Buccaneers Team Report

INSIDE SLANT

The Bucs have gotten better behind rookie quarterback Josh Freeman(notes).

The 17th overall pick from Kansas State is 1-3 as a starter and did not play well two weeks ago against the New Orleans Saints. But he has put his team in position to win three times in four games and the outcome wasn’t decided until the final seconds.

Freeman is the Bucs’ hope at Carolina on Sunday as he squares off against Panthers backup QB Matt Moore(notes).

“We’ve just got to go out there and let him get better and better every week,” said Bucs coach Raheem Morris. “His passing stats keep going up, his decision-making keeps getting better, the limited amount of mistakes he’s making—all those things are happening for him right now, right before our eyes. I think we all kind of want to rush him a little too fast. It’s hard not to when you see passes like he throws; it’s hard not to want to rush him. But it’s coming. All the stuff you see him be able to do—I don’t think we’re limited much from him.”

Freeman is coming off a 20-17 loss at Atlanta in which he completed 20-of-29 passes for 250 yards and two touchdowns with no interceptions. If Freeman continues to play that well, the Bucs will trust him more in critical situations.

“He’s got the whole plethora of things in his bag and we’re calling them, he’s going out there and checking them, he’s making some of the right checks, he’s making some of the wrong ones but his decision-making is getting better and better every week,” Morris said. “Any time you go 20-for-29, that’s a pretty good day for a quarterback. Every once in awhile you’ve got to have some of those plays that the Saints receivers give Drew Brees(notes), catch a slant and go yard for 80. You’re looking for some of those type of plays, too. It’s all of us; we’re getting better.”

What also has looked better is the Bucs’ defense under Morris, who took over the play-calling duties from defensive coordinator Jim Bates. Morris re-installed the Bucs’ one-gap, Tampa 2 offense and it paid immediate results. The Bucs have six sacks and 10 tackles for losses.

But the Bucs face a much more physical team in Carolina, which has rushed for about 300 yards in each of their last two games against Tampa Bay.

“These guys have dominated the last couple of years,” Morris said. “What’s my measuring stick? Not allow 200-yards. You are talking about premier backs in this league. I’m not going to call it a measuring stick but we have to go out there and play for us. It’s not about measuring sticks, judging me, or judging them. None of that stuff. This game is about progress, pride, standing up, being about something. This is a little different.”

Morris’ team is 1-10 and needs to show some wins if he wants to prevent being a one-and-done head coach. Signs of progress have been there, but the Bucs have to learn to finish games and do it against division rivals.

“This is the Carolina Panthers. This is a division foe,” Morris said. “This is John Fox. I don’t like John Fox—no, he’s a great guy. You know what I mean. This is a great competitor. This has always been a great rivalry.”

Series History:   19th regular-season meeting. Panthers lead the series 11-7. But Tampa Bay and Carolina have split the series three times in the past four years.

NOTES, QUOTES

Forgive the Bucs for getting that rundown feeling every time they play the Carolina Panthers.

In their first meeting this season at Raymond James Stadium, Carolina ran the football on 15 or 16 plays during an 80-yard march that took 8:04 off the clock for the game-winning touchdown.

Panthers running backs Jonathan Stewart(notes) and DeAngelo Williams(notes) combined to rush for 262 yards and three touchdowns in a 28-21 win over Tampa Bay.

That was only slightly better for the Bucs defense that allowed 299 yards by the Panthers in their last meeting.

“You hate to say it’s just a pride thing,” said Bucs coach Raheem Morris. “Obviously, you’ll go back and see if it was a scheme thing, but you’re talking about two different schemes. In ’08, we went out there and go embarrassed in a 9-3 vs. 9-3 Monday Night Football battle for everybody to see. Then you talk about the game here with a new defense, new everything, new regime and they did the same thing.

“They came in here and we held them to a little bit less, which is not good enough. And they ended their final drive the same way. It was a more competitive game, but at the same time, it’s not good enough. It’s only good enough if you go out there and win.”

Since their first meeting, Morris has taken control of the defense from Jim Bates. The Bucs did a better job against the Atlanta Falcons, holding them to 2.8 yards per carry.

Of course, the loss at Carolina last December began a four-game losing skid that resulted in the Bucs missing the playoffs and coach Jon Gruden getting fired.

“There is no being shell-shocked,” Morris said. “There’s only bounce back and get ready to play. At that point in your mind, as a coach you’ve got four games to get in. That’s your mentality. My mentality was to move on to try to get our next win and get into the playoffs.”

• Though Bucs coach Raheem Morris is seemingly taking the role of demoted defensive coordinator Jim Bates day by day, he said Bates has continued to help break down film and opponent’s tendencies, and will “more than likely” come to Sunday’s game in Carolina.

Morris also said Bates gave him some advice before he called his first game as defensive coordinator Sunday against Atlanta.

“We’re just going about the same process, he’s been looking at tape, he’s been up in the office, grinding,” Morris said. “I go to him, he comes to me. We’ll meet at the end of the week. He saw my call sheet. He talked to me about the tempo of the game a little bit. He told me to, ‘Go out there and relax, shut everybody out, tell everybody to be quiet on the phones and just go feel the game, call it like you feel it.’”

• New punter Sam Paulescu(notes) is no stranger to Bucs Pro Bowl kick returner Clifton Smith, whom he welcomed to the NFL last year with a big hit on Smith’s first punt return. It was last Oct 26 in Dallas, and Smith was into his return when Paulescu knocked him on his back.

Paulescu, reminded of the hit Wednesday, laughed about it, said his former college teammate at Oregon State, Bucs WR Sammie Stroughter(notes), brought it up to him when he first came to the building.

• Former Notre Dame WR Maurice Stovall(notes) believes coach Jon Gruden would make a good coach for the Irish.

“I think his style of football and his personality would rub off on his players,” Stovall said. “Maybe him being an NFL coach and having a Super Bowl under his belt, maybe that would attract better recruits as people were saying, better players, and maybe even a better coaching staff. If Gruden had opportunity to coach there, I’m sure he’d do a great job.”

By The Numbers:   94.0 - Quarterback Josh Freeman’s fourth-quarter passer rating, which ranks 10th overall.

Quote To Note:   “Nobody cares, so why should I. Nobody cares who’s hurt.”—Bucs coach Raheem Morris.

STRATEGY AND PERSONNEL

The Bucs signed former Redskins punter Sam Paulescu to replace injured punter Dirk Johnson(notes), who tore his hamstring.

Player Notes  

• CB Aqib Talib(notes) has a hamstring injury and did not practice Thursday. It’s unlikely he will play Sunday at Carolina. He held the Panthers’ Steve Smith to one reception in their last meeting.

• CB Elbert Mack(notes) could start at left cornerback Sunday if Aqib Talib is unable to play.

• WR Michael Clayton(notes) has a knee injury and did not practice Thursday. He is expected to miss two games with an MCL sprain.

• DE Michael Bennett did not participate in practice Thursday because of a turf toe injury.

• OT Donald Penn(notes) (knee) returned to practice Thursday and will start against the Panthers.

Game Plan:   The Bucs hope their return to a one-gap scheme will help them stop the run the way it did at Atlanta when the Falcons averaged 2.9 yards per carry. Then again, that’s the same scheme the Panthers ran all over a year ago when Williams and Jonathan Stewart combined for 299 yards rushing and four TDs.

“They ran over us, there’s no doubt about it,” coach Raheem Morris said. “They took the last 15 snaps, whatever it was, and they ran the football every time except for a bear pass to go ahead and win the football game. We had just got some momentum type plays—I believe it was a big kickoff return and an interception return from Tanard Jackson(notes). They got the ball backed up with us having the opportunity to get the ball back and possibly score and win that football game and we were not able to do it. That’s all you’ve got to do, remind your team of that today. We’re going to go out there and practice, going to practice hard, play hard, prepare ourselves to stop the run and win the football game.”

Offensively, the Bucs will try to control the football on the ground, but they’ve not been able to accomplish that this season. Much of the burden will fall on rookie quarterback Josh Freeman, who bounced back from a miserable game two weeks ago and played well at Atlanta.

Matchups To Watch:   Panthers RB DeAngelo Williams vs. Bucs LB Barrett Ruud(notes). Williams has been part of a backfield with Jonathan Stewart that has combined to rush for nearly 600 yards in the last two games against the Bucs. Tampa Bay is back playing the one-gap, Tampa Two zone that has made Ruud a player again.

Panthers QB Matt Moore vs. Bucs CB Ronde Barber(notes). Moore started a garbage time game at Tampa Bay in 2007 and won. But he has only started three games in his career. This is a big chance for him to unseat Jake Delhomme(notes) as a starter. But Ronde Barber is a threat, with more than 25 sacks and 30 interceptions.

Bucs LT Donald Penn vs. Panthers DE Julius Peppers(notes). Penn has done a nice job against the elite pass rushers. He faces a motivated one in Peppers.

Injury Impact:   The Bucs are beat up in the secondary. CB Torrie Cox(notes) (hip) is out for the season. Nickel corner Elbert Mack has a bad ankle. CB Aqib Talib is nursing a hamstring strain. That leaves a player like Derrick Roberson(notes), a free agent who gave up the game-winning TD to Roddy White(notes) last week, trying to hang with the Carolina receivers.