Saints march to 4-1, drop Bucs to 0-4

I've got a soft spot for the Saints, firstly because they trod the path of the unloved, pre-free-agency expansion team. Secondly because of the struggles in rebuilding from Hurricane Katrina.

So, I can offer sincere congratulations to the Saints and their fans.

Now, on the important subject: the Bucs.

Gradkowski had a nice game, throwing for over 200 yards and 2 TDs. The noticeable errors were small, aside from the fumble that resulted in an early Saints touchdown.

Despite having problems in the two biggest key areas of a football team--quarterback and offensive line--the Bucs played well enough to beat another tough team. If not for Reggie Bush's punt-return for a touchdown ... if not for a big penalty against Joey Galloway for pass interference ...
But it's not Woulda-Coulda-Shoulda-Land for the sake of saying the Bucs should have won, it's to point out the problem that has dogged this team in every game. In each game, the team has played solidly, and in each game the outcome has been determined by the big plays in the game.
Unfortunately, that equation has left the Bucs on the short end each time.

It was great to see Cadillac Williams have a solid game. Once Davin Joseph takes over for Sean Mahan, this team should be pretty solid running the football.
Gradkowski has shown early signs that he has the athletic ability and the moxie to do something in this offense.

Today was a big step away from playoff contention, but it showed some great signs for the Buccaneer offense.

If only I could find the silver lining in the play of the defense.
The defense is just playing okay. Okay enough to perhaps claw their way into the top 10 in the league again, but the thing that's missing from this year's defense is the big play. Yes, they came up with some two weeks ago against Carolina, but it needs to be a week-in, week-out thing in order for the Bucs to contend in the NFC South.

If it's a problem right now, it's likely to be a bigger problem next year. Every year is another year older, and it remains uncertain who will fill shoes like Brooks', Barber's, and Rice's.