No one really knew what to make of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the 2009 NFL season. Would they continue to improve on their winning season or would they head in the opposite direction?
This was a strong team that made the playoffs in 2007, but one that faltered a bit in 2008, slipping in terms of both offense and defense.
With the loss of Joey Galloway, the offense looked as if it was in a position to suffer, but some nice additions in the offense department (Byron Leftwich at quarterback, Derrick Ward at running back from the Giants, and Kellen Winslow at tight end from the Browns) put the Bucs in a position to build on their offensive struggles from the 2008 season.
The defense didn’t change much. They’re one of the worst units in the league and they should have spent a bit more on balancing out the squad, not just improving the offense.
RB Cadillac Williams was a rising star in the NFL a few seasons ago. In 05′ Williams ran for over 1,100 yards in– games but injuries have put his progression as a RB on hold. 07′ – 08′ Williams only played in 10 games, scored 7 touchdowns and rushed for 441 yards.
Things didn’t exactly work out this way for the Bucs. The Cowboys jumped out to an early lead and never really looked back, taking the game by a score of 34-21.
QB Josh Johnson has been named the started of the Bucs – while it’s too early to say what he is made of – if the Bucs were confident in his abilities he would have been named the starter over Leftwich to begin with.
The Bucs defense is one of the worst in the league – if not THE worst – the Bucs have given up more the 30 points more times then many teams give up the entire season. It will be a long season for the Bucs in 09′.
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