Will The Bye Week Bring Any Changes

With the Bucs starting out the season 0-7 and entering into a bye week, one would think there could be some changes coming for the Bucs when we return to action in Week 9 vs the Green Bay Packers.   The organization has high hopes for the game vs the Packers as we will induct long overdue Lee Roy Selmon into the new Buccaneers Ring of Honor.  We will also be wearing our old school orange jerseys, only fitting considering were awful for the first time since the switch to the pewter and red.

Some interesting stats going into the bye week.

• Only the Rams, Panthers, Raiders, Browns, Redskins and Titans have scored less points than us through 7 weeks, and 2 of those 6 teams have already had their by week.  We currently rank 28th in the league in scoring at a paltry 13.7 points per game.
• Only the Rams have allowed more points per game than we are allowing defensively.
• Bucs QB’s have thrown 8 Td’s and 11 INT’s.
• We are running 19 times a game on average, not including runs by the QB’s.  We are throwing the ball 33 times per game.
• We have not made a field goal over 40 yards all season long and we’re 2 for 7 on field goal attempts all year.
• The Bucs have 11 sacks through 7 games, for an average of 1.5 p/game.  Also have 11 INT’s through 7 games for the same average.
• Only one player is on pace for 100 plus tackles, alarming considering were getting smoked every game.

So after seeing those ridiculous stats, some changes would have to be in store, would they not?  We know Raheem Morris isn’t getting fired just yet (although I did wake up Monday morning hoping for a nice bottom line update telling me the contrary).  What other changes might we see.

• I’d have to think that Josh Freeman is going to start this week.   Johnson has shown some promise, but the only way that this coaching staff has any chance of staying into next season (I see that % at 0 right now) is for Freeman to come in and show some promise.  Playing against a juggernaut in England was not the way they wanted to throw their prized pupil to the wolves, but if I had to pick one game for the year that would be ideal from a fan standpoint for Freeman to play, this would be the game.
• Our LB’s have been awful at coverage, but I’m not sure we have much in the way of relief.  Quincy Black and Geno Hayes have both had a hard time covering players down the field, so we might see a bit more of Adam Heyward next week.
• I would think that we would start to run the ball a bit more, but I have been expecting that every week, and it hasn’t happened.  I’m not holding my breath on this one.  Our best 4 lineman have been Tim Crowder, Jimmy Wilkerson (having a great year), Roy Miller and Ryan Sims.  Our best lineup to stop the run, Crowder, Wilkerson, Miller, Sims.   Being as though we’re giving up 162 yards a game on the ground, getting beefier up front (especially considering that’s our best young lineup, we are rebuilding right?) would seem to make sense.
• We have to start targeting Antonio Bryant more.  The guy has Elmers hands, and we are paying him 10 million bucks, we might as well throw him the ball.

With our injury situation, we don’t have ideal depth to make a lot of personnel changes, but some philosophical and strategic changes could certainly be made.  My issue though, I don’t think our staff is smart enough to make those changes.  I guess this an exercise aimed solely at making me not want to stab my eyes out in lieu of watching the pitiful display on the field.