More of the same is enough for the Bucs

Posted Dec 8, 2009 by Tom McEwen

Updated Dec 8, 2009 at 08:03 PM

Customarily, it is a few days later, perhaps even a week or two later before I write that ‘Wait ‘Til Next Year’ column, so far as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are concerned.

This year, we can write it here today.

Wait Til Next Year.

Or the next, or the next, or the next, etc… 

The Bucs are out of it at a miserable 1-11 with four games to play—the New York Jets here this Sunday and the Atlanta Falcons here in the season’s final game, Jan. 3.  In between the Bucs travel to Seattle and New Orleans Saints, who are undefeated.

Figure the Bucs will be underdogs to those last four opponents. 

So figure, if they could finish 2—14 or 3—13, it would be no worse than in previous years despite the new coaching staff.

Raheem Morris, who surely in no danger of losing his job, will be here at least one more year.

Morris will have the same lineup of players plus his draft picks to open the season next year.  He could do pretty well. He can anchor his team with his new quarterback, Josh Freeman, the 6’ 5”, 248 pounder.  He is a monster.  He is a BIG monster. He can run and he can throw and he will be better next year than this year and will be better the next.  He is a find.

Freeman will have one of the league’s fine receivers in Kevin Winslow, who has all-star quality in his bloodlines (his dad was a star), and has demonstrated he has got the bloodlines this year, his first with the Bucs.  He is also a find.

Freeman also will have proven players such as linebacker Barrett Ruud, center Jeff Faine, newcomer in the line Roy Miller, corner Aqib Talib, promising receiver Sammie Stroughter, and running back Cadillac Williams who seems now ready to play as he was drafted to play.

They will still have veteran Ronde Barber at the other corner. He is the leader now of the Buccaneers, and one fine football player still. He is an All-Pro.

And, other returning Buccaneers could develop those All-Pro qualities. 

When this season began, when asked about the Bucs and their prospects in the current season, I said I had no idea. 

I said they are a team without big name players and a team without stars. 

They are finishing the season with new stars emerging and some older players joining Barber as players to whom the younger players can turn with their questions.  People closer to the team say that this is a good crowd that is riding behind the coach and his young quarterback who they believe can lead them to winning seasons.  It may be true. Josh Freeman, the man from Kansas, may just be the leader the Buccaneers have long sought. He is certainly a big impressive individual. 

In the game against the Carolina Panthers, he lost the game with five interceptions, four of them that could have scored if he had thrown it to his open receivers instead. 

He did not. The Bucs did not, but instead lost a game they should have won to further dissatisfy their legions of fans in the Tampa Bay area who have paid big money through this losing season and have been meagerly rewarded. 

This needs to be said here and it needs to be repeated in Bucland for these have been disappointing - seriously disappointing - for all of these loyals who have stuck with the Buccaneers through misery after misery. 

It is time for victories.