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The Bucs haven't lost any of their intensity on the practice field

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Obligated to Win

Nov 04, 2009 - As Raheem Morris pointed out on Tuesday, NFL teams can make it into the playoffs with a 9-7 record. It happens. It happened to Morris' Tampa Bay Buccaneers, in fact, just two years ago, and to Dallas and Kansas City the season before that.

And, as Morris stated, teams can win nine games in a row. It happens. It happened last year to both Tennessee and Indianapolis, the latter to close out the season.

Before you roll your eyes – because, yes, the '09 Buccaneers would have to put on one of those nine-game streaks just to get to 9-7 – understand that Morris isn't ignoring the obvious. A team still looking for its first win in November is the longest of long shots to make the playoffs, no matter what the mathematical possibilities may be.

The point is simply that, while those possibilities remain, that's what Buccaneer players must continue to chase. And from Morris' vantage point, he has yet to see any of his men give up on the season. There is no joy in 0-7, obviously, but there has been no surrender either, and that gives the Bucs hope for their first win. We'll see if eight more can follow.

"There's no rule that says you can't do that," said Morris. "That's up to us. That's up to them. That's up to everybody in this building, how we want to do it, how we want to handle it. When you're a professional, you're paid to go out and perform. It doesn't matter if you have a chance to go to the playoffs; every time you go out there it's your obligation to win. Every time you step foot on the football field, there's an obligation to give your very best and be your very best."

The Buccaneers do not feel as if they have come close to what their best all-around team effort can be yet. But Morris believes his team has kept itself in position to win almost every time out this year, and soon it will take advantage of that effort.

"It doesn't matter if you have a chance to go to the playoffs; every time you go out there it's your obligation to win. Every time you step foot on the football field, there's an obligation to give your very best and be your very best."

"It's not okay to lose," he said. "There's no excuse for it. It's not okay. It's not acceptable. And we're never going to accept. Now, we've given some [games] away, we've given some opportunities away, we haven't taken advantage of some opportunities that we have to take advantage of. But you are encouraged. You feel like you're able to go out there and win every weekend, and it's no different this week. That's what we've got to do, go out there and be our very best self and try to win."

While the Buccaneers rested over their bye weekend in Week Eight, previously winless teams St. Louis and Tennessee took home their first victories, leaving Tampa Bay as the only team still looking for that initial 'W.' So while Buccaneer players keep their focus on the next game and that hypothetical winning streak, the team is much more likely to draw attention for what's in the 'L' column.

But the rankings of the teams at the bottom of the standings, or the length of time since the last victory isn't particularly relevant to Bucs players or coaches.

"I'm not interested in who else doesn't have a win, I'm interested in getting our own win," said Morris. "That's our job, that's what we have to do. We're responsible to go out and win every day. I'm not interested in sharing anything with the Rams, with the Titans, whoever else is oh-fer. That's not my job. Our job is to go out and get our first victory. That's the only thing you can look at.

"You start looking at your longest losing streak, it will continue to be a streak. It will continue to be something that haunts your football team, it will continue to be something you talk about. That hasn't come up one time. The only thing we look for is when we're going to get our first win, and our next opportunity comes Sunday."