Tampa Bay Buccaneers Using Games for "Practice?"

(Photo by Jeff Zelevansky/Getty Images)

This one is hard to believe, but when you look at what has transpired this season for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, maybe it isn't that hard to grasp.

Tampa Tribune sports writer Anwar S. Richardson had a feel-good get-together with coach Raheem Morris this week.

Richardson's story carried the headline: "Confidence still INTACT." The sub-headline declared: "While Morris welcomes criticism, he is focused on building the Buccaneers."

Fine. There's the usual positive Raheem banter about how sweet it will be when he turns things around, yada, yada, yada, a phrase Morris throws out often.

But buried deep in the story is a startling revelation, call it a BOMB straight from the Buccaneer Book of Revelations.

Tight end Jerramy Stevens flat out spilled the beans.

Dig this:

"One thing people don't realize is one of the main reasons we're struggling on offense is because we practiced one offense all offseason training camp and the preseason."

Okay, we know about that.

But then this eye-opener:

"People don't realize this is the NFL. It's damn near impossible to put a new offense in and practice it during the game. A lot of the first time we're running (plays) is in the game. It's not anybody's fault."

Somewhere, the young angry former tennis champion John McEnroe would be screaming:

"YOU CAN'T BE SERIOUS!!!"

Running plays for the first time in games?

Games have become nothing more than practice sessions for the offense?

No wonder it all looks so bad on Sundays.

This begs the question:

What in the name of Vince Lombardi are these guys doing during practice?"

Now that's a question Richardson should have thrown at Mr. Confidence, aka, Raheem Morris.

Had to read that over and over. It's that hard to fathom, isn't it?

When Tiger Woods makes a swing change, he spends a lot of time working on it before he takes it into tournament play.

But then Tiger is the ultimate champion and each week these Buccaneers are looking like the ultimate chumps.

Can you hear the infamous Allen Iverson interview?

"Practice? Practice? Man, we're talking about practice...."

So what DO the Bucs work on at practice?

OK, here's a simple suggestion:

How about working on new plays during the week, at practice?

What a novel idea!

In the meantime, our Buccos are winging their way to London, missing a day of practice.

Practice?

Who needs practice?

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