Bucs already are taking on Morris' personality

It was just an exhibition game.

The first one of the season - but for new Bucs coach Raheem Morris it might as well have been the Super Bowl. At least that's how it seemed to quarterback Byron Leftwich.

"I love it. I love it. I love it. He was in the locker room just pacing earlier. You're so happy for a guy like that," he told Anwar S. Richardson of The Tampa Tribune after Saturday's 27-20 loss to Tennessee. "Even though everybody looks at his age, this guy knows a lot of football, knows how to coach grown men and he knows how to get his message across to grown men. As players, we respect that.

"There are a lot of guys in that locker room that will run through a wall for that guy because of the type of person he is on a day-in and day-out basis."

You never heard that type of comment about former coach Jon Gruden - just the opposite, really. We heard all the time from players who moved on from here and had nothing good to say about their former coach. I mention this because you can't rebuild without a new foundation and that's what this training camp has been about for the Bucs. They hate any mention of rebuilding, but get over it.

With that in mind, after months of talking, the opening game provided a long-awaited snapshot of where the Bucs are right now - both for the new coaching staff and the team they're trying to create. For Morris, it was a chance to see if the enthusiasm and vision he has for the Bucs translated to the field.

For the most part, it did.

The frontline defense of new coordinator Jim Bates got some pressure on the Titans, which is a good sign. Stylez G. White was a beast at defensive end with three tackles, a sack, and an interception. He played like a man with something to prove, which he probably does.

The top two running backs - Earnest Graham and Derrick Ward - combined for just 10 yards on eight carries, but there wasn't much space to run through. That's especially true for Graham, who must have wondered what he did to offend members of his offensive line. In his first game back since an ankle injury wiped out the end of his season last year, he had 1 yard on four carries, but there was no place to run.

When you factor in the pressure Tennessee put on the quarterbacks, particularly Leftwich, it's enough to raise a red flag at least a little way up the pole. Of course, center Jeff Faine didn't play and we still haven't gotten an answer about what's up with missing guard Arron Sears.

Things start getting more serious now. Morris has said he plans to name a starting quarterback before the third exhibition game and he'll need to find out quickly if Cadillac Williams can make it back from another serious knee injury. Caddy won't play until the third game.

Did you watch as Leftwich repeatedly threw deep and attacked, though? Did you see how the defense swarmed and pressured? Did you catch the versatility of Clifton Smith, who took some good turns at running back? Did Sammie Stroughter (three catches, 42 yards) and Brian Clark (a 24-yard TD pass reception) separate themselves in the battle at receiver?

These issues will sort themselves out, but one major part of the rebuilding plan is already in place. This team continues to take on the personality Morris envisioned for the Bucs. He has charged the atmosphere around the locker room with his enthusiasm, and he wasn't kidding with his promise of a new approach on the field.

It's not the Super Bowl, but it's a good start.