Tampa Bay Bucs Players Should Walk the Plank, Not Raheem Morris

Well, Raheem, this could be it.

These last few practices and the season finale against the Atlanta Falcons could be the ugly exit that will be leading the once-adored head coach out of One Buc Place.

This season has been a sinking ship more than a wreckage. Players seem to have lost interest and are making themselves look like the NFL's worst team.

Maybe that's because they are the league's worst team!

It has been one bad swell after another—nine straight losses. I don't know what London did to the Bucs. Maybe it was the food or maybe, just maybe, London did nothing at all.

Are the Bucs lucky to even have four wins?

Josh Freeman looked good against his NFC South foes early on, but it has been one hideous showing after another. The defense continues to give games up and are only 24 points away from a franchise worst in points allowed.

But at the same time, I still believe in Raheem Morris. He deserves another chance. He probably won't get it, and he'll probably go on to win a few Super Bowls elsewhere. 

The captain has been thrown to the sharks by his crew. A team that was once sailing the high seas has now demolished its own ship and is driving it into the ocean floor,  deeper and deeper.

It should be the players that walk the plank.

We've seen Raheem Morris fail, rise, and fall.

Poor guy. I really do hope he'll be back.

Sean Jones Needs to Go Bye-Bye

Please, Mr. Dominik.

Don't bring back Sean Jones. He is a horrendous safety and can't tackle to save his life. I don't understand how free-agent pickup Corey Lynch hasn't gotten more snaps, but I guess Jones is all we have.

Just look at the picture above; it's just one of the many missed tackles this season. 

I wish I knew a place that could calculate missed tackles. I guarantee Jones—and probably Tanard Jackson—sit atop the list.

Just watching Jones play is difficult. He lacks ferocity on the field and is often loafing at the scene of the crime rather the occasional 50-yard touchdown play. 

Jones is supposed to be the safety net. But never this whole season has he helped out Ronde or Aqib. With the return of safety Cody Grimm and the possibility of finding another safety through free agency or the draft, the Buccaneers have numerous options to find high-quality talent to fill a depleted secondary. 

It's time to go Mr. Jones.

Geno Hayes, You Too

Oh, Geno, where has the potential gone?

The Buccaneers' linebacker hasn't played up to expectations this season and has often found himself on the sidelines during, well, most defensive situations.

Geno Hayes only has 45 tackles on the season with zero sacks and only one interception. Coming into his fourth season with the Bucs, many fans hoped Hayes would be bursting onto the scene with Derrick Brooks-like skill. 

Sorry.

Morris has put Hayes on the bench in favor of players like Dekoda Watson and Adam Hayward simply because of effort, heart, and determination. It's something that Hayes appears to have lost out on the football field.

Speaking of lost, I can't even spot Hayes out on the field when he is lined up next to "young hype" Mason Foster. Maybe it's Hayes' size or maybe it's simply a lack of talent, but Geno is a linebacker that gets caught up in traffic and rarely makes a play.

Welcome to special teams.

Qunicy Black Under Contract?!

See that, son?

No, no. In the background, behind Chris Johnson.

Yep, that's Quincy Black.

That is the man who received a five-year contract extension—one that is worth a potential $29 million.

"Wow," is right.

But his play hasn't been anything close to "wow." It has actually been quite disappointing.

With only 49 tackles on the season and another impressive stat—zero sacks—Black has become an essential cornerstone to a pitiful Buccaneer defense.

Trust me. I used to think Black had a silent resiliency, a toughness that couldn't be outmatched and a really bright future with the Tampa Bay organization. But sadly, his play speaks for itself.

The money does too and it's starting to say, "Excuse me, what?"

With a potential loss of Hayes to free agency, the Buccaneers can't really afford to lose Black—we're stuck with him anyways—and maybe, just maybe he can step in and make some plays.

We all have our fingers crossed, Quincy.

No, seriously, we really do. 

"Hey Hey Hey! It's Fat Albert!"

This has been a really cute year for the Bucs, don't you think?

They actually expected defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth, who walks at 350-lbs, to come in and make a difference in this Buccaneer defense.

He hasn't played bad if you ask me. There aren't many statistics to run off, but when you actually take the time to watch Haynesworth, he does clog up the line and has allowed Adrian Clayborn to get consistent pressure on opposing quarterbacks.

There's still hope for Haynesworth, but maybe that's just in a McDonald's drive-thru. His effort has been weak and the way he slugs on and off the field shows a little bit about his character. I don't personally know the man and I feel bad questioning his manhood. However, it's tough to support a guy who can't even tuck his jersey in.

Has the paycheck really made you into this big of a slob?

The Bucs have no need for Haynesworth after the season. And with the return of a healthy Gerald McCoy and a doctored-up Brian Price, the hopes of a stout D-line can still be held accountable.

But for how long? 

E.J. Biggers, the True Nickel Corner

Yay, E.J.! Another 15-yard penalty, alright!

It's been the same cheers all season if you watch E.J. Biggers try to play as a primetime cornerback.

Biggers has been playing on the outside probably too much this season and it's simply because of Morris' defensive schemes and the play of Ronde Barber in the nickel role on third-down situations. 

E.J. has been flagged numerous times this season and always seems to be chasing a wide receiver down as he dances toward the end zone on a 92-yard pitch-and-catch.

I don't think Biggers is a poor player, but he just isn't cracked up to be covering the No. 1 wide-receiver. I think Biggers definitely has a home in Tampa but the Bucs just need to draft someone quick before Biggers thinks it is a permanent stay. 

Alex Van Pelt—Wait, Who?

This is a tricky one. But I'm not sure who else to blame for such a step back for QB Josh Freeman. 

Alex Van Pelt is in his second season with the Bucs as QB coach and looked to be the next "great guy" when Josh Freeman looked like the future elite of the NFL. 

However, Freeman loves Kregg Lumpkin too much and is rarely caught looking down the field for his receivers. Are they being blanketed? Well, of course they are. They're Buccaneer wide-recievers. But on the same hand, last season featured two rookie wide-outs and they managed to achieve some output.

This season has been a mess, especially with 19 interceptions and a couple of lost fumbles for Freeman. Running back LeGarrette Blount has been inconsistent and very lethargic when he isn't jumping over people. The wide receivers rank in the top 5 in only one category—drops.

Many would like to blame offensive coordinator Greg Olson for the Bucs' lack of offensive firepower. They should. The Buccaneer offense ranks worse than 20 in most rankings and can barely put points up on the board.

But the guy has been a proven coordinator in the league and still has some potential in calling the right play.

If there are any underlying truths that have yet to be told they are these. Van Pelt was the QB coach for the Buffalo Bills from 2004 to 2009. Look at the demise of those quarterbacks. They were all awful.

Maybe the Bucs should bring in some outside help. No, wait. They have to.

It would be awesome to see Raheem Morris step down as defensive coordinator and get back to being the fun-loving, bicep-bashing coach that we once loved.

There are plenty of options out there. We just need to swim up from the depths of the unknown, find the right pieces and parts, regain 2010 form, and hope that the Glazers can bring up this lost ship.

Buried treasure, anyone?