The Bucs missed a shot Sunday

Posted Sep 26, 2010 by Tom McEwen

Updated Sep 26, 2010 at 07:00 PM

As so often is the case, the setting at Raymond James Stadium seemed perfect for a Tampa Bay Buccaneers win Sunday, this one over a name team, the Pittsburgh Steelers. The weather was delightful, and other sports teams important to this area had a successful weekend, like the Rays, South Florida Bulls, the Florida Gators, FSU Seminoles, Miami Hurricanes.

At kickoff it was a brilliant, sunshiny day. Pittsburgh had brought all of its fans who could get tickets for the game, but all seemed just right for the Bucs to score a resounding win and extend their winning streak to three games.

But, as so often has happened in Buc history, there was to be no climatic result on behalf of the home team. The mighty Bucs, like Casey, were about to strike out. They were outbombed, and about to return to the flop side of their history with a pitiful, generally lousy effort to sully the day.

The Steelers slam-dunked the Bucs as few expected in this fine circumstance, 38-13. And it was not that close. Cannot think of any area in which the Bucs outplayed the Steelers. It is significant that the leading tackler on the team was Ronde Barber, with eight, and he is a cornerback.

The Buccaneers and rookie quarterback Josh Freeman began reasonably well, reasonably competitive. Freeman does not get a completely bad rap for this game because his offensive line gave him little protection. And the running game was simply non-existent.

The great crowd and the great circumstance gave the Buccaneers plenty of early support until the second quarter. From then on, the left side of the Buccaneers’ defensive line could not stop the Pittsburgh running game featuring quarterback Charlie Batch, and runner Rashard Mendenhall.

When the game began, Pittsburgh and the Bucs seemed to be about even. But as it wore on it was clear that Pittsburgh, with its muscle and the scrambling of Batch, was going to take charge. Why, even the already questionable Buc punting and kicking game got worse. One of punter Chris Bryan’s kicks only went 21 yards. In this game, the kicking was so important and in that department, well, as in most, the afternoon belonged entirely to Pittsburgh.

The Buccaneers clearly have a long way to go to be competitive in the NFL this year. They managed two early wins, if barely, but were good enough, it seemed, to rouse the Tampa area into enough of a fervor to think that this might be a turnaround year.

If that is to be, Freeman has to become more mobile, and more thoughtful, or picky in his passing decisions, and the offense has to show more strength overall. Sunday at Raymond James Stadium, this Buc team was a terrible disappointment to its fans. Greatness was not yet expected, but sound play was, including fewer rule infractions, fewer fumbles, and fewer turnovers.

Most thought the Buccaneers would turn it on and make Sunday a banner day for sports hereabouts, but they did not. They have a long way to go and we are certain that General Manager Mark Dominik and Coach Raheem Morris are at this very moment trying to get this team back on track to produce the kind of record we now have come to expect.

Come on Bucs, get back on the ball. Your fans deserve it. They do not deserve any more of the efforts like the one bumbled Sunday when they have come to expect so much more.