Milkman41's Tampa Bucs Dynasty (HC 09)

[milkman41]

How Do They Keep Winning? Bucs Season Review - Halfway Through

Recap
The Bucs, led by rookie QB Josh Johnson, veteran castoffs RB Aveion Cason and WR Terry Glenn, chronic underachiever TE Alex Smith, and the newly-installed Wishbone Offense, have outslugged opponents on their way to a 7 - 2 record. The Bucs sit atop the NFC South division, are second in the NFC behind only the Giants (7 - 1), and 6th in the NFL, behind a slew of 7 - 1 teams (Titans, Giants, Patriots, Chargers, Colts). The Buccaneers boast the #1 offense in the league, averaging 31.2 points per game, and amassing 3283 yards of total offense, both #1 in the league. Though they are in the middle of the pack with 1656 yards passing, they lead the league in rushing yards with 1627 yards on the ground, and are tied for the lead (with Jacksonville) in rushing touchdowns with 17.

However, the Defense has been a letdown, as the Bucs have allowed the 2nd most points in the league (trailing only the woeful Browns), and have allowed the most total yards and passing yards by a wide margin.

So how is it that the Buccaneers find themselves at 7 - 2, and with a strong shot at the postseason?

1. The running game
When Head Coach Steve Caruzzo implemented the Wishbone Offense, we were told to expect a strong emphasis on the running game, and the Bucs drafted the mobile QB they needed for the Wishbone in the 4th round this year (QB Josh Johnson, of course). However, when the Bucs spent only a 5th round pick on a HB (Marcus Thomas), we were a bit concerned. After all, the Bucs needed a strong cast of running backs to implement the Wishbone, and nobody was sure what to expect of Earnest Graham (more of a power back), Cadillac Williams (returning from injury), and Thomas (rookie). When the Bucs signed RB Aveion Cason, nobody seemed to notice. However, the running game has become a strength of the Bucs', and it has been led by Cason, who unexpectedly won the starting job from Graham and hasn't looked back. Cason has been a revelation, rushing for 701 yards on 141 attempts (4.9 YPC), and looks to be well on his way to a 1,000 yard season. QB Josh Johnson has also been phenomenal on the ground, with 536 yards on only 68 attempts (7.8 YPC) and 3 TD. The offensive line has also stepped up, withstanding an early season injury to backup tackle Luke Petitgout to lead the way for this group of rushers. Final praise has to go to rookie FB Jacob Hester, who has not only blocked effectively, but has also chipped in with 127 yards on 30 attempts (4.2 YPC) and a TD.

2. Performance in the clutch
Though the Bucs have the league's worst passing defense, the much-maligned unit has managed to step up at key times to minimize the damage caused by the huge numbers opposing QBs have put up through the air. The Bucs are #2 in Defensive Red Zone Efficiency, holding opponents to 70% efficiency. Additionally, although they are in the middle of the pack in both sacks and INT, the sacks and INTs seem to always come at the right time. Finally, the Buccaneers have scored 5 defensive TDs, helping to mitigate the effects of the TDs allowed through the air.

3. Unexpected Contributions
The Bucs have received a great deal of unexpected contributions from all sources, including rookies, underachievers, and veteran castoffs, on top of the solid contributions from established veterans. QB Josh Johnson was drafted to run the Wishbone Offense, and we knew he was a strong runner, but did we expect him to be this good through the air? Another pair of rookies, FB Jacob Hester (3rd round) and SS Chris Horton (7th round), have exceeded expectations, and both could be headed to the Pro Bowl. Rookies LT Sam Baker (1st round) and DE Calais Campbell (2nd round) have also performed very well. It is rare to get a rookie class this productive.

The Bucs have also struck gold in unexpected places, most notably in the signing of RB Aveion Cason and the trade for WR Terry Glenn. Glenn, who many thought was washed up after an injury-plagued season, has become Johnson's #1 target, and has 541 yards on 30 receptions, including a 203-yard game against the Bears (on only 7 receptions!). Glenn has proven that he's not washed up, but how long will he play at this level? Cason is a completely different story. Never really given a chance to be a full-time back, he was signed by the Bucs to add competition to a wide open backfield. He unexpectedly became the starter, and has thrived. His poor carry rating (65) is a concern, however...

4. Coach Caruzzo
The biggest reason for the Bucs' surprising success has been the unexpected hiring of Coach Caruzzo, who replace Jon Gruden. Coach Caruzzo brought with him the wildly successful Wishbone Offense, which is becoming more and more complex by the game as the players become more comfortable with it. Coach Caruzzo has nurtured the rookies, and slowly brought them along. On a team with rookie starters at QB, FB, LT, SS, as well as #2 receiver, #2 TE, nickel corner, and blitzing LOLB, this is especially important. Additionally, he has been given complete control over football operations, and look at what he has done! In an offseason, he revamped the offense, adding a strong draft class (11 of 12 still on the team and contributing, as well as 3 undrafted free agents still on the team), and has picked up valuable players off the scrap heap. All hail Coach Caruzzo!

Season Stats
Passing
QB Josh Johnson: 129 - 209 (61%), 1736 yards, 11 TD, 9 INT, 87.7 rating

Rushing
RB Aveion Cason: 141 attempts, 701 yards, 9 TD, 4.9 YPC, 4 Fumbles
QB Josh Johnson: 68 attempts, 536 yards, 3 TD, 7.8 YPC, 3 Fumbles
RB Cadillac Williams: 35 attempts, 147 yards, 3 TD, 4.2 YPC, 1 Fumble
RB Jacob Hester: 30 attempts, 127 yards, 1 TD, 4.2 YPC, 3 Fumbles
RB Earnest Graham: 27 attempts, 97 yards, 1 TD, 3.5 YPC
RB Marcus Thomas: 14 attempts, 19 yards, 0TD, 1.3 YPC

Receiving
WR Terry Glenn: 30 receptions, 541 yards, 3 TD, 2 Drops
TE Alex Smith: 28 receptions, 352 yards, 1 TD, 2 Drops
FB Jacob Hester: 21 receptions, 205 yards, 2 TD, 2 Drops
RB Aveion Cason: 11 receptions, 157 yards, 1 TD, 1 Drop
WR Kevin Robinson: 10 receptions, 151 yards, 0TD, 0 Drops
TE Jacob Tamme: 7 receptions, 70 yards, 2 TD, 0 Drops
RB Marcus Thomas: 6 receptions, 61 yards, 0 TD, 2 Drops
WR Nate Washington: 6 receptions, 74 yards, 1 TD, 4 Drops
WR Michael Clayton: 4 receptions, 72 yards, 0 TD, 2 Drops
TE Bo Scaife: 4 receptions, 44 yards, 1 TD, 0 Drops
RB Earnest Graham: 2 receptions, 9 yards, 0 TD, 1 Drop
WR Eddie Drummond: 1 Drop

Defensive
MLB Barrett Ruud: 72 TCK, 11 TFL, 4 DEFL, 4 FF
ROLB Derrick Brooks: 49 TCK, 2 TFL, 3 INT, 7 DEFL, 1 TD
CB Ronde Barber: 37 TCK, 3 TFL, 2 INT, 7 DEFL, 1 FF, 1 FR
SS Chris Horton: 34 TCK, 4 TFL, 1 Sack, 3 INT, 3 DEFL, 1 FF, 1 TD
DE Calais Campbell: 33 TCK, 16 TFL, 6 Sacks, 1 FF
LOLB Cato June: 33 TCK, 4 TFL
DE Gaines Adams: 32 TCK, 9 TFL, 5 Sacks, 1 DEFL, 1 FF, 1 FR, 1 TD
FS Tanard Jackson: 31 TCK, 1 TFL, 3 INT, 5 DEFL, 1 FR, 1 TD
CB Brian Kelly: 27 TCK, 2 TFL, 3 DEFL
DT Chris Hovan: 12 TCK, 1 TFL
DE Greg White: 11 TCK, 1 TFL, 1 Sack
DT Mike Patterson: 10 TCK, 2 TFL, 1 FR
LOLB: Ali Highsmith: 7 TCK, 2 TFL, 1 Sack, 1 FR, 1 TD
MLB Ryan Nece: 7 TCK
CB Patrick Lee: 6 TCK
CB Patrick Buchanon: 6 TCK, 1 DEFL
DT Jovan Haye: 5 TCK, 2 TFL, 1 Sack

Special Teams
K Alexis Serna: 14 - 17 (82%), long of 53
P Todd Sauerbrun: 16 punts, 646 yards (40.3 avg)
KR Michael Clayton: 21 KR, 686 yards, 1 TD, 32.6 Avg

Early Look at the Draft
Coach Caruzzo has stated that the main focus of the draft will be on beefing up the defensive line in order to create more pressure on opposing QBs, creating more turnovers and less yards through the air. Caruzzo and co are said to be enamored with DT Thaddeus Cheeks, out of Pitt, who has been compared to Darnell Dockett, and who should be able to bring much-needed pass rush from the DT position. Additionally, they are said to be looking at DT Rashaud Johnson, out of LSU, who could be a big plugger in the mold of Hollis Thomas, and DT Jarvis Driver, who many have compared to John Henderson.

Caruzzo has also stated that he wants to add more weapons to the offense, and has begun looking at both HBs and WRs. At HB, the Bucs love RB Maceo Sweetney out of Tennessee, the crown jewel of this draft class, but also have interest in lesser-known backs like Eric Middleton (Florida State) and Jarvin Warren (Dayton), both of whom have drawn comparisons to Brandon Jacobs. Finally, injured HB Kendrick House, who many have compared to Steven Jackson, is a wild-card - if he can prove to be healthy, he might be in play.

The Bucs have just begun scouting WRs, and as such haven't formed opinions on many of them yet. However, this is a strong draft for wideouts (as well as for running backs), so look for the Bucs to continue scouting them.

Finally, I've heard that the Bucs are also interested in adding DE depth, OL depth, and maybe a #2 CB.

This season has been fun so far, I hope you guys have enjoyed reading my writeups.

[Sanchez_Mareno]

Jarvin Warren is a powerful inside runner albeit a bit slow

[milkman41]

The Bucs announced before today's game that TE Alge Crumpler, who had been on the IR, has had a miraculous recovery. Because he doesn't know the playbook well, Coach Steve Caruzzo has announced that he will be the #2 TE behind starter Alex Smith. In a corresponding move, the Bucs have cut TE Bo Scaife, who totalled 4 receptions for 44 yards and 1 TD.

Bucs ride strong defense, phenomenal running game to 45 - 24 trouncing of Vikings

Its not often that you can say that you've out-rushed a team with Adrian Peterson as its lead back, but the Bucs did it today on their way to a 45 - 24 victory. The Bucs built up an early lead, and easily managed to withstand a late Vikings comeback. The Defense, which has been unproductive most of the season, stepped up today, limiting the Vikings to 62 rushing yards and accumulating 6 sacks (2 each by DEs Calais Campbell and Greg White, and 1 each by DT Chris Hovan and LOLB Ali Highsmith). Though the Defense also gave up 281 yards through the air, they came mostly on the back of two big plays, as has often been the case with this year's Bucs' D. Sabby Piscitelli, playing SS for injured starting FS Tanard Jackson (with SS Chris Horton moving to FS), was burned twice, allowing long TD completions. The Defense was especially dominant in the 1st half of the game, accumulating all 6 of its sacks, and paving the way for a 21 - 0 Bucs halftime lead.

"I was proud of the way the D stepped up today, we got a lot more pressure and the linebackers always seemed to be in the perfect place to make key tackles and deflections. This game we decided to stray a bit more from the conventional Tampa 2, mixing in more blitzes and different looks, even some 3 - 4 fronts, and I think it helped confuse the quarterback and the O-Line, which lead to that strong first half. I'm very proud of how we played this game, despite the big plays," said Head Coach Steve Caruzzo.

The real story of the game, however, was the pounding running game, which racked up 272 yards and 4 TDs, and which helped account for the Bucs' 37:11 - 22:48 time of possession advantage. The rushing game was led by RB Aveion Cason, who had 103 yards on 20 carries to go along with his 2 TDs, one of which came on a beautiful 59-yard run. QB Josh Johnson added a long TD run of his own, a 43-yarder, on his way to a 72 yard night on only 5 attempts. FB Jacob Hester and RB Cadillac Williams also chipped in, with 43 yards on 7 attempts and 48 yards on 8 attempts and a TD, respectively.

"We started off poorly running the ball, that Vikings front four is strong, especially the Williams Wall [DTs Kevin and Pat Williams], and so we relied more strongly on the pass in the first half. In the second half, I really made a conscious choice to stick with the run, and it payed off, really payed off. We worked our tails off this game...Aveion, Cadillac, Johnson, Hester especially, this was a big game for him, I rewarded his good play with an increased workload and he really showed me, and all of us, why we drafted him in the 3rd round. If we can do this every game, there's no way we'll lose."

The passing game was also working for the Bucs, as QB Josh Johnson passed for 181 yards and 2 TD on 14 - 19 passing, for a 138.2 quarterback rating. Johnson has continued to spread the ball around to all his receivers, as 6 players had at least 1 reception, led by WR Terry Glenn's 78 yards on 4 receptions. FB Jacob Hester and WR Kevin Robinson each had a TD reception, and continue to make strides in their rookie seasons. TE Alge Crumpler returned to the field for the first time since preseason, but had no receptions, and was injured again, this time for 1 - 2 weeks. Crumpler faces an uphill battle to contribute the way he was expected to when he signed with the Bucs as a free agent, and may even find himself out of a job after the season due to TE Alex Smith's strong play and the management's belief in rookie TE Jacob Tamme's potential.

With this win, the Bucs advance to 8 - 2, and seem poised to make the playoffs. They play the Lions at Detroit next week.

[milkman41]

NOTE: This game was simmed instead of played out.

Bucs survive poor passing game, defeat the Lions, 17 - 10

On a day when the Bucs were outplayed by an inferior Lions team, which fell to 5 - 6 with this loss, losing the time of possession battle 31:47 - 27:28 and being outgained 285 - 250, the defense stepped up and did just enough to help lead the Bucs to victory. Though the defense was not as dominant as it was against the Vikings, amassing only 1 sack (by DE Calais Campbell), it still managed to hold the Lions to 40% conversion rate on 3rd downs. #2 CB Brian Kelly had a fine game today, with 2 INTs to go with his team-leading 8 tackles.

And on a day when QB Josh Johnson struggled, amassing only 56 yards passing on 4 - 16 passing, the running game stepped up to lead the team to victory, amassing 194 yards and the Bucs' only 2 TDs. Leading the way was RB Aveion Cason, with 99 yards on 14 attempts. 66 of his 99 yards came on a long TD run that put the Bucs ahead 7 - 3 in the 2nd quarter. Backup RB Earnest Graham, who has seen his playing time and touches diminish as the season has worn on, added 53 yards on 9 attempts, and RB Marcus Thomas scored his 1st career touchdown late in the 4th quarter to cap the scoring.

The Bucs are now 9 - 2, and have won 4 straight games. A rematch with the New Orleans Saints, who were defeated 34 - 19 in Week 1, awaits the Bucs in Week 13.

[rdnk]

That's funny. You almost got dominated by an inferior version of your Tampa 2.

[BrnwsBucksFanNC]

It is interesting to see how Graham has done for you. He won OPOY last season in my dynasty as the feature back for the Bears.

Congrats on the win.

[milkman41]

Yeah, its especially funny when the superior cover 2 with my awesome personnel gets shredded every week. I love it! lol it is getting really frustrating to have to win a shootout every week, but oh well, we'll see if I can make some changes in the offseason that'll help out. I'll probably start another chise soon too, haha.

[milkman41]

Quote: Originally Posted by BrnwsBucksFanNC

It is interesting to see how Graham has done for you. He won OPOY last season in my dynasty as the feature back for the Bears. Congrats on the win.

Damn thats weird, I don't like him at all, I feel like every time I give him the ball he gets stuffed for a loss, whereas Cason, who is faster and more elusive, always finds a hole. Maybe Graham will do better once he's out of the wishbone, who knows.