A clip form Jim Rome's interview with Raheem Morris from this weeks Rome Is burning
Rome: Welcome back. Today my guest is the head coach of the Tampa Buccaneers Raheem Morris. Coach things haven’t been going as planned for you team so far this season. Your currently 1-3 and last in the NFC South. What’s been going wrong out there?
Morris: Well Jim, it has been a number of things. On offense, we have gotten off to slow start. We’ve been turning the ball over too much and our offensive line has been playing to its full ability. Defensively, there has definitely been some improvement from last year but were still giving up too many big plays.
Rome: Coach, you mentioned that turnovers have been a concern. Last week you turned the ball over 7 times, five of which were interceptions. You benched Freeman towards the end of the game and Tarvaris Jackson seemed to give the offense a spark. With Freeman leading the league in interceptions, is there the possibility of a quarterback controversy in Tampa?
Morris: No, not at all. This is Josh’s job without a doubt. The benching last week was more a matter of giving him some time to clear his head. He seemed overwhelmed by the amount of pressure he was facing and after the fifth interception it was clear he was trying to do too much.
Rome: Freeman has struggled most of this season and not looked anything like the guy he was last year. Is he doing something wrong or is this a matter of getting back into a rhythm with his receivers?
Morris: Well it’s like I mentioned earlier, our offensive line has not been playing up to its ability. I think that’s really thrown off our offense as a whole. I think once the protection improves you’ll see a drastic improvement in Josh’s play and the offense in general.
Rome: Let’s talk about some of the changes you have made. It was announced today that your benching right tackle Cornell Green, in favor of Xavier Green. Also cornerback Myron Lewis will be taking over as the starting corner opposite Aqib Talib with Ronde Barber becoming the nickel back. What’s the reasoning behind these moves, specifically the demotion of Ronde Barber?
Morris: Ronde has been a fantastic player for the Buccaneers franchise throughout his career. The coaching staff and I talked it over with him and were all looking to put him in the best position to succeed. For our upcoming match against the Saints, we believe that Barber is best used as the nickel back. I wouldn’t call it permanent move because if we feel putting Barber on the outside is what gives us the best chance to win, that’s what we’ll do. It’s more of a platoon than a demotion.
As for the offensive line, unfortunately Green was just not getting the job done at right tackle and we felt it was necessary to go in a different direction. We’ve also signed Shane Olivea and he’ll probably see some time depending on how quickly he picks up the offense.
Rome: Final question Coach and then I’ll let you go. You’re going out to New Orleans this Sunday to play the Saints. There 4-1 on the season and in first place. How big a game is this for your team?
Morris: A division game is always a big game. The Saints are a real good team and after missing the playoffs last season their real hungry. I’ve got confidence in my guys to go in there and get the job done. A win this week is the first step in getting this season back on track.
