Bucs 24, Bengals 21
October 10th, 2010
Boy, for a while this win sure smelled like a 2009 Jim Bates-Greg Olson special.
The Bengals ran the ball down the Bucs’ throat with ease and Tampa Bay missed way too many tackles. The Bucs got beat over the top for a 40+ yard touchdown featuring late safety help from Sabby Piscitelli. And Josh Freeman got in trouble throwing on first down and abandoning the running game early.
Despite all that, the Bucs were in the game and had plenty of chances to make plays. They even had the ball driving deep in Bengals territory for the tying score, which they got from a Pro Bowl catch by Mike Williams in the corner of the end zone.
Fumble the ball away inches from the goal line (Mike Williams) and on a kickoff return (Micheal Spurlock) and you won’t win many road games. But the Bucs proved full of confidence and resilient.
Sabby snatched the late interception. Spurlock vindicated himself on a sick, aggressive play-call with seconds left. And Connor Barth sealed it.
The Bucs are 3-1!!!!!!!!!!!!
Joe will have so much more through the afternoon and evening.
October 10th, 2010 at 4:33 pm
haters haters haters…lol where you at….good job bucs
October 10th, 2010 at 4:33 pm
Tampa is 3 and 1, it was ugly, but we still won! Tampa never quit! OMFG !
October 10th, 2010 at 4:34 pm
Joe,
Say it again. Sabby made a play. Sabby made the play of the game. Josh Freeman has a major set of grapefruits. Wow, what a great way to end the game.
October 10th, 2010 at 4:35 pm
Woooooooo!!!!
October 10th, 2010 at 4:38 pm
Take a deep breath, Bucs fans…. I think we’re gonna have this type of game each week, all year.
October 10th, 2010 at 4:38 pm
UGLY WIN. I’m happy to be 3-1, but I didn’t see much to be excited about today. Freeman continues to be clutch in the 4th quater which is awesome, but our pass rush still sucked and we didn’t get Blount or Huggins involved. We were horrible against the run. Again, I’m happy for the win, but we seem to be getting lucky and not really improving week to week.
October 10th, 2010 at 4:38 pm
I will take a win any way we can get one, Tampa just will not quit!
October 10th, 2010 at 4:40 pm
Go Bucs!!! Olsen finally called a great game!The y would have one with ease without the turnovers still want to see more of Huggins!!
October 10th, 2010 at 4:41 pm
As far as Sabby goes, he blew plays as usual and gave up a TD, but honestly Sean Jones looks just as bad as Sabby. Atleast Sabby might get better. Sean Jones is what he is.
Grimm had a very nice game, as did Biggers. It’s very strange that even with Talib out in week one, and Tanard gone for good…or secondary has been the strength of our defense this year. I’m happt to sse them make plays, but not sure that is a good thing.
October 10th, 2010 at 4:41 pm
JDouble,
The plays Blount and Huggins were in, they had no more success than Caddy, or even Graham (other than the one big breakaway play). Seriously, how can anyone run the ball when they’re constantly being hit behind the line of scrimmage? Aren’t the linemen supposed to drive block on run plays? How are they getting driven back on run blocking?
As for the pass rush, it wasn’t consistent, but they did get there a few times. Just no sacks.
October 10th, 2010 at 4:44 pm
I will say this…. last year, we would have lost a game like this. This is improvement, even though it’s ugly.
October 10th, 2010 at 4:44 pm
This team is the second youngest in the league. I am so excited to see this team in a couple years. So young yet so promising.
October 10th, 2010 at 4:45 pm
Someone in Cincy is getting fired OR benched over this one
October 10th, 2010 at 4:45 pm
BamBam, you can’t give a guy one carry the entire game (Huggins) or give a guy one carry per quarter (Blount) and expect him to do well. Seriously. Either make them a part of the game plan or don’t, but don’t pull that half ars crap and then say they didn’t have success.
October 10th, 2010 at 4:49 pm
Give Blount 12-15 carries and then tell me whats up.
Watching Caddie run 11 times for 33 yards today was very hard. Especially when Blount and Huggins are just sitting on the sideline. Huggins got one carry in the 1st quarter for 4 yards…why does he never get a 2nd carry? Any run Caddie gets, Blount could get too plus more. It’s just hard to watch.
Speaking of hard to watch. Our O-line was disgusting today. I felt sorry for Freeman. He did amazing. I can’t beleive a guy in his 12th start can carry a team and deal with no blovking like he does. We hit the jackpot with this kid.
October 10th, 2010 at 4:52 pm
Did you even see the blocking on the run plays? Seriously, same play… same results on the stretch right. Trueblood was getting pushed 5 yards back, Joseph 3 deep, K2 was no help and neither Caddy or Blount could turn it back the other way because of the backside pursuit. Freeman actually had to try and block the backside on both those plays. Horrible.
October 10th, 2010 at 4:52 pm
WE NEED MORE HUGGY N BLOUNT!!!!!!!!!
October 10th, 2010 at 4:53 pm
Also remember, JDouble, that we were getting blitzed on most plays. Those guys are not as up to speed on blitz pickup as Caddy. I would hate to see how early they would have carted Freeman off the field if Caddy hadn’t been in there.
October 10th, 2010 at 4:53 pm
“Mancharian” is a “Candidate” to get cut mid season
October 10th, 2010 at 4:55 pm
To those of you calling for more carries for Blount/Huggins….
A tight game, on the road, against a veteran team calls for a somewhat “safe” approach, especially early on in the game. Raheem has said time and time again that they TRUST Cadillac more than the other two guys…
He knows the protections and his assignments much better than any other RB that we have and this is one of the main reasons they stick with him!
You don’t risk putting in the new guys and risk a blown assignment that could potentially result in a turnover…Even though Cadillac may not be getting us big gains, he is still the lesser of two evils in a game like this…
October 10th, 2010 at 5:01 pm
So gratifying to pull out a win like that. Im going to say it again tho. Why is Caddy still getting the vast majority of the carries for this offense? I mean as soon as you give him the ball “Insurance” Graham goes for 60 yards. Why is the coaching staff pissing this guys career away at fullback? I don’t want to hear “we need him at fullback”. Thats B.S.!!!!!! I have been a Raheem supporter but he lied. Blount, Graham, and Huggins barely touched the ball. That being said, this is what winning teams, dare I say it, playoff teams do. They make the plays to win games in the fourth quarter. I think most NFL games are competitive affairs that are decided in the fourth quarter and the Bucs are showing they will find ways to win if its within reach. At 3-1 with Detroit, St. Louis, Arizona, San Fran, Seattle, and Carolina again still on the schedule, something like 9-7 and a possible wildcard berth just became a possibility.
October 10th, 2010 at 5:09 pm
Do you guys think that Huggy was taken out so early because he made that boneheaded play on blitz pickup early. I think when you get down to the game, you go with what you trust, and we trust caddy.
I think phasing him out is still the right move, but Blount and Huggy need to be phased in gradually. Today was a good first step, next game 5-10 carries less for Caddy.
October 10th, 2010 at 5:14 pm
We have to be excited with the Freeman to Williams tandem. Great win!
October 10th, 2010 at 5:25 pm
I agree with Jester. Eliminate the turnovers (especially Mike W on the 3) and we win this walking away. The late heroics made up for the fumbles, this team will only get better.
October 10th, 2010 at 9:20 pm
@gary not sure what play Huggins missed a blitz on ? He was only in on one play that I seen and he ran the ball for 4 yds.