Easy - It Was Only Cleveland

Posted Sep 13, 2010 by Darin Shaw

Updated Sep 13, 2010 at 12:13 PM

Kids went back to school here a couple of weeks ago.  They started on a Wednesday.  Three days the first week.  Then came Labor Day.  So only four days of school the second week.  This week they’re finally up to speed—a full five-day week of school.  I wondered if that was intentional in planning.  Was it to ease the students in?  Was it to ease the teachers in?

Take it easy, Bucs fans.  That was the Browns.  Sure, that was one-time Buc-slayer Jake Delhomme at QB.  But he’s playing a new role.  Now he’s cast as “I’ll throw three to my guys and one to yours.”  I like him in that role, by the way.  That was the team from Cleveland.

Now we have a division foe before us.  Still, the schedule makers appear to be ramping us in gently.  If you had to pick a division rival to play, this is the one you choose.  Word today that Matt Moore (who?) might not play.  A rookie at QB?  McCoy et al are slobbering at the prospect.  No one needs to be reminded, however, that there are still a few Buc-slayers in powder blue—Messers Smith, Williams and Stewart.  While the Panthers aren’t looking like a big contender at the moment, they’ll likely pack more of a punch than the Browns did.  And remember, there was the year that their cheerleaders came to Tampa and whipped up on some of the locals in a ladies’ room.  Top to bottom, this team can raise a bruise.

All in all, we are one win into our race to ten.  That’s a positive no matter how you slice it.  We need to take care of business on the road—in a very winable second game.  Let’s see if our Bucs are up to that task.

Good, Bad & Ugly in yesterday’s win?  You bet.  Good: The play of our wide receivers.  There weren’t a lot of balls to catch, but our guys made them count when they were on target.  How about Williams’ tip-drill TD?  Spurlock’s concentration?  Kudos.  Bad: A win is a win, but there were some WTH coaching decisions yesterday.  Clock management at the end of the game, fourth down calls, and the like.  It was week one, so we’ll give a little grace.  Ugly: A 36 yard punt out of our end-zone?  Are you kidding me?  One more of those and I say we send him back to Australia in a row-boat.

See you tomorrow with my Upon Further Review wrap of Week One around the NFL.