Bobby Rainey, who just a few weeks earlier was walking the streets out of work, points skyward after he scored a touchdown for the Bucs Monday night.

Yes, Joe is still aglow over the first win of the season for the Bucs. Sure, Joe wants the Bucs to have a fabulous draft slot. But when toe meets leather (hat tip, Mr. Deckerhoff) Joe is all-in pulling for a Bucs victory.

It’s just hilarious that Bucs commander Greg Schiano believes this team has stunted and shifted guys on the defensive front line so much that it shocked the Dolphins when the Bucs decided to go straight at Ryan Tannehill on the final defensive stand. Most teams expect defenses to go straight at a quarterback. Guess the Bucs just have to be different.

Sure glad Schiano saw the light at the last moment. Otherwise, who knows how the game turns out.

Sacks

You would think/hope that after the Bucs recorded sacks on consecutive plays (Hell, there Mr. Bowers!) by running straight at the quarterback, someone on the coaching staff will finally see the light and turn the defensive front line loose like it was in the final minutes last night.

Isn’t it plainly obvious through how many weeks and how many games that being cute on defense doesn’t get the job done?

Very cool that Bucs icon Warren Sapp, before the game, told Gerald McCoy to do just what he did late. Also cool that Lavonte David was so upset about what looked to be another loss, that he got in GMC’s face and challenged the defense’s manhood to stop the Dolphins. Voila, sacks and a pick!

Maybe a sign of the future?

Greg Schiano’s Future

Speaking of future, Joe isn’t 100 percent sure that Schiano will lose his job after the season. Joe has a hunch if, somehow, Schiano can weasel through four more wins, he will be safe.

His coordinators? Not so fast.

Newest stud

Did you have a sick feeling in your stomach when Mike James was carted off the field? He had played at a higher rate than Doug Martin. Now down their first two starters, the Bucs turned to Brian Leonard and Bobby Rainey, who was walking the streets just a couple of years ago. This is also an example of why Joe would never draft a running back in the first round. You can always get good running back talent in later rounds or in free agency.

Neither James nor Rainey were drafted in the first round.

Chasing the Dixie Chicks

Joe’s going to have to wrap this up shortly as it is 5:35 a.m., Joe is still working after the game and his head is bouncing and eyebrows growing heavy. The Dixie Chicks flat out stink and the Bucs have largely gotten better each week since they narrowly lost to the Dixie Chicks in Atlanta.

Could the Bucs pull off another shocker? Would it be a shocker?

NFL Thoughts:

Vikings: Their win over the Redskins says more about the Redskins than the Vikings. How badly have the Redskins dropped off? And isn’t it about time we give Adam Schein credit for last year saying he trusted Christian Ponder more than he trusted Josh Freeman?

Seahawks: They crushed the Dixie Chicks, but does this say more about how far off the map the Dixie Chicks have fallen than how good the Seahawks are?

Ravens: Only thing Joe has to say about the Crows is, Joe Flacco is the very definition of clutch.

Lions: They are in the driver’s seat for the NFC North crown. Yes, you read that correctly.

Lambs: Are the Colts starting to fall apart? Joe just isn’t on the Jeff Fisher bandwagon. Maybe the most overrated coach in the NFL. He’s not bad, but there are others you can pin Super Bowl hopes to and have a better shot of, you know, playing in a Super Bowl.

Giants: With three wins, the Giants are two wins out of first place. That’s how miserable the NFC East is. Always overrated, this year it’s a joke.

Steelers: Mike Tomlin is fighting like a madman not to get a top-five draft pick. Why fight it? If you don’t make the playoffs, lose for the draft. Haven’t we been over this before? Wonder who planted the Big Ben trade story with NFL Network? Hhhmmm…

Jaguars: Any given Sunday, friends. Any given Sunday.

Stinking Panthers: They just curb-stomped the 49ers in their own crib. Though Joe was pulling for San Francisco, it was a beautiful, smashmouth game. Old school football.

Cardinals: Even with wunderkind and Houston fan favorite Case Keenum at quarterback, the Texans still can’t find a win. What are the odds the Texans draft Johnny Football next year?

Broncos: Solid win over a good team in the Chargers. But the greatest regular season quarterback in NFL history is banged up with a date with the (currently) undefeated Chiefs around the corner.

Saints: What an absolute chain-whipping the Saints dished out to the Cowgirls! Joe freaking loved every second of it.

Non-NFL thoughts:

1) Is Alabama the No. 1 team in the country? Joe has no doubt. Can they run the table? Not as easy as Florida State should, which Joe agrees is the No. 2 team in the country.

2) If Joe were an LSU fan, he would have thrown a beer bottle through his TV Saturday night. LSU moved the ball on Alabama in the first half and threw away two touchdowns on stupidity. On defense, once LSU let Alabama get away with a fake punt that you could smell coming all the way from Hernando County. Then the defense got off the field on third down deep in Alabama territory when they were whistled for a stupid penalty on an uncatchable ball, which Alabama later scored on the same drive. Perfect example of how dumb mistakes will cost a team games.

3) Heisman Trophy race: Johnny Football leads by a hair over Famous Jameis, who leads by a good margin over A.J. McCarron. Look, Johnny Football is an absolute marked man and still he is putting up better numbers than he did last year. How many quarterbacks can brag they threw for over 400 yards on Nick Saban in successive seasons? Johnny Football may be the lone one. He is the best player in college football.

4) Not that long ago, if you would have said Minnesota would beat Nebraska and Penn State in the same season, then there would have been an intervention issued for you.

5) Speaking of Bo Pelini, he likely has saved his job via a fluke Hail Mary, and a week later, squeaking out a win against the hapless offense of Michigan.

6) Oregon. Frauds. They get punched in the mouth and cannot answer physically. Go ahead and jump up and down like little girls about your 5,000 stupid grade school uniforms and be content with being a wannabe.

7) Stop with this “Fire Will Muschamp” nonsense. The Gators are struggling because they have been wiped out by injuries. Joe still thinks Florida is going to scare the hell out of Florida State later this month.

8) Joe can’t figure out if Tyler Lewan is as good as advertised? The Michigan left tackle is supposed to be the next Dan Dierdorf. Then, you hear how Michigan cannot run the ball. How can you have a stud left tackle and not be able to run behind him? Doesn’t add up.

9) Joe is not sure if Auburn is fraudulent or the real deal? Guess we will all find out in a few weeks in the Iron Bowl?

10) What an ugly injury by Steven Stamkos. Out at least six months and needing surgery? So that means, at best, he wouldn’t be ready until the Stanley Cup playoffs? Just so sad.