Wrote here before that the Buccaneers were not likely to be mighty, like John McKay liked to hope they would always be, but in this season they had a chance to be pretty good on offense, defense, special teams. They seemed to lack big-time star potential, but the playoffs might be in the picture since the NFC South wasn’t exactly the old Black and Blue Division.

Well, by golly, we are through three preseason games without the Bucs hurting anybody critically, are a non-identifying 1-2, pretty good on offense, defense and special teams, still looking for genuine star power with a few who ought to be better getting better and the playoffs not out of the question. There were enough acceptable performances Thursday night in a rainy, rainy night in Florida by both the winning Miami Dolphins and losing Bucs to keep their hand up among those wanting to be in the mix.

Oh yes, some figured the 6-0 lead and the 10-6 loss Thursday produced enough good deeds on a lousy wet field to produce good points enough for no change yet in attitude for the future. Fans and Head Coach Raheen Morris had been waiting for breakout games from running back Cadillac Williams and wideout Maurice Stovall, and for big quarterback Byron Leftwich to produce.

They did. Leftwich threw passed them high (mostly high), low, behind the receivers and flat-out wild. But, he hit the catchers in the belly and at their apex for nine completions out of 17 attemps for 200 yards and some backslaps. He’ll only get better, and while Morris simply must cling to his warhorse, he kept veteran Luke McCown in the game and at the ready. That won’t change. But, it is Leftwich then McCown, know it. How much McCowan plays this year depends on injuries.

And quickly to the ball-carriers. Cadillac Williams and bulldog Earnest Graham surely now are anointed the one-two running backs of choice, but there are more, like Derrick Ward. The receivers began to emerge, notably, Michael Clayton, Antonio Bryant, Sammy Stroughter and Brian Clark. The Bucs are deeper at wideout now than they were.

Now, as it was it was in the beginning in Tampa with Lee Roy Selmon and forever may be, the strength seems to be on defense, despite the loss of perennial linebacking leader Derrick Brooks. Brooks, who never would get tired of running sideline to sideline. He will make the Hall of Fame.

Barrett Ruud at linebacker takes the Brooks leadership role but the defense has plenty more on that side of the ball, as seems always to have been the case since the McKay and Coach Abe Gibron times. Gibron was for so long the anchor of the Chicago Bear line.

Abe Gibron could eat, and get you as much as he had, like no one, no one I ever saw. He wound up here with me twice at home. Knowing his food capacity, I don’t know why I asked him back, though he was so much fun and nice. Once, caterer Phil Alessi had to send back to his plant for more ribs.

But, that was yesterday, and Abe Gibron.

Today is the time of the mighty 2009 Buccaneers of 32-year-old-coach Raheem Morris, of Cadillac Williams and of a quarterback named Byron Leftwich, who at 6-5 arrives from nowhere with the same size and ambition as did Doug Williams, who got his shot here and eventually won it all. Looking for a hero, Byron Leftwich should go no farther than his associate at one Buc Place now, Doug Williams.