All-time good guy and provider of houses to working single moms, Bucs running back Warrick Dunn is a finalist for the 2008 Bart Starr Award. The award honors one NFL player annually for exemplary character and leadership in the home, on the field and in the community.

Dunn is a finalist along with Drew Brees and Kurt Warner.

The winner of the Bart Starr Award will be announced during the 22nd annual NFL-sanctioned Super Bowl Breakfast, hosted by Athletes in Action on Saturday, Jan. 31, at 8 a.m. at the USF Sun Dome in Tampa.

Tickets are $20 and can be purchased online at Ticketmaster.com or by calling 1-866-448-7849.

The 2009 program features NFL athletes and coaches, including  Tony Dungy, NFL Hall of Famers Bart Starr and Anthony Munoz, and Bucs legend Derrick Brooks. Former San Francisco 49er Brent Jones is emcee.

Both Brooks and John Lynch are past winners of the honor. Learn more about the Super Bowl breakfast at SuperBowlBreakfast.com.

Joe is scheduled as a guest this morning on The Ron Diaz and Ian Beckles Show heard locally in the Tampa Bay area on WDAE-AM 620, The Sports Animal. Expect Joe to be on the air with Ron and Ian about 10 a.m.

Joe likely will discuss the Bill Parcells-Antonio Bryant tampering issue along with the “Fuzzy Math” of the Bucs, among other topics.

JoeBucsFan.com readers who can’t be near a radio or live outside the signal’s reach can listen to Ron and Ian via streaming audio on the station Web site.

Thanks for listening.

Dolphins executive Bill Parcells knows all too well what tampering is and may have done it again.

About a month ago, Joe read an article by Sean Jensen of Yahoo! Sports on the resurrection of Bucs wide receiver Antonio Bryant. In that article, a quote from Bryant jumped off of Joe’s computer monitor.

Bryant says he has spoken to [Bill} Parcells “on several occasions” and that the current Dolphins executive vice president “sends messages to me through other coaches.”

Among the messages: “Keep it up,” Bryant says.

(Parcells declined interview requests for this story, a Dolphins spokesman said last week.)

Joe quickly became curious as to why Parcells, otherwise known as “The Tuna,” would need a third-party, specifically third-party coaches, to talk to Bryant? Why not pick up the phone himself?

Second, what messages was Tuna sending to Bryant, his former player in Dallas?

Then it hit Joe: Bryant is a free agent after the season. Was Tuna, who has a history of being fingered for tampering, trying to lay the groundwork for Bryant to come to Miami for the 2009 season? It’s not like Tuna had never been accused of tampering in connection with the Bucs before.

So Joe reached out to a contact he has in the NFL front offices in New York recently to try to obtain the official NFL definition for tampering. Here’s what Joe learned:

Per the NFL’s Anti-Tampering Policy, the league defines tampering as:

The term tampering, as used within the National Football League, refers to any interference by a member club with the employer-employee relationship of another club or any attempt by a club to impermissibly induce a person to seek employment with that club or with the NFL.

Now granted, Joe is going on what Bryant told Jensen. If Bryant is to be believed, and if he was not yanking Jensen’s chain, there has been multiple times a third party of Tuna’s has contacted Bryant this past season. That’s not very kosher in the NFL’s eyes. Again, verbatim from the NFL tampering policy document:

Example of Tampering.

The following chain of events is enumerated here as one example of a violation of the policy against tampering with another club’s players:

1. A club’s representative, or a third-party intermediary of that club (Club A), is involved in a private meeting or conversation with a player (or his representative) who is under contract to, or whose negotiating rights are held by, another club (Club B); and

2. The League obtains substantiation that after or during the above contact with the player, Club A has stated, publicly or privately, its interest in obtaining his services (see “Public/Private Statements” below); and

3. Contract problems or other disputes subsequently arise between the player and Club B (for example, the player’s failure to report on time to Club B).

Well, news leaked out recently that the Bucs are in the midst of negotiations to resign Bryant. And if they bog down, the Bucs may slap Bryant with the franchise tag. With all the cap space the Bucs have, why use the franchise tag unless there may be a snag in negotiations and have contract negotiations stalled possibly because Tuna may be waving a carrot in front of Bryant’s face?

Though Joe is not a lawyer, and doesn’t stay at a Holiday Inn Express, it seems that, again, if Bryant is honest, Tuna could still be hit with tampering charges for employing a third-party to speak to Bryant. Once again, Joe quotes the NFL Tampering Policy:

In circumstances like those of the example above, tampering will be found even in the absence of a demonstrated cause-and-effect relationship between the player’s contract problems and his prior involvement with the other club. In other words, a club will not be able to defend a tampering charge in these circumstances by asserting that its private contact with a player (or the player’s representative) did not involve any expression of interest in the player or was not related in any way to the player’s subsequent contract problem with his club.

It appears that, provided Bryant wasn’t feeding Jensen a line of fertilizer, if the Glazer Boys or Bruce Almighty wanted to, they could go forward with tampering charges against Tuna.

Given Tuna’s history of tampering, Joe believes the Bucs should press forward with this issue.

A Bucs spokesman says the NFL stats policy is particularly unfair to Barrett Ruud

Ronde Barber had 100 tackles this season. It says so right on Barber’s Pro Bowl press release issued by the team and in the stats at Buccaneers.com. So it must be true, right?

Maybe not.

Tackles, while widely quoted as a player stat by the media, are considered an unofficial stat in the NFL. That means the NFL doesn’t care if the numbers recorded are accurate. And Roger Goodell is not concerned that these numbers are used by millions of fans, plus coaches and players, to cast an allegedly intelligent vote for the Pro Bowl.

League stats posted on NFL.com show Barber with 75 tackles (67 solo and 8 assists). But the Bucs Web site shows 100 tackles (70 solo and 30 assists).

Similar discrepancies exist for every Bucs player Joe researched: Gaines Adams, Aqib Talib, Tanard Jackson, Barrett Ruud, Kevin Carter, Jovan Haye, Derrick Brooks and Phillip Buchanon.

All of them have significantly more solo and assisted tackles on the Bucs site versus on NFL.com.

How could this be? Especially in the category of solo tackles. There can only be so many tackles in one game. Right?

Joe asked Bucs spokesman Jeff Kamis to explain.

Kamis said the official line is that recording tackles during live action is very difficult and Bucs coaches review game films and provide new stats to the media relations department the day after a game. The Bucs then present those stats to the media and on the team Web site.

But NFL.com only uses the stats initially recorded at the game from the press box, Kamis said, and the league has no interest in recording revised, accurate stats from its teams.

“You look at Barrett Ruud who has 178 tackles, and NFL.com has him for 130 or so,” Kamis said. “It’s unfair to Ruud. The NFL.com stats are misleading.”

Kamis said the NFL is acutely aware of the inaccuracies.

“For whatever reason, they’ve determined tackles aren’t going to be an official stat,” Kamis said. “It’s been a point of discussion since I’ve been in the league, about nine years.”

The Bucs are one of only a few NFL teams that publish revised stats for its defensive players – offensive stats are all official. The other teams just defer to NFL.com.

The fact Bucs coaches track tackles concerns Joe. Given Joe’s many years covering sports on all levels, coaches are wont to sometimes wildly exaggerate statistics for the benefit of their own players and many coaches have no real desire to be remotely accurate.

Joe is very curious whether Bucs officials and player agents use NFL.com stats or the bloated in-house numbers when it comes time to determine a player’s contractual value. Kamis didn’t have an answer avaiable at press time for that.

Regardless, the NFL is ridiculous for not making a statistic as basic as tackles an official stat. Who would get hurt if they did?

In general, Joe is not a stat guy. But if the NFL is going to put them out there as facts, then they should at least make every effort to get them right.

Doug Williams makes Antonio Bryant sound like a major head case

We all love the Antonio Bryant story. It’s pretty simple – bad seed wide receiver spends 2007 on his couch and turns into a superstar for the Bucs in 2008.

But if we can trust Bucs personnel executive Doug Williams, a Super Bowl winning QB, then the Antonio Bryant resurrection may have a few ugly chapters we’ve yet to read. 

Here’s Williams quote about Bryant from the St. Pete Times. It’s a story about Williams’ contract expiring soon, and he’s talking about his impact on the current roster.

Antonio Bryant and I talk all the time because he’s a guy who needs somebody — between (receivers coach) Richard Mann and myself, we’re the two people he’s going to talk to when things don’t go right.”

This quote disturbed Joe the minute he read it the other day.

What could Antonio Bryant possibly need? Chucky gave him a shot to return to the NFL. He gave him playing time. He showed him lots of love. He made him his No. 1 receiver. And the guy wowed the world on Monday Night Football, caught 83 balls and set himself for a massive payday this offseason. 

Is he that much of a head case that he needs two coaches to work on keeping his head together?

Joe knows Bryant is an emotional guy. You don’t see it much on TV, but Bryant flaps his arms and shows his emotion when Jeff Garcia doesn’t find him downfield. Bryant was the last guy to take off his uniform in the locker room following the Chargers loss. (He first sat on a chair with his head in his hands for about 20 minutes.) He was kneeling devastated on the field after the Bucs choked away the season to the Raiders.

And Bryant has his up moments. He’s probably the best interview on the Bucs – let’s hope he gets a radio show next season – and he’s got a good sense of humor.

But Doug Williams’ quote makes Joe wonder whether Bryant might be a real wack job. Therefore, Joe would like to see the Bucs put the franchise tag on Bryant. That will cost the Bucs more money up front than if they sign him to a long term deal – probably about $9 million for 2009. But that would give Bryant only a one-year contract and motivate him to control his behavior for another season.

Bryant might need major help in that area. Especially, to quote Williams, “when things don’t go right.”

Ronde Barber is one of Joe's favorite players. Despite this, Joe can't say with a straight face Barber deserved to be selected for the Pro Bowl

Before Joe has to take off running from the burning torches, he wants to be clear: Joe loves Ronde Barber.

Still, Joe just can’t look at the Bucs through Pewter and Red glasses. Well, at least not every day. While on the surface Joe was happy to learn Ronde Barber was named to his fifth Pro Bowl, Joe has to be honest.

Barber didn’t deserve it.

“Throughout my career, I have been fortunate to be on some great teams, and my selection to the Pro Bowl is further evidence of that,” Barber said. “It is a great honor to represent the Buccaneers and the NFC in Hawaii. Another Pro Bowl experience is one I really look forward to enjoying.”

Barber is one of Joe’s favorite players. And Barber has been kind to Joe when Joe interviewed him earlier in the preseason, which Joe appreciates very much. But even Barber, if pulled aside for a private chat, would likely admit he didn’t play to his usual stellar standards this past season.

Too many times Barber was fried on passes by opposing wide receivers and quarterbacks. Sure, Barber made some great plays this season but he was wildly inconsistent and, sadly, showed signs that Father Time might be catching up with him.

No shame in that. It happens to every athlete eventually.

Barber will always be one of Joe’s favorite Bucs defenders. But can he — or any Bucs fan — truthfully look in the mirror and state No. 20 was one of the best cornerbacks in the NFL this season?

"I hate Ira Kaufman. And just when I thought my job was safe."

Esteemed Tampa Tribune NFL writer eye-RAH! Kaufman isn’t ready to wager that Bruce Allen and Jon Gruden will remain at One Buc Place much longer.

Speaking on ESPN 1040 AM today, Kaufman gave the dynamic duo a 25 percent chance of getting fired by the Glazers in a matter of days.

“I think the Glazers could be infatuated with [Mike] Shanahan. … I’ve got a gnawing suspicion that a change is still possible here,” Kaufman told the Fabulous Sports Babe, who will leave the station and afternoon drive partner Scot Brantley soon.

Yes, Kaufman is the guy who reported Brett Favre was coming to Tampa. But one screw up doesn’t destroy his credibility.

Kaufman has covered the NFL for years, and he is the lone representative from the Tampa Bay market on the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s Board of Selectors. Those are the seasoned buffet grazers who choose who gets a bust in Canton.

Joe nominates Shelton Quarles to coach the Bucs linebackers in '09

As an experienced sports and news reporter, Joe can confidently say news reporting has major drawbacks. No. 1 would be sitting through painfully boring and seemingly endless government meetings, which, if you’re not dozing, are more irritating than Red Sox fans at Tropicana Field.

Sometimes important things happen at these meetings. But mostly they resemble a Bruce Allen news conference — long on spin and short on substance.

Former Pro Bowl Bucs linebacker Shelton Quarles spends a lot of his time at these government meetings. He’s the chairman of the Tampa Bay Area Regional Transportation Authority. So he basically leads a team of politicians who talk about things they can’t afford.

What baffles Joe is how Quarles, 37, recently signed up again for the job, after Gov. Charlie Crist appointed him to the Authority in 2007.

Joe would like to see Quarles step aside from his post and do some really important work, namely coaching the Bucs linebackers in 2009.

Is there a more qualified candidate?

Gus Bradley, the most recent linebackers coach just bolted for the D-coordinator gig in Seattle. Reports say Joe Barry, former Bucs linebacker and coach and architect of the NFL’s worst defense in 2008, will follow Bradley to the Northwest.

Raheem Morris would benefit greatly from having a linebackers coach who knows the system, and someone who has the respect of the veterans.

Mr. Quarles, it’s time to lose the light rail drawings and get back to X’s and O’s. Joe is sure you could always attend the transportation meetings in your free time.

The hero worship for a good man who failed at his job in Tampa Bay by the local Dungryphiles is way over the top and, sadly, predictable.

Two things Joe knew would come true:

1) Someday, Father Dungy would retire.

2) The local Tampa Bay MSM would breathlessly fall over themselves in an effort to out do each other, acting as if Abraham Lincoln came back from the grave.

Joe couldn’t believe his eyes when last night, local TV newscasts led their broadcasts with Father Dungy retiring as if a head of state had passed. The gushing and near crying was just too much for Joe to stomach.

Sadly, Joe expected this whenever Father Dungy retired.

Look, Joe is the first person to admit Father Dungy was and is a nice guy, if not a great man. And Joe is confident Father Dungy was beyond nice to the local Bucs beat writers when he was here. But just because someone is kind does that mean the MSM has to stoop to such wild degrees of hero worship? Have we, as a society, sunk that low that just because someone is polite to others they should be raised upon pedestal?

Maybe Joe comes from a different world, but he can find dozens of nice guys just walking out of his office. That doesn’t mean there should be a state holiday for them.

Sadly, the Tampa Bay area is full of Dungyphiles. So unnerved are these people, they clutch to the fallacy that Jon Gruden won the Super Bowl “with Dungy’s players,” which is a patently false premise. Yet these same Dungyphiles cannot explain why Father Dungy couldn’t win a Super Bowl with his own players, much less get to a Super Bowl, much less build an offense that can score a measly touchdown in the NFC title game? Not one!

This Father Dungy fellatio also proves how far being nice to beat reporters can get a coach. Why suddenly, the fourth estate forgets that someone failed in the job!

To paraphrase Robert Plant (of all people), “Does anyone remember objectivity?”

Wait a minute, Father Dungy wasn’t a failure? Really? Joe doesn’t seem to recall the Bucs playing in a Super Bowl with Father Dungy around. Joe also seems to recall Father Dungy was fired by the Glazer Boys for just such a misdeed.

Then there was that little thing that irks Joe to this day: Father Dungy couldn’t figure out how to build a competent offense to save his own job. He ran an early-20th Century offense and claimed all the time “this is how we did it in Pittsburgh.” Yet his own former teammate with the vaunted Steel Curtain Pittsburgh teams, Mel Blount, even disproved that notion during one of the fabulous NFL Network “America’s Game” documentaries, noting how Father Dungy’s former coach, Chuck Noll, changed the Steelers offense to pass often to take advantage of the “Mel Blount Rule.”

Look, Joe commends Father Dungy for his countless good deeds and for being an upstanding guy, if not a great man. This, however, doesn’t mean Father Dungy should be worshiped for his failure with the Bucs.

And yes, Father Dungy failed as a Bucs coach.

The public grieving done about Father Dungy — who hasn’t coached the Bucs in seven years and only was the Bucs coach for six years — is too much. Joe wonders why John Tortorella wasn’t eulogized in such a manner? Tortorella did far more with the Lightning.

For that matter Joe Maddon has done far more with the Rays.

Joe wonders if Maddon will be fawned over in such a manner when his days come to an end with the Rays?

This Father Dungy hero worship proves to Joe that legends aren’t necessarily created as a result of substance.

On what appears to Booger McFarland’s own Web site, the only message there makes his latest comeback intentions known, “Booger 92. Coming soon to a team near you.”

The former Bucs defensive lineman and first round pick confirmed his latest comeback attempt on The Steve Duemig Show, on 620 AM, WDAE, on Monday. Talking to Duemig about Tony Dungy’s retirement and all things NFL, Booger said he was looking to catch on with the right club for 2009.

McFarland, 31, tore a patella tendon in his knee – see Cadillac Williams – just prior to the 2007 season. He reportedly failed a physical with the Steelers in early 2008. The Saints also were interested. 

The Bucs might be interested in the big run-stuffer. Sure, he’s banged up. But, if healthy, he would come cheap, and he knows the system. That’s often the magic combination for Bruce Allen.

Now that it appears Favre won't be with the Jets next year, Joe expects the rumors of Favre playing for the Bucs will resume.

Since it appears Chucky has survived the hangman’s noose, one of the top stories leading into Bucs training camp last July may rear its head again.

Rumors of Brett Favre to the Buccaneers.

Favre, who last year played for the Jets, is back in his annual cat-and-mouse game of whether or not he will retire.

Though Favre technically belongs to the Jets, it’s not likely he will remain there. The Jets are hurting with the salary cap. Some reports suggest the Jets will be over $10 million above the cap next year.

Favre’s salary is $13 million a year and it doesn’t seem as if he endeared himself to his teammates in the New Jersey Swamplands.

This brings us to Chucky and the Bucs. Chucky has to know his job is on thin ice so forget about him turning the quarterback reigns over to someone like Luke McCown next year. Chucky is going to want a veteran quarterback to run the offense.

It’s doubtful Jeff Garcia will return. If Chucky places his job in the hands of Son of Bob he’s more mad than Joe ever imagined him to be.

Joe is confident the last thoughts on Chucky’s mind before he falls to sleep at night is to have Jake Plummer at quarterback. But Chucky has failed to get Grizzly Adams out of the mountains and down to Tampa, despite the fact Plummer is married to a former Broncos cheerleader.

So the next best option to satisfy Chucky would likely be Favre.

Don’t be surprised at all if Chucky is tempted (again) to dance the dance with Favre this July.

ESPN NFC South reporter Pat Yasinskas speculates that Julius Peppers wants out of Carolina. A Peppers relocation to Tampa could change the balance of power in the division.

First, it’s good to see that Pat “Vacation Man” Yasinskas is working during the playoffs.

On Friday, in his NFC South blog chat with readers, “Vacation Man” wrote that Panthers defensive end Julius Peppers would return to Carolina because the team wouldn’t let him get away. Now Yasinskas has changed his tune, after observing Peppers in the Panthers’ locker room following Saturday’s stunning loss to Arizona.

Immediately after a 33-13 home loss to Arizona, Peppers said he wants what’s best for him and the Panthers when asked about his contract situation. Peppers said pretty much the same thing Sunday morning after the team held its final meeting. Peppers said he didn’t want to “cripple” himself or the Panthers.

Keep a close eye on this one. There’s an assumption out there that Peppers, who has spent his career with the Panthers and went to college at North Carolina, automatically will return to the Panthers, one way or another.

Maybe — and I’m just think out loud here — that’s not the case. The Panthers have been trying to re-sign Peppers for about two years now and it still hasn’t happened. At this point, you have to at least wonder if he wants to be somewhere else. Peppers has been given numerous chances by the media (for several months now) to say he wants to stay in Carolina. He never has definitively done that.

To keep Peppers, it’s widely believed the Panthers will have to make him the league’s highest-paid defensive player (probably around $13 million a season). The Panthers also could place the franchise tag on Peppers (probably about $17 million for 2009).

As Joe wrote months ago, bringing Peppers to Tampa is not only a major upgrade from now free agent DE Kevin Carter, it changes the balance of power slightly in the NFC South.

The Bucs have the cash to pursue him. Do they have the desire?

Joe wants Brandon Jacobs to keep walking, about 1200 miles south to Tampa Bay

Joe stays up late agonizing about the Bucs future. Call it tradition.

Bucs fans know the pain of so many offseasons, especially watching the playoffs and seeing in living color how far the once-mighty Bucs have fallen. 

That said, there are reasons to be optimistic. Joe doesn’t buy the doomsday-is-near theories floated by some talk radio hosts and callers.

Bucs fans looking for excitement can start at the offensive line. They’re all young – senior starter Jeff Faine turns 28 in April – reasonably experienced, and have shown great promise. Even super reserve Jeremy Zuttah had a terrific rookie season in 2008, showing he can play multiple positions at a high level.

Every expert, including Bucs GM Bruce Allen, says the O-Line is a major strength and a true success of the Gruden-Allen era.

So here’s where Joe is going to make a not-so-flying leap. If we accept the Bucs’ strength is on the offensive line, then the team needs to make investing in a running back its top priority this offseason.

Sure, there are many other holes to fill. But without a stud running back to team with Earnest Graham and Warrick Dunn next season, the Bucs will be wasting their talent at offensive line.

Joe likes Earnest Graham. He’s a near-perfect back for Chucky’s offense, a nice combination of speed and power, and he can catch the ball. After breaking long runs in 2008, Joe believes Graham has enough speed to complement a bruising runner like the Giants RB Brandon Jacobs, who could hit the free agent market in February.

The Glazers should consider breaking the bank for Jacobs, if the Giants don’t make him their franchise player. Aside from the obvious, Jacobs’ arrival in Tampa would immediately improve the performance of the 2009 quarterback – whoever that may be – and legitimate play-action would return to the Bucs offense. It all but disappeared during the Bucs’ December collapse.

Just 26, maybe Jacobs would like the young faces of the Bucs’ young O-line. Of course, that would be Chucky’s sales pitch, “Hey, Brandon, man, you’re walking into what’s going to be the best offensive line in the NFC over the next four years.”

Jacobs has had knee problems and might welcome the chance to play on grass.

The versatile Graham also is a strong enough short-yardage runner who could be a great fit with potential free agent speedsters Darren Sproles or Derrick Ward, the Giants’ other 1,000-yard rusher. There are RB options in the NFL draft, of course, but Joe would rather see the Bucs address the backfield in free agency and use their first-round pick (No. 19) to attack another need.

Again, if the offensive line is ready to reach its great potential, then inject a league-tested super stud into the backfield alongside Graham and let them go to work.

 At the very least, the move is sure to generate the excitement the organization and fans desperately need.

Joe always likes to tip his cap to the “old-timer” Bucs fans, those who have been loving the team since Day 1, or at least since the early ’90s, before the Glazers ushered in the new era.

With that in mind, former Bucs starting LB Winston Moss, who played in Tampa alongside Eugene Marve (Robert Marve’s dad) in 1988, 1989 and 1990, is set to interview for the Raiders head coaching vacancy soon, according to various reports.

Moss, 43, has been a Packers coach since 2006, serving as assistant head coach this season.

He interviewed for the Rams’ vacancy recently, but was not considered a serious candidate as he was unprepared during the interview, reported the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel citing an unnamed source.

Bucs defensive coordinator Raheem Morris appears to be sticking around One Buc Palace at least another year.

Though the Bucs weren’t in the playoffs this past weekend — or the weekend prior for that matter — it appears the Bucs came out a winner nonetheless.

Adam Schefter of NFL.com is reporting the Broncos hired Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels as their new head coach. Why should Bucs fans care? Bucs defensive coordinator and Monte Kiffin’s heir apparent Raheem Morris was a finalist for the job.

Now that the issue of possibly losing Morris this offseason has been put to rest, Morris now has his first hire upon him as Bucs linebackers coach Gus Bradley has taken the defensive coordinator position at Seattle. Thankfully, the new hire won’t be Joe Barry.

Bruce Allen can tap dance with the best

“Shape up your bag. Don’t worry about mine. My thing together. And a doing fine.”

If you missed Bucs general manager Bruce Allen’s media session yesterday, The James Brown lyrics above, from the former No. 1 song “Talkin’ Loud and Sayin’ Nothing,” sum up Allen’s press conference quite well. 

Joe is still giving a standing ovation to Allen for the spectacular tap dancing exhibition yesterday at One Buc Place. Bravo.

One stunning comment Allen made – and you won’t find anywhere else – was that prior to the 2008 season he was counting on Cadillac Williams to perform in the second half of 2008. Yes, that Cadillac Williams, the guy who had the horrific knee injury in September 2007.

When questioned about not pursuing running back Michael Turner in 2008 free agency, Allen said Turner was off his radar because the Bucs were excited about the return of Earnest Graham in a starting role, the signing of Warrick Dunn and “Cadillac for the second half of the season.”

This admisssion stunned Joe. (And it’s no surprise Allen didn’t include ex-Bucs running back Michael Bennett, who was cut in November and should see significant action for the San Diego Chargers on Sunday.)

So are we to believe that Allen and Jon Gruden were banking on Cadillac’s return from a horrific knee injury AND that he would be effective late in December, when the Bucs have struggled mightily under Chucky? How foolish was that?

Joe recommends PewterReport.com and TBO.com for lengthy excerpts of Allen’s news conference. Perhaps Allen will appear next on Dancing With the Stars.

By BOB FOX

JoeBucsFan.com analyst Bob Fox takes a weekly look at the playoff picture. Fox writes for numerous sports publications. He brings an insightful take on the road to the Super Bowl. Fox picked three of four winners last week.

JoeBucsFan.com playoffs analyst Bob Fox stays on the Eagles bandwagon, where he's been for months. Fox was 3-1 in last weekend's games.

If the divisional round of the NFL playoffs is anything at all like the Wild Card round, then hold on folks, it’s going to be a wild ride. Last weekend, two road teams won, and I expect at least two to win this weekend.  This is the round that will take a team one step away from getting to the Big Dance — Super Bowl — right here in Tampa. Also, remember one thing this weekend as you watch the games, the defending Super Bowl champion New York Giants were a No. 5 seed last year.

Arizona Cardinals at Carolina Panthers
The Cardinals surprised me last week against the Falcons at home, not because they threw the ball well, but because they ran the ball well and effectively stopped the vaunted Atlanta run game behind Michael Turner and Jerious Norwood. The Cards will face a very stiff test this weekend as they will face another two headed monster in the ground game, as the Panthers bring DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart out to try and churn up big yardage. Bucs fans remember the damage that both Williams and Stewart did on a Monday night not long ago as they both had over 100 yards rushing against Tampa Bay. The Panthers also have the crafty Jake Delhomme at QB and WR Steve Smith just always seems to make huge plays at the end of games. The Cards will try and counter with a resurgent Edgerrin James at RB and also Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin at WR.  Both Fitzgerald and Boldin both had touchdowns on long pass plays last weekend, but Boldin is listed as questionable because of a hamstring injury. Bottom line, I see the Panthers holding serve at home behind their strong run game, and also the big play ability of Smith.  The Cards offense will put up points from the passing game, but it won’t be enough to take a bite out of the Panthers.

Philadelphia Eagles at New York Giants
This game will be the rubber match between these two NFC East rivals, as both have beaten each other this season. The Giants do seem to be affected by the Plaxico Burress suspension, as their offense doesn’t seem to have the same balance.  Yes, the G-men still have bruising Brandon Jacobs and Derrick Ward to run the rock (both ran for over 1,000 yards in 2008), but the absence of Burress has hurt the passing game somewhat. The Eagles will try and put as many men in the box as possible, similar to what they did in Minnesota vs. Adrian Peterson and the Vikings, plus still use their exotic blitz packages in the passing game. The Philly offense will be once again led by QB Donovan McNabb and RB Brian Westbrook. I expect both to once again have big games. The Eagles won their game against the Giants in 2008 in New Jersey, and I think that they will once again find a way to beat their nemesis on the road. Like all games, turnovers will be a big key in this game, as will special teams play. 

AFC

Baltimore Ravens at Tennessee Titans
Nobody has impressed me more than the Baltimore Ravens in the NFL playoffs thus far.  The Ravens defense is SCARY good, paced by S Ed Reed and LB Ray Lewis. I also want to send a shout out to S Jim Leonhard of the Ravens, who also has been making some key plays for the Ravens defense and also is a fine punt returner. Baltimore’s offense has been very steady lately behind rookie QB Joe Flacco and tough WR Derrick Mason, plus a nice ground game led by Le’Ron McClain and Willie McGahee. But the Titans are the No. 1 seed in the AFC for two big reasons: an excellent defense and a nice ground game led by Chris Johnson and Lendale White. Veteran QB Kerry Collins has been unspectacular, but effective. Both teams have excellent special teams. I expect this one to perhaps come down to a field goal, and I think the veteran Baltimore defense has the edge in making a big play that will be the difference-maker.

San Diego Chargers at Pittsburgh Steelers
The Chargers are a perfect 2-0 in Pittsburgh in playoff games  The last time Ben Roethlisberger played a game after suffering a concussion, he was terrible.  Still, albeit with apprehension, I like the Steelers to win in a close game. The Chargers almost won again in the 2008 regular season in Pittsburgh.  I think they will have a chance again behind QB Phillip Rivers, RB/KR Darren Sproles and TE Antonio Gates. It looks like RB LaDainian Tomlinson will miss the game with a severe groin injury. But the Steelers have an excellent defense behind folks like LB James Harrison (The Associated Press 2008 Defensive Player of the Year) and S Troy Palamalu. Big Ben has some weapons as well on offense with WR’s Himes Ward and Santonio Holmes, plus RB Willie Parker seems to be playing better as of late, with Mewelde Moore as another option for toting the rock. I think either team could win this game, but I will give the edge to the Steelers because of more playmakers on their defense.

Let's cheer for Skins loyalty! Doug Williams, ex-Bucs and Redskins QB, has thrown his support to Todd Bowles for the Broncos head coaching job, not Raheem Morris. Bowles and Williams were teammates in Washington.

Joe wants to issue a big “Thank You” to Doug Williams for publicly endorsing Dophins assistant head coach Todd Bowles for the Broncos head coaching job.

Any effort that could help keep Bucs defensive coordinator Raheem Morris from getting the position is a good thing.

Williams, the ex-Bucs quarterback and current team personnel executive, made his case for Bowles to the Denver Post today. Williams and Bowles were teammates on the Super Bowl champion Redskins in 1988.

“He’s got this presence,” said Williams. “Todd is a tall guy. If you watch him explain stuff, you’ll find he uses his hands a lot, and he knows how to get their attention. He knows how to work a room. Guys who play in this league, they’re pretty smart too. That’s where the respect comes from.”

Bowles has spent the last nine seasons as an NFL defensive assistant coach with the Jets, Browns, Cowboys and Dolphins. He’s spent three years working for Bill Parcells — two years while Parcells was head coach in Dallas and this season in Miami, where Parcells is in charge of football operations.

“He’s probably learned what it takes to build a winner. No one can argue with the track record of what Bill has done,” Williams said. “That’s not a bad horse to hitch your wagon to.”

Frankly, the Bucs are completely screwed if Raheem Morris takes off for Denver. Let’s all keep our fingers crossed.

Joe informed you yesterday that word out of Denver is that Morris has made the Broncos final four candidates. Today, TampaBay.com is reporting he may have made Denver’s list of top-3 choices.

You know him. You love him (unless you are employed by the Bucs). He is Justin Pawlowski, one of the finest radio hosts in the area and Tampa Bay’s very own Mike Mayock.

Justin’s back today, broadcasting his highly-acclaimed show from the immortal Chris Thomas studio on WDAE-AM 620 from noon to 3 p.m.

Justin’s must-listen show will either keep Bucs fans glued to the radio or so upset they want to throw their empty bottles of Caybrew in disgust. Either way, it’s solid radio for football fans (which means any red-blooded male living in the Sunshine State).

Justin should have plenty to talk about. Not like there was a dearth of fodder in the local sports scene in recent days.

Tune in!