Dissecting some of Bucs' coaching candidates ...

Mike Sherman
The leading candidate in the Bucs' head coaching search, he interviewed with the front office last week. As former head coach of the Green Bay Packers during the height of the Bucs- Packers NFC Central rivalry, Sherman is best known for leading Brett Favre and a prolific offense, along with an infamous altercation with Warren Sapp.

In 2001, his role with the Packers expanded to general manager, making him the only candidate in the Bucs’ head coaching search with front-office experience. In his next coaching stint, he made vast improvements with the Houston Texans' offense, including a win over Tampa Bay. The Texans finished 8-8, their best record in Houston's short franchise history.

His offenses are primarily West Coast, stemming from his background working with Mike Holmgren, a disciple of Bill Walsh who also gave Jon Gruden his first NFL coaching gig. If Sherman wanted to employ more West Coast packages, which include a heavy dose of screens, it would require some changes for Josh Freeman and his receivers, but could also mask the fact that they do not have a true deep threat who can win a foot race against the elite cornerbacks of the league.

The Bucs are scheduled to interview former Vikings head coach Brad Childress possibly as offensive coordinator. Considering Childress worked with Andy Reid, also a Holmgren disciple, in Philadelphia (and gave Bucs headaches for years), the two share the same offensive philosophies, and could be a strong indicator that Bucs have found their guy.

Pros: Known for being a strong disciplinarian with a dry personality, he's the exact opposite of the effervescent Raheem Morris. His GM experience is a plus, as long as he doesn't clash with Mark Dominik when it comes to evaluating talent. Can likely assemble strong coaching staff with more than 30 years coaching at both the pro and collegiate level. Went 57-39 in six seasons as Packers head coach and three consecutive NFC North titles. In other words, he's proven he can win as a head coach.

Cons: He could not match NFL success at the college level, finishing 25-25 at Texas A&M and ultimately being fired after just one winning season. Known for strange motivational tactics, including a 2010 incident where he set the Aggies' Missouri game plan on fire in a trash bin. His players responded by winning six straight games. Could be heavy turnover of players as Sherman has zero tolerance for garbage.

Verdict: Proven winner, but may struggle to relate to young Bucs' players.

Mike Mularkey
Mularkey is a solid candidate with a lot of upside, including the ability to develop and refine a quarterback, as he did with both Tommy Maddox in Pittsburgh and Matt Ryan in Atlanta.

Mularkey has been with Ryan as offensive coordinator since day one. Since the beginning of Mike Smith's tenure (also when Mularkey arrived), they took Bobby Petrino's 4-12 disaster and churned it into a playoff contender. And considering Smith’s a defensive-minded coach, this offense has Mularkey’s fingerprints all over it.

Pros: Gets the most out of his quarterbacks, which you can see with consistent year-over-year progression of Ryan, who now does a lot of his own play-calling and operates out of a no-huddle with ease. If Glazers insist that developing Josh Freeman is the No. 1 priority, this would be a plus, although getting Freeman up to speed will be the work of an offensive coordinator and a quarterbacks coach.

Strength is personnel management and creating special packages highlighting the strengths of his weapons, which coined him the nickname "Inspector Gadget" up in Pittsburgh. Considering Greg Olson’s play-calling did nothing to highlight the skill sets of the Bucs' young receivers, Mularkey could be huge asset, but how much play-calling would he actually do as head coach?

Cons: His head coaching gig in Buffalo lasted two seasons, although his team posted a 9- 7 record during his first year. He resigned due to philosophical differences with ownership, particularly because they couldn't settle on a quarterback. This could also be an indicator that he's a better coordinator than head coach.

The Chicago Tribune is reporting that if Mularkey were to get a head coaching gig, he'd bring Colts’ offensive coordinator Clyde Christensen with him. While Christensen got himself a Super Bowl ring under Tony Dungy in Indianapolis, Christensen’s play-calling wasn't viewed favorably during his lone season in Tampa.

Verdict: Insight into NFC South is a plus, but if he’s dead-set on bringing Christensen, it could be a deal-breaker.

Wade Phillips
Fresh off the Texans’ first ever playoff win, Wade Phillips emerged as a potential candidate Sunday. The Bucs have been granted permission by the Texans to speak to Phillips about Tampa Bay’s head coaching vacancy. The Houston Chronicle reports Phillips could interview Friday.

Just last season, he was let go by the Dallas Cowboys but landed on his feet in Houston, taking the Texans' defense from 30th in the league in 2010 to 2nd in 2011. He says he would love another opportunity to be a head coach. The only problem -- the Texans operate out of a modified 3-4 defensive front.

Before we get ahead of ourselves -- Phillips' version of a 3-4 becomes a 4-3 on passing situations. Would he be adamant about using one in Tampa? If so, that negates two draft classes featuring first- and second-round picks, and one massive headache for middle linebacker Mason Foster. Not to mention Phillips' defense calls for the outside linebackers to be the strongest tacklers on the team, not the interior as we've seen in Tampa.

Pros: Can't argue with the result Phillips has produced, including an 82-59 record, leading the Cowboys to the playoffs, and most recently with Houston's playoff win. Coming off the Bucs' worst season, defensively, in franchise history, having a defensive engineer at the helm could shift team priorities.

Cons: Scheme doesn't suit current crop of Buccaneers that have been deemed the "future of the franchise." Had to take a temporary leave of absence from defensive coordinator duties following gallbladder surgery. There's no denying he’s a warrior for working through his recovery, but coaching is stressful. Is this a red flag?

What's also a bit puzzling is that just one year ago, Phillips said he'd probably never be a head coach again. What changed? And you can't forget the late-season collapses that have plagued the Dallas Cowboys. Why has this coach struggled to motivate his players? Isn’t that the very reason Raheem Morris and his staff were canned?

Verdict: Nothing against Phillips or the great defenses he’s produced ... but this has "bust" written all over it. Nothing about his defensive schemes would work with current Bucs' personnel who are under contract.

For Buccaneers news on Twitter, follow @Buccaneers_Live and follow me on Twitter @JennaLaineBucs.

-- JENNA LAINE
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In a season gone disgustingly awry at 4-12, the final blow was a 45-24 obliteration by the Atlanta Falcons. Even Leeman Bennett couldn't have conjured up something so agonizingly awful. In fact, his teams played better than this --better than the 30 points per game surrendered by the Buccaneer defense, the most in team history.

Raheem Morris should have sent Ronde Barber home so he wouldn't have to watch. Instead it was Raheem Morris who was sent home, on the one-year anniversary of the day his Bucs' achieved their improbable "Race to Ten" finish.

A complete house-cleaning was in order, although general manager Mark Dominik's job was spared. But things shouldn't stop there. A complete gut check is needed by the entire organization, starting with ownership and moving down to the players.

Regardless of who was leading practices or calling plays, never should this type of play be accepted ... never ever again.

I challenge you to find anything remotely positive in a season where directionless receivers came crashing into one another, and linebackers dangled at the heels of unimpeded running backs who effortlessly trotted into the end zone, time and time again.

A defense once regarded as one of the most physical in the NFL repeatedly shot the wrong gaps and whiffed on every tackle. And arm tackling ... Arm Tackling!

The organization insisted upon running a man-to-man nickel defense without a solid trio of corners, and a rookie middle linebacker who had no business being on the field on third down, let alone starting, at least not without the tutelage of a veteran.

Instead they let Barrett Ruud walk, although if you knew half the saga, you wouldn't blame Ruud for moving on. All he wanted was to be wanted. The former captain of the defense was not shown respect by his peers.

So the front office gave Quincy Black a mega-contract and expected him to lead, yet he was absent on the field throughout the season. Black did little to help his younger teammates, including Dekoda Watson, who should have and probably will beat him out as the true edge-rusher next season.

I challenge you to find an offense filled with such promise last season, yet repeatedly tried to fit square pegs into round holes this year. Mike Williams is not a No. 1 receiver. Kregg Lumpkin is not a third down back.

The team's top receivers both split time at the "Z" position, while nobody who lined up in the slot could get open. The exception to all this was Preston Parker, although he's not quite ready to handle a heavy workload, which was seen when he tried to handle both receiver and returner duties. He faded toward the end of the season.

I challenge you to find a team filled with more excuses, including "we struggled to make plays because our opponents played cover-two zone," "they stacked the box against LeGarrette Blount" or "we have no answers for teams who continue to pound our D-line's interior."

By season's end, the team appeared to be completely numb to the pain of losing, entirely apathetic to this level of unforeseen sloppiness, chaos, and clutter, which was suddenly the norm.

Perhaps it was because the locker room was filled with "double standards," as I was told. Certain guys were given preferential treatment. They arrived late to meetings, and weren't held accountable, even when “loafing." That's when players started losing respect for one another and the coaching staff.

The greatest thing that could possibly happen to this organization -- a total gut check, and now is the time for it -- when emotions are raw and wounds are fresh. But how can they stop the bleeding?

First, attitudes need to change dramatically. The Bucs need to hire a head coach who will provide structure and discipline, with zero tolerance for guys who try to bend the rules. In other words, someone who lays down the law, and as one player puts it, can be "the meanest coach possible." A coach's job is to push, and push, and push, not to be a friend. Perhaps that's where Raheem and his staff went wrong -- his greatest asset contributed to his demise.

Slackers need to be shown the exit sign. Keep the Davin Joseph's and even Elbert Mack's around because they fight to the finish, regardless of being down by 42 points in the first half. They need to get rid of guys who can't handle a lick of adversity, or who jeopardize their team with selfish mistakes. You cannot build a winning culture in a toxic environment.

Those types of players are not cut out to be Buccaneers anyway. Their lack of respect is a complete slap in the face to fellow teammates, and to guys like Jimmie Giles, Richard Batman Wood, Scot Brantley and the late Lee Roy Selmon -- guys who were part of losing teams but played with pride.

That's what this is really about -- taking pride in what you do. We didn’t see it this year. Meeting rooms need to be filled with veterans who can show these young players what it means to prepare at this level, and not guys who are simply chosen to lead but won’t embrace their roles.

Lastly, ownership and the front office need to hold themselves accountable for the mistakes they made as well. We heard some conciliatory remarks from Joel Glazer and Mark Dominik, but they need to put action behind their words. They need to invest in quality coaching and talent, while weeding out the garbage.

For Buccaneers news on Twitter, follow @Buccaneers_Live and follow me on Twitter @JennaLaineBucs.

-- JENNA LAINE
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The losses continue to mount for Buccaneers head coach Raheem Morris, whose team dropped to 4-9 after dropping a 41-14 blowout to Jacksonville.

Yes, JACKSONVILLE. The very team that fired its own head coach, Jack Del Rio, and looked to be on the verge of implosion before a national audience on Monday Night Football.

Does that mean Morris, who now drops to 17-28 in his three-year tenure, is next? For a team whose players said they were "playing for their head coach," this couldn't have been any worse, especially against a team who had no foundation to stand on and nothing but pride on the line.

The Bucs' offense did what it could not do all season long -- score on the opening possession of the game. In fact the Bucs jumped out to a 14-0 lead. But then, things fell apart quickly in the second quarter.

First, a muffed punt return by Preston Parker at the Tampa Bay 20, which was recovered by Colin Cloherty for an 8-yard touchdown.

Next, rookie quarterback Blaine Gabbert hit Marcedes Lewis for a 62-yard deep pass to set up a game-tying touchdown by Maurice Jones-Drew.

With 2:00 remaining in the first half, Bucs' quarterback Josh Freeman was sacked at the 1-yard line, with the ball knocked loose, and Nate Collins recovered it for a touchdown.

Then, on third-and-4, Ashton Youboty, who was cut by Tampa Bay earlier this season, picked off Freeman to set up Jacksonville’s fourth touchdown.

The Bucs turned the ball over a total of seven times against the Jaguars, with Jacksonville scoring on three of those possessions, each time cutting a little bit deeper.

"When you're a team like us, if you want a chance to win games you can’t afford to turn the ball over,” said Freeman, who completed 16 of 30 passes for 181 yards and a rushing touchdown. "It was disgusting and it really has no place in our game if we want to win."

Rookie Adrian Clayborn notched sack number 6.5. Mason Foster got his first NFL pick. Ronde Barber added yet another pick to what is shaping up to be a Hall of Fame resume.

But nothing softens the blow of a team's star running back relinquishing the football while the opponent's premier back eclipses a franchise record for scoring.

Nothing hurts more than seeing a franchise quarterback, known for his immense composure, lose it on the field and curse out of frustration.

The Bucs had a game plan centered around stopping Jones-Drew but allowed a rookie quarterback to chew them up and spit them out.

Tell me, what is more gut-wrenching than seeing safeties and linebackers clinging to the ankles of no-name receivers?

And this was after Morris and offensive coordinator Greg Olson vowed to simplify the game plan so players could focus on playing fundamentally sound ball. What's next?

According to Morris, even more basic football, including ball security. "We cut back last week, let’s go even further back,” he said. “Let’s go back to training camp mentality."

But even Morris doesn't know what the future holds. His job could very well be up tomorrow, and the players recognize the feelings of uncertainty, not just for their head coach, but for themselves.

"It is kind of hard to look into the future right now," said defensive tackle Roy Miller. “There is no telling what can happen. It is a horrible feeling; I have never felt this bad after a game."

For Buccaneers news on Twitter, follow @Buccaneers_Live and follow me on Twitter @JennaLaineBucs for coverage that includes game-day reports from Raymond James Stadium.

-- JENNA LAINE
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Despite increasing pressure from the media on head coach Raheem Morris, the Bucs looker room still has his full support, according to veteran players who feel they need to be doing more.

"All week, we believe and trust in what [Raheem] tells us and it works in practice," said defensive tackle Roy Miller. “We can't be 'practice all-stars.' We’ve got to bring it to the game."

Miller also dismissed the idea that any member of the coaching staff is to blame for the team’s struggles. "They (the coaches) study everything about these teams," he said. "They know what it will take to get in position to make a play. If we don’t make it, it's on us."

Linebacker Adam Hayward, who has been shuffled in and out of the starting lineup in an effort to solve breakdowns on defense, agrees that it boils down to execution from the players.

"If we’re not tackling, that's not Rah's fault,” said Hayward. "We're the ones that aren't tackling, or we’re missing, or we’re not getting our blocks, or whatever the case may be. Rah has nothing to do with that. He’s not the one on the field. None of the coaches are."

When asked about fans voicing their displeasure of Morris, Hayward responded, "Fans can stay fans, but we’re the ones that actually play, and we're the ones that are going to fix the problem. We know what Rah’s capable of and we play for him, and we like where he is as a head coach. We’ve just got to start playing better."

D-Line Struggling With Gap Integrity
When former Buccaneer and Jets defensive end Steve White made appearances on 1010 CBS and ESPN 1040 last week, he stated, "I've never seen a defensive line so disinterested with staying in their gaps."

White also stated that new defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth is a big-time culprit, although acknowledged that Haynesworth played a better game against the Panthers.

White has a valid point when you consider how easily running backs like Chris Johnson and Jonathan Stewart have been able to pound the line.

Miller explained the delicate balance between a lineman fighting to stay in his gap and making a play.

"You've got to be fundamentally sound. You've got to know your assignment, and you’ve got to stay in there,” Miller said after the Bucs' loss to Carolina. "With this defense, if one guy gets out of position, things can get ugly. Beyond that, all of us should be fighting hard to win our gap and help somebody else. Not a lot of that is going on and we’ve got to pick it up."

Keeping It 'In the Family'
With four games left to play, all must-wins if they hope to finish at .500, Bucs players are relying on the support of each other and former Bucs players to make it through the next few weeks.

"We're a family. We’re all brothers around here so we always try to keep each other up,” said receiver Dezmon Briscoe, whose touchdown Sunday was one of the lone bright spots for the offense. "I think that’s what’s going to get us through these [upcoming] weeks. If we stay together collectively as a team, it’ll help us through adversity."

Linebacker Geno Hayes continues to lean on the support and guidance of former Bucs linebackers Derrick Brooks and Richard Batman Wood, who both encountered their share of tough times before leading their teams to championships.

"One of the things that Batman Wood keeps telling me is, 'Man, just fight. Keep fighting. Linebackers are the guys who have to carry the banner,'" said Hayes. "It has to start somewhere. We’ve got to find a way to get it started."

Whether it’s Wood, Brooks, or even his current teammate Ronde Barber, Hayes says he’s fortunate to have their guidance: "I can call any one of those guys any time of the day, to get every ‘little knick and knack’ that I can to help me and to help this team.”

For Buccaneers news on Twitter, follow @Buccaneers_Live and follow me on Twitter @JennaLaineBucs for coverage that includes game-day reports from Raymond James Stadium.

-- JENNA LAINE
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The Buccaneers, dressed in throwback creamsicle attire, set out to stop a five[game losing skid Sunday, but instead replicated a "Yuccaneerish" performance of years past, falling 38-19 to the Carolina Panthers.

Rookie quarterback Cam Newton was electrifying, completing 12 of 21 passes for 204 yards and four touchdowns, three of them with his feet. In fact, the first overall pick set a new single-season record for rushing touchdowns from a quarterback, passing Steve Grogan's mark of 12 set in 1976.

In the process, the Bucs' hopes of salvaging a season faded quickly -- just as fast as the Panthers were able to put two touchdowns on the board in the first 5:00 of the game.

Panthers running back Jonathan Stewart pounded his way through the Bucs' defensive line with 19- and 31-yard runs on Carolina's first possession. In the Panthers' second scoring drive, he punched in a 1-yard run.

"We try to get defenses to key on both of us," said Panthers veteran running back DeAngelo Williams on his teammate Stewart. He says the key to Carolina's success on offense was having multiple threats on the ground, plus Newton and dynamic receivers like Steve Smith.

Heading into Sunday's game, the Bucs ranked 30th in rushing defense, allowing 137.9 yards per game. The Panthers saw an opportunity and ran with it, literally, accruing 163 yards rushing.

They also capitalized on mistakes from the home team, including a Quincy Black holding call on third-and-goal at the Tampa Bay 1-yard line, setting up Carolina's second touchdown. Then at the end of the third quarter and into the fourth, two penalties allowed the Panthers to march 91 yards downfield.

"We had [Carolina] in some tough situations, [but] we just shot ourselves in the foot," said rookie defensive end Da'Quan Bowers, who made his second career start in place of injured Michael Bennett. "We had a lot of key penalties that kept drives alive and that is all the momentum that type of team needs."

Bowers, once a top-five draft prospect who many teams passed up because of a knee injury, had a huge day, finishing with seven tackles (eight of them combined), 1.5 sacks, five tackles for losses, two quarterback hurries and one broken-up pass.

Bowers' finest sequence came at the end of the first quarter, when he tackled Stewart for a 2-yard loss, then split a sack with fellow rookie defensive end Adrian Clayborn, followed by another sack on third-and-15, forcing Carolina’s first three-and-out of the day.

Safety Sean Jones, the team's leading tackler, marveled at his teammates’ play up front on that particular drive but says there needed to be more consistency throughout the game.

"I don't know how many tackles for losses we had today, but when we do it right, we do it right," said Jones, who led the team with nine tackles. "When we do it wrong, that’s when the running back has plenty of yards and will just run forever. We're going to keep fighting. We’re bleeding right now. We’ve got to find a way to stop the bleeding but we’re going to keep fighting.

Offensively, the Bucs looked anemic, particularly on the ground. In the absence of Bucs starting quarterback Josh Freeman, Carolinas defense keyed in on running back LeGarrette Blount, the Bucs’ 1,000-yard rusher last season.

Blount compiled just 19 yards on 11 carries, the second lowest mark of the season for the Bucs' leading rusher, who surpassed the 100-yard mark for two consecutive weeks leading up to Sunday’s game.

"We just played gaps out. We [said] '[Blount] can run the ball, he can bounce to any different side, so everyone control your own gaps, do your own job, and we'll let the rest take care of itself,’" said Panthers safety Charles Godfrey.

"That was our main goal coming into this,” said Carolina defensive end Charles Johnson. "We wanted to stop him. [Blount] is a good back, running behind that good offensive line, so that was our main thing.'

In the Bucs’ passing game, backup quarterback Josh Johnson saw several opportunities to score -- a breathtaking 38-yard pass to Arrelious Benn that drew a collective gasp from the crowd and a 42-yard bomb to Mike Williams -- but the offense faltered on third down and settled for field goals.

“The grade is simple -- it's not good enough," said Johnson after his first regular season start in two years. “As an offense, we are disappointed. We got in the red zone five or six times today, repeatedly, and we came away with field goals, field goals, field goals.We’ve seen this team’s offense on film. We watched them play previous opponents that we play and they’ve been scoring. Field goals weren’t going to get it."

Johnson completed 16 of 27 passes for 229 yards, a touchdown, an interception, and 45 yards rushing. The highlight of the day for Johnson and the Buccaneer offense was finally reaching the end zone -- a 23-yard touchdown pass to Dezmon Briscoe in the fourth quarter.

It was Briscoe's third touchdown of the season, but he says it’s no consolation prize for a loss. "A win is always over a touchdown in my book, so it’s still frustrating we couldn’t come out and win,” said the Bucs; second year receiver out of Kansas who splits time at the "Z" position with Benn.

Briscoe said the offense, who practiced with Josh Johnson all week long, didn't change the playbook at all for the team’s backup quarterback, known for lining up sporadically in wildcat formations and trick plays. “We approached it as if Josh Freeman was our starting quarterback. We had that much trust in him and I don’t think we blinked at all."

Defensive tackle Roy Miller, who came in after Brian Price was flagged for unnecessary roughness (punches included) and sent home by Raheem Morris (yes, sent home) acknowledged a rash of injuries has challenged the defensive line, but said there is no excuse for giving up big plays.

"There are 11 of us that are supposed to be the best that this team can pick. We’ve all got to find a way to make that play. There’s no excuse,” said Miller. “It’s depressing. You’ve got to shake it off. Like Rah says, you can't blink. You’ve got to keep moving, make some big changes, we’ve got to be able to adjust."

Jones agreed changes need to be made, starting with the way the team practices. "We've got to do something different in practice. I don't know what we need to do, but we need to do something because I know everybody out there in this locker room wants to compete and go out there and win. But it’s not happening right now."

For Buccaneers news on Twitter, follow @Buccaneers_Live and follow me on Twitter @JennaLaineBucs for coverage that includes game-day reports from Raymond James Stadium.

-- JENNA LAINE
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