Update: Jones-Drew scores 4 touchdowns in Jaguars win over Bucs

[Vin+ 3,121]

TIME: 01:00 P.M. EST

VENUE: EverBank Field

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have had plenty of trouble keeping opponents off the scoreboard this season and especially during their current six-game losing streak.

 

Their struggling defense, however, might finally catch a break with Sunday's matchup against the Jacksonville Jaguars.

 

Tampa Bay (4-8) has allowed 20 or more points in eight consecutive games and an average of 30.7 during its six-game skid. The Buccaneers let another struggling NFC South team, Carolina, post its highest point total of the season in a 38-19 loss last Sunday.

 

They allowed 24 points in the first half, including the first of Cam Newton's three touchdown runs, and scored their only TD with 6:35 remaining.

 

The effort left beleaguered coach Raheem Morris so frustrated that he used an expletive during a postgame press conference when asked why he removed a player from the field following a penalty. Morris apologized for that slip-up when he met the media again the next day.

 

"We've got to go out and play better. We've got to figure out a way to be smarter. We have to figure out a way to be more consistent," Morris said.

 

Tampa Bay, 30th in the league with 27.4 points allowed per game, may have a good chance to turn things around against Jacksonville (3-9).

 

The Jaguars have the lowest-rated offense in the league, averaging 254.7 total yards despite having NFL rushing leader Maurice Jones-Drew (1,137 yards). They rank 31st in scoring with 12.7 points a contest and have topped 17 only once, a 30-20 loss to Cincinnati on Oct. 9.

 

Jacksonville led late in the second quarter Monday night against San Diego, but its injury-plagued defense gave up two touchdowns in the final 1:26 of the first half and 28 unanswered points in a 38-14 defeat.

 

The Jaguars have 22 players on injured reserve, including four who had made at least two starts in the secondary. San Diego took advantage of those absences to compile 433 yards Monday, the second-most the Jaguars have given up this season.

 

It remains to be seen if Josh Freeman will get his chance to face that short-handed secondary as he's dealing with a right shoulder injury that kept him sidelined last Sunday. Josh Johnson completed 16 of 27 passes for 229 yards with one touchdown and one interception, falling to 0-5 as an NFL starter.

 

"I'm hoping (Freeman can return Sunday)," Morris said. "We've got to get him out there and let him move his arm around and see the pain tolerance. You don't want to hurt your quarterback any further. You want to be smart with him and see what he can do and how fast you can let him do it."

 

The Jaguars, meanwhile, are hoping to see some continued improvement from rookie quarterback Blaine Gabbert. The No. 10 overall pick has completed 54.8 percent of his passes over the past four games after connecting on 44.3 percent in his previous six.

 

Gabbert had two touchdown passes in a game for the first time in his career Monday and finished six yards shy of topping 200 for the third time.

 

"I'm not at all disappointed in where he's going and the progress he's making," interim coach Mel Tucker told the team's website. "He's showing the willingness to put the work in and I think he has tremendous support from his teammates. He needs to get better, and we need to get better around him."

 

This will be Tucker's second game in his audition for the permanent head coaching job after Jack Del Rio was fired.

 

The Jaguars have won the last three meetings with Tampa Bay after losing the first one but haven't faced their in-state foe since a 24-23 win in 2007.

 

Tampa Bay is mired in its longest skid since dropping 11 in a row bridging the 2008 and '09 seasons.

 

Copyright 2011 by STATS LLC and The Associated Press.

 

And so begins the winning of three of our next four games. I hope.

Edited December 11, 2011 by BLUE

[RazorStar 4,025]

Either the Jags are gonna score 20, or the Bucs D will give up 20.

 

Bank on the Bucs this week.

 

20

13

[Thanatos 2,847]

Jones-Drew is going to kill Tampa Bay. Too bad I have a bye this week in fantasy. However, the entirety of the Bucs team is slightly better than MJD by himself, so.

 

20

17

[AllYouNeedIsLovie 377]

Gonna be an awful game. Hopefully we can end our 6 game losing streak here. Haven't seen a win in about 2 months.

 

And yea, like Thanatos said, MJD is going to destroy us, so I wouldn't be surprised if the Jags win this one.

[KiLaSix9+ 398]

The battle of Florida's finest.

 

I don't have much expectations in this game. I'll be watching in hopes that I don't have to see my Bucs getting blown out this week.

[BigBen07 285]

Aside of MJD, the Jags offense is pathetic. I'm sure the Bucs can win this one.

 

26

17

[themush 13]

Considering not even watching this one....

[SteVo+ 3,702]

The St. Petersburg Times reports that Josh Freeman (questionable, shoulder) experienced a "minor setback" in Friday's practice and will be a full-blown game-time decision Sunday against Jacksonville.

Freeman was unable to finish practice after experiencing pain in his throwing shoulder. The Bucs' medical staff will determine his status during pre-game warmups. The Jaguars currently have Ashton Youboty and Kevin Rutland as their starting corners, so it's potentially a startable matchup for Josh Johnson in two-quarterback leagues if Freeman is ruled inactive. Johnson totaled 274 yards and a touchdown in last week's game against Carolina.

Source: St. Petersburg Times

[Favre4Ever+ 4,476]

I dunno.. I was counting on Jacksonville last week and all they did was piss me off. I really hate the Bucs... But Blaine Gabbert looks bad this year.

[Vin+ 3,121]

Josh Freeman is active for Sunday's game against the Jaguars and will start.

 

We'd be a bit concerned about Freeman's effectiveness and capability of lasting four quarters after his late-week shoulder setback. He'll be a dicey two-QB league play.

 

The Bucs' Week 14 inactives are CB Aqib Talib, QB Rudy Carpenter, WR Sammie Stroughter, S Larry Asante, DE Daniel Te'o-Nesheim, T Derek Hardman, and T James Lee. E.J. Biggers will start in Talib's place.

 

 

 

Jaguars declared RB Deji Karim, QB Dan LeFevour, WR Taylor Price, OL John Estes, DE Matt Roth, CB T.J. Heath, and FS Dwight Lowery inactive for Week 14 against the Buccaneers.

 

It's the second straight week Karim has been a healthy scratch. DuJuan Harris will be Maurice Jones-Drew's backup against the Bucs. Lowery's absence means the Jaguars will be without four of their top five defensive backs Sunday.

[RazorStar 4,025]

Bucs have two touchdowns already. Give Blount the rock a lot now that you're leading... please?

[RazorStar 4,025]

And the Bucs fuck it up. 28 unanswered points to the Jags, poor special teams and turnovers are killing them.

[themush 13]

Coach Rah better start doing his fucking job and get these boys heads up.

[KiLaSix9+ 398]

The o-line is terrible and Free is getting rocked. Now, he's lost faith in his line and receivers, thus is forcing passes, causing turnovers.

 

This team is sinking fast.

[AllYouNeedIsLovie 377]

Fire Morris and Olson. I've had enough of this crap. Letting the Jags put up 40 points in a fucking game? Are you kidding me? They hadn't scored more than 20 before today and they had 28 in the 2nd fucking quarter. Two weeks in a row we have been embarrassed by bad teams. This crap can't continue. Changes need to be made NOW.

[BLUE 1,026]

Per Rotoworld.com:

 

Maurice Jones-Drew rushed for 85 yards and two touchdowns on 27 carries, and caught six passes for 51 yards and two more scores as the Jaguars torched the Buccaneers 41-14 in Week 14.

The game actually appeared to be shaping up poorly for Jones-Drew after the Bucs jumped out to a 14-0 lead. Instead, Jones-Drew almost single-handedly willed the Jaguars back into the game, scoring twice in the second quarter and two more touchdowns in the fourth. Jones-Drew is quickly climbing the fantasy running back rankings and has a shot to finish as this year's No. 1 overall scorer at the position. The Jags visit Atlanta next. Dec 11 - 4:48 PM

[Shotgun 442]

I honestly like Raheem Morris as a coach and I will honestly be sad to see a good person like that be fired. I don't think he's in a good situation to succeed though. Being thrust into a head coaching position at 36 years old without even having coordinator experience on a team where the amount of experience on the coaching group as a whole is lacking is not a very good position to be in. This team needs people with a lot more experience. I've had enough with seeing teams break records and obtain their season highs on the Bucs. Changes definitely need to be made, not just with the coaches but with the players. The "loafers" need to be sent packing. For the last 6 games people have given up halfway through the games and that's completely unacceptable. For every guy we have on the field giving it their all there's someone giving up on plays. I gave up watching this game when I seen the LB's repeatedly give up on plays. Geno and Quincy need to go.

[Vin+ 3,121]

[Thanatos 2,847]

The Bucs really need to step up for me next week, the guy I will be playing has Romo, Austin, and Witten. I'm afraid I'm dead meat.

[Shotgun 442]

Yeah you're fucked buddy.

[AllYouNeedIsLovie 377]

The Bucs really need to step up for me next week, the guy I will be playing has Romo, Austin, and Witten. I'm afraid I'm dead meat.

 

You're screwed. We just let up 38+ points in consecutive weeks against 2 rookie QB's on teams with 4 wins. Cowboys are coming off a heartbreaking loss and are going to take it to us.

[Thanatos 2,847]

You're screwed. We just let up 38+ points in consecutive weeks against 2 rookie QB's on teams with 4 wins. Cowboys are coming off a heartbreaking loss and are going to take it to us.

 

I don't exactly have a horrible team. Kinda hard to go 11-2 with a horrible team. Just slow them down. I don't need a complete shut down, just keep one of the three from having a good game.

[KiLaSix9+ 398]

The battle of Florida's finest.

 

I don't have much expectations in this game. I'll be watching in hopes that I don't have to see my Bucs getting blown out this week.