Just wanted to share this tidbit gleaned from today's locker room interviews.
Spent a little time talking with Clifton Smith after learning the news that he was named NFC Special Teams Player of the Month. I asked him whether he's seen any differences in the way teams are defending him on kicks and punts now that he has established himself as a dangerous return man.
He had a very interesting response.
"During the New Orleans game, I thought it was going to be a battle of keep away," he said. "We kicked Reggie Bush to the sideline and they also kicked me into the sideline. They were just trying to pin me to the sideline and trying to take away a lot of the field from me."
Take it from coach Jon Gruden: "I think people recognize that he's dangerous."
So, there you have it: Just five games into his pro career, teams already are kicking away from Smith. That just seemed like a really cool thing that I thought others would want to know.
For those who might be interested, this link will take you to our news blog where you can read about some of the new Florida license plates being offered as of Friday, among them a redesigned Bucs plate.
Here's your random fact of the day: Did you know Bucs specialty plates are the most popular in the state? Over 31,000 of the old design have been sold.
Here's the latest, according to the Bucs' official injury report.
There was a surprise addition to today's report when WR Michael Clayton was listed as having limited participation in practice because of a knee injury.
"He's had off and on bouts of tendinitis," coach Jon Gruden said. "We think he'll be okay. He did practice a little bit but he was limited. He'll be ready to go."
The same couldn't be said for DT Jovan Haye, who didn't practice again and is beginning to look like a long shot for Monday's game.
"I'll say he's very questionable for Monday's game," Gruden said. "But I've said that about him before and he has a mysterious way of showing up on the airplane and in his uniform."
Elsewhere, DE Gaines Adams (hip) was reported as having full participation today, so all signs point to him being ready to go on Monday.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Clifton Smith was named NFC Special Teams Player of the Month for November, according to a news release issued by the team.
Smith had 11 punt returns for 199 yards (18.1 avg.) and one touchdown. He also registered 16 kickoff returns for 498 yards (31.1 avg.) and a score. Smith’s punt return average of 18.1 yards this season ranks first in the NFL and his 31.1 yard kickoff return average ranks second in the NFL. He is also the only player in the NFL to have a kickoff return for a touchdown and a punt return for a touchdown this season.
Smith was named NFC Special Teams Player of the Week for Week 9 as he became the second player in team history to return a kickoff for a touchdown with a 97-yard touchdown return at Kansas City (11/2). He finished the game with two punt returns for 27 yards and six kickoff returns for 232 yards and a touchdown. His 97-yard kickoff return was also the longest kickoff return in team history and the 259 total return yards (232 kickoff return yards and 27 punt return yards) set a franchise record for the most return yards in a single game.
Smith had four punt returns for 90 yards, including a touchdown, and five kickoff returns for 142 yards, including a long of 49 yards at Detroit (11/23). With his 70-yard punt return for a touchdown, Smith became the first Buccaneer since 2004 to record a punt return for a touchdown and he became the first player in franchise history to return both a kickoff and a punt for a touchdown.
Smith had five punt returns for 82 yards (16.4 avg.), including a long of 42 yards, and three kickoff returns for 76 yards vs. New Orleans (11/30).
Smith’s honor marks the seventh time in team history that a Buccaneer has been named NFC Special Teams Player of the Month. K Matt Bryant (December 2007), P Josh Bidwell (November 2005), K Martin Gramatica (November 1999, October 2000 and December 2002), and KR/PR Karl Williams (December 1996) have previously been honored.
Football coaches are creatures of habit, particularly Jon Gruden. He'd prefer to play every game on Sunday at 1 p.m. so as to not upset the perfect order of things in his world.
But, alas, the Bucs play at Carolina on Monday Night Football, and the Bucs will have to adjust accordingly. That means that, unlike most weeks, players have two days off this week. They were free Tuesday and have today off as well. They'll return to One Buc Place Thursday morning ready to work and will hold practices through Saturday, unlike most weeks when Friday is the final practice.
Meanwhile, coaches spent Monday working on preparations for . . . . the Atlanta Falcons. That's right. Since coaches typically use Mondays for much of their preliminary game planning, the Bucs will be shortchanged next week since they play on Monday night. Tuesday, they'll have to jump right into the game plan, which needs to be complete by the time players return to work on Wednesdays.
So, although you're probably excited to see your favorite team play under the lights on national television, it certainly is a big undertaking for teams involved to make the necessary adjustments to the schedule.
We don't know the extent of DT Jovan Haye's knee injury, but Jon Gruden sounded like he is making plans for playing Monday's big game at Carolina without his starting under tackle.
In talking about Haye's replacement, backup Ryan Sims, Gruden said, "Ryan Sims goes in and plays two different positions, and plays well whether it is 12 plays or 18 plays. He might have to play 60 plays on Monday. I don't know."
Gruden is right about Sims, but the Bucs would still miss Haye against the Panthers' power running game, which is averaging 133 yards per game.
In other injury news, Gruden said DE Gaines Adams sustained a hip pointer against New Orleans, but he didn't characterize the severity of that injury. Adams did return to the game and played sporadically after his injury and downplayed its seriousness afterward.
Bucs general manager Bruce Allen just completed a news conference on the heels of the announcement the Bucs will play overseas next season.
Questions about Monte Kiffin and his potential departure to the University of Tennessee inevitably came up. Allen didn't exactly offer any specifics, but he did state unequivocally that he knows what the outcome of the Kiffin story will be. He just isn't telling.
We do, however, know this also isn't the first time the prospect of Monte joining his son, Lane, has been discussed with Allen.
"This really has been addressed some time ago with Monte," Allen said. "We feel very comfortable that we know what's taking place. We're going to let Monte make any comments he wants to and respect his views."
Allen added, "Monte and I have talked about this, obviously, when Lane went to coach the Raiders and, prior to that, when Lane was almost going to get the University of Minnesota job. . . Monte and I have addressed the different issues over the years, whether he would coach his son and things of that nature."
The fact that this possibility has apparently been on the table before makes it an even more realistic proposition this time around. This is a high-profile university, and the way we hear it, Monte stands to make substantial money, far more than anyone would imagine a college coordinator pulling down. So, there are fewer obstacles here than in the past -- such as working for Raiders owner Al Davis when Lane was Oakland's coach.
Lane just completed a news conference at UT and refused to divulge any of the names that will be joining his coaching staff, but at this point, Monte seems all but gone.
As far as who might replace him, the prevailing theory is that Bucs defensive backs Raheem Morris would be the ideal successor. He has been a pupil of Monte and of former Tampa Bay and current Steelers coach assistant Mike Tomlin, still a close friend of Morris. He would certainly be a popular choice with players, with whom Morris has many close relationships.
Lane Kiffin did not offer any specifics about his coaching staff during a news conference Monday afternoon in Knoxville introducing him as the University of Tennesee's new head coach.
"It's gonna take time,'' Kiffin said. "When it's all said and done, you'll be extremely happy with the staff that comes here.''
Kiffin's father, Monte, is the Bucs' defensive coordinator. ESPN's Chris Mortensen has reported that Monte Kiffin will join his son at Tennessee.
Before taking questions from reporters, Lane Kiffin cautioned that he was not ready to name any of his assistants.
"I'm not talking about any names to the staff due to the contracts those guys may be under,'' he said.
Monte Kiffin has two years remaining on his contract with the Bucs.
Lane Kiffin replaces Phillip Fulmer, who was fired early last month after a second consecutive losing season. Kiffin was fired as coach of the Oakland Raiders in late September.
The NFL has announced the Bucs will travel to London next season to take on the Patriots.
The game, slated for Oct. 25 at Wembley Stadium, will be the Bucs' first venture outside the country since a preseason contest in Tokyo in 2003.
The NFL has been trying to expand its reach globally evidenced by games being played in London this season and in 2007.
"The Tampa Bay Buccaneers organization is extremely excited and honored to be chosen to participate in the NFL International Series," Bucs executive vice president Joel Glazer said in a statement released by the team.
"We look forward to being part of the NFL's global outreach and playing our great game in front of Buccaneers fans overseas."
The Bucs have ties to the U.K. because of the Glazer family's ownership of soccer club Manchester United, one of the premier teams in the world.
One of the byproducts of this move is that the Bucs will lose a home game and the revenue that stems from it. But the NFL takes that into account when scheduling these games and the losses will be accounted for. The Patriots will be unaffected because they are the visiting team and will keep their full slate of home dates.
We hope to get more details when general manager Bruce Allen speaks with the media at 1:30 p.m.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers coach Jon Gruden said Monday questions about defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin's future with the Bucs will not be a distraction to his first-place team.
Kiffin's son, Lane, will be introduced as the University of Tennessee's head coach at 2 p.m. today. ESPN's Chris Mortensen has reported that Monte Kiffin will join his son's staff.
"A lot of our coaches are sought after every year, and Monte's sought after every year,'' Gruden said during his weekly news conference at One Buc Place. "He should be. I'm not worried about any distractions. We've got a great opportunity ahead of us, and we want to take advantage of it.''
The Bucs (9-3) play the Carolina Panthers (9-3) in a matchup of the NFC South's top teams on Monday.
Regardless of the Tennessee situation, Kiffin will stay with the Bucs through the end of the season, Gruden said.
Kiffin dismissed the ESPN report as ''speculation'' when asked about it following the Bucs' 23-20 victory over the New Orleans Saints Sunday at Raymond James Stadium.
Gruden declined any further comment on Monday.
''(Questions are) gonna persist,'' Gruden said. "I don't have any update. I think he addressed it last night. Monte's the guy to talk to. I'll just say this. We're excited to win the game, and I can only comment on the Buccaneers.''
* In other Bucs news, defensive linemen Jovan Haye (knee) and Gaines Adams (hip pointer) are being evaluated after sustaining injuries against the Saints, Gruden said.
"I don't kow the exact severity of those injuries yet,'' Gruden said. "But, obviously, we have some concern.''
Defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin downplayed reports that he is leaning toward joining his son, Lane, on the University of Tennessee coaching staff, saying "it's all just speculation."
Monte Kiffin has one year remaining on a two-year contract extension he signed in January. But with his son reportedly to be named head coach at Tennessee on Monday, Kiffin is reported to be seriously considering becoming his defensive coordinator.
If so, the elder Kiffin wouldn't go there Sunday.
"I'm just telling you, I can honestly tell you it's just speculation, just like it came up with the Raiders," he said. "It came up two years ago. It came up last year. I'm still here. All I'll talk about and focus on is Monday Night Football, Carolina Panthers, and how about the game we just played?"
It's believed that Lane Kiffin was rebuffed by Raiders owner Al Davis in an effort to hire his father after last season, when Lane was Oakland's coach. Kiffin also has been linked to job opportunities in recent years with the 49ers and Rams, who were considering him for head-coach vacancies.
Asked about the story, coach Jon Gruden said, "It's an outstanding opportunity for Lane and I'm happy for him. He's a good coach and a great guy. . . I know this: We don't want to lose (Monte). He's my friend and, obviously, I want for Monte to answer those questions."
At the end of the game, give us your assessment of the Bucs' performance. Leave your name and hometown and you'll have a chance to see your comments in tomorrow's paper.
The winds are gusting here at RJS in advance of the approaching front, and it's going to make for an interesting afternoon throwing and kicking the football. Things will get even more dicey if and when the storms roll in, as expected.
As for the guys who will do the throwing and kicking, the Saints get RB Reggie Bush (knee) back today as he is in the starting lineup.
For the Bucs, SS Jermaine Phillips returns after breaking his arm last month. He, too, is in the starting lineup.
Off the field, we're hoping to get some time with defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin after the game to address reports he is seriously considering an offer to join his son, Lane, at Tennessee, where Lane is expected to be named head coach tomorrow.
It's all fair game on the blog, so log in and let's chat in the comments section below.
RT Jeremy Trueblood has been fined by the NFL again, this time a $7,500 penalty for unnecessary roughness against the Lions on Sunday.
Trueblood grabbed an opponent's face mask and held on past the whistle at Detroit, an infraction that wasn't flagged during the game, leaving many scratching their heads.
Trueblood has been fined at least four times this season for on-field conduct and is gaining a reputation -- fairly or unfairly -- for being a dirty player.
Meant to post this on Wednesday, but associate head coach Rich Bisaccia, who oversees running backs and special teams, told me he hasn't been contacted about the head-coaching vacancy at Clemson University.
Bisaccia reportedly is a candidate for the job and was said by the Charleston (S.C.) Post and Courier. to have been contacted by athletic director Terry Don Phillips.
Bisaccia has extensive experience at the college level and served at Clemson's running backs/special teams coach and recruiting coordinator under head coach Tommy West from 1994 to 1998.
Good news for the Bucs on Thanksgiving Day: S Jermaine Phillips looks likely to return this week from his broken forearm, solidifying the Bucs' secondary.
It's not clear whether Phillips would start ahead of his replacement, Sabby Piscitelli, or come off the bench, but Jon Gruden seems confident Phillips will play now that he's four weeks removed from the injury.
"We're excited about Jermaine," Gruden said. "It looks like he'll be able to go."
Also, TE Alex Smith "has a chance" to play Sunday, Gruden said. Smith has a sprained ankle.
In New Orleans, the Saints report that RB Reggie Bush practiced for the second straight day, increasing the likelihood that he returns from his knee injury this week. Bush has been out since last month.
The Bucs announced a change in their playoff ticket policies today that should work in favor of fans.
In the past, the team required season-ticket holders to pay for two potential home playoff games in advance, long before knowing whether the Bucs would win and advance to the next round. If the team did not advance, the money paid for the next game would be credited to the following season's tickets. No refunds were issued.
Now, season-ticket holders will no longer be charged in advance if the purchase is made using a credit card. If and when the team advances, the charge for the second game will then be applied to the credit card on file.
This is clearly a reaction to the slow economy.
"We have the best fans in the NFL and we knew this was the right thing to do after consideration of current economic conditions," director of ticketing and sales Jason Layton said.
On a related note, the Bucs said postseason ticket prices will be lower than last season. For the Wildcard round, the team says prices will be, on average, 10 percent lower than last season.
For all those who have been complaining about the lack of national airtime devoted to the Bucs, you'll have less reason to moan as FOX is planning to air a feature on the Bucs during Sunday's pre-game show.
Reporter Pam Oliver was here this morning interviewing coach Jon Gruden and several players, including Jeff Garcia and Ronde Barber. She didn't drop any hints about the content, but said I should definitely tune in.
So, there you have it. A little pub is better than none.
Cornerback Ronde Barber had been named the NFC Defensive Player of the Week for his two interception performance in the Bucs' 38-20 win over the Detroit Lions.
Barber, 33, returned the second interception 65-yards for a touchdown.
With Earnest Graham out for the season with an ankle injury, 33-year-old Warrick Dunn will continue to carry the rushing load for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, coach Jon Gruden said.
"We want to put the ball in our best player's hands,'' Gruden said Monday during his weekly news conference at One Buc Place.
Dunn had 127 total yards during the Bucs' 38-20 victory over the Lions Sunday in Detroit. He rushed for a game-high 90 yards on 14 carries, including a 13-yard touchdown, and caught five passes for 37 yards.
Cadillac Williams closed out the fourth quarter and finished with a team-high 16 carries for 27 yards in his first game back from a severe knee injury.
"I thought the more (Williams) ran, the better he got,'' Gruden said. "I thought it was very good for him. He needed that live activity for himself to get acquainted to what it's like.''
Other highlights:
+ There is a chance injured safety Jermaine Phillips (forearm) and tight end Alex Smith (ankle) could return for this weekend's game against the New Orleans Saints, Gruden said.
+ As Antonio Bryant has emerged as the Bucs' go-to receiver, it is becoming increasingly difficult for the Bucs to find playing time for Joey Galloway, who missed much of training camp and the early part of the season with groin and foot injuries.
"We're hoping to get him on the field more and more,'' Gruden said, "but the bottom line is us trying to find a way to win a football game.''
+ Gruden praised the quickness and elusiveness Clifton Smith showed during his 70-yard punt return for a touchdown and 49-yard kickoff return, saying "it takes a lot of guts to do that job.''
But Gruden said he had to speak with Smith about ball control after Smith fumbled (the Bucs recovered) for the fourth consecutive game.
"We'd like to clean up the fumbles,'' Gruden said. "We talked about that yesterday. That's all part of becoming great, being completely reliable.''
That's right: If the season ended today, the Bucs would be the second seed in the NFC courtesy of Carolina's loss at Atlanta today.
The 10-1 Giants currently own the top spot in the NFC, but after that, the 8-3 Bucs would be No. 2 by virtue of their head-to-head win over the Panthers. Can you say "first-round bye"?
Of course, we're getting ahead of ourselves. The Bucs visit Carolina next month, and the Bucs still have three division games remaining. But it's certainly interesting to consider what could happen if things fall into place for Tampa Bay.
The next three weeks are pretty much going to decide things: home against New Orleans, at Carolina and at Atlanta.
Hold on to your seats.
Cadillac Williams returned to action today for the first time in 14 months. None of his plays will be replayed among the day's biggest highlights, but his feat might have been the most amazing of all.
You'll have to cut Williams some slack for finishing with 27 yards on 16 carries. Most of his attempts came late in the game when the Lions knew the Bucs were merely trying to run the clock out and they had eight or nine defenders near the line of scrimmage.
Here's what Williams and coach Jon Gruden had to say after Williams' performance.
On his first hit, Williams said, "I believe that's one of the best hits that I've ever had in my life. Just to go out and get hit, I was so excited. It was like I had scored an 80-yard touchdown. It was like, 'Wow.' It felt good. I'm really blessed. In my mind I'm thinking, 'I'm going to do good.' But this is a tough sport. There's guys flying at you, guys flying at your knees. But once you just start playing football, it comes natural."
Gruden said, "I think he looked good. He didn't make a lot of yards. The stat kings out there will criticize us. But he looked good in his uniform, he looked confident, he had a vibe about him and he finished his runs at the end. It's the first time he's carried the ball in a year and a half. I'm emotional about this comeback and I'm really happy that he feels good about the next step. All I know is we have five games left and we're going to need him. Earnest Graham ain't coming back."