Sorrry for my late post this week on this weekends spankdown of the previous division leading Carolina Panthers. I was at the baseball game till about 2 am on Sunday morning, went home and slept for about an hour, tailgated and then went to the Bucs game. After the game, I proceeded to go into a mild coma till Monday morning, then got up and drove to South Carolina. I know, wahhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!.
Here they are…my thoughts from this weekends game.
Sorry that had to my first point! The defense was incredible. The Panthers had 13 first downs, and I think 4 of them were on their final futile drive of the game when we were playing an entire squad of backups.
So much for Jake Delhomme as the Bucs killer! He was 20 for 39 with 3 picks. Ouch.
For not having any shame about being a Jeff Garcia hater, I was impressed with him this weekend. It wasn’t the 0 interceptions that impressed me, because the way he normally progresses through receivers, throwing picks is hard. I was impressed that he was making those first reads in the 10-15 yard area, and if they were there, he was making the throw, and if not, he was looking to the dump. Impressive, and Head Coach Jon Gruden obviously agreed as he was pretty much immediately named the starter for this weeks game against Seattle.
Warrick Dunn was incredible. 22 carries for 115 yards. He looks better than I have ever seen him in his career, and he has had quite a distinguished careeer.
After Byron Storer went out with an injury, Ernest Graham VOLUNTEERED to move to fullback to block for Dunn. I love this guy, and to be perfectly honest, as a 25% part time fullback, I think he helps make our offense a lot more dynamic even when BJ Askew comes back.
Hey Steve Smith, are you awake yet? Tanard Jackson made him pay late in the game, crushing Smith and leading to a pick. Jermaine Phillips also crushed Donte Rosario so badly at the start of the game, that I felt a little bad for him. We are hitting hard right now, a sticking point for Monte Kiffin.
We used the TE’s more than our receivers in this game, and I think this is a trend that you will see continue until Joey Galloway gets back. 5 catches for TE’s, 5 catches for backs, and 4 catches for receivers.
Did I mention our defense looks incredible?!
Congrats to Geno Hayes on the blocked punt and return for a TD. I forgot that we ever block kicks in Tampa, because, well, we don’t!
Josh Bidwell is amazing. This guy had 3 punts inside the 10, and put one punt directly on the one yard line.
The No Fun League was in full gear this weekend as we got a personal foul or unsportsmanlike conduct after all three of our picks.
"“I guess they don’t want you to have much fun at all after an interception,” Gruden said. “I don’t want to disagree or get fined, but a guy does a back flip [or] a guy does a cartwheel, I guess I have to look into what exactly we did wrong and then I’ll have a comment for you. I’m not going to lose sleep over that.”"
Aaron Sears got hurt, and I have no heard an update on his status. Rookie Jerremy Zuttah replaced him.
This weekend is Mike Alstott Tribute Day versus the Seahawks. Hopefully the Rays – Sox series doesn’t go 7, because they are both scheduled for Sunday Night. PLEASE RAYS, WIN IN 6.
