The Buccaneers looked pretty poor on offense in this game despite playing in the rain.  Byron Leftwich started this game and he completed 9 of 17 passes for 100 yards.  Luke McCown followed him in this game by completing 5 of 11 passes for 38 yards.  Josh Freemen finished up this game by completing 6 of 16 passes for 50 yards.  He also carried the ball 3 times for 18 yards (6.0 ypc).  Cadillac Williams really looked sharp in this game as he carried the ball 8 times for 54 yards (6.8 ypc).  WR Maurice Stovall was very impressive again in this game with 6 receptions for 73 yards (12.2 avg).  The Bucs finished up with 287 total yards on offense (127 rushing, 160 passing).

The defense was outstanding in this game for the Bucs.  LB Geno Hayes (7 tackles) and safety Steve Cargile (7 tackles, fumble recovery) led the way for the Bucs in this game.  The Dolphins finished up with only 252 total yards on offense (73 rushing, 179 passing) in this game.

The Buccaneers played a solid game against the Jaguars last Saturday Night.  Luke McCown was efficient in this game as he completed 6 of 9 passes for 51 yards with 2 TD passes.  Byron Leftwich was so-so in this game completing 6 of 12 passes for 63 yards.  Rookie Josh Freeman had a solid showing completing 3 of 5 passes for 47 yards.  He also had a 28-yard TD run.  Josh Johnson finished up this game completing 2 of 4 passes for 21 yards.  Fullback B.J. Askew led the way on the ground for the Bucs in this game as he rushed for 52 yards on 14 carries (3.7 ypc).  Derrick Ward was also running well with 40 yards on 5 carries (8.0 ypc).  WR Maurice Stovall led the way in the passing game for the Bucs with 5 grabs for 42 yards (8.4 avg).  The Buccaneers finished up this game with 330 total yards on offense (159 rushing, 171 passing) in this game.

DE Louis Holmes was all over the field in this game as he finished with 2 tackles, 2 sacks, a tackle for a loss and he defensed 1 pass.  The Jaguars finished up with 362 total yards of offense in this game (61 rushing, 301 passing).

With Tanard Jackson out for the first four games of the season due to suspension the Bucs have decided to move Jermaine Phillips back to safety instead of starting Will Allen there.  That is a very smart move.  The 30-year old Phillips played in 11 games (all starts) for the Bucs last season and he made 59 tackles, defensed 5 passes and had 3 interceptions.  The Bucs were converting him into a outside linebacker because of his tackling ability but they have a need right now at safety so that’s where he will start the season.

The Buccaneers have lost 28-year old linebacker Angelo Crowell for the season due to a torn biceps muscle.  This is a shame as Crowell was pretty impressive in training camp and the pre-season as he was pushing for a starting job.  The Buccaneers will have to shuffle some players to cover for Crowell’s loss.

The Bucs have signed 25-year old CB Darrell Hunter and 24-year old linebacker Bo Ruud to contracts.  Hunter was on the Saints for part of last season but he never got into a game.  He last played during the 2006 with the Cardinals appearing in 3 games (0 starts) and making 2 tackles.  He will have a hard time making the team.  Bo Ruud is Barrett’s younger brother and that could be enough to enable him to make the opening day roster for the Bucs.  He made 1 tackle in his pre-season debut for the Bucs against the Dolphins but he has never played in a regular season game yet in the NFL.

The Buccaneers have signed 34-year old punter Dirk Johnson to a 1-year deal.  Johnson played in 12 games for the Cardinals last season.  He punted the ball 40 times last season for 1,670 yards (41.8 avg).  Johnson only had 4 touchbacks (10%) and he pinned the opposition inside the 20-yard line 13 times (32.5%).  The Bucs just hope that Johnson can do a decent job as Josh Bidwell’s injury occurred to late for them to get a really solid replacement.

The NFL has suspended 24-year old starting safety Tanard Jackson for the first four games of the season for violating the league’s substance abuse policy.  This will hurt the Bucs’ defense big time.  Jackson played in all 16 games for the Bucs last season and he made 69 tackles, defensed 3 passes, had a sack, forced 2 fumbles and he had a interception.  Will Allen will likely replace Jackson in the starting lineup so expect teams to test the Bucs deep at the start of the season.  Allen played in all 16 games for the Bucs last season and he made 19 tackles and forced a fumble.  The Bucs will be in trouble if Jackson isn’t ready to go when his suspension is over.

The Bucs fought the Titans hard in this game but just not hard enough to win the game.  Luke McCown started this game and he completed 4 of 8 passes for 19 yards.  He also carried the ball 2 times for 13 yards.  Byron Leftwich looked better than McCown in this game completing 6 of 14 passes for 61 yards with 1 TD pass.  Rookie Josh Freeman looked like a deer in headlights in this game completing 5 of 9 passes for 52 yards.  He also threw pick six as Titans’ CB Ryan Mouton returned a Freeman INT 29 yards for a TD.  Josh Johnson finished up the game for the Bucs and he was impressive completing 3 of 5 passes for 15 yards.  He also carried the ball 1 time for a 43-yard TD.  RB Kareem Huggins led the Bucs in rushing in this game with 43 yards on 9 carries (4.8 ypc).  He also caught 3 passes for 14 yards (4.7 avg) as he was very busy.  WR Sammie Stroughter led the way for the Bucs in this game with 42 yards receiving on 3 catches (14.0 avg).  The Bucs were great running the ball in this game with 138 yards rushing on 26 carries (5.3 ypc).  But, they only had 118 yards passing in this game.

Despite the Titans scoring 27 points in this game the Bucs’ defense looked solid.  Linebacker Adam Hayward and CB Marshall McDuffie led the Bucs with six tackles apiece.  The Bucs only allowed 278 total yards in this game (92 yards rushing, 186 passing).

The Bucs could be without 33-year old punter Josh Bidwell this season due to a serious hip injury.  Bidwell punted the ball 77 times last season for the Bucs averaging 44.5 yards per attempt.  He only had 7 touchbacks (9.1%) and he also pinned opponents inside their 20-yard line 27 times (35.1%).  If Bidwell does miss the season that will definately hurt the Bucs’ special teams.

UPDATE:  The Buccaneers have placed Josh Bidwell on the Injured Reserve List ending his season as he needs hip surgery.