These questions need some answers

After watching today's loss in New Orleans, there are a handful of questions that weren't properly addressed and likely will be revisited in the next several days. Let's go over a few:

• For starters, when Derrick Brooks was injured, it's odd that the Bucs used the backup weak-side linebackers, Adam Hayward and Matt McCoy. Why not move Cato June to the weak-side (his natural position anyway) and have Quincy Black play June's strong-side position? The Bucs seem to be high on Black, and he is the fourth best linebacker on the team by all accounts. Seems June would have been capable of making the transition to the weak side.
• What happened to the offensive line? These guys were supposed to be arguably the best line the Bucs ever had. They did a decent enough job as run blockers, but were horrific in pass potection. And rookie Jeremy Zuttah had a long day against another rookie, Saints first rounder Sedrick Ellis. It's enough to make you wonder if the Bucs will think about playing Sean Mahan, acquired in a trade last week with the Steelers, to play guard. Also, Donald Penn had, in my opinion, his worst day as a starter. He was being manhandled by Will Smith at left tackle.
• What is up with Joey Galloway? He looks to me like a guy who doesn't want to be out there sometimes. Seeing how he is the Bucs' No. 1 receiver, that's a problem. Someone has to say, so there. Galloway's effort could be called into question, I think. He made no effort to adjust his routes on Sunday despite the incessant pressure Jeff Garcia was under. It seemed like Garcia got hit on every pass attempt. Garcia had his own issues, of course. He wasn't sharp and looked antsy in the pocket, which led to some ugly throws. But he got no help from Galloway, who quit running on at least one pattern and made little effort in other situations.
• Finally, what is the plan for Dexter Jackson? The Bucs don't seem confident in his ability to field punts in critical situations, evidenced by the team's decision to substitute Ike Hilliard for Jackson at times. At this point, Jackson doesn't have any other means to impact the game other than as a kick and punt returner. If he can only be used selectively, that's got to be a disappointment for the club considering his status as a second-round pick.

Comments

[Alex]

Penn is a backup left tackle and the bucs will probably upgrade in the offseason. Th bucs did not trust black against shockey... zuttah is a rookie and is still a project. Galloway was being a diva and stop running his routes and offered very little assistance to garcia who was obviously rusty in the first half. Would this not have been a great game to show our gamechanging new weapon as we face the Reggie Bush? Another question is why is the d line so inconsistent and need a blitzer or tow to get the pressure needed to force turnovers... the db's were not used to having to be in coverage that long... that is the biggest problem.

[alex]

the saints were not better... we didn't have our best o linemen, our qb and #1 wr were rusty and the unquestioned leader of the team went down... also, the bucs plan to fix these problems flopped... this game was still good and the bucs will be better in a few weeks. relax guys..the running game was on. hilliard and bryant were on. talib made a simple mistake but played very well regardless of it being his first game... deep db unit... the te's contributed well as did askew. the saints definitely have more talent...unfortunately

[Jay]

Stephen,

Ronde tripped up on that play, but you have to give him credit for his outstanding performance throughout the rest of the game, including a bonecrushing hit on what should have been ruled a fumble instead of an incomplete pass. If we're going to lay some blame, how about throwing Talib under the bus a bit for not playing the deep route on the TD he gave up.

As for Garcia, I saw at least three instances for each that made me want to throw the remote at the TV. He had happy feet, yet was still slow escaping the pocket and was unaware of where the rush was coming from. A few of his passes were behind, some completely off target on a couple of occasions, and just foolish on a couple others. He looked like a guy who had no practice during the pre-season.

Galloway looked like the same guy who gave a minimal effort in the Giants game, and if he repeats that performance again next week, he can pretty much resign himself to playinf from the bench. Yet Ike Hilliard looked and played like he deserved the start. Bryant had at least two clutch drops that would have made Clayton envious.

EG and Dunn looked great, and as bad as the o-line was at pass protection, they were that good blocking for the run. The biggest surprise was special teams, which was just plain stifling in punt / kickoff coverage. I'm not sold on Jackson being the return man because he failed to do anything more than just run up the lane. A primary example how it should have been done was the clinic that Reggie Bush put on. He changed directions and broke tackles without even making contact. He was the most impressive player on the field.

[Vince]

Alex I hope you're right. I seriously think Tampa needs to gamble more with agressive offensive plays, not in the interest of flash, but just in not being so predictable!

U are right on with the Penn straight sucking.. He played so bad.

All I can think about is that if desean jackson would have dropped a couple more picks in the draft we would be watching him out there.

[Valrico Rick]

Lets make one thing perfectly clear. The Saints had more talent, were better prepared, and were better coached than the Bucs! Gruden was the Head Coach of a winning Super Bowl team because he wrote the offensive playbook that the Raiders used and Callahan wasn’t smart enough to change it up. Garcia was the inept quarterback of the 49ers that the Bucs defense beat up on in the first round of the playoffs that year, and Barber along with rest of the defense took over the game against the overconfident Eagles. Take away Gruden’s knowledge of the Raiders offense and he contributed nothing. The defense did it all, Monte Kiffen is the hero here. So here we are with nothing to show for six years but an old quarterback with a bad attitude and a weak arm, and an aged spoiled diva for a primary wide receiver. Gruden can’t pick talent, (see Rob Johnson, Gradkowski, and many more, not to mention why did it take 3 years to find out that we had a good running back in Graham already on the team?), he doesn’t motivate, and he thinks resting the starters is the best way to prepare for a big game. He can’t plug in new talent to help out in tough situations because his system is so complicated it takes literally a year to learn it. He doesn’t understand the flow of a football game and always wants to pass when the running game is on, or run when there is 8 in the box. So aside from his first year here when the defense and his knowledge of the Raiders won a trophy, what else has he done? Two trips to the playoffs and both times it was one and done! Please Jon make me look stupid, take us back to the SuperBowl, or hey, maybe just win a single playoff game! I will be just beside myself with glee if you make a you know what out of me!

[DV]

Seriously, I'd like to see Galloway released, he showed yesterday why he has never been a true #1 reciever. At least Clayton tries, and doesn't give up on routes. Replace him with Hilliard, Clayton #2, Jackson #3... see what happens. Also, hope the NFL watches tape of the screw job the refs put on us. Truebloods' personal foul should have been offsetting with the NO player who had Faine pinned and was elbowing him. Bush's fumble recovered for 6 by June. Adams being dragged down and pinned for a Bush swing pass big gainer. Bush stepping out of bounds prior to diving to the pylon for 6. All that considered, the game could have been won had someone other than Ike Hilliard stepped up, he was the only reciever playing hard. Why does Galloway deserve to play after what he did yesterday? I have lost all respect for him, the passing game with any team relies on the QB and recievers working together. Galloway seems to expect Garcia to be perfect, why should he adjust?

[Kurt Thoreson]

Michael Stahan said on FOX that the Buccaneers were the only team they WERE NOT afraid of in the playoffs last year, ergo, the Bucs are soft. And after seeing the Falcons, Saints, and especially the Panthers performances, I'd say the Bucs will continue their "win one year, stink the next" routine.

[al]

hey valery rick, its been 6 yrs already, let it go.

[aaron]

garcia stinks. galloway is disinterested. jackson is a poor pick for a 2nd rounder. o-line couldnt pass protect. Black should have played. as should have Clayton. Phillips needs to take a seat. Sabby to start.

[tradewinds loser boy moser]

they should have got favre when they had the chance

[Brandon]

Penn played decently, allowed Smith a free run once... Trueblood, however, what is there, some sort of agenda to canonize this guy? He flat out sucked, Charles Grant ran through, around and over Trueblood at will in the first half, plus Trueblood committed, what was it, 3 penalties for 25-30 yards? Trueblood by himself is the human drive stopper.

Garcia was pretty much terrible. Skittish in the pocket, rarely accurate, he was flat out bad despite decent numbers.

[bobbyd]

It was one game.

Galloway and Garcia were clearly not in sync, but I would wholly expect them to dial it in quickly.

The o-line looked better than most people think. Jay nailed it perfectly, Garcia had happy feet and did not move fluidly into the space. And worse, when he had the chance to gain yards with his feet, he didn't. Not sure if that's Gruden harping on him to protect himself or what. But there were several times when Garcia stepped up into the pressure rather than away from it so I can't blame all of the pass-pressure on the o-line.

The "drops" by Bryant were not drops at all, but excellent coverage. Both of the key incompletions I saw were well covered and the ball was batted away by the corner. Not a whole lot that he can do about that.

Jackson simply looked tentative. I can imagine that it's just slightly intimidating returning punts and kicks as a rookie. Those folks are a special breed lacking a certain level of fear. It's only his first game, so it's pretty hard to cast judgment just yet.

Defensive line still struggled to make problems. And Drew Brees reminds me of Dan Marino the way he can release the ball so quickly. Two times it looked like Barber had him for the sack only to see Brees get rid of it just in time. I didn't see how often White made it into the game, but he did make some noise a couple of times.

The big play of the game was Talib's blown coverage. My prediction for the game was 20-17 Bucs unless Talib missed an assigment. In his defense, it was a rookie mistake and he played well the rest of the game.

Jermaine Phillips played mostly well, but he needs to shut the hell up and get back to the huddle. He was jawing at Bush every play and he ended up getting burned and looking like a fool.

I still stand by, it was one game. No need to panic.

[Pat]

Griese looked super and solid in the preseason, why not release the oft-injured, rusty and disgruntled Garcia, make Griese your starter and bring back Sims as the #3? I'd rather see Griese play his butt off then Garcia continue the season with how he played yesterday.

[bobbyd]

Good point on the officiating DV. I don't think the Bush fumble was a fumble, but there were some seriously bad calls. Even I didn't need a replay to see the Gaines Adams hold. Good grief, it sure would be easier for our o-line if they could simply drag the defensive linemen to the ground.

[bobbyd]

By the way, on the "it was just one game" front, don't forget we played equally bad (if not worse) in last season's opener in Seattle.

[Tom]

Bobbyd, I disagree. Philips was awful yesterday. He was clearly out of position on the first TD and whiffed on the tackle on Bush for a TD. Those mistakes have always been in his game. He takes poor angles and doesn't have the athleticism to make up for it. He has no lateral movement.

Piscitelli made a great stop on third down yesterday. It is time to put him on the field with Tanard.

[Tom]

Pat, are you nuts? It was one game! Garcia was the major reason we had a successful year and he was a Pro Bowler. Griese is an all world backup.

[Kevin]

Wa! Wa! Wa!
Just face it you got beat by a better team. The Saints even had a bad day offensely. Just be thankful for that. The Saints went out and improved their defense. What did the Buc's do? Kept an old quarterback, old reciever, old linebacker. Sorry about this post, but I just go tried of the few Tampa Bay jerks that came to our post using foul language putting down the Saints and the city. I guess we won't be hearing from them again! Good Luck anyway, I hope ya'll have a great season except against the Saints.

[James]

Graham has 10 carries for 91 yard? Why did he only get 10 carries? The game was close and our pass protection sucked so maybe we should be runnning more not less.

[rod]

the jets won.

[bobbyd]

Good point James. 20 rushes, 41 passes. Not exactly a balanced attack, especially when there was concern about the QB/Receiver rustiness. What's worse is that Dunn and Graham averaged 7 yards a carry combined. Seems like Gruden may have been lacking a bit in patience.

I also noticed that many of the pass play calls seemed like long-developing-type plays. With the Saints defense applying pressure, I'm surprised they didn't do more quick slants/3 step drop/middle screen kind of plays.

Ugh. I think Gruden needs to go back and review tape on himself. I'm not exactly excited about the game he called.

[bobbyd]

By the way, did anyone else think Brian Billick did a fantastic job in the booth???

[jay]

15 more to go (0-16)fire little jon usuck gruden!

[bobbyd]

you must be a different jay than the one above who actually has a brain.

I saw a very rusty QB (Garcia) continue to throw the ball to an out of synch WR (Galloway); even though Ike Hilliard, Earnest Graham, Warrick Dunn, Alex Smith and BJ Askew were making majority of the big offensive plays. It seemed Garcia was getting into a better rhytm until he made a bonehead move on the last offensive play for a INT. I thought Gruden had all this offensive arsenal but sat down his best preseason RB (Bennett) and ran so few times despite Graham carry per yard average. Another loss due to Gruden believeing he knows how to be an offensive coordinator and failing in managing the team personnel. I think the team made a mistake cutting Neese, he was a valuable player and teammate, and by shear experience if not willpower made the plays when they counted.

[jackpc]

Billick picked the Saints in the NFL network pregame show and rooted for the Saints the whole game.

[Stephen_Holder]

Someone mentioned Phillips being horrible in part because he was out of position on the early TD. I'm gonna take some issue with that. You're assuming too much there. It looked to me like Phillips had other responsibilities and Talib was in man coverage. Jermaine let Patten run right by him without even blinking, so I doubt that was a mistake. It's hard to judge DBs in such situations without knowing the coverage call. On the Bush TD, Phillips told me he didn't think Reggie was gonna make a move. He thought he was going to run straight ahead. He was wrong and looked pretty bad as a result. You may want Sabby to play but it's a lot different playing two or three series as opposed to a whole game. I guess we'll find out soon as I don't see Jermaine's contract being extended. He's as good as gone because Sabby will be cheaper.

[Stephen_Holder]

One more thing: I'll admit that we reporters probably didn't hit Gruden hard enough on the subject of his play calling. It was confounding at best. 2 to 1 pass-run ratio when you're OL's strength is run blocking and you were gashing the Saints? In the madness of a postgame locker room some things fall through the cracks but I imagine this will be revisted this morning.

[bobbyd]

Agreed Stephen. It was little dumb for Philips to think Bush was going straight (Bush almost always makes a move/hurdles etc.). But I still think he's a damn good safety.

[Kinn Corn Karn]

I have a couple questions for everyone....when was the last time this franchise had a probowl/all-pro caliber qb? When was the last time this organization had a probowl/all-pro wr? It's the same crap every season! No quality at those two MAJOR offensive positions! GET A CLUE! All the Bucs do is pick up retreads that other teams no longer want. It's pathetic. It's funny how other teams have 2, or 3 studs at wr (i.e. the Cardinals, Lions, Bengals), yet we can't muster one in 10 years?! And I don't want to hear about old man Galloway.....he's NOT a #1 wr. He's a #2, comlementary wr, plain and simple.

[Nate]

screens, draws, quick-hitters to the flats--the things that let your playmakers get in space are the best ways to not only move the chains, but to slow down that Saints rush. It became pretty obvious after 1 quarter that their D-Line was for real. To continually call 5- and 7-step drops in the face of it is just asinine. Maybe you give him the benefit of the doubt if you have a sharp passer with escapability. But after 15 minutes of play, it was quite obvious that Garcia had neither of those characteristics.

What boggles my mind is the use of Garcia at all. There is no doubt that he is the best QB on the roster in terms of skill, experience, and leadership. But he was not operating at 80% of any of those things. In terms of skill, he missed wide-open receivers and threw ducks. In terms of experience, his lack of practice negated it. In terms of leadership, he couldn't get all over Bryant for his misses or Galloway for his disinterest--because he himself was no great example of superb play. He knew he had no leg to stand on (no pun intended) and lead that team.

So no, Griese is not as good as Garcia, all things being equal. But from what we've seen this preseason, things simply aren't equal. And that's why Griese's management (or even McCown's) would have been better than Garcia's.

One of two things needed to happen and neither did: either change the playcalling to maximize Garcia's upside (amidst his rusty downside) or change the QB.

...and Billick was terrific! I prefer his analysis to most anyone, and it's infinitely better than the 2/3 of FOX analysts who just yell at you.

[Nate]

The Cards, Lions, and Bengals. Ahh yes, the standard of team excellence.

Go to their boards and read what their fans say--"what's the point in these WRs if we can't [tackle, block, run, throw]?!"

[bobbyd]

"change the playcalling to maximize Garcia's upside"

Spot on Nate. I think Gruden needs to really reconsider how he calls plays. He can't "will" his players to make the play work. He has to choose plays that fit within the capabilities of his players and the way they are playing on a given Sunday.

We decimated the Saints last season with the long ball, but it clearly wasn't going to happen yesterday. Gruden never really adjusted. It seems we played the same way both halves.

[Matt]

Anybody feel as comfortable this morning about the next two games against Atlanta and Chicago as you thought they may turn out last week? We could be 0-3 real fast.

[JC]

Brett Favre looked great yesterday... Garcia, not so much.

START GRIESE!!!

[Braheem Ackmadia]

The Bucs were gamers, but seemed to be overmatched. SEEMED being the key. The Coaches need to be questioned on their judgement regarding player evaluations. Maybe after seeing the impact DeSean Jackson made for the Eagles Gruden might wanna consider getting him some looks since Galloway right now is nothing more than a 2nd string talent due to his lack of FIRE! Get the guys in the game who fit the system and have the required enthusiasm. That Slow LB who replaced Brooks cost the Bucs a "W". So it goes...the Defending NFC South Champion Buccaneers are now currently in LAST PLACE!!! REVERSE THE NASCAR DIVISION CURSE!

[Kurt]

Garcia looked like crap. Gruden did not run the ball enough and our defense gave up a couple of uncharacteristic big plays while not being helped whatsoever by poor officiating. We'll be ok although I certainly wish we would put our best QB on the field already!

[Tom]

Steven, I'm not sure what play you were watching. There wasn't another offensive player around for about 30 yards. There was absolutely no reason for Philips to be where he was at. The other 2 WRs on his half of the field ran 5 yard routes. Look at the replay and tell me different!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GIEokDbTZXI

Furthermore, not aware that Bush would make a move? That's horrendous. I have always said that Philips is a straight-lined torpedo. If you're in his way, then he'll knock your head off. Make any kind of move and you're like a matador letting a bull run right by you. Tell me I'm wrong.

Sabby has much better athleticism. Hence his shuttle time at the combines. #2 he has much better game awareness. Look at that play he made on 3rd down yesterday.

[Bucco]

Jermaine is average at best. He continues to take bad angles and late to the ball. All that smack talk he was giving to Bush came back to bite him when Bush made him look silly. Stop your trash talking and concentrate on your play. I've said it before and I will say it again...Sabby will be the starter at some point during the season.

[BigBucFan]

Stephen, I agree that you are by far the best on covering our team. No one else comes close. I will go back & watch the game snaps in slow motion tonight to see the O line closer. Garcia looked so scared yesterday. The "D" belongs to Kiff & they are all that kept us in the game. Moving June over, or playing Flip over Sabby are all Kiff's calls & Raheem probably decides who his DB's are. Talib needed that burn to get a reality check. Too bad it was for a TD. It looked like the Saints were using 7 men on the line to protect. 3 double teams stopping the rush close to the line. I saw many double teams & they were effective. Which QB right now gives us the best chance to win? McCown can scramble & make big plays, he has an arm & is precise most of the time. So I say Luke, come, come join us now & may the Force be with you. ObiJon, you must heed the warning from the dark side. There is a traitor in the midst. His name is Jeff Garcia & he is hellbent on your distruction.

[BigBucFan]

I agree with the Billick comments. He was excellent. He will most likely call the Saints' games as they are the NFL darlings & we'll be stuck with Reggie Bush's brother, what's his name, & some other Buc Hater. Too bad we don't get to listen to Mean Gene on the TV. GO Bucs! Seeya at the Game next week. We need to Raymond James filled up for a change.

[DR]

Even the greatest defenses make mistakes, but unfortunately for the Bucs defense, they won'y get much help from their offense. Gruden has to be one of the worst play callers in the league and his decision making is terrible. They showed how he loves to go to the pass even in terrible passing conditions and even when the run game is rolling through the defense.
Garcia was rusty and EG was getting some very nice lanes to run the ball and yet Gruden wanted to pass more. Galloway should have been lassoed and yanked off the field. He dropped balls, no surprise there, but he quit several times in his routes, not even looking back for the ball. It looked as if he was unaware of a game being played. If the Bucs want to continue with Galloway as their #1 WR, they better be scouting realy hard in college this year, they'll have a top 10 pick. Galloway is an embarrassment. Garcia was off a little here and there but a damn receivers job is to adjust and make a play. He's an overrated prima donna who only catches passes when they are perfect.
Not sure why Bennett joined Clayton in Grudens dog house, but then again, Gruden makes the call and he usually makes bad ones.

[JC]

Ray Jay will be full... until halftime... as usual.

[DR]

Quit blaming ref's and making excuses. There were some missed calls but that happens every game against both teams. Think about the number 76. I'm not talking about the Philadelphia 76ers, i'm talking about the 7.6 yards per rush the Bucs had and abandoned. EG averaged 9.1 yards a carry and had only 10 carries. Why?
It looks like Rich McKay's doing a great job in ATL. The Falcons were rushing the ball well and they didn't abandon the run. Ryan was 9-13 passing. Garcia throwing the ball 41 times after few snaps in preseason is absolutely ridiculous, especialy with the running game going great. Gruden was again, outcoached. I wouldn't want Gruden as a pee wee football coach.
Atlanta will not be an easy victory for the Bucs next week.

[Vince]

Okay, this will sound stupid, but I warned you all! THe upside to a poor outing by Galloway, is that it will force Gruden to stop "leaning too much" on him. Let's look at all the Elite teams in the NFL, and they have one thing in common for the most part, they SPREAD THE BALL AROUND the field! All my posts are the same, and I know I'm right... Gruden, you are great.... BE LESS PREDICTABLE!

[orlbucfan]

Warrick Dunn, Ernest Graham, Ike Hilliard, Antonio Bryant, Alex Smith, and Joey Graybeard Galloway: 6 capable receivers. What is Gruden's problem here? He's so dumb he can't run decoys and fool a defense once in a while? I'm also getting sick of the geriatrics movement w/the qb's.

On the bright side: I was impressed w/the defensive secondary. Sabby P is for real. Also, our special teamers looked pretty good. Give Dexter J some time, folks. He's a rookie. He and his teammates have to get used to playing together. If he can avoid Buc Luck and stay healthy, he will be a barnburner.

Jon Gruden needs to work on his ego trip some more. He's a big reason why we lost yesterday. The Saints are a good team. We always get bad calls. That's SOP when you're a Buc fan. We've always had to outplay/outsmart the refs as well as the opposing team. Think about it.

[Graham]

Hmmmm. I believe Garcia hit 7 different receivers yesterday, didn't he?

Agreed on Sabby and the torpedo. Sabby needs to start.

Garcia looked like he did an effective job of learning the Simms happy dance out there. Guy looked like he had to pee the entire game and stayed in the pocket when the openings presented themselves.

Galloway. Oh, Galloway. Not a good performance in the least. Easing up on a play and looking perplexed when the ball floats over your head is not good. Not good at all. Galloway stays on target and that goes for seven.

While I agree that Bennett should be revisited as a regular season option by Gruden, Clayton has earned his place in the dog house with a clear case of swiss cheese for hands.

What we seem to have across the board is a bad case of failing in the fundamentals. Missed tackles, dropped passes and sub-par OLine play have been killing this team for a few years now.

I've remained hopeful that Gruden would pull it all together, but that timeline is running short.

[Rich]

Yeah McKay is doing a fantastic job, after being demoted from the GM slot, a position now served by Thomas Dimitroff. The Bucs will mop the field with Atlanta this weekend. Observations:

1) I currently have as many tackles as Gaines Adams.
2) The Porcelain God Joey Galloway is useless. I'd waive him today and he can take his long tired prima-donna act elsewhere.
3) I would have hooked Garcia at the half as he hasn't been able to move the offense at all--when we're blessed enough to see him play---this season.
4)Find more playing time somehow for Piscatelli
5) St. Tony Dungy's team sure looked ready to play last night.
6)Rod Marinelli---meet hot seat.

[Steve]

Woulda, coulda, shoulda, IF's, bad ref calls, and even the Announcer is against the Bucs.

Reading these fair-weather comments, the Bucs woulda lost anyways, coulda watched other games on TV at home and shoulda just ordered pizzas to watch the bad officiating and listen to Reggie Bush's brother announce.

Give it a break - the Bucs were overmatched talent wise, but for the most part played even with the Saints players, Gruden however underachieved in his coaching and playcalling compared to Payton, and that is the difference in the ballgame.