Dec 21st 2008 4:50PM by Adam Gretz (author feed)
Filed under: Buccaneers, Chargers, AFC West
The San Diego Chargers are still in the AFC West race, amazingly, thanks to their 41-24 win in Tampa Bay. Coming into this game, I felt Philip Rivers would have a tough time throwing on the No. 3 pass defense in the NFL, which would give the Buccaneers a nice advantage. Shows what I know, as he torched the Buccaneers to the tune of 21-of-31 passing for 287 yards and four touchdowns.
So, depending on what Denver does against Buffalo today, the Chargers could be playing for the division title next week, despite starting the season 4-8. Only in the AFC West.
Tampa Bay actually went into the fourth quarter leading the game 24-20, only to pretty much collapse and allow San Diego to close the game with three unanswered touchdowns, including a pair of Rivers touchdown passes — a five-yard toss to Antonio Gates, and a 32-yard score to running back Darren Sproles. Antoine Cason sealed the win with a 59-yard interception return late in the fourth quarter.Continue Reading
Dec 22nd 2008 7:34AM by JJ Cooper (author feed)
Filed under: Bears, Broncos, Buccaneers, Chargers, Colts, Cowboys, Dolphins, Eagles, Falcons, Jets, Giants, Panthers, Patriots, Ravens, Steelers, Titans, Vikings, NFL Playoffs
This was the week when seemingly everyone decided they didn’t want to go to the playoffs. For three weeks, the injury-ravaged Broncos could have earned a playoff spot by simply winning one game. But here we are with a week to play and the Broncos still need one win.
In the NFC wild card race, Dallas came into the weekend controlling its own destiny, but they lost. That then put the ball in the Falcons and Bucs’ court. Atlanta did come through with a win to clinch a playoff spot, but the Bucs also punted their chance with a loss to the Chargers. That meant that the Eagles could put themselves in the driver’s seat with a win over the Redskins (the same team that just lost to the Bengals). Of course Philadelphia lost that game, which means that Dallas is right back where they began the weekend–win next weekend and the Cowboys are in the playoffs.Continue Reading
Dec 20th 2008 9:30PM by Adam Gretz (author feed)
Filed under: Buccaneers, Chargers, AFC West, NFL Fans, FanHouse Previews
Only in the 2008 version of the AFC West could a team enter week 16 two games under .500, and still have a fighting chance to win the division. That’s the position the San Diego Chargers find themselves in, as they bring their 6-8 record into Tampa Bay on Sunday, riding a two-game winning streak in an effort to salvage what has been a rather disappointing season.
A win for the Chargers would keep whatever playoff hopes they have alive, at least until they find out the results of the Buffalo-Denver game. A San Diego win, combined with a Denver loss, would set the stage for a week 17 game (in San Diego) to decide the AFC West champion. It could be quite a party, just so Ed Hochuli isn’t invited.
Meanwhile, Tampa Bay is coming in riding a two-game skid, both of which came against NFC South foes, leaving the Buccaneers in the middle of a free-for-all for the two NFC wild card spots. Still, the biggest problem for the Buccaneers seems to be the fact they’re dealing with a rash of injuries, including quarterback Jeff Garcia and linebacker Derrick Brooks. Garcia sat out Sunday’s overtime loss to Atlanta, and has been limited in practice most of the week.Continue Reading
Dec 21st 2008 12:00AM by JJ Cooper (author feed)
Filed under: Buccaneers, Cowboys, Falcons, NFL Playoffs
It’s probably hard for any Cowboys’ fan to believe it right now, but Dallas still has a shot to make the playoffs.
The Ravens’ win is great news for the Eagles, who now can come back from the dead to earn a playoffs spot if they beat the Redskins this week, the Cowboys next week and get a loss by either the Bucs or Falcons in either of their final two games. But even in the midst of another December collapse, Dallas is assured of a spot in the playoffs if they beat the Eagles next week and the Bucs lose to either Chargers (possible) or the Raiders (not bloody likely). Dallas beat Tampa Bay head-to-head so they would win any tiebreaker.
But even if Tampa Bay goes 2-0, the Cowboys still have shot at the playoffs with a win next week combined with a Falcons’ loss to either the Vikings this week (highly possible) or the Rams (not a chance in hell). The Falcons and Cowboys are likely to fall to the strength of victory tiebreaker, which means the winner of the playoff spot would be determined by the win-loss records of the teams they beat. Dallas currently holds a three-win advantage in strength of victory with a lot of games to play.
Dallas now needs a lot of help, and they can only blame themselves, since a win over either the Steelers or Ravens in the last three weeks would have basically locked up a playoff spot. The collapse pretty much ensures that the last memory of Dallas Stadium will be Le’Ron McClain’s 82-yard run, but it doesn’t yet mean that Dallas will be sitting out of the playoffs this January.
Dec 18th 2008 1:25PM by Adam Gretz (author feed)
Filed under: Buccaneers
Of all the first-time members on the AFC and NFC Pro Bowl teams, Clifton Smith might be the most interesting, if for no other reason than he’s a rookie that seemingly nobody wanted back in April. Smith went undrafted out of Fresno State, and apparently had free agent contract offers from only two teams, one of them being the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
For the first seven weeks of the season, Smith found himself on Tampa Bay’s practice squad, before being signed to the active roster prior to its week 8 game at Dallas. All he’s done in the seven games since is turn into one of the NFL’s most explosive kick returners.
Currently, he’s tied for the second-best kickoff return average in the NFC at 27.3 yards per return, while his 15-yard average per punt return leads the conference. Only Roscoe Parrish in the AFC can claim a higher average in the NFL. For his efforts, he earned a spot on the NFC Pro Bowl roster as the return specialist, even though he thought the phone call informing him of his selection was a joke.
In his second NFL game, Smith returned a kickoff 97 yards for a touchdown in a 30-27 win at Kansas City, and then took a punt back 70 yards against Detroit two weeks later.
Just goes to show that you never know where you’re going to find impact talent.
Dec 19th 2008 11:15AM by Adam Gretz (author feed)
Filed under: Buccaneers
If you look hard enough, every team around the NFL has a player on its roster that should have received an invite to the Pro Bowl. The St. Louis Rams, for example, are livid that their punter isn’t going. Some guys, like Atlanta’s John Abraham, simply brush it off as no big deal, while others, like Tampa Bay’s Barrett Ruud talk about how they got the shaft.
Ruud, a fourth-year middle linebacker out of Nebraska, is currently leading the Buccaneers with 117 tackles, while also registering three sacks, six pass defenses and two interceptions for playoff-hopeful Tampa Bay. He’s obviously having a great season, though, not great enough to receive an invite to Hawaii. Predictably, he’s not exactly thrilled with decision.
From Rick Stroud and Stephen F. Holder of the St. Petersburg Times: “I got the shaft,” Ruud said. “Somebody’s got to get it, though.” “The old saying is usually you go a couple years after you’re supposed to and you stay a couple years longer. I’m not going to throw a tantrum or anything. I would’ve liked to have gone. Everybody wants to have that tag as a Pro Bowler, but unfortunately it didn’t happen. All I can do is keep playing to get into the playoffs now.” Continue Reading
Dec 16th 2008 1:43PM by JJ Cooper (author feed)
Filed under: Bears, Broncos, Buccaneers, Chargers, Colts, Cowboys, Dolphins, Eagles, Falcons, Jets, Giants, Panthers, Patriots, Steelers, Titans, Vikings, NFL Playoffs
The playoff scenarios get a little bit clearer, but what’s remarkable with two weeks to play is how a 10-6 record may mean very little this year. Usually 10-6 is enough to wrap up a playoff spot, and it is this year if you play in a weak division. But if you’re aiming for a wild-card spot, 10-6 might leave you sitting at home.
But while scenarios are clearer this week than last week, it’s still pretty complicated, especially in the wild-card races, where four 9-5 AFC teams and three 9-5 wild-card contenders in the NFC ensure that there are plenty of tiebreakers to check out.
Probably the most surprising thing that jumped out when running through this week’s scenarios is how the Giants could go from a sure-fire No. 1 seed to playing next week to stay out of the first week of the postseason if they lose this week. And Minnesota has gone from a likely January vacation to a shot at a first-round bye.
Continue Reading
Dec 15th 2008 2:55PM by Adam Gretz (author feed)
Filed under: Buccaneers, NFL Injuries
After dropping two consecutive NFC South games, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are in need of some good news. Unfortunately, that’s not going to happen at the moment, as head coach Jon Gruden announced on Monday that safety Jermaine Phillips will be lost for the season with a broken forearm.
Even worse, linebacker Derrick Brooks, who is the NFL’s very own iron man, suffered a rib injury in the loss that is “very concerning” to Gruden. Not exactly what the doctor ordered for a team that’s still desperately fighting for one of the final playoff spots in the NFC.
Two weeks ago Tampa Bay was sitting with a 9-3 record, on top of the NFC South. Now, the Buccaneers find themselves in a three-way battle with Dallas and Atlanta for the two NFC wild card spots, and they’re losing players almost as fast as they’re losing games.
With running back Earnest Graham already out of the lineup, the Buccaneers had to rely on backup quarterback Brian Griese in Sunday’s loss to Atlanta thanks to a calf injury to starter Jeff Garcia. Now comes the news of Phillips and Brooks, and, well, that’s not good news for Tampa Bay.
What good news for Tampa Bay, however, is the fact it closes out the season with home games against San Diego and Oakland.
Dec 16th 2008 10:00AM by Will Brinson (author feed)
Filed under: Bengals, Buccaneers, NFL Media Watch, NFL Rumors is, of course, an awesome movie. It has Michael J. Fox, a girl named “Boof” and, well, werewolves. Also, it has Styles, Fox’s lovable sidekick-type friend that has huge sunglasses and sports crazy antics. Yeah, he’s awesome.
Greg White, Tampa Bay defensive lineman, thinks the character is so awesome, actually, that he has officially changed his name in order to honor the guy.
Tampa Bay’s second-year DE has officially changed his name. On Monday, a Hillsborough County Circuit Court granted White’s request to change his name from Gregory Alphonso White Jr. to Stylez G, White.
Circuit Judge Steve Scott Stephens signed off on White’s petition and as White walked through the Bucs locker room Monday, he gleefully distributed copies of the final judgment.
White said he picked his new name from a character in the 1985 movie “Teen Wolf,” starring Michael J. Fox. Continue Reading
Dec 14th 2008 12:10PM by Adam Gretz (author feed)
Filed under: Buccaneers, Falcons, NFC South, NFL Injuries
After some early morning doubts as to who their starting quarterback would be — Jeff Garcia or Luke McCown — the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have decided that the answer will be Brian Griese, with a little bit of McCown sprinkled in throughout the day.
Adam Schefter reports (via PFT) that the veteran Griese will be making the start in Tampa Bay’s huge NFC South tilt with Atlanta, while McCown is expected to see some action throughout the day. Garcia will be the team’s No. 3 quarterback.
Griese started four games for Tampa Bay earlier this season, and struggled mightily, throwing six interceptions and posting a 64.6 passer rating. At the time, Gruden was fine with it because the Buccaneers were winning, but when the 33-year-old veteran went down with an elbow injury, Garcia took over under center and hasn’t looked back.
McCown played in four of Tampa Bay’s final five games a season ago, completing nearly 68 percent of his passes with a 91.7 passer rating.
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