BucShotz

Times staff writer Tom Jones looks back at Sunday's Bucs-Titans game.

By TOM JONES, Times Staff Writer
Published October 15, 2007

ADVERTISEMENT [AP photo] None of the three chances was more disappointing than Barber's would-be interception with 2:44 left. Titans quarterback Kerry Collins launched a pass to his left, aiming for running back LenDale White, just inside the goal line. Barber - a four-time Pro Bowl selection - closed in as the ball was released, leaping in front of White to make a midair catch just inside the pylon. Photo gallery Audio: Gary Shelton's post-game analysis

Funniest (unintentional) comment

After a shot of the pirate ship in the end zone, CBS announcer Dan Dierdorf said, "It's hard to find more going on in the end zones than right here in Raymond James Stadium. ... They got it all."

Yeah, all except a bunch of touchdowns with the way the Bucs offense is playing these days. Right now, the Bucs offense looks like a playground with the stud quarterback telling everyone, "Just go out."

Most deserved injury

Tennessee lineman Albert Haynesworth - yeah, the guy who stomped on another player's head last season - suffered some sort of leg injury. That's what you get when you try to trip an opponent instead of tackling like you're supposed to tackle. What the heck?

Best highlight

Okay, just a side note. Watching highlights of the Bears-Vikings during halftime of the Bucs game and seeing Chicago's Devin Hester return yet another punt for a touchdown, don't you ask yourself: Why does anyone even think about punting the ball to him. There is an out-of-bounds, you know.

CBS' Shannon Sharpe said, "The competition committee is meeting right now to see if it should be a 15-yard penalty if you kick the ball to Devin Hester.

CBS' Bill Cowher cracked: "It's a seven-point penalty."

Number of the day

73 Congratulations to Colts quarterback Peyton Manning. He's now in 73 percent of all television commercials. When the guy fills out his tax return and it asks for "other sources of income," Manning probably writes, "Quarterback for the Indianapolis Colts."

Biggest break

The Bucs caught a huge break near the end of the first half when it appeared safety Phillip Buchanon was out of bounds when he picked off a Vince Young pass near the end zone. Buchanon was ruled in bounds, and replay did not overturn the call even though it looked like his big toe was on the white line. But the interception did bring out one of the better lines by Dan Dierdorf.

"(Young) threw that ball without even seeing if the guy was covered," Dierdorf said. "I know the guy is wide open in practice, but he might not be wide open during the game."

Solid job

CBS analyst Dan Dierdorf used to take quite a beating from critics when he was on Monday Night Football. Maybe he's a different announcer now. Or maybe he's exactly the same. But listening to him during Sunday's broadcast, you realize the guy is pretty good. He does his homework, has relevant comments, can break down plays, has a decent enough sense of humor and timing and has a pretty good rapport with announcer Greg Gumbel.

Worst sight

Injuries are one thing. But the kind of gruesome injuries the Bucs are suffering (tight end Alex Smith the latest) makes you think someone over at One Buc broke about a dozen mirrors while walking under a ladder.

Second-worst sight

It doesn't matter if you're a Bucs fan, seeing Titans quarterback Vince Young go down with an injury is an awful sight. Guys like him make the NFL worth watching - whether he's playing against your team or not.

Biggest play

The obvious choice is Jeff Garcia's 69-yard touchdown pass to Joey Galloway late in the third quarter. But here's a vote for the third-and-10 conversion on a Garcia 28-yard pass to Ike Hillard to keep the winning drive alive. If the Bucs don't make a first down there, they punt to the Titans, who would've had about a minute and two timeouts to mount a winning drive of their own.

Worst call

How in the world was that not a fumble when Tennessee quarterback Kerry Collins threw the ball behind him early in the fourth quarter? He wasn't tackled yet. You could say he was in the process of being tackled when he threw the ball down behind him. That makes it a lateral. That makes it a fumble. No one but those in Bucs uniforms were around the ball, and there was no one in a Titans uniform between the ball and the end zone. The Bucs caught a bad break when the play was ruled a sack.

Best reporting

Nice job by CBS announcers Greg Gumbel and Dan Dierdorf by bringing up the whole call-a-timeout-right-before-a-field-goal issue before and after Matt Bryant's game winner. And you had to like the stance taken by Titans coach Jeff Fisher, who realizes that one day a coach is going to call time and the kicker is going to miss the kick and then make it on his second chance. Then again, with still a little time left, the Titans needed every timeout they had.

Luckiest player

Not to run down Kerry Collins, but the veteran QB tried several times to give the game away and somehow survived what should've been a fumble and what could've been two interceptions.

Having said that, might it not be better to have someone such as him backing up Jeff Garcia rather than a young quarterback?

"You get what you pay for," CBS' Dan Dierdorf said. "There's the value of having an experienced quarterback."

Worst hands

Ronde Barber had two chances to give the offense the ball at the end of the third quarter. But he dropped an interception and, after recovering a fumble, coughed up a fumble of his own. He needs to call Lester Hayes' old dealer. Runnerup: Earnest Graham made a couple of nice catches, but there were a couple of other times he seemed downright shocked that Jeff Garcia threw him the ball.

[Last modified October 14, 2007, 22:10:33]