Super Bowl Buzz Kill: Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Anybody can pick winners. We at The Hater Nation like to predict the losers. And last year, who could match our accuracy? The Hater Nation went 31 for 32 in picking teams that would not win the Super Bowl. If you read through the lines, too, you would have saw that we were secretly picking the Saints to take the whole thing.

So here is the 2010 Super Bowl Buzz Kill. A feature so awesome, those (expletives) at Deadspin have blatantly ripped it off. Turns out the schmucks at the Bleacher Report did, too. Always imitated, never duplicated.

Why your team won't win the Super Bowl: Tampa Bay Buccaneers



Buccaneers coach (Eric B. and) Raheem Morris had an interesting first season. He brought back the creamsycle uniforms. Which was not only cool, but totally fitting since he did everything in his power to make Buccaneers fans forget the glory days of the Tony Dungy-Jon Gruden eras. Morris fired his offensive coordinator and then scrapped the Tampa 2 defense to ensure that he dismantled any sense of winning in the West Coast of Florida.

Buccaneers fans do have some reason for optimism though. Teams that finish last in the NFC South make the playoffs the following year.

Except that will not happen this year.

Morris has done way too much damage to have any notion of winning this year. QB Josh Freeman could be a good one. But who is he going to throw to? Can any of the casual NFL observers even name one Buccaneers receiver. The Bucs will start too rookies at receiver, Arrelious Benn and Mike Williams. Rookies don't typically make the adjustment from the college to the pros immediately, and are typically the slowest of any positions to make an impact. So hopefully the Buccaneers can rely on the fragile body of Caddy Williams and disappointing 2009 free-agent Ahmad Bradshaw Derrick Ward.

And yes, I am purposely forgetting Kellen Winslow because he will play, what, six games this year?

This inexperienced cast cannot help the development of Freeman who at times looked brilliant last year. Then there were the other times that he looked like an inexperienced rookie, throwing 18 interceptions. Freeman does have the tendency to lock on one receiver, which should remind Buccaneers fans of the glory days of Craig Erickson.

Or not.

So it will come to the defense. The Jeremy Bates era can be a distant memory if rookie DTs Gerald McCoy and Brian Price are able to step up this season. And hey, the Bucs fans can always rejoice in the fact that they have proper Barber brother. So you have that.

Bottom line: Nobody can say that Morris does not learn from his mistakes. But is he still in over his head? Going to the Tampa 2 scheme is a good start. So there is some hope there. Offensive coordinator Greg Olson should help with Freeman's development, but will he have enough? There is a real lack of playmakers on this team and guys who can put the ball in the end zone. And if I am not mistaken, the goal in this league is to score points.

The NFC South is one of the tougher divisions in the league, so it is asking a little too much to ask for this team to leap over the Falcons and the defending Super Bowl champions.