By Stephen F. Holder, Times staff writer
Sunday, January 2, 2011
Uncertain future
Bucs CB Ronde Barber completed his 14th — and perhaps final — Sunday. The last link to the Bucs' Super Bowl team is 35 and does not have a contract for next season. The lack of a collective bargaining agreement between the NFL and the players' union, coupled with the ascension of CBs Aqib Talib, E.J. Biggers and Myron Lewis, makes Barber's future uncertain. Barber sounded as if he wants to continue playing, but he said the decision will become more clear in the next several weeks. "There's not a list, but there's definitely some deals," Barber said of the factors he will consider. "I have to fit into the future of this team, whether it's a one- or two-year future. … Whether it is or whether it isn't my last game (Sunday), I played with a lot of pride … and had fun doing it."
Costly mistake
. The Bucs were content to settle for a 37-yard field goal from K Connor Barth, above, on fourth and 2 with 7:30 left in the second quarter. But the Saints committed one of their many mistakes on the play. CB Tracy Porter, rushing from the right end of the defense, jumped offside and gave the Bucs a first down.
"I thought we did a lot of things that prevent you from winning games, some things we'll have to clean up if we're to have any type of success here in this second season," Saints coach Sean Payton said. After the penalty, Bucs QB Josh Freeman had a 12-yard pass to WR Preston Parker, moving the ball to the 2, then hit WR Dezmon Briscoe in the corner of the end zone.
Can you hear me now?
The Bucs won in a venue, the Superdome, that is among the most unfriendly in the NFL to visitors. And the problem was evident through much of the game, with Bucs QB Josh Freeman struggling to communicate pass-protection calls to the offensive line, much less the snap count.
Going for it
The Bucs went for it on fourth and 1 in the third quarter — and they went for the throat. Facing fourth down at the New Orleans 18, the Bucs went with a tight formation that suggested a quarterback sneak. Instead, offensive coordinator Greg Olson called a fake sneak, with QB Josh Freeman taking a step forward then dropping back to throw an 18-yard touchdown to WR Mike Williams. But the play didn't go nearly as smoothly as planned. The first option, TE Kellen Winslow, never got off the line of scrimmage because two defenders prevented him from releasing. That left Williams as the only other receiver. Freeman threw it up as two rushers raced toward him.
"I knew it was man (coverage), so I looked at the safety," Williams said. "If he went my way, the ball's going to Kellen. If he goes Kellen's way, the ball's coming to me. I looked at the safety, and he went running to Kellen." Having Winslow in the game tipped the defense that something was up. He isn't the most physical blocker and seemed an odd choice to be in the short-yardage package. "We've been running a lot of quarterback sneaks on third and short and fourth and short," Freeman said. "We knew they'd be expecting it, and they were. We were supposed to snap it, get close to the line and pop back. Then Kellen was supposed to pop open. The only problem is they were like, 'What the heck is Kellen Winslow doing in here?' "
But it worked out. And that made the decision look rather smart. "It's being aggressive," coach Raheem Morris said. "You have to make big-time decisions in big-time games." Williams, who entered with 924 yards, was disappointed to fall short of 1,000 (finished with 964). But his rookie season was no less impressive, considering he was a fourth-round draft pick and was seen as having character issues coming out of Syracuse. "I opened a lot of eyes," Williams said. "A lot of people didn't expect me to do what I did, especially as a fourth-round pick and with all the trouble I've been through. When people doubt you, it feels good when you prove them wrong."
Who's the new guy?
Even a few weeks ago, it's unlikely anyone would have predicted rookie Dezmon Briscoe would be the Bucs' leading receiver in what could have been their biggest game of the regular season. Yet Briscoe had four catches for 65 yards, including an acrobatic, 2-yard touchdown and a 54-yard third-down reception that helped ice the game. Considering Briscoe was on the practice squad just a few weeks ago, this was a most implausible scenario. "I think it goes back to practice," Briscoe said. "I think I've made a lot of plays in practice that have caught the coaches' eyes, and they got the trust to throw it to me in games. As far as everything else, I'm usually very impatient. But Raheem is a great guy, and I trust him. He told me I would come here and get my opportunities. And he gave it to me, and I took advantage." Briscoe was a sixth-round pick of the Bengals but didn't make their final roster because of depth at the position. The Bucs outbid other suitors and grabbed him after his release from Cincinnati, but Briscoe chose Tampa Bay for reasons that went beyond money. "When I sat down and made my decision about where I wanted to come, I looked at the roster and I saw all these young guys," he said. "I saw rookies, rookies, rookies. It was real young. I wanted to be around some guys that I could be familiar with. We can develop and be a good team for a long time." The season-ending injury to rookie WR Arrelious Benn last week allowed Briscoe to emerge. Until that point, Benn's play was a contributing factor in the Bucs' decision to bring Briscoe along slowly. "We've known Briscoe was a stud the whole year," QB Josh Freeman said. "It's just that a guy like Arrelious was playing great football. With him going down, we knew we had another gem stashed away."
Shaun King charged with DUI
Former Bucs QB Shaun King was arrested early Sunday on a charge of driving under the influence. King, 33, of St. Petersburg, was stopped at 2:12 a.m. on U.S. 301 and Holland Road in southern Hillsborough County, according to jail records. He refused to take a blood-alcohol test. He was released about 10 a.m. Sunday after posting $500 bail. King declined comment when contacted. He played for the Bucs from 1999 to 2003. He later was an analyst for ESPN, has served as an analyst for Bright House Sports Network and is co-host of an afternoon show on WQYK-AM 1010.
Blount batters his way to 1,000
Even on a team that has many major contributors, Bucs RB LeGarrette Blount is arguably the most unlikely of the bunch.
The undrafted rookie, who was released from the Titans on their final cuts, capped his season by surpassing 1,000 rushing yards. It marked the third 1,000-yard season from a rookie in Bucs history (Cadillac Williams, Errict Rhett).
Blount finished with 1,007 yards and was aware he couldn't lose yards late. "That last carry, I didn't really need it," he joked. "I was hoping on that last carry that they didn't give it to me because I didn't want to lose any. And on top of that, I wanted Mike (Williams) to get his 1,000 yards, so I was hoping they'd throw a jump ball to him."
Blount uses the fact he wasn't drafted as motivation. When told Cowboys Hall of Fame RB Tony Dorsett had the same number of rushing yards in his rookie campaign in 1977, Blount said with a straight face, "Was he drafted?"
Regardless of how he got to this point, the Bucs are confident he has the stuff to stick around.
"I think this is my first time having a 1,000-yard back since I've been here, and I take a lot of pride in it," LT Donald Penn said. "He's got to fix some stuff, but he's going to get it fixed. I think he's going to be one of the premier backs in this league. … I'm so happy for him."
Blount was pleased that the Bucs didn't hesitate to play him this season, even when he struggled in pass protection or fumbled.
"I think the chance to be able to play as a rookie and not have to wait in line was great," he said. "I was able to learn with Cadillac and (Earnest Graham), and they brought me up to speed pretty fast. It was great for me."
Wide disparity
Bucs QB Josh Freeman tied for the third-biggest gap between touchdowns and interceptions in the league this season:
Player Team TDs INTs Gap
Tom Brady Patriots 36 4 32
Matt Cassel Chiefs 27 7 20
Josh Freeman Bucs 25 6 19
Matt Ryan Falcons 28 9 19
Philip Rivers Chargers 30 13 17
Aaron Rodgers Packers 28 11 17
Peyton Manning Colts 33 17 16
Joe Flacco Ravens 25 10 15
Michael Vick Eagles 21 6 15
Red zone implosion
The Saints went 5-of-5 on third downs to start the game, tallying 50 yards and a touchdown on those plays. QB Drew Brees was doing his best work on the "money" down, and the Bucs appeared powerless to stop him. Then two third-down stops in the red zone in the second quarter, a fumble recovery and an interception, turned the tide. "It's a completely different game without those turnovers," Bucs CB Ronde Barber said. "Drew is one of those guys who find ways to convert on third down whether you're playing man or playing zone. He always knows where to get rid of the football. … "Three guys can be covered, and he'll find the one guy who's open. He's so smart, and he understands defenses. Two steps into his dropback, he knows what defense you're playing. … It makes it hard to get off on third down unless you get pressure in his face, and nobody really does that consistently. You just have to find a way." That came on a violent hit from LB Barrett Ruud. Atoning for a play on which he was trampled by RB Chris Ivory, Ruud zeroed in on RB Julius Jones after he took a handoff from the Tampa Bay 3 on third and 1. Ruud's hit jarred the ball loose, and DT Frank Okam recovered, keeping the Saints from a 14-3 lead. With 52 seconds left before halftime, the Saints were driving again. But on third and 10, S Larry Asante — one of six defensive backs on the field — got an interception when WR Lance Moore fell. He returned the ball to the Tampa Bay 8, allowing the Bucs to preserve a 10-7 lead. "That's the key any time you play a guy like Drew Brees: Getting off on third down," LB Geno Hayes said. "The longer he has the ball in his hands, the more opportunities he has to make plays. We got everybody on the sideline and told them, 'If we keep him on the field, he's going to keep the clock in his hand and make plays.' "You have to play every down like it's your last."
Working through boiling point
It cost them a few timeouts and a delay of game penalty, but the Bucs battled through the difficulties.
"That's on me," Freeman said of the problems. "As a quarterback, I have to stress to the guys the level of urgency to get up, get set and get ready to snap the ball. It was a little frustrating at times. But at the same time, we overcame it." With 1:53 left in the second quarter, Freeman and C Jeremy Zuttah had a miscommunication that resulted in the penalty. The frustration began to mount, with Freeman and Zuttah engaging in a heated argument.
"We haven't really had a point in the season where we came to a boiling point like that," Freeman said. "But it says a lot about the type of guys on our team."
The Bucs regained their composure and won in the Superdome for the second straight season.
"I love Freeman like a brother," Zuttah said. "You're going to have some fights with your brother once in a while. We're fine. Every once in a while, things are going to happen, but I think we did a pretty good job of handing it." LT Donald Penn embraced the challenge of playing in the raucous environment. "There's nothing better than playing here," he said. "I was telling (coach) Raheem (Morris) before the game that I love it here. … It's loud. In fact, it messed me up a couple times. I got off the ball late and everything. But I love the atmosphere."
UK security and terrorism Women Road trips Bank of England Rob Brydon US foreign policy
No comments:
Post a Comment