While i appreciate him wanting to avoid injuries it pretty much guarantees a shaky start to the season. These guys need game experience to get into a rhythm, especially in the passing game.

Hopefully that is all this was and not Garcia's age catching up to him.

[Voc]

This team lacks a killer instinct... That starts with the coach... How long do you expect the defence to hold a team??? Call it what it is, the team offense blows, that is the real issue. All this time preparing in the off season and with 7 minutes left in the first half all we have is 80 yards of total offense. That is the problem... How about this, stop putting all this verbage into the offense and find something that works. Spend a second round pick on a wide receiever that can not run a route. Stop trying to find the next Devin Hester, and start trying to find a replacement for an aging Gallaway and a fossilized Garcia...

[Roger Goodell]

I apologize Buc fans. Our head of officiating will penalize the official for the blown holding call on Gaines Adams.

But, we love the Saints. They are the darling of the NFL, and they deserve to win because of having to battle hurricanes.

Pass protection was shaky until the second half. Defense looked sloppy, with plenty of whiffs and missed tackles. This team will continue to struggle offensively until we get a playmaking wide receiver whose name is not Joey Galloway. He is good, but we need another receiver who can stretch a defense vertically

Oh by the way, the ref was a first year, first game official, and there were at least 3 bad calls, but this game was not a gimme because of a hurricane. Please!!! This was the result of an old discarded quarterback and a coach that thinks that players play better if they rest more. I will look for the asterick next to the Bucs record this season because it wasn't really their fault they lost. After what the Falcons did to the Lions I wouldn't be asking for the Falcons. The Bucs couldn't tackle Bush, and I would be willing to bet they won't be able to tackle Turner either. Please no excuses!!!

[DV]

Maybe Ike will F up Tampa so the bucs can get games handed to them like the Aints.

[DV]

I think I'll start putting all my time and money into a new hobby, this crap is getting old. The NFL gets a ton of my money every year and now I'm actually pissed, especially about the obvious blown calls. I think I'll start watching pro wrestling, at least that way I can expect the blown calls as part of the script... or is that what the NFL is doing anyway?

[STEVE]

just wanted to get back to yu local yokels who talk big all pre-season and spew "all their football knowledge"...told you last week they wouldn't be on the same page...now tomorrow listen to "the Big Dog" like good little boys...lol

[Brian]

Garcia looked pathetic on that last past. Hilliard was standing on the yard marker for a first with no one within 10 yards of him...happy feet all day.

The officiating was horrible--actually it was really good if you are Saints fan. Beyond all the terrible calls pointed out above, what about that offensive pass interference call on Bryant when the Saint's Db ran up to him and they collided--how the hell is that O' pass interference unless the refs are biased. Little plays like that can make huge differences-instead of 2d and 4 it became 3rd and 17 and we punted. The NFL should be ashamed of those refs!!!!

[DV]

Atlanta will definitely beat the Bucs next week if they field the same starting units, bank it.

[DV]

I HATE CRAP REFEREES!!!! AAAAAGRRRGH!!!!

[Jason]

Why did we stop running the ball with Graham? He couldn't be stopped, his average was really high on only a few carries.

[Jon]

I thought the game went pretty much as expected. The bucs are a pretty good team with a good run game and a very good secondary and LB corps. They have problems rushing the passer and pass protecting on offense. New Orleans is a pretty good team. We lost by 4 on the road with a chance to win at the end. Bucs look like a 9-7 team to me.

[jobucs]

David,Snook, and Roger, I'm glad I'm not the only one that sees through the league. The only way the Bucs will ever make it back to the Super Bowl is to be good enough to fight through the adversity that the is going to heap on them every game. On the road or at home the Bucs just don't get calls handed to them the way the saints got today. I can't imagine the Cowboys playing the Saints today and getting a no call on a hold like that. They always treat the Bucs like crap.