Thoughts On The Bucs

Tampa is about to play its fourth NFC East opponent in the fifth week of the season, so I've actually had the chance to watch them a couple times.  Thoughts after seeing them lose to Dallas in week one and Washington last Sunday:

1)  They are not the Chiefs.  This is not a joke team.  They're not a particularly good team either, but they play hard and are going to get some wins if they keep that up.

2)  The wrong guy is playing quarterback.  Byron Leftwich obviously wasn't good enough to get wins in his first two starts, but he's a much, much better QB than Josh Johnson is right now.  The young guy is fast, but against Washington he never pushed the ball down the field. 

3)  Cadillac Williams is a really fun guy to watch.  For a smaller guy, he's a punishing north-south runner who hits the hole very hard and fast.  He's going to be a great test of our post-bye tackling form.  He'll also be the #1 priority for McDermott.  Stop him, make the Bucs throw, and the Eagles win ... unless ...

4)  Ronde Barber, who's still doing his thing, does his thing.  Barber moves around a lot these days.  Against three wide, they're putting him inside a bunch.  This helps a guy who has maybe lost a step over the years, but still has great instincts and loves getting into the backfield to mix it up.  He's still breaking on balls all over the place as well.  If we're going to challenge him, let's try something deep, rather than those short outside routes where he has the advantage.

5)  Speaking of going deep, the Bucs' safeties are terrible.  This could change things some, but there's still going to be one guy to go after.  If Jackson doesn't play, it's bombs away.

6)  Watch #54.  No, the other one.  Geno Hayes is exactly the kind of penetrating, speedy, undersized linebacker who seems to thrive on so many defenses in the league that aren't ours.  When Reid and Marty say these guys "fly around," this is one of the guys they're talking about.

7)  Really, really wish they'd kept Mike Nugent around.  Dude couldn't hit the broad side of a barn.  Now instead we're facing some no name who will probably drill one from 70.

8)  McNabb better stay clean this week.  In three games, the Eagles have 10 sacks, and have allowed just three.  In four games, Tampa Bay has only gotten to the QB six times.  I'd like to see Peters take the rookie Gaines Adams to school.

9)  Kellen Winslow has to be getting frustrated.  But if there's one thing we know, it's that the Eagles' defense is a magic tonic for struggling tight ends.

10)  Tampa Bay's punter looks very familiar.  You know what that means.