Earnest Graham is the MAN!!! He was nothing short of Awesome on Sunday. As Jimmy Graham was busy taking out Head Coach Sean Payton, Earnest Graham was taking out the Saints’ defense one large chunk after another. I know Raheem Morris loves his insurance policy as he likes to call it with Earnest Graham, but is there anything he can’t do on the field? We all know that he is the master of the counter and he proved that again on Sunday. He loves to play special teams and is great at it, but now that the Insurance Policy is in effect, that is going to have to wait. I expect next week we see one of his patented half back passes in the red zone, and I’m sure it will be complete for a TD. His blocking is back where it should be and the Bucs have their every down back, Earnest Graham. Now I realize the Saints don’t have the best run defense in the league, but I’ll take a 100+ yard rush game from our backs any day, and as it stands, Earnest Graham is averaging 5.5 yards per carry. Not too Shabby, and if he can keep that pace, the Bucs are moving in the right direction.
I think I should just stay out of the prediction business, because my last predictions about the San Francisco game could not have been worse. I was so wrong, and argued that traveling across country on a short week would not hurt the Bucs, but I was wrong, big time. The one prediction I did Nail (toot toot) that week was that Demar Dotson would play Tight End and bring that big blocker the Bucs needed. Well he is still blocking and every time you turned around Sunday the Blind Official (all are at least when they come to Tampa) was announcing “Number 69 is an eligible receiver”. It was almost like an ongoing joke in the fired up crowd, because his number is “69” (hehehe) and they kept saying it over and over. But it was working, and working well, which brings up another point….
The offensive line was outstanding, again, and boy am I one happy Bucs’ Fan. Not because Jeff Faine got hurt, but because Jeremy Zuttah is back at center, WHERE HE BELONGS. He is one of the strongest, meanest, nastiest centers in the league, and Da’ Chicago Bears are close to finding that out. I’m going out on a limb here with that prediction. I think Jeremy Zuttah makes Ted Larsen better. Whatever the case, I think this is the “O-Line from Hell” with Donald Penn, Ted Larsen, Jeremy Zuttah, Davin Joseph, Jeremy Trueblood and Demar Dotson, 110% made to Pound the Rock. Last season when Jeremy Zuttah took over at center, the offensive line play improved, and so on and so forth. I still like Jeff Faine and the leadership he brings to the table, but my hope is that Coach Morris stays with what is working well, but I hope Jeff Faine gets well soon, which brings up another point….
WE JUST BEAT THE SAINTS!!! The Saints have been in the top 2 or 3 of the Power Rankings since the season started and the Bucs owned them Sunday. The Bucs are seriously banged up and wounded but again persevered. If not for a few strayyyyyy wayyyyyyy late PI/BS flags coming out of the referee’s zipped up pocket, the Saints’ offense would have been off the field and not scored at least twice. Drew Brees should send this Officiating Bunch a Christmas card. Honestly, this crappy officiating, week in and week out at Raymond James Stadium is really getting old, and about 50,000 SUPER LOUD & ROWDY Buccaneer Fans in attendance Sunday will agree with me. C’mon Man!!!
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I can’t leave tonight without giving props to the Defense, Wefense, and the Next Man Up! It was a total team win that started with Our Man, Tanard “TJax” Jackson carrying the Buccaneer War Flag out of the Tunnel to start the Game. Adam, Jake and I had a good feeling at that point and did Tanard sure come up big Sunday. He lifted the entire defense with that key interception, along with Frank “Mount” Okam stuffing the Saints run game. My other super-buc Adam Hayward played a lot of “Mike” and looked pretty good for his first real action in a while. Quincy Black made the big interception to seal the deal, and Dakota Watson anchoring the Special Teams Wefense with the MVP, Michael Koenen. They looked good from tip to toe and the Defensive line had pressure on Drew Brees all night long, causing numerous errant throws from arguably the best clutch QB in the league. This makes me want to harp on the refs again, but I’ll spare you. Way to bounce back, Bucs, coaches, fans. The Bucs are now 1’st place in the NFC South based on Division record of 2-0, yeah I said it “Best in the NFC South”. So now they have to keep on earning it through these trying times of injury. And when they do get Le’Garrette Blount and Gerald McCoy back they will be that much better, because the Saints they play next time in New Orleans will not be the same team that got “Beasted” on Sunday.
Go Bucs!!!
“I asked Darrell Royal, the coach of the Texas
Longhorns, why he didn’t recruit me and he said:
“Well, Walt, we took a look at you and you weren’t
any good.”
Walt Garrison / Oklahoma State
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