Raheem Morris Close To Being Fired, Future In Tampa Bay Unclear

by Jamie DeVriend

I can't even believe Raheem said all this. From the St. Petersburg Times, when he was asked on Tuesday why general manager Mark Dominik was seen wearing a headset in the press box during Saturday night's Bucs-Cowboys game:

"But he also handles penalties for me. When we have possible challenges and things of that nature, he goes up, he's able to look at them. Usually, I'm dog-cussing him. 'What does it look like.' And he's like, "Hold, hold, hold' and usually gives me great information whether we want to challenge it. Even if it's a play we know we may not get back, it's just too important of a play, whatever the deal is. Just like the big Regis Benn touchdown against the Indianapolis Colts. Way too big of a play not to challenge it. Too close. Could have inconclusive evidence. "Just try it, Rah.' Boom, let's do it. All those things we do together.''

That was in addition to saying that Dominik helps him with injuries on the opposing team. Raheem Morris is an NFL head coach, and instead of delegating certain tasks to assistants so he can be freed up for the really important things, his boss is still helping him do his job after three years. Are you kidding me??? 

I have no idea what motivated Raheem to answer that question honestly. Even a lie would have been better, something like "he's just listening in for his own information." Either Raheem makes himself look like an idiot who can't manage the game on his own, or he's trying to throw Dominik under the bus. Both of which would be absolutely insane.

Oh, but there's more. Then someone asked him if he knows of other general managers who wear headsets.

"I don't think so,' Morris said. "(Falcons' GM) Thomas Dimitroff wears one and a lot of the guys I see wear the headsets. I think I saw Jerry Jones with a headset on. I think people involved in football that have football minds, they're all in there. He has a headset up there and he's able to talk to me about those sort of things. He's part of our booth protocol, so to speak. I know Bruce Allen wore one.''

First, let's take a minute to admire the phrase "people involved in football that have football minds." That's remarkable. Second, when does Raheem have time to scout the other team's coaching box to figure out who's wearing a headset and who isn't? And third, Jerry Jones sits in the owner's box, not the coaching box. He's on camera at least 10 times a week during Cowboys games and he's never, ever wearing a headset. (I would have loved to see what happened if Jerry started second-guessing Bill Parcells in his headset when he was coaching in Dallas.)

Just unbelievable. This makes Jim Mora, Jr. and his phone-a-friend lifeline during a Bucs-Falcons overtime game back in 2005 pale in comparison. All you can do is laugh... right?

by Evan Dunlap

Rumors that the Tampa Bay Buccaneers almost fired coach Raheem Morris following their 41-14 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars began circulating Wednesday night, continuing a string of bad news for the three-year coaching veteran. An anonymous Buccaneer criticized Morris for his lack of leadership in a Tuesday report from Yahoo1 Sports, and fans of the team are beginning to question his credentials. Tampa Bay has lost seven straight games to fall to 4-9, and into a tie with the Carolina Panthers for last place in the NFC South.

But defensive tackle Gerald McCoy stood up for his coach. Thursday afternoon, McCoy sent the following Twitter message to his 22,000-plus followers:

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