Tim Rattay

Tampa Bay rookie receiver Sammie Stroughter will miss the remainder of the season after breaking his right foot during the Buccaneers' road victory over the Seattle Seahawks. The seventh-round draft pick was hurt during the second half of Sunday's 24-7 win. He was placed on injured reserve Monday.  

Tampa Bay's Raheem Morris is taking it upon himself to fix one of the NFL's worst defenses. The first-year coach added defensive playcalling to his duties Tuesday, demoting veteran defensive coordinator Jim Bates after a 38-7 loss to unbeaten NFC South rival New Orleans dropped the Bucs to 1-9.  

Tampa Bay Buccaneers cornerback Clifton Smith has sustained a concussion on the opening kickoff against Carolina and won't return. It marked Smith's second concussion against the Panthers this season. Dante Wesley hit him as he called for a fair catch on Oct. 18, earning Wesley a one-game suspension.  

Tampa Bay punter Dirk Johnson will miss the remainder of the season after being placed on injured reserve with a pulled hamstring. Reserve cornerback Torrie Cox also went on injured reserve Monday with a hip injury. Guard Arron Sears has been placed on the reserve/non-football illness list. The Buccaneers are filling Cox's roster spot by promoting cornerback Brandon Anderson from the practice...  

With three weeks remaining in a miserable season for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, rookie coach Raheem Morris says he's focused on finishing strong rather than what it'll take to save his job. The Bucs (1-12) lost for the 16th time in their past 17 games on Sunday, falling 26-3 to the New York Jets while being held to 124 yards of total offense.  

Tampa Bay rookie wide receiver Sammie Stroughter left Sunday's game against Seattle with a foot sprain, and safety Tanard Jackson joined him on the sideline later with a knee injury. Stroughter came up with two big plays in the third quarter as Tampa Bay took control against the Seahawks. He had a 33-yard punt return, then later had a 16-yard reception on third-and-10 that helped the Bucs take...  

Rookie coach Raheem Morris rejects the notion that a culture of losing has settled into Tampa Bay's locker room during a year-long stretch in which the Buccaneers have dropped 15 of 16 games. Going 0-4 last December cost the team a playoff berth and prompted the firing of former coach Jon Gruden.  

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have signed punter Sam Paulescu to replace injured Dirk Johnson. Johnson pulled a hamstring during last Sunday's loss at Atlanta and was placed on injured reserve. Paulescu was signed Tuesday. He was released by Washington on Nov. 14 after appearing in one game. He has played in 12 career games with the Redskins, Denver and Dallas.  

Tampa Bay kick returner Clifton Smith will miss the rest of the season after his second concussion in less than two months. The second-year pro was placed on injured reserve Tuesday, two days after he was hurt making a tackle on the opening kickoff of Sunday's 16-6 loss at Carolina. His first concussion happened during an Oct.  

Tampa Bay's second victory left first-year coach Raheem Morris in a predictably good mood. He spoke Monday about the Buccaneers beginning to establish an identity, rookie quarterback Josh Freeman rebounding from two poor performances to direct a 24-7 win over Seattle, and the challenge of facing NFC-leading New Orleans on the road next weekend.  

Raheem Morris is interested in winning, not subtle signs of improvement in his struggling Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The team played better defensively in its first game since the rookie coach took over playcalling responsibilities, however once again the unit was unable to hold off an opponent when it mattered most.  

 Last Friday morning, Channel 3 went to Cesar Chavez High School out in Laveen to air bits of an indoor pep rally for the school's fine football team. ​The on-air talent handed her ...