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TALK OF THE TOWN
Five topics suitable for inane debate on talk radio:
WRONG DIRECTION: We can all agree, it was a bad offense Jon Gruden inherited in 2002. Changes were needed. But have the right changes been made? Only three of Sunday's offensive starters were of the pre-Gruden era, meaning eight new handpicked starters were on the field. And the offense's performance was as weak as any during the guru days of Mike Shula, Les Steckel and Clyde Christensen.THIS JUST IN: Keyshawn Johnson had 111 yards for the Cowboys, Thomas Jones had two TDs for the Bears and Warren Sapp had five Twinkies for breakfast.
A DEEP ISSUE: Who is responsible for the ridiculous number of short passes in this offense? Is Gruden calling the wrong plays? Is Brad Johnson failing to look at deeper routes? Is the offensive line too weak to allow sufficient time? Are the receivers too slow? Whatever the cause, it has to be corrected. Of the 17 passes attempted in the first half, 13 were thrown within 5 yards of the line of scrimmage. The Redskins stacked the line because they had no fear of being beaten downfield, which means the running game also suffers.
OUT OF SIGHT: They say the best compliment for a referee or umpire is when you never notice him. I'm not sure it means the same thing for a free safety.
LET'S SEE KEN JENNINGS GET THIS: Easy question. Who, on the active roster, has the most career touchdowns in a Bucs uniform? Mike Alstott, of course. So who is second? A little tougher, right? That would be Dave Moore. Who is tied for third? Give up? Ronde Barber's sixth career TD on Sunday brought him even with Derrick Brooks.
Five changes since Joe Gibbs' last tenure in the NFL and Washington:
FIVE PEOPLE WHO SHOULD BE VERY UNHAPPY TODAY
KEENAN McCARDELL: The Bucs' holdout receiver may mistakenly see this as a positive. He may think it proves how badly he is needed. All it proves is the Bucs need a heck of a lot more than a receiver.
STEVE SPURRIER: He could have blamed Daniel Snyder or the players. Now, it looks like Spurrier was the problem all along.
ANYONE NAMED GLAZER: The official audit begins this morning. "We paid $20-million for a running back, millions on offensive linemen and gained 30 yards rushing?"
SHELTON QUARLES: For years, he was overshadowed by high-profile teammates. Now that he is in his prime, the rest of the league is about to lose interest in Tampa Bay.
YOU: It's not just the loss that hurts. It's the realization that an era has passed. There's no more illusion about recapturing the glory of Super Bowl XXXVII. This is a different team, and a much weaker one.
FIVE SUPER PICKS
Checking out the best bets for Super Bowl XXXIX in Jacksonville:
1. SEAHAWKS: A vote for Shaun Alexander as the NFL's most underrated player.
2. PATRIOTS: Also an Emmy contender after their over-the-top pregame show.
3. EAGLES: Yup, the 49ers had that Terrell Owens figured out.
4. FALCONS: Bad news for the rest of the division - Atlanta won Sunday with defense.
20. BUCS: This has the potential to get worse.
FINAL FIVE WORDS
Gimme five more sand bags.