I had an opportunity to see the Tampa Bay Buccaneers live and in person last Sunday as they took on the Houston Texans. I broadcast the Houston Texans 37 to 9 victory for Westwood One national radio. Trust me the game wasn’t that close, and by the second half the stadium was three quarters empty.
What I saw was a young Tampa team that has lost confidence. Last year Tampa won 10 games and lost a tie breaker to the eventual World Champion Packers to get into the NFC playoffs. Over the course of those ten wins they beat one winning team, New Orleans, on the last weekend of the regular season. This year playing a tougher schedule they got off to a fast start beating Minnesota, Atlanta, and Indianapolis after losing the opener to the Lions. But since the 3-1 start they have lost 4 of their last 5. They are getting gashed on the ground yielding in excess of 170 yards rushing in 4 of those five games: 177 rushing yards by the Bears in London, 195 yards by the Saints running attack and 185 yards by Houston last week.
Tampa has big problems on the inside where for the second year in a row defensive tackle Gerald McCoy the 3 rd overall pick in the 2010 draft has been lost for the season due to a biceps tear. Last week they added Albert Haynesworth who was cut by New England earlier in the week. Finally Haynesworth is playing on a 4 man line, in a one gap front like he did when he was an all pro in Tennessee. The Redskins and Patriots asked him to play in a 2 gap front and that was like trying to fit a square peg into a round hole. A big square peg 6’-6” 350 pounds! Albert missed a day of practice due to a sore knee this week but he was back at full go Thursday. My point is this, if the Packers are ever going to put a really big rushing number on the board this season, one figures this would be the week.
The Packers won’t have to rush for 150 yards to beat the Bucs Sunday and chances are they won’t. The Packers, as we all know, are a “pass first” operation and to that end there will be plenty of open targets down field. This is a talented secondary on the corners with Ronde Barber and Aquib Talib but the safeties struggle and they probably won’t have Tanard Jackson due to injury. As is always the case, show me two good corners, take away two of Aaron Rodgers targets down field but how are you going to cover the other three? Therein lies the problem for Tampa Bay when they go nickel and dime with E J Biggers and Elbert Mack. Few teams can match their 3 rd and 4 th corners with the Packers deep stable of receivers.
The last time these two franchises squared off the Bucs were 0-7 and starting a rookie quarterback. That rookie QB, Josh Freeman, led them from behind for a 38-28 victory in Tampa over the Packers. Freeman completed 14 of 31 passes for 205 yards and 3 TDs. But 3 Aaron Rodgers interceptions the last of which was returned for a touchdown by safety Tanard Jackson, a blocked punt returned for a TD by Barber supplemented Freeman’s contribution.
This time around Freeman, in his 3 rd season is struggling. He is forcing passes down field. His targets are wide receivers Mike Williams 11 TD receptions last year and Arrelious Benn a 2 nd round draft choice in 2010. They have struggled to make plays and the receiving corps overall has dropped a league high 21 passes. Tight end Kellen Winslow is the go to receiver when the chips are down but his average per catch is down 4.4 yards from last year to this year. Winslow is a playmaker but his average per catch is just 9.1 yards and his long gain is 22 yards.
Tampa has just 23 plays of 20 plus yards this season in 9 games. The Packers defense has yielded 46 such plays but just 3 to the Vikings Monday night.
Tampa is the youngest team in the league and young teams can go either way during a season like this. They appear to be a descending team that has lost it’s confidence. The apparent leadership structure on that team is essentially Barber the great corner, Jeff Faine the undersized 9 year vet at center and Winslow an often injured, mercurial 8 year veteran. Last week they added Haynesworth and all the well documented baggage he brings—enough said.
Freeman is a leader but the quarterback is just in his 3 rd year and he is struggling with 13 interceptions. Leadership is tied, in part, to performance especially if you are the quarterback.
There aren’t enough quality veterans to lead this young group and that as much as anything is why Tampa is struggling and would figure to struggle the rest of the way.
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