Why Tampa Bay Bucs Should Have Fired Raheem Morris After Week 14

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have come nowhere close to living up to expectations this season. After a 10-6 campaign in 2010, many expected the Bucs to take the next step this year and contend for an NFC South title and easily be in the mix for a spot in the postseason. That hasn't happened.

Instead Tampa Bay enters Week 15 with a 4-9 record and riding a seven-game losing streak. Now comes word that head coach Raheem Morris was supposed to be fired on Monday, but that his coaching staff was not big enough to function without him. Frankly I think that was just another reason he should have been canned.

To call the Bucs listless this season would be a gigantic understatement. The team seems to have absolutely quit on Morris, who I actually think has a future in the NFL as a head coach. He's only 35 and I'm sure he'll get another chance, but right now he needs to be out in Tampa Bay.

Morris is a defensive guy and made his name as a defensive backs coach for the Bucs before taking over as head coach and defensive coordinator in 2009. This season the Bucs rank 29th in the league in total defense, and are giving up 388.5 yards per game. They are 27th in passing defense (allowing 248.8 yards per game) and 28th in rushing defense (allowing 139.7 yards per game). Yeah, it's time for Morris to go.

The Bucs don't have much going for them on offense either as they rank 18th in the NFL in total yards (331.3 yards per game). And what was supposed to be a solid run game is only producing 100.5 yards per game, which ranks 25th in the league.

Morris may indeed be a decent coach, but something hasn't connected between him and his players. They have lost the magic they had last season and are unlikely to get it back. The sooner he is fired, the sooner Tampa Bay can get on with a serious coaching search. The cord needs to be cut as soon as possible.