TAMPA, FL -- After last week's total meltdown against New Orleans, I don't know what to think about this Buccaneers team.
Many of you out there are wondering what to think about Head Coach Raheem Morris and the Bucs brain trust.
Considering the demotion of Defensive Coordinator Jim Bates on Tuesday, it certainly looks like the franchise has hit the panic button.
I wouldn't totally disagree. When your team is 1-8 and your defense is on track to become the worst ever in the history of this franchise, you better do something.
Morris did. He is taking over the defense. Funny, that was the position he thought he would start the season in, until he was promoted to head coach.
Personally I don't think Morris and General Manager Mark Dominik are over their heads. I think they got too aggressive, too quick.
But this is a new week, and this team needs to become aggressive on defense, and have results.
They travel to Atlanta to take on Matt Ryan and the Falcons. Pretty decent quarterback with wide receivers who will burn you. That bring us to the department the Bucs have no one home...up front pressure.
There is no way this team will be able to put pressure on the Falcons this week unless they go back to the Cover 2.
Not to say it will be the solve all. Remember the Cover 2 floundered a year ago with better personnel. But it will sure beat Jim Bates scheme.
I'm not knocking Bates. He was never set up to succeed with the players he had to work with on the defensive line. No pressure, your cooked.
I expect the Bucs to blitz like crazy against Ryan this week. They have to get a man up on the rush to be affective.
I also expect Josh Freeman to not self destruct like the did against NO. Three of his turnovers resulted in 17 NO points.
I hope he doesn't become gun shy, because that is not the QB this offense needs.
I also expect the running game to be more affective. Falcons have not done a good job defending the run.
But this game is on the road. Atlanta is a 500 team. They cannot afford a loss Sunday. They're only chance is a wild-card, and that doesn't look all that good right now.
Don't expect Atlanta to come in cockeyed or flat. This game is important.
What I can't figure out is if this Bucs team will rally around Morris and go out and play like it was their last game. They talk of character in the room. They talk about the togetherness of this team.
I just don't know, which is a first for me since I've covered this team back in the mid 80's.
However, I have no choice but to lay my prediction out there. I was dead wrong last week, dropping me to 6 and 4 against the line. This week the Bucs are getting 12.
If they have any character, and any skill, there is no way any team should pound them by more than 12, I'm giving them one more chance.
I'm taking the Bucs +12.
