The Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1-10) were only seconds away from their second victory of the season, but the Atlanta Falcons (6-5) came from behind and scored with only 23 seconds left to win the game.  Josh Freeman had the best game of his short career for the Bucs, going 20/29 for 250 yards and 2 touchdowns.  They were mediocre on the ground though, getting only 73 yards on 26 carries as a team, but it was the defense that could not get the job done when it was needed most.

Falcons’ quarterback Matt Ryan and their top running back Michael Turner both left the game due to injuries.  Without those two players the Falcons are just not the same, and the Bucs were almost able to steal the win because of it.  They did not do a good enough job against the Falcons’ backup quarterback, Chris Redman.  Redman threw for 243 yards and 2 touchdowns on 23/41 passes.  The special teams came up big when Corey Lynch blocked a punt that set the table for the Bucs  3rd quarter touchdown and gave them the lead.  They were able to hold onto that lead until the Falcons’ final drive, when Redman hit Roddy White for the game winning touchdown.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1-9) are heading to the Georgia Dome to take on the Atlanta Falcons (5-5) Sunday.  The Falcons are a much better team at home (4-0) than they are on the road (1-5), so the Buccaneers need to be prepared to play a solid football team.  The Bucs’ defense has been giving up way too many rushing yards all season (169 yards per game), something the Falcons are going to try and take advantage of.  Good news for the Bucs is that the Falcons’ star running back Michael Turner probably wont play in this one and is listed as questionable due to an ankle sprain.  Even if Turner does play, he wont be as effective without his ankle 100%.  Jason Snelling will likely get the bulk of the carries for the Falcons, and although he is a back-up he is a very capable back.  He has had some good games for the Falcons and is averaging 4.2 yards per carry this season.  Although I expect the Falcons to run the ball a lot, the Bucs defense cannot forget about quarterback Matt Ryan.  Ryan has been having a “sophomore slump” this season, but he is coming off one of his best games of the season.

Josh Freeman will stay the starter for the Bucs’ at quarterback, despite having 11 turnovers in his three starts.  The Falcons don’t have a very good pass-defense though, so I would expect some improvement from Freeman compared to last week where he threw three interceptions.  The Falcons also give up 126 rushing yards per game so Cadillac Williams and Derrick Ward could have their first good game in weeks.  I don’t think the Bucs’ offense will be able to keep up with Matt Ryan and the Falcons’ offense, so it looks like the Bucs will get their tenth loss of the season.

FINAL SCORE PREDICTION:  Tampa Bay Buccaneers 13, Atlanta Falcons 27

The Bucs have placed 29-year old QB Byron Leftwich on the Injured Reserve List ending his season with a elbow problem.  Leftwich played in 3 games for the Bucs this year and he completed 58 of 107 passes (54.2%) for 594 yards with 4 TD passes and 3 INTs (71.2 QB Rating).  He also carried the ball 6 times for 6 yards (1.0 ypc) this year.  Don’t look for Leftwich to return to the Buccaneers next year.

The Buccaneers have signed undrafted rookie QB Rudy Carpenter off the practice squad of the Cowboys.  He was a darn good QB at Arizona State but he will likely be slotted as the #3 QB for the Bucs.  That could mean that Byron Leftwich is on his way out….stay tuned.

The Bucs have decided to replace Jim Bates as the defensive co-ordinator.  He will still help gameplan on Sundays but head coach Raheem Morris will be calling the game.  This was a needed move when you look at the results of the Bates’ led defense.  The Bucs are allowing 29.4 points per game and 378.3 yards of offense per game.  Opponents have rushed for 168.9 yards per game (4.9 ypc) and they have passed for 209.4 yards per game (92.6 QB Rating).  It’s about time something was done about the defense as it is very hard to watch.  Maybe Morris will be able to work some magic despite the fact that the Buccaneers don’t have much talent on that side of the ball.

The Buccaneers have been using Earnest Graham at fullback this season which is quite a insult to a player like him.  He has played in 8 games for the Bucs this season and he has carried the ball 11 times for 56 yards (5.1 ypc) and he has also caught 8 passes for 46 yards (5.8 avg) this year.  In his six years with the Bucs, Graham has played in 74 games in which he has carried the ball 417 times for 1,732 yards (4.2 ypc) with 14 TD runs.  He has also caught 81 passes for 548 yards (6.8 avg) in his time with the Bucs.  Graham has been a good soldier for the Bucs often keeping his mouth shut and doing what the team wants but he is getting stiffed by the team.  He has played well whenever called upon and he would likely do a much better job than either Cadillac Williams or Derrick Ward if they just gave him the rock.  Cadillac Williams has carried the ball 117 times for 450 yards (3.8 ypc) with 3 TD runs this season and he has caught 18 passes for 121 yards (6.7 avg) with 1 TD grab.  Derrick Ward has carried the ball 66 times for 243 yards (3.7 ypc) with 1 TD run and he has also caught 13 passes for 114 yards (8.8 avg) with 1 TD grab.  If the Bucs don’t start giving Graham the rock soon they should do him a favor and either release him or trade him over the off season because it’s just not right how they have treated him over the years.

The Bucs must have irked the Saints after they scored first in this game because they destroyed the Bucs the rest of the way.  QB Josh Freeman finally looked like a rookie QB today as he completed 17 of 33 passes for 126 yards with 1 TD pass and 3 INTs.  He also carried the ball 2 times for 30 yards (15.0 ypc) today but he also lost a fumble.  Overall, Freeman had a day to forget.  Cadillac Williams led the way for the Bucs today with 32 yards rushing on 11 carries (2.9 ypc).  Earnest Graham only carried the ball 3 times but he got 31 yards (10.3 ypc) and he also caught 3 passes for 16 yards (5.3 avg).  Derrick Ward rushed for 26 yards on 7 carries (3.7 ypc) today and he also caught 3 passes for 14 yards (4.7 avg).  Antonio Bryant led the way in the passing game for the Bucs today with 40 yards on 3 catches (13.3 avg).  TE Kellen Winslow pitched in with 5 catches for 29 yards (5.8 avg) today.  The Buccaneers could only muster 219 total yards on offense in this game (119 rushing, 100 passing) and that’s just not good enough to get the job done.

The defense had another long day for the Bucs today.  LB Barrett Ruud led the way for the Bucs’ D today with 10 tackles and 1 pass defensed.  CB Ronde Barber pitched in with 6 tackles, 1 tackle for a loss and 1 pass defensed.  The Saints finished up with 370 total yards on offense (183 rushing, 187 passing) in this game.  The Buccaneers are now 1-9 on the season.

The Saints are sitting at 9-0 on the year and you would think that this week would be a laugher for them against the 1-8 Bucs.  It won’t be as easy as most people think it will.  The Saints are having big defensive issues as of late due to injuries so they will likely try to dominate this game on offense.  Drew Brees will likely have a lot of time to throw against a Bucs’ D that is lacking pass rushers.  That is bad news for the DBs of the Bucs in having to deal with Marques Colston, Devery Henderson, Jeremy Shockey and Robert Meachem.  The Bucs are allowing 211.9 yards passing per game so the Saints will likely have a good day throwing the ball.  But, don’t think for a minute that Pierre Thomas, Reggie Bush and Mike Bell won’t get to have their fun too against a Bucs’ D that is allowing 167.3 yards rushing per game and 4.9 yards per carry.

The Bucs look like a different football team with rookie QB Josh Freeman under center.  The Bucs would still likely want to get a running game going in an effort to keep the Saints’ offense on the sideline.  That means that Cadillac Williams, Derrick Ward and Ernest Graham will have to run hard against a Saints’ D that is allowing 115.3 yards rushing per game and 4.5 yards per carry.  If the Bucs are effective running the ball that will open up some play action passing for Freeman against a Saints’ D that is allowing 227.7 yards passing per game. 

PREDICTION:  SAINTS 35, BUCCANEERS 27

The Buccaneers lost a heartbreaker as they took the lead 23-22 with 1:14 seconds left in the game but then the defense gave up the game.  Josh Freeman had another solid game as he completed 16 of 28 passes for 196 yards with 1 TD pass and 1 INT.  He also carried the ball 7 times for 36 yards (5.1 ypc) earlier today.  One area that Freeman has to do a better job of is holding onto the football as he fumbled 4 times today (losing 1).  Cadillac Williams led the way on the ground for the Bucs in this game with 52 yards rushing on 14 carries (3.7 ypc) with 1 TD run.  Derrick Ward pitched in with 34 yards rushing on only 10 carries (3.4 ypc) today.  Kellen Winslow led the way in the passing game for the Bucs today with 7 catches for 102 yards (14.6 avg).  WR Maurice Stovall pitched in with 4 catches for 47 yards (11.8 avg) with a TD grab.  The Buccaneers finished up with 302 total yards on offense (122 rushing, 180 passing)  in this game.

The Bucs’ D was pretty awful as usual in this game.  Safeties Tanard Jackson and Sabby Piscitelli led the way for the Bucs in this game with 9 tackles apiece.  Linebacker Quincy Black pitched in for the Bucs with 7 tackles, 1 tackle for a loss, 1 pass defensed and 1 interception today.  The Dolphins finished up with 374 total yards in this game (199 rushing, 175 passing) today.  The Buccaneers are now 1-8 on the season.

The Buccaneers travel to Miami to deal with the Dolphins on Sunday and this should be a interesting football game.  A lot will fall onto the shoulders of rookie QB Josh Freeman in this game as Cadillac Williams could have a hard time finding running room against a Fins’ D that is only allowing 94.5 yards rushing and 3.7 yards per carry so far this season.  The Bucs will still try to run the ball early in this game to keep the Dolphins’ D honest.  If they can’t then the Dolphins will be bringing the blitz early and often against the Bucs.  If that does happen then Freeman should look to get the ball into the hands of Kellen Winslow on the short stuff.  Young WRs Maurice Stovall and Sammie Stroughter seem to be on the same wave length with Freeman so they should get a lot of work in this game against the rookie corners (Sean Smith and Vontae Davis) of the Fins.

The Dolphins’ offense has been licking their chops looking at gamefilm of the Bucs’ front seven as the Bucs are allowing 163.4 yards rushing per game and 4.8 yards per carry.  Ronnie Brown, Ricky Williams and the Wildcat Formation will likely be used quite a bit in this game and for good reason as the Fins’ are averaging 150.9 yards rushing per game and 4.5 yards per carry this season.  Chad Henne will likely just be managing this game as the passing will be kept to the shorter stuff.

PREDICTION:  DOLPHINS 30, BUCCANEERS 13