Special teams a rare bright spot for Bucs

Even in this season of despair, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have every reason to walk around town feeling special.

In the midst of a 1-8 start, special teams coordinator Rich Bisaccia's units have reeled off back-to-back stellar efforts, backing up a preseason vow by new coach Raheem Morris.

"At the beginning of the year, Coach Morris told us that special teams would be the lifeline of the team," said kick return standout Clifton Smith, who made the Pro Bowl last year as an undrafted free agent. "Just to be able to deliver and continue the tradition around here is amazing. Coach Bisaccia is the mastermind behind this whole plan. This is what he does to feed his family, so he takes everything personal."

One week after Smith's 83-yard kickoff return and a blocked punt returned for a touchdown rallied the Bucs past Green Bay, Tampa Bay's special teams almost provided a winning edge at Miami.

Starting left tackle Donald Penn blocked a PAT, newcomer Connor Barth tied an NFL single-game record with three field goals of at least 50 yards, and the league's top-ranked kick-coverage unit tucked a blanket around speedy Ted Ginn.

"Satisfaction to me means complete, done, finished," said Bisaccia, who survived the January regime change in Tampa as Morris replaced Jon Gruden. "No one's ever really satisfied in coaching, but certainly we're proud of the progress we've made around here."

In his eighth season with the Bucs, Bisaccia has seen it all.

He was ripped in 2003 when the Panthers blocked three kicks en route to a stunning 12-9 overtime triumph against the defending Super Bowl champions.

Bisaccia also had been haunted by Tampa Bay's inability to return a kickoff for a touchdown, dating to the 1976 inception of the franchise.

But times, and fortunes, have changed.

"I've never been around a coach that has such a way of getting the most out of his players," punter Dirk Johnson said. "Every coach tries, but some push the wrong buttons. There's not a guy in this room that doesn't respect the heck out of Coach Bisaccia."

After failing to score off a kickoff return through their first 497 games, the Bucs have brought three back all the way in the past 28 games.

Since Bisaccia's arrival, the Bucs also have returned three punts for touchdowns, blocked nine field-goal attempts and deflected four punts.

"What he's done around here is the same thing he's done since '02 - coach with enthusiasm, coach with passion and get his guys to play like that," Morris said. "You think I tell the truth too much? Wait until Bisaccia's a head coach and he starts telling people what he thinks. It will be a doozy."

Bisaccia, 49, is hoping to follow the example of John Harbaugh, the former Eagles special teams coordinator who led the Ravens to an 11-5 mark as a rookie head coach in 2008.

"I want to be a head coach and I feel I have a wealth of experience," said Bisaccia, who began his coaching career at Wayne State in 1983. "This is my fix. I've been married to the same girl for 25 years. This is what I do, it's who I am. I don't drink, I don't smoke, I don't chase women ... I come to work and I do my job."

Tampa Bay's prowess on special teams is even more impressive considering the Bucs experienced a tumultuous offseason.

The Bucs have broken in a new punter following Josh Bidwell's preseason hip injury. Following the release of Matt Bryant in early September, Barth is Tampa Bay's third kicker of the season.

Special teams captain Will Allen is out for the year with a fractured thumb, but Bisaccia's proud crew soldiers on.

"Everywhere I've been, they have emphasized special teams, but here they take it to another level because of Rich Bisaccia," said reserve linebacker Niko Koutouvides, who also has played for Seattle and Denver. "He expects a lot out of us, but he's also a lot of fun to play for. Most guys who are backups go around feeling sorry for themselves, but that's not the attitude here. We all feel we are going to be the ones to make a difference on Sunday."