Where's the Killer Instinct?

The Dallas Cowboys were a bruised, battered and bewildered team. A team standing at the edge of being swallowed into the abyss of a wasted season. Injuries, egos, wasted opportunity and turmoil had the once NFC favorite at 3 losses into a season that hadn't even reached it's halfway point. They were a wounded animal waiting, wishing to be put out of it's misery.

In comes the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in a perfect position to put them out of their misery. The Dallas Cowboys are a team loaded with talent. A team that will still be the favorite to win the NFC and represent in the Superbowl if they make it to the playoff tournament with a healthy Tony Romo. Do the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, a team many consider to be over achieving this season want to see the Dallas Cowboys again? Do they want to square off against them again in January?

With a win in Dallas Sunday, the Buccaneers could have dropped the Cowboys to 4-4 and maintained a tie breaking advantage over them. With such opponents as the New York Giants, home and away, at Washington, at Pittsburgh and at Philadelphia it's not out of the realm of possibility that the Cowboys could have toppled to a 9-7 or worse 8-8 record while their star QB's pinkie was healing and returning to 100%.

It's just one game, but the Buccs had the chance to step on their throats, put the nail in their coffin, drive a stake in their hearts....whatever stupid analogy you want to use here. Where's the killer instinct? Where's the testicular fortitude? Where's the drive for greatness? The Pewter Pirates had the chance to stand up in the crowd and say look at me, I am for real. Buccs fans are always crying about never getting National recognition, but every time they have a chance to break the door down, they come up short. Another absolute stinker on National television.

The Buccaneer offense under the guidance and tutelage of the "great young offensive mind," Jon Gruden, the "offensive genius," struggled once again to score TD's when inside the red zone. Tampa's Gruden led offense has been absolutely pathetic trying to score inside the red zone since he has been the Head Coach. The always vaunted Buccaneer defense held 2 of the best offenses in the NFL, Denver Broncos and Dallas Cowboys to 16 and 13 points respectively. What did former Buccaneer and future Hall of Famer Warren Sapp used to say? "Get me 17 points, and I'll get you a win." The Buccs defense held the Boys to 172 total yards. 172 yards! Marion Barber some weeks accumulates 172 yards by himself. Terrell Owens on occasion has exceeded 172 yards in a game by himself. The Buccs defense has surrendered an average of 10.5 points per game in the last 4 contests and have come away 2-2 in those games. The defense did their job again Sunday, and came away empty handed.

If one of those FG's is a TD, it's at least a tie Ball game. If you take a shot at the endzone on 3rd and short, maybe you score. Maybe you get pass interference. Maybe you come up empty handed and attempt the FG anyway. How many times are we going to watch drives stall between the 35 and 15 yard lines? I swear sometimes if the field was 500 yards long, our offense could put together a dazzling 482 yard drive that ends in a 34 yard Field Goal attempt. Why are you attempting a 51 yard Field Goal with a Kicker who was questionable all week long due to a hamstring injury? Since 2002, the quarterbacks have changed. The running backs have changed. The wide receivers, O-linemen and tight ends have changed. Even assistant coaches have changed, yet the offense looks exactly the same as it did in 2003, 2004, 2006 or even 1998 and 1999.

Instead now, the Buccaneers sit at second place in the NFC South standings looking up at a team they beat the hell out of. Instead of being a game ahead and holding the tie breaking advantage over the Dallas Cowboys in the NFC standings, the Buccs are looking up at them too. The Buccs were staring at the brass ring, it was in reach. But instead of pulling the plug and putting the Boys out of their misery, the Jon Gruden led offense wussed out. Where's the killer instinct? Where's the offense we paid 2 first round picks and 2 second round picks for?
...JJC/ABuccsFan

Is He a Good Judge of Talent?

I was asked this question by "Bette" of GoTeamsGo.com sports forums,

ABuccsFan, we always laugh and make jokes about how many quarterbacks Gruden keeps around in the spring. Does kind of make you wonder. He still doesnt come up with a winner. So is he a lousy judge of talent, or isnt he such a hot shot at developing qbs after all? And maybe you are right about Gannon making him a legend and not the other way around.

Here is my response. Go ahead Gruden groupies, tear me up.


Hahaha, great question. I'm bashed and hammered and ostracized by my fellow Buccaneer fans for not being the type of fan that waives his pom poms around telling everyone how great we are, and how all our players are the best. I'd like to think I know football, and I'd like to think I know it well enough to know the difference between a good player and an average player. Know the difference between a good coach and a not so good coach.

Some Buccaneer fans are in love with Jon Gruden. Sometimes I think they really won't know what to do with themselves when he's gone. Some fans seem to love Jon more than the team. Not this Buccs fan.

Is Jon Gruden a good judge of talent? Obviously Bruce Allen and the Glazer family thinks he is. Sure the talent evaluation process falls mostly on the College and Pro scouting departments within the Buccaneer organization, but Jon Gruden has the ultimate last word that helps GM Bruce Allen decide who to bring in and who not to bring in.

Let's take a look at Gruden's drafts since he's been here. Only offensive players. Monte Kiffin has a major influence on defensive players drafted, and really the only side of the ball we have been successful on when drafting.

2002
Marquise Walker - bust
Aaron Lockett - not in the league or making an impact somewhere else
Zack Quaccia - not in the league or making an impact somewhere else

2003
Chris Simms - never developed, could say bust
Lance Nimmo - not in the league or making an impact somewhere else
Austin King - not in the league or making an impact somewhere else
Sean Mahan - serviceable to bad, you be the judge

2004
Michael Clayton - bust for a 1st round pick, but sevicable contributing player
Jeb Terry - not in the league or making an impact somewhere else
Nate Lawrie - not in the league or making an impact somewhere else
Mark Jones - been cut 3 times, and each time he plays better than the player Jon replaced him with.
Casey Cramer - not in the league or making an impact somewhere else

2005
Carnell Williams - bust(injury history, 5th overall make him a bust)
Alex Smith - decent player above average
Chris Colmer - bust, drafted him with knowledge off a nerve condition and never played a snap
Dan Buenning - played like a pro bowler his rookie season, then disappeared
Larry Brackins - dumbest Jon Gruden pick ever
Rick Razzano - not in the league or making an impact somewhere else
Paris Warren - was starting to show serious promise for a 7th rounder in 2007, then severe ankle injury in last preseason game did him in. Just resigned to Buccs because of WR depth issues
J.R. Russell - not in the league or making an impact somewhere else

2006
Davin Joseph - Future pro Bowler
Jeremy Trueblood - Possible future Pro Bowler
Maurice Stovall - looking like a bust even for a 3rd rounder
Bruce Gradkowski - he sucks
T.J. Williams - was showing huge sleeper potential in camp, then went on IR
Tim Massaquoi - not in the league or making an impact somewhere else

2007 - too early to tell for sure
Arron Sears - Looking like a future Pro Bowler
Chris Henman - not in the league or making an impact somewhere else
Kenneth Darby - not in the league or making an impact somewhere else

2008 - way too early to tell, but early assessment
Dexter Jackson - bust
Jeremy Zuttah - hit a homerun with this kid
Josh Johnson - incomplete
Cory Boyd - not in the league or making an impact somewhere else


That's all the offensive draft picks since 2002. Is Jon Gruden a good judge of talent? You decide.


*******Disclaimer: Buccs fans with a very good inside knowledge of the Buccs know Jon Gruden and Rich McKay fought over Brian Westbrook. Gruden wanted Westbrook, and McKay chose Marquis Walker. The following season, Gruden wanted Domanick Davis and McKay chose Simms. Gruden is supposed to be a molder of QB's and a QB guru, so you decide on that one.
...ABuccsFan/JJC

Bad Timing

The Cowboys were waiting this week to be someone's bitch. Terrell Owen's tirades, Tony Romo's pinkie, Roy Williams nagging injury after nagging injury were all coming to a head. Lucky for the St. Louis Rams they got to play the Boys in week#7. Brad Johnson looked every bit of his age, while Terrell Owens didn't look every bit of his age with more sideline tantrums than a spoiled five year old girl in pony tails, who's daddy won't buy her a lollipop at the grocery store. Roy Williams finally turned a nagging injury into a severe one, and he'll be lost for the season. Can it get any worse for the Boys? Have they hit rock bottom? A rational thinking person would have to assume there is no place to go but up for the Dallas Cowboys.

It would appear after the previous week, the Cowboys were slapped back into reality. Some thought they got a wake up call against the Cardinals. Not the Boys, no they brushed that off as a fluke, they were too good to be beaten by the Cards. There must have been a list of one hundred excuses as to why they lost. This week however is a whole different story. The loss to the Rams was an open handed bitch slap to the face of America's Team. The smugness is gone. The players' eyebrows are raised slightly when talking to the media. There is a small look of concern accompanied by those raised eyebrows that no words can hide. Head Coach Wade Phillips has an angrier tone in his voice during his interviews. But hidden in the angry voice is also a slight quivering in his vocal chords that can be heard. The kind of quiver usually exhibited by someone rattled, someone nervous. Owner Jerry Jones was stuttering and stumbling over his words after the game. He was clearly pissed. When Jones gets pissed people better listen, because their jobs are on the line no matter what words pass through those over stretched lips. It's obvious now, the Cowboys realize they need to bunker down and get serious.

Now the wounded dog syndrome will take effect. Whether the Buccs are better than the Cowboys or not, doesn't matter. What matters is the Cowboys are too good of a team and have too much talent on that roster to be held down 3 weeks in a row. They are backed into a corner, and will come out with a ferocity shown by a scared, wounded animal. The sense of urgency has clearly been put on display for all to see. They need this next game, and they need it bad.

I'm having a hard time expecting the Buccs to come away victorious this week, especially playing the game in the Cowboys' house. One thing for sure, given the scenario laid out, if the Buccs do come away with a convincing win there will be no mistaking they are for real. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers will have to be placed just beneath the Giants as the #2 ranked team in the NFC in everyone's Power Rankings. This is a big test for the Buccs. They have the opportunity to prove to everyone they are a team to be reckoned with by driving a stake in the hearts of that wounded beast, the Dallas Cowboys. The timing though, the timing is bad. Some would think the Cowboys will win Sunday no matter who they played. It's the Buccs' job to prove those people wrong.
...ABuccsFan/JJC

EDIT: This post was made prior to Romo's declared inactivity. Now that Romo has stated publicly that he will not play, and Johnson will get the start, I feel a whole lot more optimistic about the possibility of winning. It's going to be a long day for Johnson if our front 4 can get pressure on him.

Coming Together

It appears this Tampa Bay Buccaneers team has come 180 degrees from the team that took the field in Week #1 vs the New Orleans Saints. The offense is clicking and Jeff Garcia is playing at a level I didn't think was possible at the beginning of the season. The Garcia I expected didn't disappoint vs Saints when he put up a miserable 58.5 completion percentage, along with 1 interception and displayed a serious lack of drive sustaining prowess that resulted in a paltry 1 offensive touchdown.

Since being re-inserted as the lead Buccaneer signal caller by Head coach Jon Gruden, Jeff has shown the ability to make plays down field with his arm, something this team has lacked for a number of seasons. He's also been able to help keep drives alive with his feet with a couple key 3rd down scrambles when wide receivers had been covered by opposing defenses and the pocket began to collapse. While Jeff was awarded a Pro Bowl bid during the 2007 season his play was far from spectacular. It's way too early to say, but you have to wonder if Jeff can continue to play the way he has against the Carolina Panthers in Week #6 and the Seattle Seahawks in Week #7, another trip to Hawaii may be in order. The jury is still out as far as this Buccs fan is concerned, but I have to admit I have nothing to complain about with Jeff's last 8 quarters of football.

The Buccs Offensive line has played at a high level the last 2+ games also, allowing only 1 quarterback take down over a span of 10 quarters of football. After allowing 3 sacks of Brian Griese in the first half of their Week #5 match-up vs the Broncos, the Offensive line has stiffened and protected their QB. They have also shown an effortless burst in the run game at times this season, although facing a tough run defense vs Seattle Seahawks, had mediocre outing. One bright spot concerning the O-line has been the play of Rookie Jeremy Zuttah filling in for for Davin Joseph to start off the season, then spelling Aaron sears after a minor knee injury. This kid looks like a keeper, and has a promising career ahead of him.

What else can be said for the defense? Since the second half of the 1996 season, it has become expected that the Tampa Bay Buccaneer defense will perform at a high level, and they sure as hell aren't disappointing this season. While the offense got off to a slow start to the season, the defense lent a hand scoring a few TD's themselves to pitch in to the point scoring effort. The Buccs defense has been downright stifling the last 2 games, and show no signs of letting up.

The special teams have been lending a hand also. The kick and punt coverage teams for the most part have been playing well. There have been on a few occasion, long returns made by opposing teams, but this hasn't shown to be a consistent problem. Matt Bryant's kicking has been solid all season, and Josh Bidwell has been doing his part with some consistent punting. The only and glaring weakness on special teams has been the play of Rookie Dexter Jackson who was drafted in round 2 not for his receiving abilities, but to give the Buccaneers their very own version of Devin Hester. So far the only thing they have in common are the 2 letters "WR" next to their name in the program guides.

While they don't appear to be a SuperBowl contender yet, they look a lot closer to a strong post season team than they did 5 weeks ago. Continued championship play by the defense, more big plays downfield by the offense, more aggressive play calling in the second half of games where the Buccs have the lead, and better returns out of Dexter Jackson could have this team looking like a legit SuperBowl contender. For now though, the team is making progress and coming together slowly. This team is exceeding my expectations, and could really prove to the rest of the League that they are for real when they bang heads with the Dallas Cowboys in week #8. Adding a "W" next week would set them up great for the bye week with a walk in the park on November 2 against the Kansas City Chiefs. Going into the Bye with a 7-2 record could prove to be a huge advantage in post season seeding with 4 of the Buccs remaining 7 games being played in the friendly confines of Raymond James Stadium.

For now though, this Buccs fan will remain cautiously optimistic until after the Cowboys game. The koolaid is in the fridge, but I just can't bring myself to pouring a glass until after a win against the Boys.
...ABuccsFan/JJC

Offensive Genius?? Who?

Honestly, the people who make this proclamation must have not been paying attention for the last 7 years. Gruden has coached this team for 103 regular season games. We paid 2 first round picks, and 2 second round picks so that he could come to Tampa and do what Tony Dungy couldn't. That was, in addition to a SB, bring offense to Tampa. The Glazers made it quite clear during Rich McKay's coaching search that they wanted an offensive minded coach who could turn the offense around, by evidence of them taking over the search themselves when Rich tried to hire defensive minded Marvin Lewis. So what has this young offensive minded head coach brought to Tampa in regards to offensive production in 103 games?

Only 24 games under John Gruden has the offense scored 3 or more TD's in a game.
Yet 79 games his offense has only scored 2 or less TD's
Of those 79, 16 times his offense has scored ZERO TD's.
...JJC/ABuccsFan