Buccaneers Go With Leftwich, For Now...

Your starting quarterback for the 2009 version of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers is, drum roll please, Byron Leftwich. Wasn't all that hard, was it? Leftwich is coach Raheem Morris' man because this Buccaneer team will establish the run. That's easy enough, turn, Byron, and hand the football off to Cadillac Williams, Earnest Graham or Derrick Ward. No scrambling ability need for that. Leftwich is the quarterback because those three runners will run, and when it's time to pass, Leftwich will fake the handoff, play-action and easily hit one of many open receivers. Sounds great. They'll be open, for sure and that big wind-mill windup of his won't matter as he'll have all sorts of time. Leftwich is the quarterback because of his experience, although Morris wouldn't come out and say that mattered. The committee has voted and big ole Byron is the guy. He'll face the Dallas Cowboys, he'll be the one who can surely dodge the charging DeMarcus Ware, he who registered 20 sacks last year. No problem. So what becomes of Luke McCown, Josh Freeman and Josh Johnson? Morris tells us McCown is the backup. That's a $2.5 million backup qb. He makes more than the starter. Then there's your $35 million bonus baby -- Freeman. He'll hold the clipboard, chart the plays and be inactive on game day. Wait, it gets even better. Morris says the fourth guy, Johnson is "one of the 53 best players on the team." So is this the second coming of Jon Gruden, he of the four-quarterback roster? Oh this story is not finished by any stretch of the imagination. There is and will remain a quarterback controversy on this Buccaneer football team. Count on it.

Leftwich "Annointed" By Fox TV Crew

You can declared the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' quarterback competition over. We have a winner, as far as the Fox NFL broadcast crew is concerned. The Tampa Bay-Miami preseason game brought the "first team" to town Thursday night for a wet, thunder and lightning-infested contest that left Joe Buck and Troy Aikman with too much dead time on their hands in the broadcast booth. The 10-6 snoozer of a win by Miami, did little to decide the starting quarterback for the Bucs. But before any of the action started, Buck, Aikman and even sideline reporter Pam Oliver told the nation that there is a winner in the on-going, never-ending contest between Byron Leftwich and Luke McCown. Oliver chided head coach Raheem Morris to come clean: "Everyone knows it's Leftwich," she said to Morris before the kickoff. Raheem was Raheem, the good and gracious young head coach, didn't fall into the Fox-trap. Then Buck and Aikman chimed in: "All signs point to Byron Leftwich," Buck said. Aikman agreed. But as the game began, and developed, Leftwich was less than impressive, overthrowing open receivers, looking pretty much the way he has looked throughout the preseason. Leftwich's performance, or lack thereof, then got Buck and Aikman to wondering and "what ifing." "We're going to look at Josh Freeman and say he should be the quarterback in week one," Buck said after watching the display from Leftwich then Luke McCown. Aikman recalled his growing pains in Dallas when he was thrown directly into the fire as a rookie quarterback "I did (start as a rookie)," Aikman said. "He (Josh Freeman) would have a better supporting cast than I did." While the quarterback play was discomforting at best, Cadillac Williams returned for the first time since his second patella-tendon blowout and dazzled the damp crowd. During the rain delay, he was able to spend some air-time with Oliver. "I'm excited to be out there," Williams said during the 45-minute lightning delay. "There's no pain, I'm confident. Yes, there was a time when I had my doubts (about his return). You question yourself but at the end of the day, you keep pushin'...." Williams pushed his way for 54 yards on nine carries and brought life and hope to an offense that still has no clear-cut leader at the quarterback position. The starting offensive line was together for the first time and created the holes for Williams and created hope that perhaps it won't matter who wins the quarterback job. But for now, although Buck, Aikman and Oliver have made their decision, the vote that counts the most, the vote from Raheem Morris, remains a secret.

Raheem Morris Wears The Heavy Headset

Heavy is the headset worn by head coaches in the National Football League. Raheem Morris, the youngish coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers will turn 33 next month and he's finding out that decisions are a tough part of this high-profile job. Media and fans were speculating on his big impending decision, the starting quarterback job for his football team. It was supposed to come down this week, prior to Thursday's preseason home game against the Miami Dolphins. Morris has asked for a time-out. He needs more time. After Saturday's 24-23 win in Jacksonville, he really needs it. Luke McCown, Byron Leftwich and Josh Freeman are his top three signal callers and all have had their moments, which leaves Morris with a moment of his own, the need to further contemplate who will be under center in 20 days when his guys face America's team -- the Dallas Cowboys in the regular season opener. Along with the quarterback brain teaser, Morris has only 12 more days to select his entire 2009 roster. The NFL mandates that all teams reduce to 53 players by September 5. Morris will have to give pink slips to 27 men who are now in his fold. What Morris needs, what the Buccaneers need, are 52 more players like rookie Sammie Stroughter. Stroughter was the talk of training camp and is now the talk of the preseason. A seventh-round draft pick, the unheralded longshot has made the football team and he made it in spectacular manner. Stroughter returned a kickoff 75 yards against the Jaguar and caught a nine-yard touchdown pass from McCown. He's been a hustling, overachieving dynamo and Morris simply needs more like him. The Buccaneer name players, guys like Kellen Winslow Jr., Michael Clayton, Gaines Adams and just about every other player on the roster, need to follow Stroughter's lead. Stroughter has set the pace, done more than anyone on this team when it comes to unleashing flat-out "want-to." Yes, Morris needs all his players to follow Stroughter's example. But right now, there are still so many things dangling in the air. And the quarterback decision is one of them. Time is running short. Sunday, September 20 will be here before these Buccaneers know it. And Dallas is waiting.