Than, my brain started working.  Trying to build a young team with some cohesion, brining in Mr. Anti Cohesion would be completely backwards.  While Owens certainly has skills that could help any team, his past is probably going to be too much for most teams.  

One team who it probably will not be too much for, is the Oakland Raiders.  Raiders rivals over at Arrowhead Addict, have thrown up a classic T.O. pic.   Make sure to head over to their site as well to check out the full size pic and all their great content.  

TO-Arrowhead Addict

Without further ado…

1. Ryan Sims is HATED in Kansas City. How has the ex-Chiefs’ draft bust worked out for the Bucs?

He has actually been a very hard worker since he came to our organization, I know that was the knock on him in KC. He is a regular part of our 2nd defensive line rotation, albeit at about 10-15 snaps a game. Sometimes the problem with guys is they are drafted too high, and then expectations are inflated. He is a prime example. An NFL player capable of being on a roster, but certainly not a top 10 pick.

2. Tyler Thigpen looked great last week. How do you expect Monte Kiffin to come after the second-year signal caller?

The same way we come after all very young QB’s, with the heat! We have been bringing a lot of different looks this season than our base Tampa 2 defense. Our sack totals are not high, but ask Matt Ryan what it is like to face our D! We beat him up pretty bad in our game in week 2.

3. Is Jon Gruden going to eventually have a stroke on the sideline? I swear, one of these days that visor is just going to explode into a million pieces.

I love that intensity personally. I was always more motivated as a player by a coach who was so involved in the game, as Gruden obviously is. His work days are legendary at this point. Reading Gruden’s lips on FOX is a favorite of mine.

4. Is Joey “White Tiger” Galloway about to join the endangered species list, or does he still have it?

Until I see Joey out on the field making an impact, it is hard for me to say he still has it. Gruden still talks about him as though he is a key piece to our offense. I do believe though, if Joey has anything left in the tank, the combination of him and Antonio Bryant is a formidable one. The fact that Joey has been this productive at this late stage of his career, is a real testament to the coaching of Gruden.

5. Are Alex Smith and Jerramy Stevens really good enough to not go after Tony Gonzalez? Personally, I think that move could have won you guys the NFC.

I concur. I like both guys, but neither are of Tony’s caliber, and I said as much on the little piece I wrote for Arrowhead Addict talking about TG. We need one more weapon on our offense, and he could have been it. I could see a few teams not going after him because of his cap status the next two years, but we are going to be around 50 mil under the cap after the season and could have easily absorbed his salary.

6. How cool is it to see those canons blast off live at Ray Jay? I wish we had an animatronic tribe run out and shoot arrows or something after TDs. The canons on that ship are just awesome.

It’s amazing! No matter how many times you’ve been to the stadium (and for me, that’s been every game for the last 6 years other than the Seahawks game two weeks ago during the ALCS), it still kind of catches you off guard. It gets the fans in a wild frenzy, every single time.

7. What are your game predictions? Final score?

I personally hate prognosticating, but since you asked, I’ll go Bucs 20-6. We are horrid at scoring touchdowns on the road, but I think our team will be able to pound the ball effectively against your D. Our offensive line has not been getting a lot of pub this season, but I wouldn’t trade it for any other O-Line unit in the league. We have 4 games this season where we have not allowed a sack and ran for over 140 yards, and you can’t really ask much more out of your line that. We might have a little trouble containing Dwayne Bowe and TG, but no team is better than the Bucs in the defensive red zone, so a few field goals on your end are expected.

Home-field advantage would be good news for Tampa Fans, because their Sunday swashbucklers are 4-0 at the New Sombrero. But that’s not the only good news, because guess where Super Bowl XLIII is being played? Yep, these Bucs have the opportunity to redefine the phrase “home-field advantage throughout” by reaching this year’s Big Game at Ray Jay. If they keep playing like this, they might just be able to pull that feat off.

While I like the attention from Mr. Best, and the pub on Foxsports.com, I like it when the Bucs are slept on.  I think in sports in general, teams tend to overperform while being slept on, and underperform when the hype is too much.  I will say this though, Adam is right on the fact that we are a very well balanced team.  The defense has looked as good as it has in years, the offensive line has never been better since I’ve been alive, and the offense is starting to click now that Antonio Bryant is emerging as a legitimate playmaker.