Hockey: bring on round 2

Congratulations to the Lightning for the comeback. Down three games to one to the Penguins, they won three in a row including a stunning 8-2 victory. Red Wings vs Lightning Stanley Cup? Be still my heart. Don’t ask for too much.

I went 6-2 in my picks for the first round. Had all the entire Western conference right, but Tampa and Boston proved me wrong in the East. In other words, out of eight seeds, the teams ranked 1, 2, 3, and 5 won in each conference.

I’ll keep the same picks that I had before in the Western conference, picking two upsets. As much as I’m rooting for the Lightning, I’m going to bet against my hometown boys for a second round.

Round 2 matchups (winner in italics):

Eastern

Tampa Bay Lightning (5) at Washington Capitals (1) – Capitals in 6
Boston Bruins (3) at Philadelphia Flyers (2) – Flyers in 5

Western

Nashville Predators (5) at Vancouver Canucks (1) – Predators in 7
Detroit Red Wings (3) at San Jose Sharks (2) – Red Wings in 7

NHL Playoffs

The Red Wings and Lightning are both in, and the first round is already under way. I made my picks before the tournament started, and I reiterate them here. Seed is in parentheses, predicted winner is in italics.

ROUND 1:

Eastern

New York Rangers (8) vs Washington Capitals (1)
Buffalo Sabres (7) vs Philadelphia Flyers (2)
Montreal Canadiens (6) vs Boston Bruins (3)
Tampa Bay Lightning (5) vs Pittsburgh Penguins (4)

Western

Chicago Blackhawks (8) vs Vancouver Canucks (1)
Los Angeles Kings (7) vs San Jose Sharks (2)
Phoenix Coyotes (6) vs Detroit Red Wings (3)
Nashville Predators (5) vs Anaheim Ducks (4)

ROUND 2:

Eastern

Montreal Canadiens (6)  vs Washington Capitals (1)
Pittsburgh Penguins (4)  vs Philadelphia Flyers (2)

Western

Nashville Predators (5) vs Vancouver Canucks (1)
Detroit Red Wings (3) vs San Jose Sharks (2)

ROUND 3:

Eastern

Pittsburgh Penguins (4) vs Washington Capitals (1)

Western

Nashville Predators (5) vs Detroit Red Wings (3)

STANLEY CUP

Washington Capitals vs Detroit Red Wings

Hockey!

I’ve enjoyed every hockey game I’ve ever attended, which by now equates to a grand total of four Lightning games. I made my first one of the year thanks to J’s generous phone call and free club tickets from her boss.

The Lightning managed a 3-2 victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets in the fourth round of a shootout. Stamkos had two more goals, keeping him in the league lead. And Tampa Bay has a one point advantage in the division over the Capitals.

There’s something about hockey that keeps me on the edge of my seat. Basketball is as fast moving, yet I could pay attention to it. Perhaps in part because I can never figure out the penalties and rules. And dribbling just seems stupid. Soccer likewise is fast, but their field must be twice the size of a hockey rink, making it look a bit like a bunch of kids running around haphazardly. Plus, if you watch World Cup soccer on tv, you have to tolerate the horrible buzzing noise from the audience. What the hell are those things?

Baseball is about as exciting as bowling. And that’s not entirely an insult, because I have watched a few bowling matches. Well, OK. It’s an insult. And finally football. Ah, football. We were friends once. Then you dropped Matt Millen on me. And I have no love left. I must sit in front of the tv for three hours for what? Twelve minutes of action? Don’t get me wrong, I love the strategy of the turn-based sport. But my short attention span seems to be shrinking daily, and I haven’t the interest to put up with so many commercials, blathering, and (as a Lions fan) eventual disappointment.

No disappointment in hockey. Not only are the Lightning competitive, but the Red Wings are consistently making a run for the Cup.

Of course, the company wasn’t bad either. And the club seats with all you can eat/drink pizza, sushi, ice cream, beer, and much more throughout the game.

Good friend, good food, and a fast-paced sport ending with a win. ‘Twas a good evening. :)

Buccaneers ’10 Revisited: By the Numbers

Coming off a 3-13 season in ’09 with an inexperienced and occasionally bewildered looking head coach and a roster comprised of mostly rookies and a second year starting quarterback, the Bucs entered the 2010 season with fan expectations so low they didn’t manage to sell out a single home game all year. And yet:

* Josh Freeman in his second season had the sixth highest passer rating in the league (95.9) with a 25-6 touchdown to interception ratio. He started every game.

* Rookie LeGarrette Blount ran for over a thousand yards in only 7 starts (fifth place in the NFC), with three hundred yard games in the final five. He maintained a stellar 5-yard average (fifth best in the league) and compiled six touchdowns in the little time he played.

* Rookie Mike Williams finished the season leading all rookies in all three of these categories: 65 receptions for 964 yards and 11 touchdowns (fourth highest in the NFL, and setting a team record for touchdowns).

* Fellow rookie wide out Arrelious Benn finished the year strong, amassing nearly 400 yards on 25 receptions with a 15.8 average.

* Veteran Kellen Winslow continues his productivity with 66 catches for 730 yards and 5 touchdowns.

* The young offensive line continues to grow, though they suffered some injuries and setbacks in 2010. Will either of the rookie guards who started the last several games improve and turn into something better?

* The indestructible Cadillac Williams proves himself yet again as a role player and third down back, with 437 rushing and 355 receiving yards.

* The defense was 17th in yards allowed, but 9th in points allowed – they would bend, but not break. Ruud led in tackles yet again, anchoring the middle of the defense; Talib was tied for fifth in the league in interceptions with 6; and the rookie McCoy, who missed the final three games of the season, came on strong late in his season, including a 2-sack game against Baltimore. There are still a lot of holes, especially at defensive end and outside linebacker.

Most hopeful of all, they finished with a seven-game improvement over last year at 10-6. Especially considering the rapid development of Freeman (last two weeks: of 42 of 52, 81%, for 492 yards, 9.5 average, 7 touchdowns, and 0 interceptions!), the Bucs’ outlook for 2011 is bright.

Detroit Lions ’10 Revisited: Tempering the Consistent Disappointment with the Gleam of Hope

The Detroit Lions, who finished the ’08 and ’09 seasons with a combined 2 wins, managed to pull off four straight victories to end the 2010 season with a record of 6-10. How many franchises would look at a 6-10 finish as a sign of hope? Granted there are worse teams, but no other team would even begin to brag about a six win season.

I feel compelled to point out this context to temper the hope I feel after that modest winning streak. Then, of course, there are more serious problems than a history of failure. Most notably, the franchise quarterback Matthew Stafford just finished his second year and still only has 13 career starts, including only three starts this year. Not only has his progress been set back a year, but with serious injuries to both shoulders, he may never make it back to 100%.

On the other hand, the Lions managed to win games even when their third string quarterback was in. That gives some credence to the Lions finally having a good coaching staff in place. In fact, the Lions’ entire roster is devoid of much top-level talent, which means those wins are a great credit to the coaches.

And the brightest spot of all is the massive glare of the three hundred pound rookie on the defensive line: Ndamukong Suh.

QBs – Stafford, the hope of the Lions, started only three games and won one; and even those three games produced mixed results. On the bright side, he passed 6 touchdowns to only 1 interception; however, he didn’t manage many yards and produced only a dismal five and a half yard average. His best game did come against the Jets defense though.

Veteran backup Shaun Hill served capably, starting 10 games and winning three of those. He threw for almost 2700 yards, and finishing with a 16-12 touchdown to interception ratio. Third string quarterback Drew Stanton, second round pick in ’08 from Michigan State, started three consecutive games, winning two (and should have won the other against Chicago but for bad officiating). He racked up 780 yards and had 4 touchdowns and 3 interceptions.

RBs – First round rookie Jahvid Best started the first nine games, but was benched in favor of veteran Maurice Morris. Best peaked in week 2 when he accumulated 252 yards from scrimmage; he never came close to duplicating those numbers. In fact, that one game accounted for a fourth of his entire production for the year. He finished with 1042 yards from scrimmage evenly split between rushing and receiving. The main reason he was benched was probably his average yards per carry: at 3.2, it just wasn’t good enough. A lot of blame has to go to the poor-to-mediocre offensive line. Morris, who started the final seven games, only had a 3.7 average, and finished the season with just over 500 yards from scrimmage. At 31, the career backup is not the answer to the Lions’ rushing woes moving forward.

Week 1: a win and a touchdown stolen by a ridiculous rule.

WRs – Calvin Johnson, number 81 at right, is the lone Lions’ offensive player to be named a starter in the ProBowl. Despite the quarterback carousel and missing the last game of the season, Johnson gained 1120 yards on 77 catches. His 12 receiving touchdowns are tied for second most in the NFL. Second string Nate Burleson was productive, but suffered from poor hands all season.

TEs – The tight end combo of Pettigrew and Scheffler accounted for 116 receptions for 1100 yards and 5 touchdowns. The chunk of that went to second year player Pettigrew (71 for 722 and 4 td), who started every game this year.

OL – Left tackle Jeff Backus and center Dominic Raiola continue to cement the Lions’ offensive line, which was a good thing years ago. Both players entered the league in 2001 and have started nearly every game since though. Backus especially would be better at right tackle if Detroit could only find somebody to take the blind side position. Peterman and Sims started every game at the guard positions this year, which finally gives a bit of stability to the position for the Lions, if not strength. The addition of Tony Ugoh from the Colts may go to something, but he didn’t start any this year for the Lions. And current right tackle and first round bust Gosder Cherilus was alternately benched or injured this year.

DL – The lone defensive player for the Lions starting in this year’s ProBowl is the rookie Ndamukong Suh. Already, in his rookie season, he is arguably the best DT in the league (Ngata and Wilfork might take offense to that). Suh started every game and finished the year with 66 tackles, 10 sacks, 1 forced fumble, and 1 interception. The other three starting linemen added 15.5 more sacks: DE Cliff Avril, DT Corey Williams, and DE Turk McBride. At 24 and 25, the ends may be able to improve on their efforts next season.

LBs – A weakness to be sure, the linebacking corps performed adequately at best: the veteran Julian Peterson, second-year MLB DeAndre Levy, and whatever other linebacker happened to start on the other side.

DBs – Rookie CB (and sometimes safety) Amari Spievey offers some hope, but played inconsistently, occasionally looking a bit loss on the field. Second year strong safety Louis Delmas is the best player in the Lions’ secondary, which is equal parts compliment to the man and insult to the team. Second year cornerback Alphonso Smith led the team with 5 interceptions, but frequently blew coverages and was targeted by opposing quarterbacks. Nathan Vasher had little impact after coming over from Chicago. And starting corner Chris Houston was the invisible man in Lion games.

Will the Detroit Lions continue to let themselves be victimized by their past ineptitude? Or will the Man Named Suh lead the worst professional sports team of the 21st century in a new direction? Over the decade, Detroit has gone 39-121, with a 24% winning percentage.

Throwback logo from their glory years: the 50s.

2010: 6-10
2009: 2-14
2008: 0-16
2007: 7-9
2006: 3-13
2005: 5-11
2004: 6-10
2003: 5-11
2002: 3-13
2001: 2-14

The Lions are nothing if not consistent. With problems at quarterback, running back, offensive line, linebackers, and secondary, the short answer is no – they will not turn things around. But at least we’ll get a few more years of seeing Suh take out the Lions’ collective frustrations on opposing quarterbacks (before he, and probably CJ before him, go in hunt of a winning team once their contracts expire).

Sound & Fury #1: Sports Loyalties

To the following teams I pledge my ever-ending loyalty. And may their first child be a masculine child.

1) Detroit Lions

2) Florida Gators

3) Detroit Red Wings

4) Tampa Bay Buccaneers

5) Tampa Bay Lightning

And a few baseball teams, the idea of which is so much greater than the actual sport:

6t) Tampa Bay Rays

6t) Detroit Tigers

And a few other soft spots:

8t) Iowa Hawkeyes

8t) South Florida Bulls

10t) Cleveland Browns

10t) Chicago Cubs

Geeking Out

Writing. Studying philosophy. Preparing for the GRE. Applying and getting a new job. Paperwork that entails. Moving.

For the past few days, I decided, “Screw it.” I’m rocking out my new Madden ’11.

It’s time to get back to business, though, and what better way to honor my stunning virtual successes than resting on my laurels by indelibly publishing my achievements?

My Detroit Lions are 8-2 in the regular season. In the preseason, I played two games – one on rookie and one on pro. (I beat the Steelers 105-0.) I signed two free agents: Terrell Owens and John Henderson. The entire regular season has been on All-Pro with 3 rewinds. My favorite three plays: Strong Twins Off Tackle (be patient and follow your blockers); I-Form Pro Twins Slants (read the defense and you can usually either float or rocket it to the inside slant, with te as outlet); I-Form Pro Curls (lots of options for short yardage). Then, of course, you have to learn your receiver hot routes and know when to bomb it.

Bask in my glory:

W 48-24 at Bears
W 28-13 vs Eagles
L 16-23 at Vikings
L 19-20 at Packers
W 49-17 vs Rams
W 28-24 at Giants
W 42-7 vs Redskins
W 31-10 vs Jets
W 45-10 at Bills
W 31-24 at Cowboys

Matthew Stafford: 113.1 rating / 2526 yards / 24 td / 8 int / 159 of 256 for 62% / 9.8 avg / 253 avg per game

Jahvid Best: 117 for 906 yards and 11 td (7.7 avg, 91 per game) & 10 rec for 100 yards
Kevin Smith: 100 for 371 yards and 6 td (3.7 avg, 37 per game) & 8 rec for 50 yards

Calvin Johnson: 73 rec for 1338 yards and 15 td (18.3 avg, 134 per game)
Terrell Owens: 26 rec for 412 yards and 5 td (15.8 avg, 41 per game)
Brandon Pettigrew: 23 rec for 354 yards and 2 td (15.3 avg, 35 per game)
Nate Burleson: 10 rec for 219 yards and 2 td (21.9 avg, 22 per game)

Ndamukong Suh: 31 tack, 12 tfl, 8 sacks, 2 ff
Cliff Avril: 17 tack, 12 tfl, 9 sacks, 3 int, 1 ff
DeAndre Levy: 47 tack, 4 tfl, 1 int, 7 defl, 3 ff, 1fr

Projected 2010 Detroit Lions’ Depth Chart

A few quick thoughts:

1. OFFENSE
The Lions have strengths and depth at the offensive skill positions. At quarterback is last year’s rookie and the great hope, Matthew Stafford. Calvin Johnson is the star of the unit. Rookie Jahvid Best and big tight end Pettigrew are playmakers, as well as free agent acquisition Burleson. Each position offers depth now. Although I designated the fullback Felton as a starter, the Lions will probably start in a lot of two tight end sets, which means Scheffler will get the start.

The offensive starters have an average age of only 26 years. That number is increased by the two veteran offensive linemen, center Raiola and left tackle Backus. Raiola and Backus arrived in Detroit in the same draft back in 2001. Backus has started every game for nine straight years (144 starts) and Raiola started every game but four starting his second season (124 starts, 140 games played in). First round pick Cherilus will start his third season at right tackle, with mixed reviews so far. And offensive guard in Detroit has been a revolving door of incompetence and mediocrity. Hopefully, the addition of Rob Sims from Seattle will settle at least one of the inside positions.

2. DEFENSE
The worst defensive unit in the league last year has little hope of improvement. Defensive line has, however, vastly improved. The number 2 overall pick in the 2010 draft, Ndamukong Suh, will vastly improve their ability to stop those short runs (especially against Adrian Peterson) and disrupt the passing game. New addition Corey Williams is a big veteran to help Suh fill up those holes. Free agent defensive end Vanden Bosch further strengthens the unit, and young Cliff Avril may be able to improve on the opposite side of a suddenly respectable line.

Even with the line improvements, however, the Lions have an unforgiveable poverty of talent at linebacker and cornerback. Second year man Levy is a source of hope at outside linebacker after a solid rookie season. Aging veteran Peterson will hopefully continue to rush the passer, aided by the improved defensive line. We have no middle linebacker. Outside linebacker Dizon is expected to try to fill that role, with 0 career starts over two years.

The cornerback situation is worse. The four top corners on the team have a total of 15 starts last year and one (1) interception. I want to say that they have no depth, but they don’t even have a puddle with which I can measure the depth. At safety, there is more hope. Last year’s rookie Louis Delmas was far from dominant, but managed some game changing plays (like the 101 yard interception return for a touchdown or the safety). Daniel Bullocks will hopefully improve, or at least maintain his solid but unspectacular play.

A Selfish Post

…because nobody else cares about the Lions. After having reviewed the current state of the Buccaneers, I wanted a chance to look at my lowly Detroit Lions.

The Lions’ recent history isn’t news to anybody. Since the legendary Barry Sanders retired after ten glorious seasons, the Lions have posted only one winning season (the season immediately following that retirement and before Matt Millen took over). Only two years ago, they made the bad kind of history: they recorded the first 0-16 season and the first winless season since free agency began. Last year, they still managed only a 2-14 record, beating only the 5-11 Browns and 4-12 Redskins. They even lost to the only team with a worse record, the 1-15 Rams.

After two seasons with a combined 2-30 record, Why. Even. Hope? Because of this:

Quarterback Matthew Stafford, the 1st overall selection in last year’s draft, played brilliantly at times behind a porous offensive line and with no running game to speak of. Having a star wide receiver in Calvin Johnson, the number 2 overall selection three years ago, helps also. Neither helped enough to prevent the Lions from having yet another high pick (second) in this year’s draft due to their abysmal record.

Still, Stafford showed a lot of signs of a great quarterback. To be fair, I had a lot of optimism about Joey Harrington, too. But not this much. Despite looking good, Stafford only had 13 touchdowns to 20 interceptions, and a completion percentage of only 53% in his 10 starts.

Wide receivers are a position of strength. Calvin Johnson is an elite receiver still waiting for an elite quarterback. In three years in the league, Johnson has nearly 200 catches for over 3000 yards and 21 tds (average: 64 catches for 1024 yards and 7 tds). Johnson will have help opposite him with the free agency addition of Nate Burleson. Bryant Johnson and Dennis Northcutt round out a deep veteran receiving core. In addition, second year tight end Brandon Pettigrew figures to improve on his rookie season.

While the passing game looks good, the weak offensive line will keep Stafford under constant pressure. Plus, the backfield is terrible. Raiola and Backus, who both have been staples of the Lions’ o-line since they were drafted together in 2001, are the only strengths. RT Gosder Cherilus, a first round pick two years ago, has looked spotty. And both guard positions have been in constant flux for several years, with a seemingly new starter every game. The trade for Seahawks’ veteran guard Rob Sims may help, but if Seattle didn’t want him then I have my doubts.

Meanwhile, the backfield is highlighted by third year back Kevin Smith. He’s coming off an injury following an otherwise disappointing year in which he only managed a 3.4 yard-per-carry average. His backup is career backup Maurice Morris, and the depth stops there.

The Lions’ defense was dead last in the league last year. Last in yards allowed. Last in points allowed. Last in passing yards allowed. And an amazing 25th in rushing yards allowed! (But only because other teams were too busy passing over them.)

Their defensive line is terrible. The best player on it returning from last year is Grady Jackson, and he’s not actually good, just really really fat old guy. The rest are as crummy, with the exception of recent free agent acquisition Kyle Vanden Bosch. He rejoins his former coordinator Schwartz, now the Lions’ head coach. Though he has a ridiculous number of snaps over his career, he’s a definite upgrade. The addition of one of the two elite DTs in the draft – Suh or McCoy – will be a necessary upgrade.

The linebackers were the strongest part of this defense. For some inexplicable reason, we didn’t resign the solid MLB Larry Foote. But we still have Julian Peterson. Ernie Sims, once promising, failed to develop in his fourth year and may not even be the starter next year despite the absence of any noticeable depth at the position.

The secondary is virtually nonexistent. Phillip Buchanon left in free agency, leaving only the veteran Anthony Henry and nobodies at cornerback. No wonder the Lions are looking at the punk Pacman Jones. Their safeties are also nameless, except for some hope from last year’s rookie Louis Delmas.

To recap: on defense we have a veteran past his prime (Vanden Bosch), possibly a rookie defensive tackle, and a second year safety who might at least be of starting quality. No reason to think the Lions’ defense won’t still be at the bottom of the league except for the hope – hope! – that Schwartz will work some defensive magic.

My best guess for the Lions is a 4-12 record next year. My best hope is for 7-9. Like the Buccaneers, they stand little chance of breaking even. In retrospect, maybe this fan shouldn’t have written this post. It’s like looking at your skin in a magnifying mirror: all the imperfections stand out.

For Suzanne, Who Loves Football but Doesn’t Keep up with the Off-Season

Our beloved bumbling Buccaneers look to have a down season, but, as a Lions and Bucs fan, hope is nine-tenths of football. This fact means that if you don’t pay attention to the off-season, including things like free agency and the draft, you are missing the BEST part of the Buccaneers’ 2010 campaign.

The Bucs were quiet in free agency (or perhaps the better word is cheap). Despite obvious needs, like wide receiver or defensive line, they made no move to sign or trade for any player. Their 3-13 record from last year doesn’t inspire confidence, yet this will be the same team returning to take the field in 2010. So where does the hope come from?

Well, for starters, the usual place: the draft. The Bucs would undoubtedly love to get defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh from Nebraska; however, he figures to be off the board before they pick number 3 overall, as either the Rams or the Lions may take the big man first. That still might leave either another DT Gerald McCoy, or LT Russell Okung or S Eric Berry. I am hoping they take one of the two DTs, as I think they have an adequate LT already, and I’m not convinced taking a safety with the third pick is a wise move. A DT to take the spot vacated by Warren Sapp in 2003 would be a first step to reclaim the pride this defense once had.

The Bucs’ best shot to succeed in 2010 centers around their QB Josh Freeman. He was a first round pick in last year’s draft (17th pick) from Kansas State University. The 6’6″ quarterback’s rookie season was typically rocky. He had only 10 touchdown passes to 18 interceptions in the nine games he started. The Bucs went 3-13 last year, but in games that Freeman started, the Bucs were 3-6. He even won the first game he started. His best statistical game came in a 20-17 loss to division rival Atlanta: He was 20 of 29 (69%) for 250 yards, 2 touchdowns and 0 interceptions. (However, the next two games were his worst, in which he threw 0 touchdowns and 8 interceptions.) He finished the last three games of the season with two wins and one loss, including a victory against eventual Super Bowl champion and division rival New Orleans. He turned 22 in January. It is true of every franchise that chooses a quarterback in round 1: our foreseeable future rests largely on his shoulders.

The good news: our offensive line. Our line, I’d wager, is the best in terms of the ratio of talent to age. They are young and talented. LT Donald Penn is 26; he’s been good, but inconsistent. Perhaps we’ll draft Okung next week to take that position. RT Trueblood has been a solid starter for four straight years in Tampa and is also only 26. Our guards Zuttah and Joseph are 23 and 26 and provide great push at the line. Veteran center Jeff Faine (29) anchors the squad.

They will be opening holes for our three-headed running back team. Last year, of course, free agent acquisition Derrick Ward was expected to take over the starting role from journeyman Earnest Graham. Shockingly, former first rounder Cadillac Williams recovered from a torn patellar tendon. He had been rookie of the year back in 2005, but he was not expected to ever play at full strength again. For his efforts in ’09, he was second in voting for NFL Comeback Player of the Year (behind Tom Brady). Ward finished the season with just over 400 yards, while Williams rushed for more than twice that. The Bucs will NEED to double the number of touches that BOTH of those backs get if they want to win.

Now on to some more bad news. The receivers. If the running game doesn’t get going early and often, we’ll have to watch an inexperienced quarterback throw to probably the worst receiving corps in football. Gone is Antonio Bryant. Our starters are Michael Clayton and Maurice Stovall, both of whose hands and speed are questionable. Nor is either physically dominant, even though Stovall at 6’5″ and Clayton at 6’4″ should be able to go for jump balls. Stovall had career highs last year with 24 catches for 366 yards and 1 touchdown in 7 starts. That averages 3 catches for 52 yards per start (not counting the other 8 games he played in but didn’t start). So who will be catching passes? It’s a fair guess that 75% of Freeman’s passes will be going to either the RBs or the tight end, Kellen Winslow. Winslow recorded an impressive 77 catches for 884 yards and 5 touchdowns last season despite (or because of) having a revolving door of inexperienced QBs.

The offense will struggle to move the ball. Winslow is our most reliable target, but there is a conspicuous lack of playmakers on this offense. A steady, safe approach that emphasizes short passes and up the middle runs figures to be our bread and butter. For that to work, our defense will have to play at a much higher level than it did last year. We had the 27th ranked defense last year in points and yards. We were 10th against the pass, but dead last against the run.

Our defensive line is weak. Our interior lineman are serviceable, and that would be a strength if we were to get one of the DTs in the draft. But, quite frankly, the only defensive end I even know is Stylez G. White. And I know him more for his name than his play. I’ve seen him have good games, but he will be a 31 year old, mediocre lineman with only 3 years of NFL experience.

The linebackers are adequate, which seems to be a word that describes most of this team. Adequate, of course, only suffices when there are a few superior players around the adequate ones. Barrett Ruud has been the leader at middle linebacker for the past three years now, often leading the team in tackles. The young Geno Hayes looks like he might be at the beginning of a promising pro career.

The secondary is probably our strongest defensive unit. Led by veteran cornerback Ronde Barber (#20), they were burned early last year but quickly regained their edge. Twenty-four year old free safety Tanard Jackson’s (#36) return to the lineup provided the impetus for the improvement. And 24 year old Aqib Talib (#25) looks to be Barber’s eventual replacement as our number one cornerback.

In all, I doubt the Bucs will overcome their inexperience enough to break even this year. Most worrisome of all, coach Raheem Morris has so far inspired no confidence. Last year was his first as head coach, and he had never even had so much as a coordinator position before. After starting 0-7, he seemed confused and overwhelmed. Of course, the Bucs also fired their offensive coordinator last year right before the season started, and fired their defensive coordinator halfway through the year. Perhaps some stability this year will allow the young coach and his young team to improve.