"Jeff, man, if Sapp can be runner-up in Dancing With The Stars, you can win it all. The way you freak out in the pocket, man. You make Griese look polished."

Joe watched Kurt Warner, Philip Rivers and many other playoff quarterbacks over the weekend look so comfortable in the pocket, regardless of whether it was collapsing on them or not.

It was a enjoyable to watch them hang in there and make plays downfield.

Joe thinks he was getting a little too used to Jeff Garcia’s happy feet in the pocket and his inability to consistently make traditional plays. That just didn’t work for the Bucs when it counted most.

A rare glimpse of Monte Kiffin here at the news conference introducing him to the Tennessee media on Friday. The video is quite enjoyable. Joe highly recommends it.

Monte is a high-energy maniac, filled with smiles and analogies.

And aside from the bad combover and an orange tie, it’s hard to imagine how any blue-chip high school defensive player isn’t going to sign up to play for Tennessee.

A stellar reputation will follow Raheem Morris to Denver, where he will intervew for the Broncos' head coach opening

Denver loves its Broncos, and the city is buzzing over the team’s coaching search to replace Mike Shanahan.

Bucs newly-named defensive coordinator Raheem Morris will interview for the position this week.

Rocky Mountain News NFL reporter Jeff Legwold interviewed unnamed general managers and personnel executives Friday to get their take on the pluses and minuses of the Broncos’ candidates. Morris, only 32-years old, scored well but was knocked for his inexperience.

Raheem Morris, Buccaneers defensive coordinator

Strengths: The guy is going places, and everybody knows it. Players like Ronde Barber say they see him as a head coach in waiting, and many have compared his career curve to that of Steelers coach Mike Tomlin.

Weaknesses: Just 32 years old and never has called plays on either side of the ball. Was just named Bucs’ defensive coordinator late last month. Executives said he is still a quality candidate because of his high-end people skills, but he would need to surround himself with plenty of experience while still making it clear he’s the boss.

As Joe has written previously, Morris has little or no shot of landing a head coaching job for 2009. But all bets are off after next season, if Morris returns the Bucs’ defense to another top-10 ranking. In 2007, Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin landed the job in Pittsburgh after only one season as a defensive coordinator in Minnesota.

Joe has learned from a reliable source who covers the Kansas City Chiefs that Bucs director of pro personnel Mark Dominik is still in the running for the general manager position with the Chiefs.

After former Chiefs general manager Carl Peterson resigned before the end of the season, the Chiefs’ brain trust, including owner Clark Hunt, had Dominik on the initial list of candidates. When the Chiefs front office recently shrunk the list to 10, Dominik made the cut.

Though Hunt is in the process of interviewing Patriots general manager Scott Pioli, it’s hardly a lock that Pioli will get the job.

Dominik has roots and history in the Kansas City area. He graduated from the University of Kansas, which is nearly a suburb of Kansas City. Dominik also worked for the Chiefs in their college and pro personnel departments prior to joining the Bucs front office in 1995. He has been Bucs director of pro personnel for the past seven seasons and his contract is set to expire with the Bucs.

What fun would the start of the playoffs be without quality prognostications from a handful of your favorite NFL authorities?

So get your bookie on the phone early; Joe hereby presents some sure-fire winners. The only problem is there is no true consensus among our esteemed panel below.

Most like the Ravens to roll into Miami and overwhelm the Dolphins with defense. Jeff Carlson, former Bucs quarterback and professional quarterback coach, says Ravens rookie QB Joe Flacco is the real deal. The Eagles got the most attention. Only Steve Isbitts, JoeBucsFan executive editor, thinks Adrian Peterson is enough of a stud to carry the Vikings to the NFC semifinals. Justin Pawlowski, a former Division I offensive lineman and host of The Blitz on 620 AM, believes Peyton Manning will pick apart the Chargers’ secondary en route to a commanding victory.

Bobby Fenton, host of The Free Stretch on WQYK-AM 1010 Sports Radio, also belives the Colts will get a win over the Chargers.

Everyone’s picks are laid out below. Best Bets are in bold. Joe will praise and harrass our experts accordingly on Monday. 

JoeBucsFan.com analyst Bob Fox likes the Eagles, Ravens, Falcons and Chargers in the opening round of the NFL playoffs

Well, the NFL postseason starts this weekend, as the Wild Card playoffs begin Saturday. Twelve teams qualified for the playoffs, and now eight will square off. The other four teams get a well deserved bye weekend off, after their successful 2008 seasons gave them the Nos. 1 and 2 seeds in their respective conferences. 

But before I try to breakdown the playoffs in each conference, I want to look at four teams that at one point looked like they were sure locks for the playoffs but faded badly down the stretch: the Denver Broncos, New York Jets, Dallas Cowboys and Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Both the Broncos and Jets have already fired their head coaches. The Mike Shanahan firing in Denver was especially shocking. Eric Mangini in New York was not so surprising, as the Jets let a golden opportunity to win the AFC East slip away. They sqaundered the contributions of newcomers Brett Favre and Alan Faneca, and the season-ending knee injury to Tom Brady of the Patriots suffered in Week 1. Plus, the Jets were once 8-3 and had defeated the Titans and Patriots back-to-back on the road.

Jerry Jones says he will not change head coaches for the Cowboys. Don’t believe it. The Cowboys imploded big time in 2008 under Wade Phillips. They were beaten at home by the Ravens on the second-to-last week of the season when they played the final game ever at Texas Stadium in front of  all the past Cowboy legends on hand. They they were thoroughly embarrassed at Philadelphia by the Eagles the last week of the season. I would not be surprised to see Shanahan move on to either Dallas or the Jets.

Jon Gruden’s situation is not as tenuous in Tampa Bay, although some say it should be. Gruden and GM Bruce Allen were both given extensions after the 2007 season. I think the Glazers will do what Ralph Wilson did for Dick Jauron (Jauron was also recently given a contract extension) following the 2008 season and keep Gruden around. Owners (except Hank Steinbrenner of the Yankees) are being very careful with their money now in these turbulent economic times.  I think the Glazers will see what Gruden and his staff can do in 2009, and then re-evaluate the team.

But the Vince Lombardi trophy that Gruden brought home after the 2002 season has used its last  coaching lifeline. Gruden has not won a playoff game since the Super Bowl season. Yes, Gruden has won two NFC South titles in that time, but the Bucs also have gone 45-51 since the Super Bowl season. If Shanahan can get fired after winning two straight Super Bowls (but that was a decade or so ago), plus being close friends with an owner, no one is untouchable in the NFL. Finally, Gruden may have to make other changes to his coaching staff, as well.  Look for defensive coordinator Raheem Morris to possibly land in Denver or Cleveland as a head coach after recently replacing Monte Kiffin as the main man controlling the defense for the Bucs.

NFC playoff scenario
The Giants and Panthers earned a bye this weekend as the Nos. 1 and 2 seeds, respectively. I expect the road teams to win all the playoff games this weekend, with one exception, and that is in the AFC.

Atlanta Falcons at Arizona Cardinals
The Falcons are playing very well down the stretch, while the Cardinals for the most part have been floundering. I expect Michael Turner and the second-leading rushing attack in the NFL will do its share of damage for the Falcons. Rookie QB Matt Ryan of the Falcons has been almost unflappable, as he was recently won The Associated Press 2008 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year award. Ryan loves to connect with WR Roddy White.  While the Falcons are run-happy, the Cardinals are pass happy, led by QB Kurt Warner.  Warner has many weapons, including WR’s Larry Fitzgerald, Anquan Boldin and Steve Breaston. Still, I see the Falcons continuing their winning ways as the Birds are much more consistent than the Cardinals who will be hosting their first playoff game since 1947. 

Philadelphia Eagles at Minnesota Vikings
Except for a brief hiccup in Washington in Week 16, there are those who think the Eagles are playing the best football in the NFC right now. Count me as a believer, although both the Giants and Panthers will have something to say about that. The Vikings have played better down the stretch as well behind QB Tavaris Jackson, but Jim Johnson’s blitz-happy Eagles defense has to be licking its chops waiting for a game against the inexperienced Jackson.  Once again, the Eagles will be led by QB Donovan McNabb and RB Brian Westbrook, but the Philly defense will be the real key in trying to stop RB Adrian Peterson and trying to force turnovers. I expect the Eagles to move on and face the Giants next weekend; they split their meetings this season.

JoeBucsFan.com analyst Bob Fox says the Chargers match up well against the Colts and Phillip Rivers will lead them to victory at home

AFC playoff scenario
The Titans and Steelers earned a bye this weekend as the Nos. 1 and 2 seeds.  Some think both road teams will win in the AFC this weekend, as well, but I expect the Chargers to surprise the Colts again, like they did in 2007, and almost did earlier this past season.

Indianapolis Colts at San Diego Chargers
Sometimes teams just match up well with their particular opponents, no matter the record.  That is how it is for the Chargers against the Colts.  Yes, the Chargers have not had LaDainian Tomlinson or Antonio Gates practice this week because of injuries, but I think both will be ready for the game.  The Chargers beat Peyton Manning last year in San Diego, as Manning threw six picks.  The Colts were very fortunate to get a win this year behind a last second Adam Vinatieri field goal.  I just like Phillip Rivers and the Chargers in this one, even though the Colts are playing very well.  By the way, not only should Rivers be in the Pro Bowl for the AFC (which he is not, which is a travesty), but he also deserves consideration for the MVP award in the NFL.  Rivers is the top rated QB in the NFL with 34 TD passes to just 11 interceptions for 4,009 yards and a 105.5 QB rating, and he also brought the Chargers back from the dead with three games to go in the season and three games behind Denver to win the AFC West.

Baltimore Ravens at Miami Dolphins 
The Ravens and Dolphins are both playing exceptional football right now. I give the edge to the Dolphins at quarterback, as Chad Pennington has had a great year, but Joe Flacco has also had a very nice rookie season at QB. The edge to me in this game is the Ravens defense. If there is a better DB than Ed Reed in the NFL right now, I don’t know who he is.  MLB Ray Lewis and others have led the Ravens defense to the No. 2 ranking in the entire NFL. The Dolphins defense is in the middle of the pack statistically. The Ravens run game has also erupted recently behind Le’Ron McClain and Willis McGahee and that will also help Flacco succeed in his first ever playoff game. I think this game might come down to a field goal, and I think Baltimore’s experience on defense will be the key factor in the win.

Bob Garcia, Jeff Garcia's father, is reporting Jon Gruden met with Jeff Garcia on Monday and told his son he wants him (and Carmella) back in Tampa Bay for the 2009 season

Throughout the season, Joe has enjoyed sharing the blogging of Bob Garcia, Jeff Garcia’s dad, a legendary retired high school and college football coach in northern California.

His thoughts on all-things Bucs and football are chronicled by the Gilroy Dispatch.  Sports editor Josh Koehn interviews Mr. Garcia weekly.

The elder Garcia’s work provided some great insight into the mindset of Jeff Garcia, and some quality laughs. His latest entry is no exception.

Bob Garcia talks about what Jeff told him about the Bucs’ effort in December.

‘No fire whatsoever. None.’

And Bob Garcia says Gruden held a face-to-face meeting with Jeff Garcia on Monday and wants him to return in 2009.

K: Do you think Jeff has played his last game in Tampa Bay?
G: I think so. You know, I shouldn’t say that because I guess they had a meeting Monday and the big guy (coach Jon Gruden) talked to him and said he wants him back. Well, I said, ‘It’s not for me to make a decision, but just remember what you went through. And, not just with the contract and the Brett Favre thing and the injuries and the benching and the whole thing from the offense and everything.’
He said, ‘I know, dad. I just want to get away for about two months and let things settle, maybe clear up a little bit, and then think about what I want to do.’ 

The entire interview and the archived blog entries are available here.

"Jeff, man, you know how this Favre dance goes by now. I love the guy, and I love you, too."

Expect the New York papers to ignite the rumor mill in a matter of days. It makes too much sense, right? Brett Favre is coming to Tampa Bay for the 2009 season.

Favre’s New York teammates are blasting him, reports ESPN.com, including 1300-yard rusher Thomas Jones. And the Jets have no coach; Eric Mangini, who named his infant son for Favre, was fired Monday.

Jon Gruden is probably begging Bruce Allen to pick up the phone and call the Jets to ask if Favre is available for a fifth-round pick. After all, Gruden loves quarterbacks, and Jeff Garcia’s a free agent. Heck, Chucky, seemed happy and ready to have both of them on the Bucs roster last summer.

Maybe the Bucs offer a conditional draft pick, much like the Jets did when they traded with Green Bay for Favre.

If Chucky stays on as coach, there’s every reason in the world to believe the Bucs will go after Favre — early and relentlessly — similar to how Gruden blames injuries for his teams’ struggles.

Monte Kiffin hired his new D-Line coach at the University of Tennessee only three days after the Bucs walked off the field in disgrace. Joe is sickened by the likelihood of Monte recruiting the guy while the Bucs' defense was imploding in December.

How did Monte Kiffin hire a hotly recruited defensive coach less than three days after the Bucs season-ending collapse without actively recruiting the guy during the Bucs season?

Circumstantial evidence is mounting that could reveal the ex-Bucs defensive coordinator was distracted during his final weeks with the Bucs, after announcing in early December he was leaving the team to coach at the University of Tennessee.

Local sports radio talking heads and print scribes have buzzed over the past week with speculation that the Bucs defense may have quit on Kiffin. For the record, Joe thinks that’s ridiculous. And Joe is far more troubled that the Bucs’ defense likely played its absolute best against the Raiders to send Kiffin off with a performance worthy of his stellar tenure in Tampa.

But Kiffin’s swift actions this week, along with his son Lane’s, the UT head coach, could lead one to believe that Monte Kiffin devoted time to Tennessee business while working for the Bucs.

On Wednesday, Lane Kiffin hired two NFL assistant coaches to join the UT staff: Ed Orgeron, the Saints’ defensive line coach, and Jim Chaney, the Rams’ tight end coach. The Knoxville News Sentinel reports that father and son Kiffin interviewed Orgeron on Wednesday and he committed that day. Many thought Orgeron was headed to Louisiana State University.

“I’m so excited,” Orgeron, 47, told ESPN. “I get to coach with Monte (Kiffin) and I’m getting to recruit again. It’s pedal to the metal, and I can’t wait to get up there.”

What is disturbing to Joe in this article is the description of how close Orgeron was to leaving for LSU, and how quickly he committed to Tennessee.

It’s difficult to believe Monte Kiffin wasn’t actively involved in recruiting Orgeron, his new D-line coach and UT’s recruiting coordinator. It’s also hard to imagine didn’t devote time to planning a staff with Lane Kiffin before the Bucs final game in Tampa, given how quickly Orgeron was hired. He was hired Wednesday morning, less than three days after the final whistle blew in Tampa.

“Lane and Monte took a jet to Destin,” Bobby Hebert, a former Saints quarterback and lifelong friend of Orgeron, told Gannett Louisiana. “They were all freaking out at Tennessee after they thought he was going to LSU, and they just stepped it up. I’m not sure what Ed will be making at Tennessee, but it will be more than he would’ve made at LSU.”

Orgeron, who coached with Lane Kiffin at Southern California from 2001-04, is expected to make $650,000 annually, making him one of the highest paid assistants in the country, according to ESPN. Orgeron was making approximately $500,000 with the Saints and LSU was offering around $600,000.

“Ed also favored working with Monte Kiffin over John Chavis,” Hebert told Gannett Louisiana.

Count Joe among the many fans sickened that the Bucs’ players’ performance in December slightly tarnished Monte Kiffin’s reputation. Joe is even more sickened by the thought that Kiffin may have been distracted by his new job and not given the Bucs 100 percent of his attention.

It seems that Monte Kiffin’s successor at defensive coordinator, 32-year-old Raheem Morris, will begin his Rooney Rule tour in Denver on Monday.

Rick Stroud, of the St. Petersburg Times broke the story today reporting the Broncos have asked permission to interview Morris for their head coaching job and he will meet with Denver owner Pat Bowlen on Monday. Longtime Broncos coach and general manager Mike Shanahan was fired this week. (Kudos to the Times, as the Denver newspapers have yet to report Morris will interview).

On Wednesday, The Rocky Mountain News reported Morris was among young coaches to watch, when it comes to longshot head coaching candidates.

Two NFL general managers who were asked Tuesday to name an up-and-coming defensive assistant who might be ready for a move up mentioned Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive backs coach Raheem Morris as someone that both had “on the radar.”

Morris is a respected young coach but has never held a coordinator position in the NFL. How he could be considered a legitimate head coaching candidate – let alone for a storied franchise like Denver – is hard to understand.

Even boy genius Jon Gruden, who was 34 when he was named Oakland Raiders coach, had been an offensive coordinator with the Eagles before landing his first head coaching job.

Joe believes Morris is a Rooney Rule candidate for Denver. The 5-year-old Rooney Rule requires NFL teams to interview minority candidates for a head coaching vacancy, with a few exceptions. Morris is African-American. Morris is a fabulous young coaching talent who, right now, is not qualified to be a head coach in the NFL.

Joe hates all of the race-based, equal opportunity hiring processes across the United States. It would be nice to one day live in a world in which people were judged solely by what they can offer.

Let’s all toss out a huge high-five to JoeBucsFan.com analyst Bob Fox.

Fox tracked the NFC playoff drive over the past two months and nailed playoff picks that were hardly popular.

Among the highlights, Fox wrote the Eagles would make the playoffs when most considered them left for dead following their tie with the Bengals. Fox also wrote the Vikings would lose at home in Week 16 to Atlanta yet bounce back to knock off the Giants in Week 17 and win the NFC North. 

Look for more playoff picks this weekend from Fox and the rest of the JoeBucsFan.com staff.

Joe would like to wish all JoeBucsFan.com readers a Happy New Year, and may the days, weeks and months to come bring health and prosperity to all.

Just because the Bucs season is over, Joe is NOT done for the year. Hardly!

Joe will have posts daily through the offseason. You can count on JoeBucsFan.com for loads of offseason news, commentary and analysis. Joe will break down the 2009 draft in detail, and Joe has  plans in the works to deliver draft coverage unmatched by local media.

Also, Joe will report on all the Super Bowl happenings in the Tampa Bay area leading up to the game.  

As JoeBucsFans.com readers have already noticed, JoeBoltsFan.com will debut later this month.

In the busy final month of 2008, Joe procrastinated on offering thanks to a number of people.

Joe appeared on various sports radio shows, including The Ron and Ian Show, on 620 AM, The Sports Animal, the Blitz with Justin Pawlowski, as well as the dean of Tampa sports radio, “The Big Dog,” Steve Duemig. Among other topics, Joe spoke on WDAE about the active civil law suit that involves former Bucs Anthony Davis and Michael Bennett. The case is pending and, of course, Joe will keep readers informed of the twists and turns of the case. No one else in the Tampa Bay MSM is.

Thanks Ron, Justin and Steve!

Additionally, Joe was on with J.P. Petersen and his producer “Big Papi,” Dave Ortiz during the “Happy Hour with J.P.” show heard on WQYK-AM 1010. Many thanks again to J.P. and Dave!

BSPN has an interesting piece on how Bucs running back Warrick Dunn recently confronted the murderers of his mother, who was killed when he was in high school.

One of the pieces of human debris actually had the unmitigated gall to say to Dunn’s face how he was innocent. The switch can’t be pulled quick enough on that dirtbag.

Joe has no shame in saying how animals like that do not deserve to be sucking our oxygen.