I suppose the most appropriate thing I could do is just leave this column blank and type a big F at the bottom. Would save me the time of writing it and save you the time of having to think about our terrible performance. But where's the fun in that? Seems negativity and pessimism generates more conversation that rainbows, sunshine and puppy dogs, so let's get into a look at the Bucs offense and how they fared against the Giants in Week 3
Quarterback
For the first time this year, we have two player to look at. Don't worry, I'm up for the challenge.
Byron Leftwich - What can be said about his performance that hasn't been said. He made an awful decision on the interception he threw. No excuse for that. He was hit just about every time he touched the ball. The line did him no favors. He threw mostly checkdown, but that was the read the majority of the time. He threw a few balls behind receivers and didn't look crisp. Not a good day to be a statue in the pocket. Looked indecisive at times. This was just not his day. Grade: D-
Josh Johnson - Everyone's love affair of the week. Moved the ball better in a shorter sample. Passes were delivered behind receivers. Lacked touch in the red zone. Should've pulled the ball down 1-2 more times, but that's nit picky. Showed good mobility and was able to escape the rush when needed. Would like to see how he does in a full game when the defense is A) playing their starters and B) game planning for him. Grade: Inc
Running Back
Derrick Ward - Not sure all that trash talking did much. Had no room to show burst and certainly didn't break any long runs. Took what was given to him, but no more. Looked average in pass protection. Opportunities were few and far between. Grade: INC
Cadillac Williams - Another game, no injuries. Success. The limited touches he had showed what we know he has. Ability to turn nothing into something. Receiving well out of backfield. Has to make first guy miss. Should be given the game ball, he did get our first first down. Grade: Inc
Wide Receiver
This is tough. They saw very few looks but that tells me a few things. They were not creating separation. Clayton dropped a few passes, though two of them were tough catches. Should have caught the TD pass. More worried about his feet being in bounds than the ball. (Grade: C-). Antonio Bryant has to still be hurting. Dropped passes, couldn't shake open and was a non-factor (Grade: C-). Stevens dropped an easy pass (Grade: C-) and Winslow dropped passes. (Grade: C-). See a common theme here? The opportunities were rare, but the receivers did nothing with them.
Offensive Line
Wow. I documented it in a column earlier this year, how the fan's perceived notion of the OL was incorrect. This game didn't help that. For being the strength of our team, they were manhandled. Pass rushers ran free, assignments were missed, the pocket was non-existent. This was a bad performance. They gave the QB no time. They didn't block well in the run game. Mahan just gets abused. He doesn't seem quick enough or strong enough. I can handle one or the other, but he just seems out of place. Trueblood got his customary penalty and was just outright beaten a few times. He looks flat footed most of the game. As a whole, this might be one of their worst performances. Grade: D
Overall
There isn't much to say. First half saw no first downs. The scoreboard looks the same as it did pre-game, zero points. We couldn't run the ball, we couldn't pass, we couldn't catch, we couldn't block. I feel like I'm being overly negative, and then I remember that this is the exact game they played. With no blocking comes no running game. With no running game comes no play action pass. With no play action pass the linebackers and safeties cheat up. With no deep threat, the blocking gets blown up. This was a recipe for slaughter, and we served it up on every single play. Grade: F