If you missed the Buccaneers preseason game against the Kansas City Chiefs this past Friday, I would advise you to check out some of the highlights on Buccaneers.com or right here in the Vault. The Buccaneers shut out the Chiefs 25-0 in a game that was not even close. Granted it is preseason, the Bucs looked very dominate and I will go far as to say that they look to be in mid season form compared to the team with arrowheads on their helmet.
Hold on, the lockout just ended didn’t it? That should mean that teams shouldnt look all that great, or does it?
When I attended the Bucs game at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, I was not only impressed with the young talent that Tampa had on display on Friday, but also the energy and crispness that the team played with especially the rookies. With the lockout going deep into the NFL off season, there wasn’t a whole lot of time for coaches to implement their systems and changes to to their respective playbooks, so coaches have had to go into hurry up mode to get players up to speed for the coming season. Sounds like a challenge.
It is a challenge, and its a challenge that Head Coach Raheem Morris embraces. When Morris is asked about how the team has been able to succeed with one young player after another, he says that the Bucs have the “Rosetta Stone” of coaching, meaning that Morris and his coaching staff do a good job of getting players to understand or translate their assignments to be ready to play in a short period of time.
That is going to be huge this year, and it looks like Raheem Morris is already off to a great start. Rookies Adrian Clayborn and Mason Foster looked solid in their first NFL action. Both are expected to be major contributors for the defense this season and it has to be encouraging for Buc fans to see that they are already making a major impact. 7th round picks corner back, Anthony Gaitor, and tight end, Daniel Hardy, also looked good. Gaitor showed a “Ronde Barber” type playing style and Hardy made some nice catches down the field. Second year wide receiver, Dezmon Briscoe had a very good day hauling in 4 catches for 60 yds against the Chiefs.
The Buccaneers are the youngest team in the NFL, and for them to look as good as they did in the first preseason game is very impressive and is a credit Raheem Morris for being able to communicate to his players what he wants and putting them in position to succeed. Ever since 2009, Morris has rolled the dice with young players and has created a competitive atmosphere that will make the team better now and going forward.
Improvement is definitely being made, all you have to do is look at how much better training camps are going. From 2009-2011, training camps have become a lot more crisp and there are more guys shining then guys disappointing. Morris deserves a lot of credit for the turnaround for the Buccaneers. Just like fans are excited to see starting quarterback Josh Freeman rise into a star, they should be just as excited to see Raheem Morris become one of the better head coaches in the NFL.
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