Bucs 42, Raiders 32
November 4th, 2012
Feel free to drop the “P” word — as in playoffs. It’s hardly inappropriate chatter anymore!
The New Schiano Order Bucs turned in a complete yet sloppy performance and mauled the Raiders before a hostile Oakland crowd and are now firmly in the hunt for the postseason.
At 4-4 with a complete offense, these Bucs are no joke. Doug Martin is approaching NFL superstar status — 251 yards on 25 carries and four touchdowns — the deep threats are lethal, and the defense is good enough, as was today’s defensive gameplan to cover for the Bucs’ thin secondary.
Major hat tip to the Bucs’ makeshift offensive line, which brought back memories of what the Bucs pulled off in 2010, after Davin Joseph, Jeff Faine and Jeremy Trueblood went down yet the O-line blew open holes for LeGarrette Blount. So much of Martin’s career day today goes to Jeremy Zuttah, Jamon Meredith and Ted Larsen getting it done up the gut. Joe remembers all too well what it looked like when turnstile Sean Mahan filled in at center a few years ago.
Myron Lewis nightmares aside, dare to dream tonight, Bucs fans. You have good reason.
Stick with Joe through the night for so much more out of this game.
November 4th, 2012 at 8:41 pm
Its hard to dream when that nigjtmare pass defense lurks in the dark. We damn near choked this one away. Good thing Doug Martin wasn’t going to allow that to happen.
November 4th, 2012 at 8:42 pm
True, I feel ya but Biggers and lewis might get picked apart by Rivers, Ryan,Brees,Manning
November 4th, 2012 at 8:44 pm
Muscle Hamster balled out!
Big time win, we look better each week, and Martin is the truth.
November 4th, 2012 at 8:44 pm
Give some credit to Eric Lorig, he was lead-blocking his ass off today.
November 4th, 2012 at 8:45 pm
This was a very sloppy game that shouldn’t have been nearly as close. Leonard Johnson was great today though, Biggers is more than serviceable, and Lewis needs to go
November 4th, 2012 at 8:49 pm
Go ask Donnie Abraham if he wants to un-retire…….I bet he would still play better than Lewis!!
November 4th, 2012 at 8:51 pm
I thought out ol was going to be dismal this game. Turns out the defensive backs were the dismal ones.
November 4th, 2012 at 8:52 pm
Time for me to bow down and give it up for Doug Martin. Little man is turning it on lately.
November 4th, 2012 at 8:53 pm
Going to start calling Biggers ” almost”. He almost is where he needs to be to make a play…seemingly most times but not quite .
Better than Lewis though who just looks like he is out of his league,in coverage.
November 4th, 2012 at 8:55 pm
Putting Larsen at center and Zuttah at guard was an absolutely masterful move. Whoever is responsible for that decision gets to share the damn game ball with Doug Martin. Fantastic freaking job by this offense!
November 4th, 2012 at 8:58 pm
Uh, I am one of the most optimistic Bucs fans out there. However, I think the “P” word is entirely inappropriate when your secondary gets torched like ours does. I love what I see. Now, if they ditch Lewis and find anyone who can play better maybe there will be more hope. But the corners are horrible. We can’t get to the playoffs playing Manning, Brees, Ryan with this secondary. Especially once Wright starts his suspension and if L Johson cannot stay healthy.
November 4th, 2012 at 9:01 pm
Go bucs!!!
November 4th, 2012 at 9:04 pm
Blount should never touch the ball in a Buccaneer uniform ever again
November 4th, 2012 at 9:04 pm
“Feel free to drop the “P” word – as in playoffs. It’s hardly inappropriate chatter anymore!”
WHOA WHOA WHOA. Take it easy there Joes. Let’s beat a team with a winning record before we start talking playoffs. We’re still terrible in the secondary and that’s not going to get any better any time soon. To make the playoffs the offense will have to carry us and I just don’t see that happening. I’ll continue to temper my expectations.
November 4th, 2012 at 9:05 pm
Martin set an all time NFL record with 3 TD runs of 40+ yards
November 4th, 2012 at 9:06 pm
@Ian
That was Freeman’s fumble
November 4th, 2012 at 9:08 pm
Sensible
Vikings are 5-4.
P, here we come.
November 4th, 2012 at 9:08 pm
We definitely need help with our secondary but our DL and LBs are playing very well. LB play has been very good all year and the DL has stepped up these last couple of games. That in itself helps our secondary. Cut Lewis, there’s someone out there who can play better. Find him and sign him and maybe we utter the “P” word. Great win today none the less. Tampa. Baaaay!
November 4th, 2012 at 9:11 pm
Agree with Miguel. Watch the replay of the fumble. That one’s on Freeman, not Blount. Freeman lost his grip on the football and it slipped upward out of his hand and into Blount’s shoulder. He never put it into Blount’s breadbasket where it should be placed. I guarantee you that at some point this week Schiano will verify that the fumble was Freeman’s fault and not Blount’s after he reviews film. Stop blaming Blount for something he can’t control.
November 4th, 2012 at 9:13 pm
The Kid Martin is going to be something special and john lynch was campaighning for the raiders the whole game like he owed them something during the broadcast it was making me sick
November 4th, 2012 at 9:18 pm
Secondary is too pathetic to even mention playoffs. This defense still has to face Manning, Brees, Ryan twice and Rivers. Love seeing this team competitive but they can’t stop the pass. Not a good recipe for success in a passing league.
November 4th, 2012 at 9:21 pm
@ OptimisTroll
Vikes Remaining Schedule:
*Lions
*Bears
*Packers
*Bears
*Rams
*Texans
*Packers
OUCH
November 4th, 2012 at 9:22 pm
disagree on it being Freeman’s fumble, Blount has to adjust. If it hits him in the chest, he has to secure the ball.
November 4th, 2012 at 9:24 pm
where’s Tandy?
November 4th, 2012 at 9:28 pm
@ Ian
That was on Free. It slipped outta his hand b4 it hit Blount in tha best
November 4th, 2012 at 9:30 pm
chest
November 4th, 2012 at 9:40 pm
It didn’t hit him in the chest. It hit more around the left shoulder pad and bounced out. It’s ON Freeman. BUT the defense did do the job. Stopped the drive until guess who screwed that up??
November 4th, 2012 at 9:45 pm
I agree with Ian. Blount is so slow it throws the timing off on a handoff whereas Martin gets the ball much faster. Freeman looked as though he was holding the ball forever before Blount ran too far away to get it. And slowly. It was Blount that caused Freeman too drop it.
But I blame Schiano for taking Martin out. Schiano almost gave the game away and Martin would have easily ran for 300 yds and a new rookie record. Then Schiano took 14 away from him at the end of the game wit a 2 score lead. Our HC has a lot to learn but he’s doing a good job overall, but almost gave this one away.
Great pick by Ahmad Black.
November 4th, 2012 at 9:46 pm
Ladies and gentlemen, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers now officially have an offense.
I would like to say that I am officially an idiot for ever criticizing Mike Sullivan as a playcaller. He is in a zone like no playcaller in Tampa Bay history, aside from Gruden during the playoffs in our Super Bowl year. I am so impressed by the job he has done.
I know this game wasn’t perfect, but we are in no position to be nit picking about how we win. When you are 4-4 and haven’t won a playoff game in 10 years, you take a win however you get them. As long as we score more points than the other team when the game is over, I will be very happy.
November 4th, 2012 at 9:50 pm
The fumble was on Freeman, not Blount. That being said, going from Martin to Blount is like going from a Ferrari to a Buick. And to think, there were so many of you saying that Blount is the better back and should be starting. I think it’s safe to say we can chalk this one up to the coaching staff being right, don’t you think?
I remember a while back, Eric said Blount hadn’t done anything that looked special. I ask you this Eric: What do you think about him now?
November 4th, 2012 at 9:51 pm
Whoops, should be “Martin” hadn’t done anything special.
November 4th, 2012 at 9:52 pm
So they don’t work on timing in practice. There was no timing issue when he was doing handoffs when Blount ran for 1000 yards. I don’t think anyone will buy that BS.
November 4th, 2012 at 10:26 pm
@BigMacAttack
He takes out Doug because he is a rookie and if ride him to the ground now the remaining season he will be banged up. Look at what happened to caddy.
November 4th, 2012 at 10:35 pm
I personally think he took Doug Martin out to try to give Blount some confidence, as well as resting Martin. Surprisingly to most of us, there were definitely some holes opened up in the running game, so Blount should have gotten some yards as well. He just doesn’t look right anymore. Very hesitant, and seems to go down on first contact. I don’t know if it’s in his head, but this is not the same Blount from 2010.
November 4th, 2012 at 11:42 pm
Definitely Freeman’s fault on the fumble. You don’t hand the ball off to you back on his left shoulder pad. No way for Blount to tuck that in. I’m with most of you. Way to early to talk playoffs and we have a sieve for a defensive secondary too much of the time. They do get a lot of picks but they give up too many big plays. If we can fix that then yes…we have a playoff caliber offense.
November 4th, 2012 at 11:57 pm
@Bobby,
Can you please type that part about our offense over and over again. I was beginning to think I would never be able to see that, but I like the way it sounds.
November 5th, 2012 at 7:30 am
@Hawaiian….They are fun to watch this year huh? :>)