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Bill on Bucs

Patriots coach Bill Belichick answered a lot of questions about the team’s opponent this Saturday, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, at his Wednesday press conference (10:45 a.m. ET)

He opened with the following statement:

“Well, I feel like we’re cramming for a final exam here. It’s a short week. Looked at a lot of film on Tampa the last couple days. It’s a team we’re not very familiar with at all. The last time we played them was five years ago and there have been a lot of changes since then, both in personnel and with Jon [Gruden] coming in there now [as head coach]. It’s a lot different.

“Tampa is playing very well. They’ve really kind of changed their style of play the last couple of weeks, but it’s been very successful for them; won four of the last five. They’re playing very well on the road. They’re a very strong running team, they can throw the ball, they can make big plays, they have a lot of good receivers, of course, headed by [Joey] Galloway. He’s certainly one of the best we’ve faced, one of the best in the league. He can do it all. Defensively, they’ve always been a real good defensive team, and that continues to be the case. They’re good against the run. They’re good against the pass. They turn the ball over. They’re good on third down. They’re good on first down. They’re pretty much good at everything, and that’s why they’re at the top of the league. They can rush the passer, they can cover, they can stop the run, they’re fast. They pursue well. And they’re strong in the kicking game. They had a little transition there in the kicking spot [Todd France out, Matt Bryant in], but that seems to have settled down. They lead the league in punting [Josh Bidwell], they have good returners, and a lot of good athletes. They’re a fast team, defensively, and that carries over into their special teams as well.

“I think Jon has done a real good job of turning around some of the … of course, he went down and had a lot of success a couple years ago, I understand that … but in the last couple of years [he’s turned around] some of the perceptions of what Tampa can and can’t do, and what they are and aren’t, and all that. They’ve gone on the road and they’ve won. They’ve gone up to Green Bay and won. They beat Carolina, who they hadn’t beaten in a long time. They’re doing a lot of things … there was a time when people said ‘This is what is Tampa.’ I’ve talked to Jon enough to know that the first thing he wants to do is take things like that and make them not true, break them down. He’s done that. He’s a very difficult coach to prepare for on the defensive side of the ball. They run probably every formation that you could run. I swear, I think Jon must -- when he comes in at 3 in the morning -- look at all the formations that he’s run in the last four or five weeks and start the list of ones he hasn’t, and then put those in the next game-plan. They line people up in a lot of different positions, a lot of different personnel groups, virtually every formation that you could possibly have, he runs. You’re going to get some version of that in the game, and you’re going to have to prepare for the ones he doesn’t run, because you’ve seen them in previous games. So he really stresses you in terms of your preparation and trying to get ready for them. At the same time, they’re a very good fundamental team; they run the ball well, they’re good on third down, they don’t turn it over much. They score enough to win.

“It’s a good football team. It will be a good test for us on Saturday. We have a lot of work to do in a short time.”

Belichick seemed to enjoy speaking about Jon Gruden, saying he seems to have a "legitimate detest for defense." Belichick also noted Gruden is the type of offensive coach who doesn't just stick the knife into a defense -- "he sticks the knife in and twists it, not only to make you uncomfortable, but to make you real uncomfortable."

EXTRA POINTS: Buccaneers coach Jon Gruden (11:15 a.m. ET) and quarterback Chris Simms (11:30 a.m. ET) are scheduled to hold conference calls with the New England media today … Quarterback Tom Brady is scheduled to meet with the press at 11:40 a.m. ET in front of his locker. … The tuck rule, and the Patriots’ win over the Raiders in the 2001 “Snow Bowl”, is still a sore subject with some former Raiders personnel now with Tampa Bay.

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Looking ahead, we'll plan on posting a practice/locker room update around 2 p.m. ET.

--Mike