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The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are starting a rookie quarterback on Sunday after benching their fifth-year veteran. For some teams, this would be a give-up move. The move they make because they're not going to win anymore, and because they just want to see what they have in the rookie. If you're not going to win, you might as well go down in flames.
This is not what the Bucs are doing. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are not a bad team right now. Yes, they are 0-3, but they've played three good teams and lost two of those games in the very final seconds of the game. Their defense has played well and is good enough to keep them in games with even semi-competent play on offense. Doug Martin is the NFL's second leading rusher behind LeSean McCoy. The Bucs have all the pieces they need to win games.
That's why Mike Glennon is now the starter. Whether or not you agree with their reasoning, the coaches feel that Glennon gives the Buccaneers a better chance of winning games right now. There's an air of desperation to this move, and Greg Schiano and Mark Dominik desperately need to start winning games if they want to keep their jobs. If they have given up on winning games this season, they've given up on being with the Buccaneers next season.
Which is why this is a last move to get this passing offense going where it needs to move. The Buccaneers are 0-3 and the playoffs seem a long way away -- but they wouldn't be the first team to make it after starting 0-3. Their odds are slim, but they're not non-existent. And who knows, maybe just playing well and winning six games will be enough for Schiano and Dominik to save their jobs.
Regardless, the Bucs aren't giving up. They're making this move because they want to win, and because they need to win. We'll just have to wait and see whether it's the right move.