The Good, The Bad & The Impartial from the week two loss to the Bills

Each week, in the days following each Tampa Bay Buccaneers gang, you will be able to read “The good, the bad & the impartial” as part of a running series within the WhatTheBucs.com blog. This week, we discuss the 33-20 loss to Buffalo, Cadillac in the garage, Winslow Jr’s coming out party, the Sabby saga & more.

The Good

This game was not a pretty one for the Bucs, so instead of this section being called “The Good” after a game like this, maybe we should just call it “The Okay”. The team did very few things well, however there are a couple of highlights that give me hope for the coming weeks.

• Kellen Winslow Jr had what I consider to be his coming out party the the Bucs. Our biggest name acquisition this off season, Winslow Jr caught 7 passes for 90 yards and a touchdown, including and impressive 42 yard strike from Byron Leftwich in the second quarter. Not bad for a tight end. Winslow Jr is always a guy who has never lived up to all the hype. Here’s to hoping that changes while he is in Tampa.
• Sabby Piscitelli did not look half bad. The goat in the week one loss to Dallas–the guy got burnt for two long touchdowns that took the Bucs out of the game–Piscitelli had an interception, a recovered fumble and was third on the team with 9 tackles. I hear comparison of Piscitelli to Bucs great John Lynch all the time (which I hate, the only similarity is they are both white and both played safety) but at least after his performance against the Bills last Sunday, he showed flashes of Lynch’s greatness–he just has a long way to go yet.
• Greg Olson and Raheem Morris found a way to keep their most explosive player involved in the offense. Cadillac Williams was stuffed running the ball–7 carries for 9 yards–but was a dangerous option out of the backfield for Leftwich, catching 7 passes for 56 yards and a touchdown. Keeping the rock in this guys hand will be crucial to maintaining a some excitement in an otherwise very bland offense.

The Bad

As good as Williams looked in the passing game, he was horrible in the running game. In fact, the whole team was. Williams had 9 yards and Earnest Graham and Derrick Ward combined for 48 yards on 11 carries.

For a team struggling to find an offensive identity, the inability to run the ball was very alarming.

In short, 19 carries for 57 yards will not cut it. Ever. Unless you are the New Orleans Saints and can throw the ball at will.

It is obvious that the Bucs are NOT the Saints and are NOT going to set any NFL passing records this season with Leftwich at the helm and Michael Clayton and Antonio Bryant as the wide-outs, so the importance on running the ball needs to be higher.

The Impartial

Josh Johnson saw some action on the field during the teams first possession–but it was not under center.

Johnson came on the field split wide in an effort to confuse the Bills defense.

It didn’t work. No plays were directed at Johnson, and the Bills paid little attention to him out there. I think in order for him to be an effective decoy, the Bucs need to actually get the ball in his hands a few times to show he is actually a threat.

I for one have never thought that Johnson is the best selection as the back up behind Leftwich, but here is some interesting insight on that move by Morris.

A little known rule in the NFL is, the third string quarterback–if listed as inactive, which most teams do–can only play once the first and second string quarterbacks have been injured.

In addition, the first and second string guys can not re-enter the game once the third string quarterback has seen even one snap under center.

So that means, the only way Morris and Olson can run any sort of Wildcat formation or trick plays with Johnson would be if he was the second string guy, or the team kept all three quarterbacks on the active 45 man roster on game day.

It would be a poor decision to keep Leftwich, Johnson and Josh Freeman active for a game, as you waste a body.

So that said, expect to see Johnson involved in some trickery very soon, or expect to see Freeman move up on the depth chart.

Comments, questions, concerns? Talk it up! Leave a comment below or contact me at thomas.gemkow@tampabayraysfan.com and as always, follow me on Twitter @ThomasGemkow