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Before delusions of grandeur set in, the Bucs beat a team Monday night no better than themselves. One can argue that the Giants beat themselves by incurring too many penalties.
The rest of Tampa Bay's schedule, except for Tennessee, is a cakewalk. Lucky for the Bucs. But then, luck is what got them the Super Bowl, what with the Falcons and Eagles rolling over and playing dead, and Jon Gruden having written his opponent's playbook.
Last year was a fluke.
This year, the Bucs are back to normal.
Keyshawn Johnson said he is not embarrassed being fired for insubordination; his ego is too big for that. But his statement, "(Gruden) doesn't show a love for what you do and just acts as if you're supposed to do things," should leave him totally embarrassed. His words confirm he is the problem and the loser in this episode.
I watched Brad Johnson play his usual, half-accurate, immobile game Monday night and wondered what happened to Chris Simms.
Johnson can't lead a receiver to save his life, and that's the most important part if you want yards after the reception. Simms' passes were very sharp and accurate in preseason play, but we haven't seen him since. He looked confident, enough so that he threw into double coverage and he did it to a spot that only the receiver could get to.
Johnson looks rattled all the time, even when he's not under pressure.
I would like to see Simms take at least a handful of snaps against a starting offense to see if he can handle regular season as well as preseason.
I believe the main problem with the Bucs is the number of very good players lost to the team. Not by injury or free agency, but by sheer arrogance and self-promotion.
These very good players are lost to the team because they are now campaigning for a spot in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. They, in their own minds, are "all-world" and no longer have any intentions of being team players, just players on this team.
Not to mention any names, but they include a defensive end, a defensive tackle and, formerly, a very offensive wide receiver, all beating their own drums to attract attention to them instead of the team.
There is joy in Bucs-ville. Goodbye, Key, and welcome Lee.
I hope what I have been reading and seeing in the sports section of the paper is not true. Rich McKay is by far the best GM in the business, and Jon Gruden is a great coach. I hope they can sit down during this holiday season and make peace. I know sometimes it is hard, but they should put their personal feelings aside for the team and for the fans and work together. I feel they owe that much to those who have supported the Bucs through thick and thin. I don't want to lose either. Let them do the great job each does.