Tampa, Florida					Thursday, September 09, 2010

The Tampa Bay Dangerfields
Monday, December 5, 2005
TAMPA--Like Rodney Dangerfield, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers get no respect. They were picked in the pre-season to be rotten, to finish last in their southern division of the NFL's National Conference. They were not assigned a single national television slot, not one. And, of course, they were not allotted time on Monday Night Football. Got a beautiful stadium, Raymond James. It is said to be as good as there is, with the league's best turf, was chosen after the schedule for 2005 was released to host another Super Bowl, in 2009, and the shots from the press box cameras over Tampa and Tampa Bay always are admired. And, it was just the other year, 2002, that the Buccaneers won the Super Bowl, 48-21 at San Diego, on Jan. 26, 2003.  Of course, these 2005 Bucs of Coach Jon Gruden were not picked to do well this season either, not in a division that included more recent Super Bowlers, and new NFL darlings Carolina, everybody's personal favorite, Atlanta of Michael Vick, and the Big Easy, New Orleans, before the storm than almost neutered that team. Well, the Bucs drew a decent schedule, except for the final stretch, got a few good ones in the draft and off the open market, got quarterback Brian Griese to play well until injured in the sixth game, a backup Chris Simms, both of familiar dads (Bob and Phil) to play well through the next five for a surprising 8-4 standing through 12 games. Yet, in truth, they still get little respect, these 2005 Buccaneers Rodney Dangerfields of great defense and plodding offense, and aren't likely to unless they can stage a major upset this Sunday at Charlotte. Oh, the praise is high generally for Monte Kiffin's latest stout defense. It has bent and even broken at times, but my it also has been terrific at times, outstanding because of individual play at times, but pretty reliable all around. Indeed, if the offense, which gets better as rookie Cadillac Williams gets more experienced and his second wind for this long professional season so strange to newcomers, were on a par with the defense and the special teams the Bucs-2005 would indeed be dandies. It might even help if the play-calling were a bit more daring, but, then, they are 8-4 and this week very much in the playoffs. The two last Buc games have perfectly mirrored their season and what they are about for Coach Gruden, or, maybe what he wants them to be. The Bucs missed a chance to tie and force overtime against the Chicago Bears two Sundays ago at Tampa when Matt Bryant missed his first field goal attempt of the season, a 29 yarder	with time running out. Chicago won 13-10. This last Sunday, the Bucs beat New Orleans at Baton Rouge 10-3 when the Bucs stopped a late Saints surge inside the Tampa 20 on a leaping interception of New Orleans quarterback Aaron Brooks by Mr. Everywhere that day, Ronde Barber, to save the day. Barber, a mighty talent, had three interceptions that day in Baton Rouge, off a favorite of his to stalk, Aaron Brooks. All-Pro Ronde Barber is not only a bandit for hrown balls but a sensational blitzer, with 19 career sacks, second in the NFL in history, and he is a leading tackler and touchdown scorer with swiped rival passes. He has had at least 90 tackles each of his seasons and eight total touchdowns by returning picks and/or fumbles for scores. The Chicago game lost a week ago 13-10, was a typical Buc loss this year. Then, this past weekend at Baton Rouge, the Bucs beat the Saints by protecting the 10-3 lead when Barber, again, intercepted late in the game to stop a New Orleans drive. These brinkmanship specialists, these Bucs, early, beat Green Bay 17-16, Detroit 17-13, San Francisco 15-10, Washington 36-35, Atlanta 30-27, then Chicago and New Orleans by tiny margins, a total of seven opponents by 17 points. They've blown out nobody. I mean, after that 10-3 win over New Orleans last Sunday, Bucs fans felt only relief, declaring bad game, good win. Bucs coaches and players declared it a win, never mind the means. But then, the best of the Bucs teams have had solid defenses, not devastating offenses. That was true even of the early best teams of the 70s and 80s, when Lee Roy Selmon at defensive end was playing his Hall of Fame football as a Buccaneer, the solid teams of the late John McKay. Thus, the only way the Bucs can eliminate the Dangerfield stigma is to beat Carolina this weekend in Charlotte, a task most say is unlikely-indeed, impossible. The 9-3 Carolinians beat up on Tampa last Nov. 6 in Tampa 34-14, and it wasn't that close. Indeed, the Bucs have generally been regular whipping boys for the Panthers. A loss to Carolina won't deal the Bucs out of the playoff picture for good, though it will almost surely give the division title, and thus home advantage, to the Panthers. The Bucs' remaining schedule is tough, at New England where snow and/or frigid weather will doom the sunshine boys, and that might eliminate them. After that, the final two games are in Tampa against the Saints and Atlanta. Both possible wins for a 10-6 record, assuming Tampa loses at Carolina and New England. The 10-6 would be long shot playoff record this year, and not satisfactory now, with this 8-4 position at the present. Some say the way to win at Carolina is the Barber Game Plan-three more interceptions, but two for touchdowns. ##
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