Tampa Bay Surrounded by Questions and Injuries

The word “if” is like poisoned cheese. It’s deliciously tempting and critically insane to bite on. But optimism was wide spread in Tampa Bay with a new head coach in town, and a slew of savvy moves that positioned Tampa to be an underdog in the NFC. This underdog, however, is being hit by cars left, right and center and optimism is fading in to rightful pessimism as the Bucs search for answers.

Tampa’s secondary has already lost starting safety Tanard Jackson to a substance abuses suspension. A decision for Aqib Talib after battery charges emerged is pending. Now they’ve lost Angelo Crowell for the season, after he signed over from the Buffalo Bills, to a torn bicep. The defense is getting decimated by injuries and idiot decisions. The offense is still waiting to see whether Antonio Bryant will be ready for Week 1 NFL betting picks after hurting his knee.

Head coach Raheem Morris certainly has his hands full.

And no decision is going to be more difficult for the first-time head coach than deciding on a quarterback. Byron Leftwich earned the right to start against Jacksonville, his former team, in preseason action, but went just 6-for-12 and 63 yards passing with zero touchdowns. Leftwich, whose slow and deliberate delivery coupled with his cement feet, was picked apart by the Jacksonville defense that saw him at practice for several seasons while he was the starting quarterback. He wasn’t terrible, but he certainly didn’t look like the savior he was supposed to be.

In fact, Luke McCown, who was the initial guy in line for the starting quarterback position, was the hero on Saturday. McCown threw 6-of-9 for 51 yards and connected with Jerramy Stevens and Sammy Stroughter for two touchdowns that won the game for Tampa Bay.

Joshua Freeman, the Bucs first pick in the 2009 NFL Draft, was again un-sensational. He amassed just 47-yards on 3-of-5 passes and broke off a 28-yard scamper, but it was in garbage time. He’s simply not NFL-ready, though he could still see starter time should Leftwich and McCown falter.

Morris has said that he will name his starter this coming week, and that’s good news for a team that began with incredible optimism, then lost out to injury after injury. The Bucs need something to anchor them down, and the leadership of a team guy like Byron Leftwich is just the ticket. He may not win you a Super Bowl, but he’ll bring that locker room together. For a team with sports betting fans scratching their heads, having something to feel good about is a start. It’s just not the positive start that the Bucs wanted.