“He One-Upped It This Week”
November 29th, 2011
As Joe wrote immediately following the Bucs’ loss in Tennessee, the Bucs’ secondary played a standout game Sunday.
Head of the class, per Raheem Morris, was Aqib Talib, so the head coach said on The Raheem Morris Show last night on WDAE-AM 620.
“I said Aqib Talib played his best game last week versus the Packers. He one-upped it this week,” Raheem said. “He came out this week and really played fine football. He caused a fumble, forced a fumble, got it back. He caught an interception. He scored. I believe he had five or so tackles, two knockdown passes. He’s playing lights-out right now.”
Raheem went on to note that Talib was covering Nate Washington, the Titans’ top receiver, who was held to one catch for 12 yards. In Green Bay, Talib clamped down on Greg Jennings.
On Talib’s strip of Chris Johnson, Raheem said, “I thought I was looking at Charles Woodson” and praised Talib for his “form-fit” hit “like a safety” to cause the fumble.
Joe’s happy to see Talib playing well, and Joe has to believe that Talib is finally healthy from a knee injury that slowed him earlier in the season. It was after the debacle in San Francicsco that Raheem said of Talib, “I don’t know how he played, but he did for his team.”
This final stretch of the season is huge for Talib. He’s got to stay healthy. Late-season injuries have knocked him out the last two years. It still pains Joe to remember cornerback Derrick Roberson replacing Talib in Atlanta back in 2009 and make a key penalty for Atlanta’s winning score.
If Talib can finish this season playing like he is now, then it’s fair to say he’s finally reached his potential. Next up for Talib is Steve Smith, who already has over 1,000 yards this season.
November 29th, 2011 at 3:28 pm
Talib has been playing well all year. He makes mistakes in tackling at times, but his coverage has been outstanding.
I hope he can stay out of trouble. If so, we have that position locked for years. Now, for the other two CB positions, that’s another story.
Congratulations on your comeback, Talib. Your sold play is very welcome.
November 29th, 2011 at 3:30 pm
Talib has had 2 good games in a row to go with 9 mediocre/bad ones. If he was slowed by injury and he keeps playing like this, wonderful. If he can keep playing like this and somehow avoid a suspension and more off field trouble, it would be a huge help at a real weak spot on this team.
November 29th, 2011 at 3:32 pm
^^^Heck yeah. I don’t know that Talib has been playing well ALL year, but he’s had his moments and i’m willing to be he wasn’t completely healthy at the beginning of the year. I couldn’t be happier that he’s picked up his play as of late.
November 29th, 2011 at 3:42 pm
He definitely did not have a good year until the last few games. He has been stellar the last 2 games.
November 29th, 2011 at 3:51 pm
Suffice to say, if we had 3 Talibs in the secondary, our defense would be a lot better.
November 29th, 2011 at 4:09 pm
Our team needs to bring in Jack del rio as the new defensive coordinator of the tampa bay bucs… Mark needs to pull the trigger on this and pay him whatever he needs.. Our team will be alot better right away…
November 29th, 2011 at 4:16 pm
Nate, what are you smoking, and can I get some?
November 29th, 2011 at 4:16 pm
@Meh / K2
I have been saying it all year, it looked like his hip was affecting his ability to run, not until the last two games has he looked completely healthy and has been playing that way.
November 29th, 2011 at 4:43 pm
hope talib can keep it up because we need alot of help at the other corner positions, i didnt realize he had one more year left on his contract so as long as he doesnt go to jail im sure he will be here next year
November 29th, 2011 at 5:03 pm
Talib played decent against the packers. He played great this week.
Other than that, he’s been invisible. And playing the other teams 3rd WR.
If he’s been hurt, that would explain alot. I’ve been asking all season what happened to him. Most of the people Waaaay overrated the the guy. He gives up as many TDs as he prevents. But he has always played better than he did the first nine games. He was always a decent CB, with the potential to make( or give up) big plays.
Until the last two weeks, he’s played horrible this year. He looked like “loafing” Quincy Black out there most of the time.
If he had an injured hip, it never showed up on the injury report. Ever. Once it mentioned” probable, ankle injury” and that was it.
If he was injured that badly, Raheem should have sat him! – of course he couldn’t!, because our “Team Strength”secondary sucks and has no depth.
If he wasn’t injured, them he wasn’t trying at all for 9 games
I think he was hurt. He isn’t very good. But he’s not that bad, either.
November 29th, 2011 at 5:20 pm
I think if you polled Matt Ryan and Brees they would say Talib is damn good.
Him and Joseph are probably closest to being next home grown pro bowlers.
Whoops, forgot Blount, he has been balling lately. Mike is also returning to form.
November 29th, 2011 at 6:31 pm
Eric- they do poll them. It’s called the ProBowl. Joseph went to one years ago. May have played well enough this year. Penn went last year, and should definitely be there this year.
Talib has not gone. He hasn’t received a single vote. He has talent, but gambles to much, and has given up TDs, trying to make splash plays. That’s a no-no to all NFL players. You can be aggressive, and give up a reception going for an interception. Raheem has stated that he’s ok with that.
But not TDs. You never intentionally give up 7 points, trying for a turnover.
That’s why Talib doesn’t get All pro votes. Like his personal life, he takes too many dumb chances to achieve greatness
November 29th, 2011 at 6:58 pm
@Capt. Tim….any reception can turn into a TD after the catch. I don’t remember Talib intentionally giving up a TD to gamble on an interception. All truly good CB’s gamble and try to jump the route. Sometimes you get burned and sometimes you don’t. Ronde probably does it more than Talib.
November 29th, 2011 at 7:08 pm
@ Capt. Tim, that’s not what Eric meant. Pro Bowl is a fan thing.
November 29th, 2011 at 7:15 pm
He is sure as hell better than Biggers!
November 29th, 2011 at 7:17 pm
Everybody is better than Biggers except McCoy!
November 29th, 2011 at 7:30 pm
Yeah thats right that pu put ej biggers is a total loss Brian Billick should be coaching this team he knows how to draft the right players He set up Baltimore to be competitive for years
November 29th, 2011 at 8:01 pm
lol I’m not sure about that Thomas.
November 29th, 2011 at 8:20 pm
but Biggers does suck pretty bad doesn’t he
November 29th, 2011 at 10:23 pm
@K2theSoldier
The Pro Bowl is only 33% ‘a fan thing.’
The other two thirds of the voting is coaches and players, but I’m sure you knew that.
November 29th, 2011 at 11:10 pm
Oh yeah, Talib finally plays like he’s supposed to be playing. It only tooth what 8 games before he got ‘warmed up’.
I’m sooooo glad that Talib is playing really, really good while the Bucs continue to lose.
Thanks for making my night.
November 29th, 2011 at 11:48 pm
@catain tim,
I think i saw a video once where Ryan was going over some film on Talib, and pretty complimentary. And the bucs play suprisingly well vs. Drew. Talib is one reason I think.
Im not sayin he deserves a pro bowl selection now, but just looking at our team he is one of the players closest to that kinda performance. Naturally he is capable of screwing it all up at any moment.
Did Joseph make a pro bowl? I cant remember that, maybe all rookie?
November 29th, 2011 at 11:52 pm
@ Frige Bob, I’ve never heard that particular number. Only 33%? I believe you, but I’ve never read that myself.
Either which way, Talib was voted defensive back of the year last year by the NFL Alum; former players at least know he’s a good player.
@ Eric, yeah Joseph made the pro bowl a few years ago.
November 30th, 2011 at 1:42 am
Davin Joseph was an alternate Pro Bowler once.
November 30th, 2011 at 2:04 am
@ Capt Tim
Talib plays #1 receivers. How can u say he played decent against Green Bay and he shutdown Greg Jennings, who is an All-Pro. Quit being a sour puss and be real with urself. Aaron Rodgers would’ve had over 500 yards had he not played.
November 30th, 2011 at 4:09 am
IMHO- just start watching? Or memory span of a goldfish.?
As was discussed here repeatedly, Talib was NOT playing the number one WRs- EVER, until the last two games.Prior to that, he was playing the Second, but ussually the third WR option. We talked about that, on THIS POST!, after every game.
Or even easier- you could have turned on the TV, opened your eyes, and watched. Instead, you just cluelessly and uninformedly jump to defend a guy who has played horrible for 9 out of 11 games.
Sometimes, I think it’s fitting that the team isn’t playing great.
A great team would be wasted on some of these idiots. The only thing they really know about is whining, crying, and acting lil girls. A bad team gives them the opurtunity to be their best selfs.
November 30th, 2011 at 4:22 am
And yeah, the proBowl is primarily determined by players and coaches. Thad why I’ve pointed out that Talib has NEVER recieved a vote to the ProBowl. None. If he was the player some of you seem to think, then a player or coach would have put a check by his name. Never happened. They did it for Ronde quite a few times. Joseph and Penn both got noticed . Not Talib. Not one. Ever.
Do you think that Meybe, just Meybe, the coaches and players in the league know a little more about Talib than some of the thug lovers?
Nah, that can’t be it! What do those guys know!
November 30th, 2011 at 7:43 am
And Greg Jennings , if you remember, hurt his ankle itself in the first quarter. He was limping the entire game. Again, that was mentioned during the broadcast. And Joe had a post about it here.
Memoriy span must be measured in minutes for some of you! You really need to work on memory retention. It’s almost embarrassing how you totally forget things that happened two weeks ago.
But it does explain alot of your political decissions and opinions.