Bucs fans throughout the Bay area are giddy this morning and it has nothing to do with the expected return of the bearded guy from points north returning later this week.

The Bucs not just won, but slapped around the Seahawks on the road yesterday.

Despite Bucs fans finally enjoying a Monday morning, as best as one can with the start of a new work week, for just the second time this fall, all is not ice cream and balloons for Raheem the Dream.

Like others, Joe Henderson of the Tampa Tribune isn’t completely sold that the win yesterday secured Raheem the Dream’s second season as the Bucs coach.

The solid 24-7 win against the Seattle Seahawks didn’t hurt his chances of staying beyond this season, but that doesn’t mean the heat on Tampa Bay’s young coach is significantly less this morning than it was 24 hours ago. I mean, even with a dose of feel-good three time zones away from home, the Bucs are still just 2-12.

He needed to show improvement in these final games of the season, though, and this was better. We should give him credit for that. If the result had gone the other way in foggy, drizzly Seattle, we’d have been looking for extra nails, a hammer and a coffin painted pewter.

Oh, and Bill Cowher’s cell phone number.

“That’s what the whole end of the season is about for us,” Morris said. “It’s establishing, it’s progressing, it’s forming, it’s getting these guys to believe. They saw it happen today, they saw it working. Hopefully that stimulates a little bit more belief in our players, our coaches and our organization. That’s where we need to go.”

No one expects the Bucs to do anything in the Superdome next week with the Saints itching to return to their winning ways after being upset Saturday by Dallass.

If the Bucs are beaten soundly by the Falcons to close the season at home, Raheem the Dream should be very concerned.