FanHouse Barrett Ruud

Training camps have wrapped up, the NFL season is right around the corner, and it's still hot as sin outside. But instead of cooling you off with a warm island song, FanHouse break out ye old heat check for our 2009 NFL Season Previews. We'll rate each club in 5 categories on a scale of 1 to 10, high score wins.



I think we've found our slogan (and theme song!) for the 2009 Tampa Bay Buccaneers. After a disappointing end to the 2008 regular season, including a somewhat embarrassing 31-24 loss to the Oakland Raiders -- at home -- to close out the campaign and fall short of the playoffs, the Buccaneers cleaned house this offseason. Enter a new head coach, new defensive coordinator, two new offensive coordinators, new quarterback, a number of veterans cut loose, and a couple of big additions through free agency and trade. A lot of moves, but will they be enough to get Tampa Bay back into the postseason?

If you look hard enough, every team around the NFL has a player on its roster that should have received an invite to the Pro Bowl. The St. Louis Rams, for example, are livid that their punter isn't going. Some guys, like Atlanta's John Abraham, simply brush it off as no big deal, while others, like Tampa Bay's Barrett Ruud talk about how they got the shaft.

Ruud, a fourth-year middle linebacker out of Nebraska, is currently leading the Buccaneers with 117 tackles, while also registering three sacks, six pass defenses and two interceptions for playoff-hopeful Tampa Bay. He's obviously having a great season, though, not great enough to receive an invite to Hawaii. Predictably, he's not exactly thrilled with decision.

From Rick Stroud and Stephen F. Holder of the St. Petersburg Times:

"I got the shaft," Ruud said. "Somebody's got to get it, though." "The old saying is usually you go a couple years after you're supposed to and you stay a couple years longer. I'm not going to throw a tantrum or anything. I would've liked to have gone. Everybody wants to have that tag as a Pro Bowler, but unfortunately it didn't happen. All I can do is keep playing to get into the playoffs now."

Quick, name the team with the best run defense in the NFL right now. Baltimore? Pittsburgh? Minnesota? Perhaps. But how about the Tampa Bay Buccaneers? Not only are the Buccaneers the only first place team in the league nobody seems to be talking about, they also may have the best run defense in the league through the first six weeks. If nothing else, they should be in the discussion.

Based on the traditional stats, the Buccaneers are currently the only team in the NFL to not allow a rushing touchdown, while also not surrendering a 100-yard rusher. Opponents are averaging 3.4 yards per carry (fourth best in the league), while they held Carolina's Jonathan Stewart and DeAngelo Williams to 39 yards on 17 combined carries during Sunday's 27-3 thrashing.

If the traditional numbers don't do it for you, the metrics from the good folks over at Football Outsiders have the Buccaneers run defense as the No. 2 unit in the league behind only Baltimore. Bottom line, whatever measuring stick you prefer, the end result is the same. Now that they have their quarterback situation figured out -- for now -- the Buccaneers could be a dangerous team in the NFC.

Just trying to give a little bit of love to Barrett Ruud, Derrick Brooks and the gang down in Tampa Bay.