Bucs-Titans: More Things Change, the More They Stay the Same

For the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, there were some positives and some negatives to take out of the first dress rehearsal of 2009. Ironically, it was the distinct similarities to the '08 squad that seemed a bit perplexing for this football team. Dominant defense and pedestrian offense...gee, where have we seen that before?

The Buccaneers' defense held the Titans to 278 yards, sacked Tennessee quarterbacks twice, and intercepted starter Kerry Collins twice. They displayed a swarming style that maintained a lot of pressure throughout the contest. In fact, the Titans really didn't show much offensive productivity until the second half, when all the Bucs' regulars were out of the game.

Stylz G. White (formerly known as Greg White) had a spectacular ballgame, tipping and intercepting a Collins pass as he tumbled backward, setting up a score for Tampa Bay. White followed up on the next possession with a sack of Collins that put the Titans deep in their own territory. A holding call in the end zone during a punt would net the Bucs a safety and a 9-3 lead.

On the flipside, however, things were not very good for the Buccaneer offense. Keeping in mind that the Tennessee defense is no slouch, the Bucs managed only 256 yds of total offense.

The interesting dynamic in the offensive output was the play calling. It was very Gruden-esque for a team that has publicly stated they are going to be a run-first ballclub. 36 pass attempts versus 26 running attempts do not really translate to a run first mentality.

However, considering the Bucs are trying to decide who will be the quarterback for the start of the 2009 season, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to realize that you can't decide on a quarterback by having the competitors turn around and hand the ball off.

Ah, those competitors. Luke McCown looked like...well, Luke McCown. He was indecisive, didn't have the accuracy he should have (4-for-8, 19 yds) and the offense was stagnant while he was in there.

Byron Leftwich had the look of a starter. While he completed under 50 percent in completions, he was victimized by several dropped passes by Tampa Bay wide outs. Leftwich displayed the command of the huddle and a cannon arm.

He also took a few chances, one of which resulted in a 24 yd touchdown pass to WR Brian Clark. Leftwich also just missed on a deep ball to WR Maurice Stovall.

Leftwich's aggressive approach opened up holes in the running game, which was stymied under McCown. Both Derrick Ward and Clifton "Peanut" Smith showed flashes behind the Tampa Bay offensive line's new zone blocking scheme.

Josh Freeman was accurate, completing 5-of-9 passes for 52 yds but learned a valuable rookie lesson. Freeman stared down a receiver running an out, Titans defensive back Ryan Mouton watched the rookie's eyes and jumped the route, picking it off and racing untouched 29 yards for a touchdown.

Second year pro QB Josh Johnson looked solid in the four quarter, displaying his dazzling speed on a 43 yd scramble for a touchdown. Johnson hit tight end Ryan Purvis in the back of the end zone to convert a two-point conversion and pull the Bucs within a touchdown, 27-20.

Some folks believe that if Johnson makes enough impact in games this preseason, the Bucs might be tempted to go with him and cut the loser of the McCown-Leftwich battle for the quarterback spot, leaving Freeman as the number two quarterback.

Johnson definitely has a compelling skill set. It will be interesting to see if he can continue to perform well against scrubs and give himself a chance.

So, all in all, definitely a solid first outing under rookie head coach Raheem Morris against a tough opponent. The Bucs defense looked better than advertised while the offense appears to be following the same mantra as all Tampa Bay offenses that came before it. It's a work in progress.