Bleacher Report - NFC South

Patriots – Saints: The Battle of the Bayou Preview

Lloyd Vance — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 16:17:09 -0500

WR Julian Edleman and the New Patriots travel to New Orleans to face-off against the undefeated Saints on Monday Night Football

Patriots – Saints: The Battle of the Bayou Preview

ESPN Monday Night Football, 8:30 EST

Broadcasting team: Ron Jaworski, Mike Tirico, John Gruden, and Suzy Kolber (sideline reporter)

Week 12 of the 2009 NFL Season has been one of the best for the league that always seems to leave its fans wanting more, but without a doubt the Monday Night Football match-up between the undefeated New Orleans Saints (10-0, the best start in franchise history) and the New England Patriots (7-3) is the cherry on top. The Super Dome will be rocking as the “New Kids on the Block” (Saints) will take on the “Old Heads” (Patriots) to see who will be “King of the Hill” on the NFL’s playground.

After many had thought they had seen the precursor to the NFL playoffs in “Super Bowl XLIII 1/2” where the undefeated Indianapolis Colts led by MVP-candidate Peyton Manning came back to post an amazing 35-34 win over the Patriots, no one thought there could be a better game. Well, I am not sure if the game that people are calling, “The Battle of the Bayou” or Super Bowl XLIII 3/4 will live-up to the inordinate amount of hype generated, but you have to admit this is a fascinating match-up that will have the nation’s attention. Sure, a match-up of the undefeated Saints versus the undefeated Colts probably would have created more buzz, but this pairing is just as good, in my opinion.

Even though these two teams’ histories are vastly different—the Saints have never been to the Super Bowl while the Patriots have been to seven Super Bowls, producing three wins all this decade—there is a mutual amount of respect on both sides of the field as two of Bill Parcells’ former disciples will square-off. Both teams have an embarrassment of offensive weapons and defensively they both can provide pressure that often leads to capitalizing on turnovers and taking them to the house. Patriots head coach Bill Belichick, who throws compliments to upcoming opponents like manhole covers, recently said of the Saints, “I don’t think there’s any better team in football than the New Orleans Saints. They have no weaknesses that I can see.”

Of the upcoming Monday Night Football showdown, Saints QB Drew Brees (218-320, 2746 yards, 22 TDs and 9 INTs) said, “It’s going to take our best game to beat the Patriots. We know the type of team they are. We know the type of team they’ve been for the last decade. They’re a dynasty. Obviously, that’s one of the organizations we try to emulate. We’re trying to be a contender year-in and year-out and we’ve got to take advantage of these opportunities.”

New Orleans head coach Sean Payton was just as complimentary when talking about the Patriots saying, “We know it’s a good team that we’re playing this week. New England has been a successful franchise and is one of those organizations that has found the right formula. When you play a team like this, you observe from afar the things that they are able to do and how that relates to winning games.”

Any talk of this Monday night thriller has to start and end with the two quarterbacks leading their teams and as an old beer commercial used to say, “It doesn’t get any better than this."

In the year of the quarterback around the NFL, probably the only passers playing better at this point in the season are Manning and Vikings' QB Brett Favre, but that is saying something as both those veterans are shooting for their fourth NFL MVP award.

Payton, in talking about Brady and Brees, said, “Both of these quarterbacks are accurate."

The currently undefeated head coach added, “They’re good decision-makers and can decide quickly where they want to go with the ball based on the looks they’re getting. Those are certainly traits you see with both of them.”

Brees is second in the NFL with a 105.8 passer rating while Patriots QB Tom Brady is not far behind with a rating of 100.4, which is good enough for fifth in the NFL. In the touchdowns department, Brees also has a slight lead as he leads the league with 22 touchdown passes with Brady again not being far behind 20 (ranks fourth in the NFL in this category).

Like any great heavyweight fight, now that the pleasantries have been dispensed by both sides, let’s break this game down. First off, fans should expect a ton of scoring as this is a match-up of the NFL’s No. 1 and 2 offenses—the Saints average a league leading 420.5 yards per game and the Patriots are next with an average of 416.1 ypg, which is first in the AFC—playing on the Super Dome’s fast track. The Saints have redefined the term “high-octane” this season with an incredible 369 points scored through 10 games including producing over 40 points four times.

Many are comparing New Orleans to 500+ point plus scoring squads such as the 1999 St. Louis Rams (529 points scored and Super Bowl champs), 1998 Minnesota Vikings (556 points scored and a record of 15-1), and lastly the 2007 New Patriots (NFL record 589 points score and 16-0 AFC Champs) who will have several members from that offense still playing for them on Monday.

For the Saints offensively, Brees spreads the ball around to former Pro Bowl receiver Marques Colston (44 receptions for 687 yards, 15.6 ypc, and 6 TDs), scatback Reggie Bush, breakout player of the year candidate WR Robert Meachem, RB Pierre Thomas, speedster WR Devrey Henderson and many others (hard to believe former NY Giants’ Pro Bowl TE Jeremy Shockey is an afterthought on the Saints roster) so at times it seems there is no stopping New Orleans. They have outscored opponents 369-204 so far this season and an amazing 18 players have scored touchdowns this season.

Every week seems to be a track meet for the Saints whether home or away even though at times they have sputtered out of the gate a couple of times—average winning margin of 16.5 points. The closest any team has come to beating them were the St. Louis Rams, who lost 28-23, but it wasn’t even as close as the score would indicate.

The Saints offense hasn’t been the team’s only story for 2009 as new defensive coordinator Gregg Williams has returned some teeth to a defense that allowed 393 points (24.6/g) in 2008. Williams' aggressive unit has generated seven touchdowns and produced a league-high 29 takeaways including 20 INTs.

The Saints defense starts upfront with pass rushers DE Will Smith (8.5 sacks) and DE Charles Grant providing pressure on quarterbacks that has helped MLB Jonathan Vilma, safety Darren Sharper (seven interceptions, returning three for touchdowns), CB Tracy Porter, and others make the most of their turnover opportunities—Saints are third in the NFL with a +10 turnover ratio.

However, even though the Saints have been stellar at getting turnovers, some teams have been able to move the ball on them at times this season—allowed 204 points (20.4/g), which ranks them 15th in the NFL. Also injuries could be a factor for the Saints’ defense as Porter is listed as “doubtful” with CB Randall Gay (hamstring), CB Jabari Greer (groin), DE Bobby McCray (knee/back), and Vilma (knee) listed as “questionable” for the game.

Not to be outdone, the Patriots’ offense is also one of the NFL’s best at passing the football this season. The Pats’ offense is also dangerous and the scary part is that QB Tom Brady (261-393, 3049 yards, 20 TDs, and six INTs) seems to have finally put his devastating 2008 knee injury behind—remember his NFL record six TD performance in the a 59-0 blowout of Tennessee Titans in week six?

Brady will also spread the ball around, but watch for his big play threat WR Randy Moss (63 receptions for 925 yards, 14.7 YPC, and eight TDs with a long of 71 yards), his multi-purpose chain mover RB Kevin Faulk (39 rushes for 192 yards and 29 catches for 252 yards w/ one TD) and his security blanket WR Wes Welker (79 catches for 854 yards, 10.8 ypc, and four TDs plus coming off a career-high 15-catch performance last week) to be much involved in the Patriots game plan. Last week against the Jets, Welker and Moss combined for 20 catches in a 31-14 win which gave the pair 142 combined receptions through 10 games to surpass an NFL record that was set earlier in the day by Colts Reggie Wayne and Dallas Clark.

If the Patriots are smart, they will try to establish their running game (Faulk, Laurence Maroney, and Sammy Morris) against the Saints fast defensive line to wear them down. The Saints are getting DT Sedrick Ellis back from a knee sprain, but controlling the clock will be key for the Patriots to take the air out of the ball to keep Brees’ offensive weaponry on the sidelines. The Patriots’ offensive line also will need to step up too in this game as, at times this season, the unit has struggled with speed rushers.

On defense, the Patriots—ranked third in the AFC with 296.7 points allowed per game—are no slouches in the turnover department either as they lead the AFC with a +12 ratio. But they will surely need to have big games from improving FS Brandon McGowan (good cover guy TEs), cover corner Leigh Bodden (five INTs including three last week against the Jets), and pass rusher Tully Banta-Cain (five sacks) to keep Brees foot off the gas.

There is no doubt the Patriots still have some playmakers on the defensive side, but you have to wonder if the defections of DL Richard Seymour (traded to the Raiders), SS Rodney Harrison (retirement to NBC), LB Tedy Bruschi (retirement to ESPN) and others have caused their unit to be questioned.

We all know head coach Belichick had questions of the unit in their much-publicized week nine’s loss in Indy. Protecting a slim six-point lead, the three-time Super Bowl winning head coach chose to go for it on fourth down deep in his own territory rather than punt and let his defense have a chance at stopping Peyton Manning and Colts offense. As the whole world knows, the Patriots did not convert the infamous play and now many people around NFL circles are wondering if their defense is championship caliber.

LV’s Pick: These two teams have met 11 times with the Patriots holding a dominating 8-3 edge including winning their last three meetings. The last time was in November of 2005 as the Patriots won 24-17 in Foxborough. As many are predicting, I believe this game will be a high scoring affair. But in the end, I believe the team that can establish the run and limit turnovers will be the winner.

Lately, the Saints have been a little careless with the football and the Patriots have a strong veteran group that knows how to capitalize on mistakes and win close games. Plus the Pats are 5-0 all-time at Superdome including a Super Bowl win. Also with the Colts staying undefeated this week, the chances are pretty strong that the Saints will lose—there have never been two 11-0 teams in NFL history.

New England wins late as Brady hits Moss for a game-winning touchdown, 31-28.

Lloyd Vance is a Sr. NFL Writer for Taking It to the House and an award-winning member of the Pro Football Writers of America (PFWA)

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Tight Line for New England Pats-New Orleans Saints on Monday Night Football

steve tisch — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 07:17:51 -0500

The Indianapolis Colts remain undefeated but will the New Orleans Saints?

The Saints will look to remain their perfect record when they host the New England Patriots on Monday Night Football —New Orleans is a 1.5-point home fave and the Over/Under is at 57.

In seven matchups against the Saints, dating back to 1986, the Pats are 1-6 against the spread and in that time, the two have gone Over six times.

In New England’s last nine road games it has gone 6-3 ATS and in New Orleans’ last 10 home games, it is 9-1 SU, 7-3 ATS and has gone Over seven times.

When listed as a favorite of two-points or fewer, the Saints are 8-1 SU and ATS with eight Overs in their last nine such games.

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Michael Turner Injury Leaves Atlanta Falcons Backfield with Many Questions

PJ Ross — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 17:33:46 -0500

Michael Turner left Sunday's game against Tampa Bay after re-aggravating a right ankle injury.

Turner initially suffered a high-ankle sprain two weeks ago, and was re-injured today after awkwardly twisting backwards on the previously damaged ankle.

Considering that a high-ankle sprain requires at least four-to-six weeks to heal, what were the Atlanta Falcons thinking?

Additionally, the injury can sometimes be so severe that it requires a cast or splint to support the damaged joint.

An athlete who sustains this injury will normally be on crutches for around two weeks, yet the Falcons' training staff seemed to have no qualms about rushing their superstar back against the Buccaneers.

Turner signed a six-year, $34 million contract before the 2008 season, and as the featured back he had no business trying to play through this injury.

By no means should he have been on the field during Week 12 action, especially considering the Falcons were facing the the one-win Bucs.

Not to mention that putting him back on the field allowed him to further damage the joint and perhaps could keep him out for the remainder of the season.

My hat goes off to Turner for attempting to show him teammates and coach that he is tough enough to play through the injury, but he displayed a visible hitch in his gait during Sunday's game even before hurting the ankle again.

Turner carried 12 times for only 33 yards before leaving the game.

If the Falcons had played this on the safe side, they could have had Turner back at full strength by Week 16, but now his timetable for return could extend past the end of the regular season.

Despite coming from behind and picking up a 20-17 victory, the Falcons face two pivotal games in the upcoming weeks with Philadelphia and NFC South leading New Orleans coming to town back-to-back.

Atlanta is now left with Jason Snelling and Jerious Norwood to shoulder the load.

Many fantasy owners picked up Snelling before his breakout game last week, when he rushed for 76 yards and two touchdowns on 25 carries, and it would be a good idea to retain him for the near future considering Turner's unsure status going forward.

Snelling rushed only four times for eight yards today, but he will surely see an increased workload next week against the Eagles.

As for Norwood, he also returned from an injury today, and he carried the ball six times against Tampa Bay for 22 yards, with 18 of those coming via one long run.

For those owners looking to fill an RB2 slot or utility role, Snelling or Norwood might provide a boost for your squad over the next few weeks.

But with the lingering question of which back will get the bulk of the carries, be sure to keep up-to-date during the week on whether Snelling or Norwood is being favored at practice.

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2010 Minnesota Vikings Mock Draft: Will Colt McCoy Fall To Minnesota?

Tanner Thoms — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 02:17:58 -0500

The NFL Draft is in exactly five months from today (11/28/09). I haven't done a full Minnesota Vikings mock draft in almost eight months now.

This is one of my favorite articles to post out to the world of Bleacher Report.

Typically, I get a good response from my mock drafts because of how accurate and realistic they are.

Enough of my boasting.

Now it's time for the picks!

First round (30): Travis Lewis, Outside Linebacker, Oklahoma

Ben Leber, the Vikings current weakside linebacker has obviously lost a step in his game. Lewis would be the perfect candidate to take over for him in either 2010 or 2011. He has great size at 6'2" and 230 lbs. Lewis is a great tackler and an all around dominant linebacker. He will be able to step in right away to make an impact for an already impressive Minnesota Vikings defense.

Second round (62): Nate Allen, Free Safety, South Florida

For some reason I just can't seem to think that Madieu Williams is a great start at free safety. The reason is simple: It's because he's not. Allen is a great prospect, and would be an excellent pick late in the second round. Will he start in 2010? Doubtful. But he would definitely start if Williams is gone when the 2011 season comes rolling around.

Third round (94): Jay Ross, Nose Tackle, East Carolina

Ever heard of Jay Ross before? I bet only a select few of you have heard of this massive nose tackle. After doing some studying on Ross, I am starting to fall in love with this guy. Pat Williams will likely hang up the cleats within the next one to two years. What will that leave Minnesota with at nose tackle? Nothing. At 6'3" and 320 pounds, Ross is a phenom who recently returned a fumble for a touchdown on national television.

Fourth round (125): Joe McKnight, Running Back, USC

Despite only being a junior, I believe that Joe McKnight will declare for the 2010 draft. He will get way less carries when Stafon Johnson likely gets a medical redshirt for this season and comes back next year. When Chester Taylor becomes a free agent, Minnesota will need a running back that can both run the ball and catch it out of the backfield. Joe McKnight is the perfect fit for those two needs.

Fifth round (157): Brandon Sharpe, Defensive End, Texas Tech

Brandon Sharpe is one of the more underrated defensive ends in the entire draft. Many see him as going in the fifth or sixth round. I think that the fifth round is an appropriate spot for him. In eight games, Sharper has 11.5 sacks. He could end up being the eventual starting left end for the Vikings if Ray Edwards decides not to re-sign after year's end.

Sixth round (189): Dan LeFevour, Quarterback, Central Michigan

Dan LeFevour has had a good year at Central Michigan, but he's not going to be a very high pick. Some have him going as high as the fourth round. I have him going in the sixth due to the fact that he's played some very weak opposition this season. If Favre retires, quarterback depth will be desperately needed.

Seventh round (221): Nate Byham, Tight End, Pittsburgh

Not a huge position of need, but something that Minnesota could use depth in. Nate Byham is primarily a blocking tight end. Jimmy Kleinsasser is aging, and has clearly lost a step in his game. Byham will be good for depth. He should play a solid part in the 2011 or 2012 Minnesota Vikings squad.

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NFL Week 12 Picks, Predictions, and Upset Specials Galore!

Nick Signorelli — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 23:01:15 -0500

Overall 89-41

Last Week 14-2

My best week to date. The only two games I got wrong were the Steelers losing to the Chiefs (who didn't get that one wrong?), and the Bengals at the Raiders (again, predicted this?).

I also picked two of the three upset specials, hitting on the 49ers covering against the Packers, and the Colts defeating the Ravens.

I called for the Saints to beat the Bucs, but thought that Tampa would cover. Hey, no one is perfect.

Now that I have a separated shoulder from patting myself on the back, it is time to get into Week 12, since there will be three games on Thursday.

I would also like to take this opportunity to say Happy Thanksgiving to everyone that is taking the time to read this. I hope that everyone has a blessed day and enjoys a day full of getting fat and watching football.

Thanksgiving Games.

Green Bay @ Detroit

Injuries have hit both of these teams, especially the Packers. Al Harris and Aaron Kampman are either on IR or on their way to it. You would think that would be a disadvantage for the Packers, but this is the Lions, and Matthew Stafford isn't playing.

Packers win, 27-13.

Oakland @ Dallas

Oakland is coming off of the upset of the week, defeating the Cincinnati Bengals. The Cowboys struggled against the Redskins.

Lightning will not strike twice for Oakland and the Cowboys will handle them.

Cowboys win, 31-17.

New York Giants @ Denver

The Broncos are in desperate need of a win, while the Giants have had trouble and winning last week is not a cure-all. The losing problem for the Broncos is infecting the team, and they are on the verge of self-destructing.

Last week we witnessed Brandon Marshall and Knowshon Moreno shouting at each other after a Moreno fumble in the end zone. Josh McDaniels has his work cut out for him.

Giants win, 24-10.

Five Star Picks of the Week

Indianapolis @ Houston

The Texans lost a heart breaker to the Titans on Monday night, and this week they have to play against the undefeated Colts. The Colts are due to lose, and the Texans are basically in a playoff game.

If Houston loses, they fall to 5-6. Doubt can creep in and destroy this team, who is looking for their first playoff birth and winning season in franchise history.

Indy can ruin the Texans' season by winning this game.

Colts win, 34-17.

Chicago @ Minnesota

The Bears need to thank the Lions for being so bad, or they would be the worst team in the NFC North.

Minnesota knows that if the Patriots can beat the Saints on Monday Night Football (Upset Special Alert), they will be tied for the best record in the NFC, with home field advantage at stake.

Minnesota is not going to let up, and the Bears will get pounded.

Vikings win, 34-13.

Washington @ Philadelphia

Clinton Portis is still out, as is Ladel Betts. The Redskins are trying to play spoiler to the Eagles, but they just don't have enough weapons in their arsenal to even keep up with them.

Eagles win, 28-17.

Pittsburgh @ Baltimore

This is probably the most painful thing I have ever had to do.

Ben Roethlisberger is saying he is going to play, but is he really 100 percent after taking a knee to the head in overtime against the Chiefs?

The Ravens took the Colts to the closing minutes last week. Guard Chris Kemoeatu is injured, and lets be honest, this game is in Baltimore.

As much as I want to pick Pittsburgh to win, and as much as I hope I am wrong on this:

Ravens win, 21-17.

Kansas City @ San Diego (-13.5)

Even though the Chiefs beat the Steelers in overtime last week, winning their second game in a row, they still do not look like the kind of team that can be consistent week in and week out. I don't think they have a chance to win on the road at San Diego, who beat the Broncos last week, in Denver.

KC's bubble is about to burst.

Chargers win, 31-13.

Upset Specials of the Week

Miami (-3.5) @ Buffalo

Miami is not the same team they were with Ronnie Brown. Even though they beat the Panthers last Thursday, I am not sold on them being a legit playoff contender (sorry Hotnuke).

Buffalo is playing with a ton of inspiration with interim coach Perry Fewell, and I think they will cover and win.

Bills win, 21-20.

Cleveland @ Cincinnati (-14)

Do you think the Vegas odds makers forgot that the last time these two teams played, the Bengals won with about :02 seconds left in OT, with a field goal that may have been no good?

The Bengals are going to win, but they will not cover the 14-point spread.

Bengals win, 27-17.

Arizona @ Tennessee (-3)

Kurt Warner, like Ben Roethlisberger, was knocked in the head last week, and also said that he is going to play this week. Mistake.

The Titans secondary is playing like last year, and Warner is going to have his hands full. The big difference is, Arizona is not going to be able to stop Chris Johnson, and the Titans are going to continue their winning streak.

Titans win, 28-21.

Seattle (-3) @ St. Louis

Neither team is playing very well, but the Rams stayed with the Saints until late in the game a couple of weeks ago.

The Seahawks' entire team may be on the injury report.

Many people believe that the Rams are horrible, and I agree, but Steven Jackson will be too much for the Seahawks.

Rams win, 17-13.

Tampa Bay @ Atlanta (-14)

Atlanta is on a four-game losing streak, and though Tampa is not a very good team, 14 points is a lot to give up when your team is not playing well. Matt Ryan is playing more like a rookie than he did when he was a rookie.

Falcons win, 24-13.

Carolina @ New York Jets (-3)

Carolina is fighting for their playoff lives, while the Jets, who started the season at 3-0, look nothing like the team that beat the Patriots earlier this year.

Mark Sanchez is playing like a rookie, while Jake Delhomme is not playing as bad as he did at the beginning of the season.

Panthers win, 17-14.

Jacksonville (-3) @ San Francisco

Most people gave up on Jacksonville, except Jacksonville.

San Francisco started the season off as a surprise pick to go to the Super Bowl, but that talk is now dead and gone.

The Jaguars are going to pound the 49ers.

Jaguars win, 27-10.

New England @ New Orleans (-3)

A fitting game for Monday night and will be the best game of the week.

New England had the Colts all but defeated two weeks ago, before Bill Belichick gave the game to the Colts, and basically home field advantage through the AFC playoffs.

The Saints are a great team, but they have not played against a team as good as the Pats. This will be a high-scoring game, and if you like to gamble (which I am not saying you should, and if you do it is not my fault if you lose money, so don't blame me) bet the over (56).

Patriots win, 37-31.

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Buccaneers Returning To the Tampa-2?: Players React

Oliver Ellis — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 09:39:29 -0500

The Buccaneers' defense is apparently moving back to wards its older scheme, the one that made them famous—the Tampa 2.

A version of the Cover 2 defense dreamt up by former Buc head coach Tony Dungy and longtime former defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin, the zone-based scheme leaves defensive linemen responsible for plugging one gap, linebackers allowed to run sideline to sideline and safeties split the deep halves of the field in half in an attempt to limit the chances and prevent big plays.

Nicknamed the Tampa 2, the Cover 2 scheme requires for players to rely more on speed and athleticism than size and bulk. It is the system many current Bucs defenders, from tackle Chris Hovan to linebacker Geno Hayes, were brought here to play.

Demoted coordinator Jim Bates, 63, installed what was supposed to be a blitz-heavy, man-coverage scheme that often asked for the linemen and linebackers to read and anticipate plays instead of simply crashing through the line to make a stop.

"There's a reason why they call it Tampa 2," Chris Hovan said. "Am I more comfortable? Yes. I'm not a two-gapper. I'm never going to be a two-gapper. I can gap and a half. My abilities are to run, penetrate, and create at the line of scrimmage. With that being said, some of the guys are comfortable. But at the same time, we've got to go out there and just run the defense that is called.''

"Even when Monte Kiffin was here, you saw us dabble with quarters (coverage), with man (coverage) and with two-match (coverage),'' Raheem Morris said. "That's where we wanted to go. I thought we could be that super mega-morph (defense) and that we could get this thing going this year, and I still think we can.

"That's why I put myself in charge of it. There won't be much of a change. There will just be a little more of a Raheem Morris influence. That's what I'm planning to do."

"It's funny. You were hired to be defensive coordinator two weeks before you were hired to be the head coach and you have some ideas and you've got your plans out there,'' Morris said Tuesday.

"Why throw (linebackers coach) Joe Barry out there and let him try to fix it the next six weeks when you think you can? I feel like it's my responsibility, I feel like I have to do it, I feel like it's what I'm supposed to do as a head coach and a man on this football team.

"It's what I owe this organization, it's what I owe this town, what I owe this ownership, what I owe (general manager) Mark Dominik, everybody that's involved with me. It's my job to fix it and that's what I've got to go out there and do.''

"Obviously, we're 1-9 and we've been struggling," middle linebacker Barrett Ruud said. "Hopefully a change will provide some good things. Is it the right move? It remains to be seen. We're going to go in and play and hopefully it turns out to be the right move because we need to get some wins, 1-9 is definitely not good enough.

"One and nine is a wild ride. When you lose, you learn about character. You learn about the guys that are going to play through a lot of adversity. That's one thing our team has never lacked is effort. We haven't executed very good, but the effort has always been there."

"The building is not falling down,'' veteran cornerback Ronde Barber said. ""We're good. This team will stick together as it has all year when we've went through these tough patches. Don't worry about it. We'll find a way.'

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Latest Move by Tampa Bay Bucs Illustrates Failure of Morris-Dominik Regime

JC De La Torre — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 08:57:50 -0500

It's gone from bad to absolutely ludicrous hasn't it? This season with Raheem Morris.

A season that makes Richard Williamson look like Don Shula and Ray Perkins actually Hugh Culverhouse's Vince Lombardi.

This is what happens when a neophyte General Manager and a neophyte Head Coach strip the team of veteran talent to "retool", leaving a leadership void throughout the organization.

It goes beyond that, though.

We understand where this has come from—the top. The Glazers. Up to their eyeballs in debt and seeing a lack of fan interest, the Glazers decided that now is the time to scale back a bit. Reinvent the interest in the team.

With the lockout looming in 2011 and a potential uncapped free agency session this year, the Glazers can milk this cash cow till its dry, breaking it down to it's most simplest form.

You can see the plan, can't you? Make do with Morris for a couple seasons. Spend wisely (i.e. frugally) on free agency, retain some of your core talent and garner some high draft picks over the next couple of years to replenish the the stars of old.

Come back strong in 2012 with a big name coach and a fist full of dollars. Instant excitement in the fanbase. Ticket and jersey sales galore.

2012 is our year, Bucs fans. Which coincidentally is also when the world's supposed to end.

For the Bucs, Armageddon may have come a little early.

The plan, like the Bucs ship, has run aground.

Mark Dominik and Raheem Morris have made the worst possible choices you can make as an organization.

Raheem promised the fans his offense would be violent, run based and feature a vertical passing attack under new offensive coordinator Jeff Jagodzinski.

What he didn't tell us was the playbook was the size of a Lee Roy Selmon's Restaurant menu.

Raheem promised a defense under new Defensive Coordinator Jim Bates that featured blitzing, pressure, and man-to-man in your face secondary coverage that should generate a bevy of turnovers. Violence in it's purest form.

What he didn't tell us was it would turn the defense into the worst in the history of the franchise because the scheme was outdated and didn't match the personnel.

Mark and Raheem told us they didn't need Derrick Brooks or Ike Hilliard or really anyone older than the coach that wasn't named Ronde Barber.

Leadership, schmeadership. New leaders would emerge, right? Only...they didn't.

Mark Dominik told us the Glazers are spending money and he did spend some of it.

On Michael Clayton. On Derrick Ward. Two players who need to be booked at the Tampa Police department for stealing because they are stealing paychecks from this organization.

Don't forget Mike Nugent, a $2.5 million dollar kicker who couldn't hit the broadside of a barn.

We have to wonder if when Morris hands the check to Clayton he says, "Don't drop it."

Oh wait, we forgot. Clayton told us "the check's in the bank". Must be direct deposit.

The players say they love Morris. I'm sure the inmates love the asylum workers when they allow them to run the place.

Early returns on this year's draft are mixed.

Freeman and Stroughter look like keepers. Roy Miller has shown flashes. Kyle Moore hasn't really gotten an opportunity to play. Xavier Fulton and EJ Biggers got hurt.

So that's what made up your team for 2009.

How naive we all were (okay, except for my fellow Bleacher Report columnist Tom Edrington), believing the spiel that this would be a hard fighting, physical football team in the Pittsburgh Steelers/New York Giants mold.

During training camp, Morris decided to have a pointless QB competition between Luke McCown and Byron Leftwich for the starting QB job.

Rather than groom your first round draft pick or the young 2nd year QB with potential, reps were devoted to McCown and Leftwich.

Despite McCown having better (albeit pedestrian) numbers in the preseason, Morris chose Leftwich and dealt McCown—leaving the Bucs without a veteran backup QB that actually had reps in the new offense.

That didn't matter though because just before the season opener, Morris suddenly realized that Jagodzinski had never called a play in his coaching career and wasn't really doing it in Tampa Bay (his man Steve Logan, the Bucs running backs coach, was calling the plays).

Gone was the focus on the run and vertical passing game. Enter Greg Olsen and the Jon Gruden "death by a thousand paper cuts" playbook.

Once teams figured out that Leftwich moved at the pace of a slug, they rendered him ineffective by blitzing unmercifully. Funny, shouldn't Morris had seen that in training camp?

Suddenly, raw second year quarterback Josh Johnson was thrust into the starting role and did about what you'd expect a fifth round draft pick to do.

Meanwhile, that great, aggressive, violent defense the Bucs were supposed to employ, you know, the one that didn't need Derrick Brooks, Cato June, Kevin Carter, or Phillip Bucchanon was giving up bombs to opposing offenses while looking like matadors against the run.

The Bucs players on defense looked bewildered most of the time. If you're not sure what you're doing, you can't play aggressive crazed dogs defense. You don't play violent, you play tentative.

Tentative gets you blasted in the NFL.

Once the Bucs hit the bye week and their losing streak stretched to eleven, the time came to turn the ball over to Freeman.

But Freeman can't establish a running game. Freeman can't tackle or stop the run. He can't catch the football. He can't call plays or mold a defense that matches the personnel.

He's just a neophyte (there's that word again) QB who needs time to develop. A receiver or two wouldn't hurt, either.

Ten games into the season, Raheem Morris has finally figured out what we all already knew about the defense.

Jim Bates' defense was obsolete three years ago. He was bounced out of Green Bay, failed in Denver, and has turned a once proud defense into a laughing stock.

There was a time in Tampa Bay when the defense said, "Give us 17 points and we'll win."

Now it's "Give us 17 points and we'll only lose by 21."

Why Morris steered away from the Tampa Two, we'll never know, but now—with just six games left in the season—the Bucs are apparently going back to it. Better late than never, I guess.

Let's not forget the halftime adjustments—or lack thereof. The Bucs have the worst point differential in the third quarter in the NFL. In other words, while their opponents are adjusting to what the Bucs are throwing at them, the Bucs apparently are not.

Add that to poor clock management and challenges. Both pitiful under Morris.

So, let's review. Bad choices at offensive coordinator and defensive coordinator. Poor decisions in free agency. An average draft (so far). An idiotic QB competition. Poor coaching schemes, lack of halftime adjustments, poor clock management, and challenge usage. Players bewildered, tentative and lacking veteran leadership.

It's not hard to see how a team that at one point last season was 9-3 and fighting for home field advantage in the NFC is now 1-9, competing for the first overall draft pick.

If you count the money to Gruden, Allen, their coaching staff, McCown, Mike Nugent, Jagodzinksi and now Bates, the Glazers are paying over $30 million dollars for people not to be here.

This is not what they were looking for in their stopgap.

The sad tragedy of this is that it's not likely to change any time soon (unless the Glazers sell).

Morris and Dominik will likely weather this season and get 2010. The Glazers aren't going to pay a top line coach to sit on his behind during a lockout, especially since Jon Gruden and Allen's contracts will be up after next season.

What top coach will come here, knowing the ownership won't spend a dime until 2012?

So buckle up Bucs fans, because 2010 and 2011 don't look much better than 2009.

Any word if that solar flare, meteor, or whatever it is on December 21, 2012 can get here sooner?

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