Thoughts From Buccaneers vs Chiefs

WOW!  If you were just looking to watch an extremely entertaining football game and you weren’t a fan of either team, you were treated to a great game.  The Chiefs looked on their way to a route in the first half, only to have the momentum shift back into our favor right before halftime…Onto my quick hits from the game.

• Ronde, come on dog.  Tyler Thigpen, for real.  I don’t care if it is a trick play or the greatest play ever designed.  Ronde getting burnt by rookie QB on a little hesitation route, almost made me throw up.  If it weren’t for the incredible catch off the reverse end around by and then the Mark Bradley pinpoint 50 yard heave off of one foot to hit the aforementioned Thigpen, vomit was definitely on its way. 
• The Chiefs became the 1st team to run for 100 yards and the first team to score a rushing TD on us all year.  This was inevitable, I know this, but their run game dominated us all game.  This is unacceptable at home or on the road. 
• I thought Jeff Garcia was pretty solid.  He did throw for a lot of yards, but threw a Griese like interception into quadruple coverage that was not only a shitty pass, but a terrible decision in itself to even throw the ball. 
• Ernest Grahams’ two fumbles are also something that I know truly irked coach Jon Gruden.  I think even more so than interceptions, Gruden despises fumbles.  The 2nd one at the end of the game should have cost us the game, even though it might not have actually been a fumble.  I actually think that he was down, but based on the call on the field (fumble) and the angles provided to the refs and to the TV audience, that the refs made the right call. 
• Quite the stable of backs that the Chiefs have right now.  No Larry Johnson, who cares.  Kolby Smith was doing a good job of pounding our d before he got hurt, and then 3rd round draft pick Jamaal Charles came in and looked even better.  I realize our run defense had an uncharacteristically bad game, but these backs looked good.  As a team, the Chiefs rushed for 183 yards and 9 first downs on runs. 
• Clifton Smith, my man!  He showed Dexter Jackson exactly how to effectively run back kicks.  No dancing, no prancing around, no running backwards.  You catch the ball, run forward, and make a cut.  If the play is there, it will develop, if not, you go down.  Simple as that.  His last kick return in the game is what put us in position to kick the game winning field goal. 
• Was Jeremy Truebloods’ false start the greatest false start in recent memory?  Matt  Bryant was on the way to burying a 38 yard field goal when the Chiefs called one of those ridiculous right before the kick timeouts (this kick was good).  We lined up after the timeout for the 2nd field goal and got it off (it was no good), only to have Ed “Muscles” Hochuli call a false start on Trueblood, which obviously is a dead ball foul, and has no chance of being declined.  We then proceeded to have a big play to Clifton Smith which put us in much better position to kick a field goal from a more manageable distance.  Thanks Trueblood.  If I see you at Peabody’s again, Patron shots for all!
• If you watch the game from a standpoint of looking at effectiveness in each half, this game is a route for both teams.  We dominated the Chiefs in the 2nd half, thanks to the pre-haltime return from Clifton Smith.  As I mentioned earlier, the Chiefs were giving us a good ole fashioned ass kicking in the first half.  This was the biggest comeback in Buccaneers history, 21 points. 
• Antonio Bryant with another big game with 8 catches for 118 yards and a touchdown.  He is obviously Jeff Garcia’s go to target on offense, and is looking like a FA steal.  For all the bitching and whining from the fans who don’t know squat during the offseason about not going out and making a move for Bernard Berrian, we all accept your apology.   Bruce Allen especially accepts all you dumbasses apologies. 
• Michael Clayton is starting to look like he has his swagger back.  Between being in Gruden’s doghouse, injuries and hands that looked like they were covered in Vaseline, Clayton was looking like a very unconfident player for a long time. That doesn’t look like the case anymore.  Two big catches at the end of the game for Clayton, both of which were followed by howling and chest pounding.  We need Clayton back; with him and Bryant, and even a 75% Galloway, and Ike’s Elmer’s hands on 3^rd down, not to mention the great contributions from our TE’s in the receiving department, our pass catching group is looking better and better each week.
• I know you guys are tired of me telling you how good a tackler Barrett Ruud is, but I can’t help myself.  13 total tackles and a sack for our Mike Linebacker who looks destined for the Pro Bowl.
• 6-3 going into the bye week, and picked up a huge win on the road, albeit an ugly one.  You shouldn’t ever win games that you turn the ball over 4 times and have a -3 TO margin, but it is a testament to the development of the offense to be able to carry the team on a day when the defense was just plain bad.