Richard Lowe speaks out Firstly, I'd like to add my well wishes to the ever growing list to Chris Simms and the sheer determination he showed last Sunday. A testament to us all. Secondly, T.O watch - OD'd? Nah, purely increasing the media spectacle for the Cowboys v. Iggles game... Thirdly, Da Bears of 06. They are the real deal, and have an excellent back up QB if they need him. We sure as hell do... Finally, me - I'm Richard Lowe, been a member of the Bucs UK for two years now, and live in the delights of North West Wales... Since I started following the Buccaneers, indeed the NFL itself at the tail-end of the 2004 season, I've had what amounts to probably a satisfying yet eventful introduction into the life of the Pewter Pirates: They were 11-5 in my first full season, and provided enough excitement that made me realise that the Bucs really were my team. Fast forwards 12 months and we're in a hole. A hole that resembles a big, fat, lonely (although there are several teams in the same, dented, but not sinking ship, and the Raiders are worse off. They ARE the Raiders after all. And have Aaron Brooks riding high atop their depth chart...) zero. 0-3. Bottom of the South, without our starting QB, our star RB appears to be in a slump, our WR can't get the ball, and opposing O-Lines are enjoying playing Guard in the NBA. It looks like the only things we can look forward to are that of a high draft pick, and training Gradkowski to be our starting QB next year after releasing Chris Simms. Are things really that bad? Are we deserving of the '0' tag that associates us with the Raiders? Yes, we're 0-3. We could end the season with a 13-3 record. It probably won't happen, but the chance is there. Our starting QB is out, probably for the season, and beyond - along with Tim "13-Unlucky for some" Rattay - let's get real here, if a rookie QB can pick up the offense quicker than someone who has had almost a year to learn it, then Rattay has no future here. The Cadillac slump - there isn't one. He's not getting the ball as often as we're been chasing games, and the Twits game showed that if he gets the ball, if the O-Line play as they should, he can produce. The WR problem falls in with the NBA Guards vs. Chris Simms. If the ball had cleared them, our receivers would get the ball more. Which means we'd have the ball more. Which would mean we probably wouldn't be 0-3. Similarly, if Chris wasn't busy getting ruptured spleens and dragged to the floor on every play, we'd have a real number - not a hole. A hole is what we're in now and need Bucco Bruce II to drag us kicking and screaming out of. We are a good football team, we do have good players, we've had the bye when it was needed. This Sunday we're going back to Louisiana - it's time to go out there and play like we can. Like we were expected to. The defence started to get into gear against the Twits, this time we need to move full speed ahead. Everyone, bar Simms, looks like being back. No more excuses. Good football teams do not have losing seasons, neither do I want us to be associated with the dirty Raiders past Sunday. Our season starts now. Richard Lowe October 2006