A Tribute To Mike

This Sunday, during the halftime of the Bucs 20-10 victory over the Seahawks, the Buccaneer organization paid tribute to not only one of the greatest Buccaneers of all time, but one of the greatest football players of all time. Mike Alstott.

For me, Mike is the player that got me into football. He seemed to exude from himself what the game was all about. Heart, attitude, teamwork and dedication. 

His was the first jersey I bought. The first player I cheered for by name. The only player I have ever shed a tear for.

Throughout the history of this game, it tends to be the great men that make the best legends. Alstott gave back to his community more than almost any player. He worked hard to make a connection with the fans, opting to stay until every autograph was signed, every hand shaken, every word of praise humbly accepted with a nod and thanks. Throughout a period in the NFL where high priority and profile gave many of our best players the privilege to tarnish their image with drugs, alcohol and a host of other vices, Mike built a family and continued to help those that needed it most; a child with leukemia, a single mother in poverty. 

His career was legendary. In college at Purdue he became the first Boilermaker named MVP in three consecutive seasons, scoring 12 touchdowns as a sophomore, 14 as a junior and 11 as a senior, and still holds the Purdue rushing touchdown record with 39. As a professional, 5,088 yards rushing, accounting for 71 touchdowns. 6 Pro Bowl appearances. He is the Bucs all time scoring leader. He was an anchor for the Bucs in the hardest of times, making the playoffs several times in the late 90's, once making the NFC conference game only to lose by a bad officiating call. He pulled the team through and was instrumental to their rise as Super Bowl Champions in 2002. 

In the end, though, the heart was willing but the vessel was damaged. In 2003 he suffered a neck injury that cost him most of that season. There was a talk of his being medically unable to play the game any longer. Doubt lingered through his resulting neck surgery and into 2004 training camp, where Mike began working out and hitting the pads. He was medically cleared to play and resumed that year, albeit harnessing a lighter load due to Jon Gruden's personnel decisions.

He continued to play. A true example of Alstott's glory in action, an instance that I was fortunate enough to attend, occurred in the 2006 playoffs when the Bucs faced the Redskins at Raymond James. It was a hard fought game from beginning to end. After a long drive engineered by Chris Simms, Parris Warren caught a pass deep in the endzone to place the score within a point at 35-34 with only a few seconds on the clock. The Bucs lined up to kick the game evening extra point. The Redskins blocked it. Yellow flags rained down. The 'Skins were offsides. The penalty: Half the distance to the goal, retry the kick. That put us on the 1 and 1/2 yard line.

Gruden calls the special teams unit off of the field. He sends on the offense. The whole crowd was stunned, and then began to roar. This was for all the beans. A 2 point conversion attempt. It was simple: get the 2 and ride off in glory, get stuffed and wither knowing you could be in OT if you had just kicked the PAT.

The Bucs come out in a heavy formation. 2 tight ends, O-line jammed together. Number 40 in the backfield, on hand on the turf, helmet lowered and then slowly raised in a sign of readiness. The crowd is screaming for Mike. We all know what is coming. The Redskins defense knows what is coming. They huddle together in the endzone, waiting for the snap.

The center snaps the ball into Simms hands. Simms turns to his right, holding the ball low for Mike who is quickly approaching top speed. In an instant he grabs the ball and pulls it in tight, lowering his shoulders as he approaches the pile of offensive and defensive linemen fighting for position. 

When he first makes contact his momentum slows, almost stopping. He begins to churn forward, all his strength focused on moving 3 more feet for the goal line. He is stopped short. He begins to fall to ground. In a second burst of power, he begins to push the line again, vying for purchase. The goal line gets closer. He pushes again, gaining more ground. He begins to fall once more. He looks down and sees the goal line not 6 inches away. He throws his body forward one last time, sacrificing himself to break the line. He does. He falls to the ground finally, ball over the goal line, the win hanging on his second and third efforts to make the play.

If you watch film of the play, you can see it all there, every hit and push. The Bucs went on to be knocked out of the playoffs that year, but would never have had the opportunity to live to play another day if not for Alstott. 

His last play was a goal line effort in a 2007 preseason game. Lurching across the goal line yet again, he was hit hard and fell to the ground. Fox Sports, who had their fly-over camera in place, caught the look on Alstott's face as he lie in the ground, eyes wandering. He couldn't move. He just laid there, eyes searching for some reason. A moment later he rose to his feet and walked to the sideline. He would never touch the field again in uniform. He spent the entire 2007 season on the Injured Reserve list. All throughout the season he was on the side lines for every game, cheering on his teammates despite having suffered a season ending neck injury, his career most likely over.

Mike Alstott called a press conference on January 24th, 2008. The word had leaked out that he was expected to announce his retirement after meeting with players and coaches earlier in the week. Tearfully, Mike made his way to table and sat down. "Though mentally I feel like I can continue, physically I can't," he said. "The second injury to my neck will prevent me from playing football forever." His eyes welled with tears. A multi-millionaire crying about not being able to play football. He struggled to convey his words. He said he couldn't be selfish and risk hurting his family. He already missed putting on the uniform and being with his teammates. He loved his city and hoped they would understand. I don't think I was the only person in Tampa with a tear in my eye that afternoon.

What powered Mike across the goal line that night against Washington was the same thing that makes him so legendary. Heart. A pure desire to accomplish what was set before him. 

Mike's number 40 is now retired by the Buccaneers. I know several other players who showed the same heart that will one day have their number honored as well. Barber. Brooks. Lynch.

Mike was named the 12th offensive player Sunday night. He ran out of the tunnel when his name and number were called, the air rife with cheers and cannons. He huddled the offense together one last time, firing the team up like he had done so many times before. He hugged everyone on the sideline he could get his hands on. And at half time, Mike was presented with the most valuable gift of all. A chance to speak to his fans once again, this time his eyes brimming with tears of pride. "I love you and I will miss you." Same here, Mike, same here. 

Week 7: Vs. Seattle Seahawks

Through Weeks 6 and 7, Bucs stomp over opponents as the defense continues to key up on any and all chumps.

Due to some recent busy-ness on my part, I neglected to write about the week 6 dismantling of the Panthers and due to the Rays triumphant rise to the World Series, I didn't see too much of the Seattle game, either. So what I thought I would do is just throw it all together into one big extended commentary on the state of our Bucs.

First of all, THE BUCS DEFENSE CAN AND WILL DESTROY ANYTHING OR ANYONE THAT FOOLISHLY ATTEMPTS TO GAIN YARDAGE. PERIOD. This crew has looked great from top to bottom. Seattle runningback Julius Jones said earlier last week that the Bucs defense was too old to last the entire game. He stated that one simply had to get physical with them to expose veterans like Ronde Barber and Derrick Brooks to a case of air suck fever. Well, I watched enough of the game to see RONDE BARBER STICK YOUR ASS FOR REPEATED LOSSES ALL GAME LONG, MR. JONES. I also bore witness to DERRICK BROOKS, BARRET RUUUUUUUUUUUUUUD AND CATO JUNE STUFFING UP THE RUNNING LANES LIKE A HORRIFIC 10 CAR PILE UP IN L.A. They had to call the Florida Highway Patrol out after the game just to count causalities. The crime scene tape is still up. Forensics crews are still mopping up blood and teeth, trying to identify the 11 men that were pounded and torn up all day long on the turf. So far there have been no significant findings. News @ 11.

As for offense: Greatly improved. Antonio Bryant is starting to find out how to get open for the long pass without having Joey Galloway on the field to distract the d-backs. Jeff Garcia is finding his stride, making plays with his legs and stepping up in the pocket to make plays with his arm. He is seeing the field with the weariness of mid season, despite his numerous setbacks due to injury and coaching error. Putting Jeff back in the game was the best thing Gruden has done all year. And it's already paying dividends.

And the rushing attack? Are you kidding me? What do you think is causing so much trouble for CSI at Raymond James this week? There are bits and pieces of Seahawk linebackers scattered throughout the carnage caused by the Bucs defense. The word is that when Minnesota comes here on November 16th, the Viking's equipment staff will be adding dogtags to the uniforms in order to better identify the victims of ol' Kiffin the Killer's 89th Heavy Ground Support Squad. The broadcast may well be banned from broadcast.

This week we are up against the Cowboys in Dallas. One of the AM radio guys said what is probably the most poignant statement about the match up. When an animal is hurt and retreats back to it's home, the most dangerous thing you could do is go in after it. The Cowboys are hurting after losing Tony Romo, Adam Jones, and Roy Williams. The word is that there may be some firing this week, most likely the defensive coordinator. This may seem like a great time to slay the wounded beast, but let's be careful. The Cowboys know that this is a do or die situation for them. Losing on the road without your starting QB is one thing, but losing at home is unacceptable, especially for the Cowboys (read: Jerry Jones). 

We need to enter this week's game with solid fundamentals and rugged determination. Tony Romo is a game time decision and TO will definitely be on the prowl. Either way, should be one hell of a game.

RAYS GO TO THE WORLD SERIES!!!!

Photo by Michael Spooneybarger

Well, the Rays have done it! It's just too hard to believe. I remember watching the Devil Rays last year and watching great lead after great lead just go to hell when the bullpen would get lit up by Boston or the Yankees or any other team that wanted to. I also remember seeing that spark, even then. If you go back and look, we would win a lot of games just like how we won them this year, with late inning heroics and string heart from our defense. And they did it with guys who unfortunately aren't here anymore. Brendan Harris, Ty Wigginton, Toby Hall. 

However, some guys were there and are still doing the same thing for the Rays. Carlos Pena, Carl Crawford, Rocco Baldelli, BJ Upton, Dioner Navarro. But with additions like Troy Percival (however his season ended), Matt Garza, Jason Bartlett, Evan Longoria, Grant Balfour, Chad Bradford, David Price, and Willy Aybar, the Rays brought it all together. They strengthened an already solid defense into the best in the league. They brought in some good relievers and made the bullpen one of the best in the league. I mean, c'mon! J.P. Howell was fighting for a spot in the starting rotation when Maddon decided to work him out of the bullpen. I don't think anyone but probably Maddon and Hickey saw that move working out as well as it has. Genius!!!

I gotta say, though, I was very torn up by this ALCS series. After losing the first game at home, I was pretty optimistic yet a little perturbed when Shields great effort was spoiled by a lackluster offensive game. And then we came back, taking the second game at home and heading to Fenway all tied up 1-1. After that, the homerun derby began, with games 3 and 4 being filled with great at bats and even greater pitching efforts by Garza and Sonnanstine. After that I was feeling pretty good, with the Rays up 3-1 in the series. 

After that things got hairy very quickly. I had to watch most of the game 5 online at school. A bunch of us Rays fans all huddled together on out break and watched as much of it on TV as we could, commandeering the flatscreen in the cafe. We were up 4 to 0 when I left. All of the Rays faithful wished each other well and felt confident we would take the series. Alicia, Jeremy, and I rushed over to my parents house after I got home. It really started to hit me that we may go to the WorldSeries. I was beside myself. We pop into the Club, get comfortable and..... alas, we blow a 7 run lead in game 5 with just three innings to go. That loss killed me. I had nightmares about it. I was just floored.

Then we play them in game 6 in Tampa and drop that game as well. That game really killed me. I just felt horrible. After watching every single game this season, I was horrified at the possibility that the Rays team that ruled the American League all year would go down in flames to the Sox. Ugh.

Enter game 7. The game for all the beans. The game for a ticket to the World Series or a slow trip back the clubhouse having given a 3-1 series lead back to Boston.

I must interject here and make a confession. I had a small crisis before the game. After two straight nights of having my heart ripped out by the Sox, I was hurting. The Bucs were playing Sunday Night football against the Seahawks. There are two TVs in the Club, a large TV for the main attraction and a secondary, smaller TV for a side game, usually a regular series Rays game or a college game of interest. When faced with what game to put where, I was conflicted. I didn't think I could take another Rays loss. The last two had really messed me up. So, I made the decision to out the Bucs on the big TV and the Rays on the smaller TV, hoping that I would get lost in football and let the first half of the Rays game float by and see where the Rays were then. If they lost, they lost. If they won, they won. I just wanted it to be over.

But as I was supposed to be watching the Bucs game, I couldn't keep my eyes off of the Rays game. Even though it has no sound and was much smaller, I found that I was watching Garza pitch on 0-2 in the 2nd inning instead on the Bucs on 3rd and 6. I looked around the room. Everyone was doing the same. So, giddy-up, boys. We changed the game over to the Rays and never looked back. I couldn't miss what could be the last Rays game of the season. I wanted to be with my boys through the end of it, no matter what that end may be.  

Now on the big screen in glorious 5.1 surround sound, the Rays play ball. Garza gives up a homerun in the first inning, a 1-0 lead the Sox held for the next few innings. After that, Garza calmed down and pitched 7 1/3rd innings. We got some much needed runs. We are up 2-1. Aybar hits a HUGE homerun in the 7th, bringing us up 3-1.

And David Price, 22 year of age, who was pitching for the Durham Bulls until a few months ago, hops into the game to close it out. He gets out of a jam in the 8th and walks back to the dugout. One of the most powerful moments occurred when the broadcasters for the game said, "you can see who the Rays plan to pitch the 9th by taking one look at the bullpen". The camera pans to the Rays bullpen. Cups, sunflower seeds, towels, Gatorade coolers. No one warming up. Price would get the ball in the 9th.

He throws fire and brimstone. He pitches a low fastball to Jed Lowrie that is hit for a groundball to right. Aki scoops up the ball and steps on second base for the force like he has done so often this year. Only this time, he officially closes out game 7 of the American League Championship Series and seals Rays into the World Series.

The Club was rocking. We hung on every pitch. When Aki stepped on that base and jumped high in the air, we all lost it. There were hugs all around. We did it. From worst to first. 9=8.

And now, on to the World Series against the Phillies. We have home field advantage for this series as well. If any team can do it we can. And of course we'll play the underdog once again. No matter what, though, it's been a wild ride. GO RAYS!!!

Week 5: @ Denver Broncos

Despite Late 4th Quarter Heroics, Dismal Playcalling Sees Bucs Come Up Short, 16-13

What a game. The same day (and time) that the Rays suffer their first ALDS loss, the Bucs put on a performance to forget. Now, I'm not bellowing doom and gloom or anything. Every team stumbles. What makes this one hard to take is that we could have won this game. We should have won this game.

However, it was not meant to be. The Bucs were one mile high and one field goal too short. The reasons were all over the board. Here goes...

Quarterbacks: B

Want the good news? Brian Greise didn't throw any interceptions. How about the bad news? He didn't throw ant TD's either. And he got hurt. Greise is calling it an elbow bruise but said there is no structural damage to the area, so he may be able to return next week. Enter the drama.

Jeff Garcia came in to relieve Greise, having only been made backup QB earlier that day. He did pretty well, appearing rusty at first and then finding a stride later in the game, going 13 for 17 attempts and racking up 93 yards. He led the Bucs to their only touchdown, but also threw a pick that was subsequently fumbled and recovered by the Bucs. Overall these guys didn't do too bad. I'm curious to see what happens this week, though. Who to start? You ask me, you gotta give it back to Greise. It needs to be his job to lose from bad play, not due to an injury.

Runningbacks: B

These guys suffered from horrible play calling. The number aren't too bad. Earnest Graham 10 carries for 59 yards, Warrick Dunn 11 carries for 74 yards. What isn't apparent, though, is how Gruden's horrible playcalling affected the game. On a vital 3rd and 2 late in the game, Gruden elects to run Dunn on a wide sweep with the Denver defense in full lock down mode. Duh. Doesn't take an armchair QB to figure out that that may not work. And it didn't. Ugh.

Recievers: B

Ike Hilliard once again established his role as the go-to clutch catcher for this team, catching the Bucs lone TD and stretching drives by making the crucial catches on 3rd down. Micheal Clayton caught three passes, which is kind of nice. Jerramy Stevens had a pretty good game, although he let a sure TD pass slip threw his fingers. Antonio Bryant racked up the majority of yards, 58. Once again, the playcalling disaster this week affected the receiving corps as well.

Offensive Line: B

Davin Joseph returned to the line after three weeks of injury, and he did well. The line gave up three sacks, which is a high number given their previous play. Center Jeff Faine let his temper get carried away, drawing a penalty for unsportsman-like conduct by hovering over a fallen Bronco defensive lineman, talking trash, that negated a holding call on the defense that resulted in a 3rd and 5 instead of a 1st and 10. Jeremy Trueblood, normally great, was false starting all over the place. In all, it was a strange game for the line. They did, however, provide great lanes for the running game.

Defensive Line: B

The D line was pretty good. I gotta talk a little about Gaines Adams. He's everywhere. If you watch the game you'll see him all over the place. Rushing the passer, running to the sideline to make a tackle. The guy is a beast. Anywho, the line kept up pressure but didn't get enough to force any major mistakes. All in all a somewhat regular game. They just need to step it up some.

Linebackers: A

The LB were flying. Mr. Barrett RUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUD was no exception, racking up 6 tackles before injuring his knee early in the 4th quarter. Why were Ruud's tackles lower than his usual 10 or so? Because Cato June was pulling the slack, racking up 5 solo tackles, including one sweet special teams tackle. Linebackers, getting it done once again.

Defensive Backs: C

No big pass plays allowed, but no INTs either. These guys consistently let the medium to short pass get through their coverage. Ronde Barber had some great coverage, though, only allowing Broncos star receiver Brandon Stokely to catch three passes, although one was a TD. Aqib Talib played well, but whiffed on some pump fakes that allowed some passes to get through. All in all the play was okay, but these guys couldn't stop the pass when we needed it the most. There's always next week...

Special Teams: A

Great play from special teams helped out a lot to keep us in this game. Dexter Jackson was alright, only pulling his "slip-down" technique on a couple of returns but otherwise kept things solid. Mr. Matt Bryant, earning respect by rocking the killer 'stache and kicking 2 for 2 on field goal attempts, bringing new meaning to the phrase "Martin Fennelly - kiss my 3 point kicking ass". On the kick coverage game, we were spot on. 

Coaching: D

Once again, Monte Kiffin curved the grade up to a D from the F that Gruden deserves for his efforts. On 3rd down we sucked, calling for retarded plays that almost looked like they were intended to fail. 3rd and 2? Sweep to the left. 3rd and 10? Draw play that everyone sees coming. Pathetic. That's all I got to say.

Conclusion

And now Gruden is set to make some more bonehead moves. He'll treat this QB controversy with all of the class of a horseshoe throwing contest. I'm so tired of the way Gruden calls games. In the 4th quarter, down 10 points, he managed to make the team look like we were milking the clock, like we had the lead. Meanwhile, the Broncos are just throwing the ball down field like they're the ones in the hole. And that's why they won. Not because they were the better team, because they weren't. They won because they were the better coached team. Plain and simple.

Next week we play the Carolina Panthers at home. They won't be nearly as easy as to beat as the Broncos. Next week will be a major gut check game for the Bucs. A loss could send us into a downward spiral. A win could propel us into the playoffs. Only time will tell...    

Wha' Happen'd???

Ryan Totally Drops The Ball, Forgets to Blog on Bucs Sweet Victory Over The Pack 30-21!

Hey, folks. As the headline says, I somehow managed to not find the time to blog about the Bucs game this week. I will include references to last week's game along with my coverage of the action against Denver this week. So, to make up for it (like Carl Lewis tried to, hopefully to greater effect), I will post some of my favorite pics from last weeks game. Enjoy!

Fig. I - The Bucs put pressure on Aaron Rodgers all day long. In this pic, Greg White records a sack and adjusts Rodgers' lower back as well. How efficient!

Fig. II - When the QB is mercilessly abused, he may wuss out and try to throw some passes that maybe should have otherwise been something to cuddle with while being sacked. Add in the presence of veteran badass Mr. Derrick Brooks, and you wind up with this: First and Ten, Buccaneers.

Fig. III - Mr. Brooks had a career game last week. Here, your favorite player celebrates yet another sick pickoff. PIMP!

Fig. IV - Your boy Barrett RUUUUUUUUUUUUD picking off Rodgers with much aplomb. He is, without a doubt the future leader of this Bucs defense.

Fig. V - When will the disgusting defensive plays end? When the Bucs damn well want it to. Jermaine Phillips scoops up a ball knocked loose by Brooks and runs it back the other way for 6 points. 

Fig. VI - The O-Line was great again this week, allowing the run to work and keeping Greise off his back. 

Fig. VII - When the QB has time to make throws, he may even throw a TD. Greise threw a beauty to my boy Alex Smith. Tight Ends Represent!!!

We play at Mile High Stadium in Denver this week, and although the Broncos rank among the lowest in pass defense, having less O2 in your lung can really kill a receiver's get up and go. Who will prevail? I guess we'll see. GO BUCS!!!

Week 3: @ Chicago Bears

Bucs Grind It Out In Chicago, Pull Away With Thrilling 27-24 Victory in OT.

There is something about Chicago that just screams alley fight, and the action on the field as the Bucs faced the Bears did nothing to contradict the feeling. This game was full of tough struggling in the trenches and, in keeping with the alley antics mood, after the plays were finished. 

The Bears always play us hard. This could be partially due to the fact that we are old NFC Central rivals. This game in particular was heated, though. So, given it's already Thursday, let's break this sucker down.

Quarterbacks: A

 This game was a huge statement game for Brian Greise. Many factors aligned to put a lot of pressure on the man. This was his second start, a chance to prove that he is worthy of the starting role. This was his first road game, a chance to show he could win on the road. He was re-visiting his former team in Chicago where he made a few starts but couldn't manage to beat out Rex Grossman (AKA "The Brow") or Kyle Orton (AKA "Mr. Couey") for the starting job. Take all of that and factor in the usual amount of pressure that Gruden puts on his players and you wind up with some hell-a pressure.

 Let's just say that Greise isn't the weakest link in the contest. On the road, against the Bears, under pressure, with the running game falling flat and his receivers dropping passes left and right, he managed to complete 38 of 67 attempts for a whopping 407 yards and a pair of touchdowns. He did also throw three interceptions. All of this combined for a passer rating of 66.0 flat. Sounds pretty patchy, doesn't it?

Well, the thing that the numbers tell me is that Griese basically carried the Buccaneers offense on his back for the entire game, coming short of breaking the all time pass attempts record by only three attempts. The three pickoffs were totally his fault, as none were caused by deflections, but when you go to the well 67 times for passing plays, the defense starts to look for the pass each and every down, and that is what happened on Sunday.

 Your boy Greise was also instrumental in running the no huddle offense to tie the game up and force overtime. And, finally, with the added pressure of the "first to score" style of OT, Mr. Greise managed to march the Bucs down the field, by himself, and get the team in field goal range. You can basically thank him for the thrilling win Sunday. And for that, my dear readers, your boy Brian "Commander of the Buccaneers Offense Luftwaffe" Greise gets a solid A in my book. His daddy must be proud.

 Runningbacks: D

 Ugh. Check your these stats: Earnest Graham - 12 rushes for 16 yards, Warrick Dunn - 5 rushes for 31 yards. So let's see, 17 rushes for 46 yards. I'll say that George Hallis's boys had us pretty pegged in the running game, wouldn't you?

 The Bears defense has always been stout against the run. Always. This has something to due with the reputation the Bears have had for mean linebackers, and everything to do with Brian Urlacher challenging our runningbacks to a serious "Honor Du-el". And we lost. Hardcore.

 It seemed like Graham and Dunn couldn't get past the defensive line, and it didn't seem like it had a lot to do with the offensive line since they were tough all game. In my opinion, they both just looked intimidated out there. They were stuffed on each of their first few attempts and after that they spent the rest of game trying to re-invent themselves on the field. Graham was trying to run wide and use finesse when he is more of a run-up-the gut type back. Dunn was trying to rumble up through the middle when he is the juke and dash type guy. This lead to a whole lot of nothing. Only after Dunn returned to his style did he tear a few long runs on the Bears, his longest an 18 yard sprint.

 These guys are better than this. They just faced a defense designed to hit hard and block the run. Historically, teams that are able to pass well have beaten the Bears (Colts, anyone?) that way, leaning their running game as an occasional threat. I think these guys will do great next week against the Pack.

Recievers: B

You can't pass for 407 yards without receivers that can catch the ball and rack up said yards. The drops are what really stopped me from giving these guys the A. The big standout from this game had to be Antonio Bryant with 10 catches for 138 yards, including a grab for 38 yards. He seemed to everywhere all at once. He dropped a few, but being under tight coverage, it's to be expected. You gotta remember that this guy is helping fill the cleats of one Joey Galloway, arguably one of the fastest receivers ever. I hope Galloway gets back soon, though. We need that speed.

For the second straight week, Ike Hilliard came through with several clutch catches for the Bucs. With just 6 catches for 57 yards and one clutch TD, the numbers once again betray how vitally important Hilliard has been for us during each of these past two wins. He doesn't get open all the time, but he manages to put some extra sauce on the big plays, getting open usually just past the first down marker and making tough catches in coverage for much needed first downs. We'll need him this week against the Pack for sure.

A couple other notables would be Michael Clayton, overcoming his woes and catching 6 passes for 54 yards, and the much maligned Tight End Jerramy Stevens coming back from suspension to nab 5 passes for 61 yards. My boy Alex Smith was great in the blocking game and managed to catch 3 passes for 33 yards. 

All of these guys are going to be under much more pressure this week from Green Bay, so if they show like they did this week, I think that will be the difference maker.

 Offensive Line: A+++++++++++++++++++

There was some extreme badassness on display in Chicago Sunday. The culprits: Right Tackle Mr. Jeremy Trueblood, Right Guard Mr. Jeremy Zuttah, Center Mr. Jeff Faine, Left Guard Mr. Arron Sears, and Left Tackle Mr. Donald Penn. I said during the preseason that this crew would be unstoppable and they have certainly lived up to the title. 

For a little perspective, check this out. The Bears starting defensive line: Left End - Adewale Ogunleye - 8 years experience, 6'4", 260 lbs. Left Tackle - Tommie Harris - 5 years experience, 6'3", 295 lbs. Nose Tackle - Dusty Dvoracek - 3 years experience, 6'3", 303 lbs.Right End - Alex Brown, 7 years experience, 6'3", 260 lbs. 

Those guys are fucking huge! Brian Greise dropped back 67 times and 67 times our O-line kept these Debo sized mammoths away from our QB so he could deliver the ball and stay on his feet. Your boy Arron Sears  had to stand up against the 300+ pound Dusty Dvoracek for 60 minutes, blocking the pass rush 67 times, plus sustain the game winning drive in overtime after that. Imagine having to go from a squat with on hand on the ground, to having a 300 pound madman rushing at you, trying with all of his might to knock you over while you try not to give up an inch because, unlike your opponent, you can't move forward past the line of scrimmage.

Another quick stat: The average experience on the Bears defensive line is 5.75 years. The Bucs offensive line, including the fact that Jeremy Zuttah is a rookie fresh out of Rutgers filling in for 3 year starter Davin Joseph, is 2.8 years experience. In the NFL, that three year experience gap is a lifetime in terms of how you learn and grow as a starter. Yet, under every disadvantage, this young line managed to win the battle with one important skill: TALENT. Beautiful.

Defensive Line: B

The D-line was pretty solid this week. I'll spare you the numbers and just let you trust me when I say that Chicago's O-line is really damn big. Rookie DE Gaines Adams  only chalked up one solo tackle, but made a gigantic impact when he intercepted a short pass by "Mr. Couey" and returned it 45 yards for a touchdown early in the game. Chris "Pray For Your Mortal Soul" Hovan racked up 6 solo tackles and now is second in the league in  defensive line solo tackles on the year with 14 total. Greg White factored in for 3 solo tackles and a sack.

All in all, the D-line did their job. They forced Orton to make some throws he wished he didn't and stuffed the run as best they could. These guys will be very important next week during Operation Knock Aaron Rodgers On His Ass.

Linebackers: B  

The linebackers definitely showed up on Sunday. Mr. Barret RUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUD chalked up 6 solo tackles, 1 assist, 2 pass deflections and 1 AWESOME interception in the endzone. The raw talent this guy has is amazing. He basically ripped the ball out of the hands of his assigned reciever and kept it in the air while falling to the gorund, only to gain possesion inches from the turf. Excellent play by a line backer going deep and defending his against a score no matter what. 

Cato June also did his thing out there, collecting 6 solo tackles. For the most part the linebackers defended the pass well but let the run get away from them a little, allowing Bears runningback Matt Forte to rush for 89 yards on 27 attempts and catch 7 passes for 66 yards. Allowing one player a total of 155 yards of offense is unusual for us. They were on the road, though. Look to Mr. Ruud to bring the pain to the Pack.

Defensive Backs: C+

As usual, the defensive backs played well, but gave up a few deep plays that kept Chicago in the game longer than they should have been. Very early in the game, Ronde Barber flew in unblocked to sack The Couey for a big loss. though he later got beat twice in the endzone. Jermaine Phillips got beat a few times as well, but did a great job for the most part keeping a lid on the deep game. We missed having rookie Aqib Talib in the field, but overall these guys did their job of keeping us in the game, though there was a lot of room for improvement. Next week, boys, next week.

Special Teams: B

I gotta take a minute and call out a player who, though he has just started, is fuckingup a bit. This would be rookie kick returner Dexter "Butter Feet" Jackson. I know this guy is just a rookie, but his incredible ability to fall down on each and every kick return is starting to look like someone trying to duck down and avoid a big hit rather than someone losing traction on the turf.

This has been happening for all three games of the season so far and from what I understand this doesn't happen at practice, where he won't get hit, only during the actual game, where he is at risk of getting knocked the fuck out. Coach Gruden, when responding to a question about Jackson's "traction problem", went so far as to say that they would be looking into "his equipment" in attempts to stymie the problem. In this league, you can't play with fear in your heart. Time and time again it has been proven that the guy who worries about injuries winds up getting injured due to indecision on the field. I hope this doesn't happen to him, but I wouldn't be surprised if it did. We demoted Micheal Spurlock, the man that got us our first kick off return touhdown in franchise history, to the practice squad to make room for Jackson. The way things are looking now, that decision may not have paid off the way it was designed to.

On to the good stuff. Punter Josh "Notorious B.I.D." Bidwell was excellent as usual, punting 6 times, his long being 56 yards. This guy keeps us in games more than he is given credit for.

Super solid, Fennelly-disproving kicker Matt Bryant kicked a perfect 2 for 2 with a long of 35 yards, including the game winning field goal in overtime. 

Unfortunately, this Wednesday Bryant faced the absolute news a father could hear as his 3 month old son, Matthew Tryson Bryant, was found deceased in his crib early that morning. The Bucs have given Bryant the option whether or not he wanted to play in this Sunday's game versus the Packers. The Bucs may try to sign a replacement kicker or have Safety Sabby Piscitelli, who kicked in high school, take over on an emergency basis.

Coaching: A

Like last week, I can't really say much about the coaching this week. Gruden seemed to give up on the run early in the game, but it seemed like that was good move in light of the events that transpired later in the game, namely the fact that we had to pass 67 times just to win in OT. Kiffin did his usual job of changing up coverages well enough to stop the Bears from having an easy time of things. The only advice I have would be for Gruden to go after special teams and make sure that the "traction" issues are solved in time for this week's game.

Conclusion

We fought hard for this win and I think we deserved it. Our team stuck in there and showed a lot of determination and that stuff goes a long way. Next week we are going to have to play our A game against a very good Green Bay Packers team, but if we show them our best, I think we will win handily. 

My thoughts are with The Bryants and I hope they can find some peace with a life taken much too soon. Chance is cruel sometimes we don't always understand why things happen the way they do, but for a couple that has been so helpful in the Tampa community, I hope that their strong will carries them through this difficult time and helps them to rise above this most terrible tradgedy. 

Straight From the Dog's Ass...

Raindog Tradition Re-Enters the Blogging World... You All Should Be So Lucky...

There are many Raindog traditions. Cookouts, Halloween on Halloween, Sunday morning movies, etc. One tradition that is even more delightful is O'D's own "Straight From the Dog's Ass" writings. Now, thanks to boredom and genius in an intricately balanced equal proportion, this amazing collection of thought and profound coolness is making it's transition to blog form. 

For those of you who may know O'D but are not familiar with SFTDA, I will give a brief history. To the best of my recollection, this story begins in the early days of the Internet. Your boy O'D began getting increasingly into HTML, buying several books on the subject and spending most of the time we weren't either making music or watching Pop Up Video learning to design website pages. Thanks to the birth of free domain sites like Angelfire (old school), we began making homepages for all of our myriad musical projects as well as personal sites, among them the classic ODLIKE site where O'D would basically blog before anyone even knew what blogging was.

During this time O'D was planning on trying to publish a zine by the name Straight From the Dog's Ass. I wasn't really around for a lot of that, but I think a few mock up issues were created, however the idea didn't really follow through as expected. This was when O'D moved the concept of SFTDA to the Internet. 

For me, those were the best things ever. Manically gifted with the ability to hold on to shit tons of obscure geeky knowledge, your boy would craft incredibly interesting rants on pop culture that would cover the gamut from music to video games, art to politics. What made them different from most self concerned drivel on the net was how easily comprehensible it all was. A geek speaking to other geeks from underneath a pile of mixtapes and Anchor Bay VHS releases. Brilliant.

For a short time SFTDA made appearances on MySpace in the form of blogs that were absolutely fucking hilarious. So that brings us back to the present. With the popularity of blogs today and the advent of the super sweet and accessible Blogger from Google, SFTDA has found a new home.

Anyone reading this should seriously check this out. It's reads exactly what you think it would read like if you stuck a cool guy in the middle of Iraq with TV boxed sets and sand boogers: really awesome blogs about sand boogers.

The URL is http://www.straightfromthedogsass.blogspot.com/ . Read and respect, bitches!