An Exercise in Futility

by LeeCaz on Nov 23, 2009 1:47 PM EST Comment 11 comments

Now I don't know how many of you were able to watch the game in it's entirety yesterday. Hopefully you were able to tear yourself away sometime in the third quarter before it got too ugly. For the first time this season I turned the game off. I literally could not watch another second of that "contest".

Now, as I said going into the game, I didn't expect us to win, but after the previous two week's performances, I was expecting us to be competitive. After all, this is a Saints team that nearly lost to the Rams last week. Surely our beloved Buccaneers could make them work hard for a victory. Derailing New Orleans' undefeated season would be akin to the Super Bowl at this point in my mind.

This theory was even further ensconced in my head once I learned that the elusive Reggie Bush would be sitting this one out. As the game began I settled in with my wings, my beer, and my stromboli (yep, I was rolling like that yesterday) and I watched with enthused awe as the Bucs drove the ball 95 yards for the touchdown. The drive was surprising in that it featured more than two running plays. I was even further amazed when the ball hit Michael Clayton's hands and stayed there. Clearly, today was our day.

As we all know at this point, it only went downhill from there as the Saints proceeded to score 38 unanswered points on the beleaguered Bucs' D. We couldn't run, we couldn't pass (to our team at least). We never even got back within field goal range. It was complete domination, and it was embarassing. We couldn't stop the run, we couldn't stop the pass. Marques Colston looked like the pro bowler he is, but I was more than a little disappointed that we made journeyman Mike Bell look like Walter Payton in his heyday.

Now, I hate to be the guy that emanates pessimism, but in this case I feel an almost civic responsibility to be him. We are not good. We do not have "a lot to build upon" as many of the eternal optimists are saying. As Buc Wild pointed out last week, the perceived dominance of our offensive line is an illusion. Many say that we are talented and deep at the running back position, but our "three headed rushing attack" has only accumulated 749 rushing yards and four touchdowns this season. To put that in perspective Adrian Peterson (in an off year) has 999 yards and eleven TDs. The collection of cast-offs and late round draft picks that comprise our defense will most likely undergo a complete overhaul in the offseason, and if it doesn't, the people that are in positions of power need to be relieved of said responsibility.

The Saints are good, but are they that good? As I said above, St. Louis, which until yesterday I considered to be an inferior team to us, gave New Orleans a good run for their money last week. How bad are the 2009 Buccaneers? Can enough of these problems be fixed in the offseason to make us competitive again? Should I acclimate myself to the idea of my favorite football team being perennial cellar dwellars for the next few seasons. Am I expected to be patient as we slowly build this team from scratch? I don't know much, but I do know one thing..... This sucks.

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AGREED AGREED AGREED!!

He bleeds Garnet and Gold, She bleeds Crimson and White. AND THEY BOTH HATE ORANGE! GO NOLES!! ROLL TIDE!!

by gonolesrolltide on Nov 23, 2009 2:37 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

I agree with you for the most part

but I think you are a little hard on a few parts, especially the running game. I believe our backs have performed admirably all year, even more so when you consider there is no passing game for the defense to have to defend. We get behind big almost every game so I dont think its really our RB’s fault that we have only 749 carries. I believe our O Line is solid, except for Trueblood. If we could get Sears back and move Zutah to right tackle, I feel as though that is a pretty solid group.
As for the defense- yes they are pretty terrible. That being said, I believe there are a few good things. Talib looking like he could be a shut down corner very soon, Ronde looking like he has at least a few good years left, Tanard proving he is the badass we thought, Geno playing absolutely lights out, and Roy Miller/Kyle Moore/Tim Crowder all showing that we at least have some young depth.
This Bucs team is bad. Very bad. But is it really worse than the expectations heading into the year? I think not. Freeman has been inconsistent but has shown some GREAT things in just 3 weeks. Considering the brutal schedule weve played, I absolutely cut Raheem some credit and dont believe were all that far away from being a contender next year.
In the end though, yesterday was pretty damn disappointing after the previous two weeks. Lets see how we bounce back.

by BJ the Bossman on Nov 23, 2009 3:38 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

I'll agree that

the lack of production at the running back position isn’t really on the players themselves. It on Olson. It is disappointing that we haven’t gotten the opportunity to see what these guys could do under optimal circumstances. I’ll also agree with you on Talib, he is going to be a stud if can stay out of trouble (that is a pretty big if).

As for the Miller/Moore/Crowder combo, the only thing that can be said for sure about them is that they are not NFL caliber right now. Potential doesn’t win us any games this year, and nothing guarantees that they will continue to develop. None of them will be starting next season in my opinion. As for Hayes, he is playing “lights out” only by making some big hits here and there. He is still getting hurt on pass coverage, and could do a better job of shedding blockers in my opinion.

"Three or four plane crashes and we're in the playoffs" - John McKay

by LeeCaz on Nov 23, 2009 4:24 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

I guess i sort of stated the Miller/Moore/Crowder

point wrong. I was just pointing to the fact that they could all be serviceable next year, and I believe Miller could start. I was really just looking to the future with that group. As for Geno, he does get caught up in traffic and he struggles getting off 1v1 blocks, but he makes a living in the backfield and hes really impressed me. But overall you are right. Yesterday was just extremely disappointing

by BJ the Bossman on Nov 23, 2009 4:41 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Geno does have a great nose for the football

as cliche as that sounds it is very true in his case. I hope he can develop into a great LB.

"Three or four plane crashes and we're in the playoffs" - John McKay

by LeeCaz on Nov 23, 2009 4:44 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

I agree

I actually think he has covered up how average Ruud has been this year. To me Barrett has definitely taken a step back, but having him and Geno on the same LB corps makes me pretty happy moving forward. Quincy hasnt been quite as good as advertised but hasnt been bad either. That being said I dont know if he is starting quality. But there is so much other stuff wrong on this defense (SS and the entire line) that I doubt it gets addressed right away.

by BJ the Bossman on Nov 23, 2009 5:35 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Are the Saints that good??

Well they are 10-0, so YES, they are that good. Who cares if the Rams gave them a hard time last week, that was last week. Cleveland scored 24 points yesterday in the first half, that was yesterday.

I know I come off as the eternal optimist, but actually Im just being a realist. As Ive been a Bucs fan for 30 years now, Ive seen this before, many times in fact. So Im sorry that I dont get that pissed off with the happenings of this season, but I realized after game three this was a wasted year. Its a year for our QB to get reps, and several others too.
I sat through 14 straight losing seasons, and I can tell you this is not that bad.

I have pointed out head coaches who started out as bad or worse than Raheem and went on to build Dynasties.
I have pointed out previous records like this with our OWN TEAM that we overcame.
Heck, in 1997 we lost at home to Detroit 9-27. We also lost that year 0-31 to the Jets.
1999 we lost 45-0 to the Raiders, worst loss ever.
Its one game. The Bucs dont take the field next week down 7-38. This very team in 2006 was looked at hopelessly. I remember announcers talking about how it would take years to rebuild the Bucs. We probably SHOULD HAVE ripped the team apart then, but instead, we became a playoff team the next year by adding a few of the right pieces.
At least this time the Glazers and Bucs are more serious about building a real winner for us. They did not go out and waste money on Free Agents that were not worth their salaries, just for the sake of satisfying fans. Albert Haynesworth hasnt helped Washington much. Spending all that money HASNT HELPED WASHINGTON MUCH!

This defense has 2, 3, maybe 4 or 5 guys on it that will still be here in 2011. Its just not that good. But as a team ? …as a whole? I see reasons to look fwd to.
No one has to stay on board. But if you jump now, your going to feel like a real ASS when this team comes around to winning again.

Viva la Bucco Bruce 1976-1996 (reincarnated 2009)

by Niko Houllis on Nov 23, 2009 5:43 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

I also failed to mention

in the post that BOTH the Saints starting cornerbacks were out on Sunday. I was expecting Freeman and our boys to do a little better against the inexperienced starters in their secondary. As far as satisfying fans goes, that is there job. They don’t get to take an off year because they don’t want to spend money. The ticket prices are the same. They OWE IT to the fans to go out and sign guys go at least make us semi-competitive. We are the ones paying the bills when all is said and done, so I expect the front office to go out there and put together a competitive team every season.

Now, obviously we are from different camps. I didn’t start watching the Bucs until 1995 or so, so I’m not a fellow subscriber to the “I sat through 14 losing seasons, so this isn’t that bad” idea. We have been consistently competitive for over a decade. Sure, we had a bad season here and there, but nothing like this.

As you said, the past is the past. We can write off those consecutive losing seasons as a distant memory. They have nothing to do with our problems today. Different stadium, different ownership, different players, different coaches. The only thing we have in common with those seasons is the City and Team name. My Tampa Bay Bucs need help, and I’ll continue to call out the front office and ownership until they get it. I’m not jumping ship, nor will I ever, but I will call a turd a turd when I see one.

"Three or four plane crashes and we're in the playoffs" - John McKay

by LeeCaz on Nov 23, 2009 6:03 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

I dont want you or anyone to take what Im saying the wrong way...

When I point out my length of fandom, I only point it out as a source of info, not a badge. I do not feel, nor do I want to convey, that Im a better or bigger fan because of how long Ive been a Bucs fan. That has NOTHING to do with being a fan.

So I can understand your point of view, you didnt have to experience that, so to you, this is just crazy. My point of view is different, because I did experience those down years, this year doesnt phase me as much because I see this team is much better off than those teams like the 86, 91, or other teams where we won only a couple of games.

So my point of view is it is not all that bad. It didnt change in one week. It was a terrible game against a team that should be in the NFC championship game if not the Superbowl.

Viva la Bucco Bruce 1976-1996 (reincarnated 2009)

by Niko Houllis on Nov 24, 2009 8:58 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Agreed

as well. I’m not as down about it as you and some other people, cause I still get excited about some of the good things we have going on and some of the young guys we have. There is a lot to build on here, it’s just a question of whether or not we have the right front office personnel to do it right. We’ll see.

"I'm throwing rocks tonight. Mark it, Dude" - Donny

by Paul Mueller on Nov 23, 2009 11:47 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

I agree the team is terrible

but you cant compare teams, like this…

As I said above, St. Louis, which until yesterday I considered to be an inferior team to us, gave New Orleans a good run for their money last week.

According to this theory, we are better then the Bills, Cowboys, 49ers, Cardinals, Bears…because we beat the Packers and they were beat by the Packers.

"Why does bottled water have an expiration date?"

by Hook85 on Nov 26, 2009 12:07 AM EST reply actions 0 recs