Bucs new head coach makes first MAJOR mistake

Well Raheem Morris, that didn't take long. For WHATEVER reason this new head coach with ZERO head coaching experience who hails from the defensive side of the ball has decided to dump his Pro-Bowl QB Jeff Garcia to go with journeyman Luke McCown or never played Josh Johnson or lush Brian Griese. WHAT? Really? You tell Garcia to kick rocks so you can go to battle with an AGING defense MINUS Monte Kiffin and a running game that is led by Cadallic Williams-oops he just got injured as I was typing that. He apparently woke up! Well at least you have a rock at QB....wait. You DON'T anymore! If you thought Antonio Bryant was a pain in the butt with a Pro Bowl QB throwing to him, just wait until Brian Griese has the beer sh!ts in the huddle and Luke McCown sucks and Josh Johnson gets that deer in the headlights look. Yeah.

Oh, and I wonder how a hungover Griese will be when the Preditor is running after him next season? Who will rally the team to try and go point-for-point with New Orleans? When Carolina is grinding away yard after yard against your defense and you have to run a two minute offense, who is going to do it? Josh Johnson? Luke McCown? I don't like those odds.

Honestly, why would this young coach get rid of Garcia? Why would ANYONE want to get rid of Garcia? The Lions were at least winning games with Garcia. Garcia took the 49ers to the playoffs. Same with Philly in his one year there. He took the Bucs to the playoffs in his first and came dadgum close in his second season. (He isn't to blame for the Oakland loss. Come on!)

If this REALLY IS the end for Garcia and the Bucs, I know ATL fans will be happy (assuming he doesn't go to Carolina). The Bucs just became two easy wins on that schedule. In fact, I wouldn't be shocked to see Tampa fall to 5-11 or 6-10 next year(sorry Bruce).

And Garcia should probably thank his lucky stars. He is the type of guy that can come in next season and take a borderline team and put them into the second round of the playoffs. yeah, not the first, the SECOND round. From there, tell the rest of your team to step up and help him out.

If I was the GM of the Jets, I'd give Garcia a call. Assuming Favre IS retired, imagine Garcia coming in and going to Coles and handing off to Jones, behind that bigtime line. The Jets WILL be in the playoffs with Garcia at the helm.
Of course, Brett might come back or Kurt Warner might sign with the Jets.

If Warner signs with NYJ, then if I'm Ken Whisenhunt, I call up Garcia and ask him if he'd like to come play with Fitz and Q and Breston. The DEFENDING NFC Champs would be hard to pass up, especially with Fitz there.

Or go to KC with Todd Haley and throw to Bowe, Bradley, and Gonzo. Heck, if Garcia is in the fold, maybe the Chiefs take Michael Crabtree with the #3. Behind a pretty strong line (Albert or maybe the Chiefs take Andre Smith/Eugene Monroe instead of Crabtree), with an improving Defense, in the Chiefs crap division (Chargers are getting old, Broncos have a rookie coach, Raiders suck) could sneak into the playoffs, especially with Garcia under center.

Or go to Washington. I am sorry, as a Redskins fan I can say this: the Jason Campbell experiment needs to come to a close. It is OVER! Campbell isn enh, but Garcia could and WOULD put them into the playoffs. Look what Todd freaking Collins did down the stretch in 2007-08. PUT THEM INTO THE PLAYOFFS. With Santana Moss, Randle-El, Cooley, Fred Davis, Malcolm Kelly, Devin Thomas, and CLINTON PORTIS at his disposal, Garcia would make at least 4 of those guys Pro Bowlers, along with himself all the way to the NFC championship game. If Garcia was on the team this past season, Portis doesn't melt down the way he did. Washington needs Garcia's presence in its lockerroom right now. A guy that the players can look to instead of Clinton Portis.

Or go to Minnesota. They even WENT to the Playoffs, yet TJax held them back. Imagine Garcia carving up the Detroit/Chicago/Green Bay defenses all the way to an 11-5 record in the regular season and perhaps a first round bye. AP running hard and setting up the playaction for Garcia, along with the NEW Purple People Eater dline that Minny boasts....The winter wouldn't be as cold with a Super Bowl appearance for Vikings fans.

or go to Carolina. You know the division and you'll have Steve Smith AND a strong running game. No way Garcia turns it over 7 times against the Cardinals in the playoffs. Julius Peppers leaves, but Garcia and the rest of the offense win games in a shootout fashion. The run is OVER for Jake the Cajun snake; plug in Garcia and the Panthers are dangerous again.

Otherwise I'd say that Jax and Houston should at least look into seeing if he wanted to come in on a one-year deal to compete with the high priced QB's that have ALREADY gone stale (David Gerrard and Schaub, but both have MAJOR contracts that were just recently signed within the last two seasons.)

Bottom line, I think Tampa is crazy to cut ties with this guy. Get ready for a LOT of losses and I feel bad for Derrick Brooks, who will likely end his illustrious career in rebuilding mode with McCown and Johnson as his QB. I've interviewed Brooks; he is a good guy and deserved one last run. maybe that's what last year was. Oh well. I think Garcia still has two good seasons in him though, maybe two more "effective" ones after that.