Tampa Bay tried as hard as it could to give away another victory. Luckily for them, Green Bay didn’t want it.
Capturing their first victory of the season took nearly everything the Buccaneers had. Lee Roy Selmon became the first player selected to the Ring of Honor, a rookie quarterback had an impressive debut and I attended my first game of the season.
Tampa Bay pulled out all the stops for its first win.
Between fantasy football, a pick ‘em league and a survivor pool, (so lucky that Jacksonville held on to beat the Chiefs) so getting me off the couch to do anything on Sunday is a major challenge.
This was special. I’m a huge fan of the throwback Buccaneer uniforms as I attended training camp for the team every year from 1989-1994 when visiting my grandparents for the summer.
After missing the first four crap fests at home against Dallas, the Giants, Carolina including the ridiculous London debacle against New England, somehow there was an extra ticket for me against Green Bay.
Things didn’t look to good in the beginning as James Jones scored a 74 yard touchdown on the Packers second offensive play.
Surprisingly, the Bucs picked off Aaron Rodgers’ next pass setting up a six yard strike from rookie quarterback Josh Freeman to Derrick Ward.
Tampa Bay had tied it and the cannons were going off but hardly anyone in their orange shirts (a free gift to fans, probably for being $30 million under the cap) knew how to react.
Usually the score is never close, even four minutes into the game.
I genuinely expected the scoreboards to start playing the “Be Excited” scenes from Requiem for a Dream to get the crowd amped up.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u5f85WemfD8
Still if anyone thought the Buccaneers would take out Green Bay, they were more delusional than the mother from the movie.
For every punch Green Bay threw, the Bucs had a counter jab. Ryan Grant put the Pack up 14-7 then a blocked punt was returned 31 yards by Ronde Barber to tie it.
With Tampa trailing by seven before the half, the Buccaneers decided on third-and-one from the 21-yard line to kick a field goal instead of taking a shot at the end zone.
Apparently coach Raheem Morris was bugging out on the sideline with anything he could get his hands on.
I was booing as the snap went off, it went in and Tampa trailed 21-17 at the half.
“Juice by Tampa, Juice by Tampa,” everyone was yelling. Or at least I was.
Rodgers seemed to put the game away with a 12-yard run as he juked one defender so bad, I was genuinely embarrassed.
Tampa ended consecutive drives by being stopped on third down with less than two yards. On both occasions, instead of trying to run the ball, they used play action as Freeman threw two in-completions.
It was looking like the orange jerseys were a jinx, like the red dress from Requiem.
Kellen Winslow soldiered up in the creamsicle jersey against Green Bay.
Winslow scored his fifth touchdown of the season and Sammie Stroughter’s score from 7 yards out gave the team its first lead practically of the season.
Green Bay was stunned. Trailing by three points, Rodgers was dropped for a huge loss then his third interception of the afternoon was returned 35 yards by Tanard Jackson to seal the victory.
So Tampa Bay is off the schnide and Raheem Morris has his first head coaching victory.
Be Excited! Be Be Excited!
What we really learned today is the power of the jheri curl as Freeman looked really impressive out on the field. The No. 17 pick in the 2009 draft had three touchdowns and 205 yards in his first career start.
Rookie quarterback Josh Freeman and his amazing haircut led the Bucs to their first victory on Sunday.
For the first time in 12 years the Bucs rocked their orange jerseys, maybe it’s their red dress. All I know is for the first time in 11 games, Bucs fans only have five words to say.
Be Excited! Be Be Excited!
