Bucs need to play to their strong suit. (NFL/Insider).(football)(Brief Article)

The Buccaneers are to football analysts what penny stocks are to investors: volatile, unpredictable and ultimately disappointing. One week this team allows Jerome Bettis to rush for 143 yards and the next the Bucs blow out the Vikings by 27 points.

Don't be misled by that Minnesota game Sunday. Despite an abundance of talent on their roster, especially, on defense--indeed, outside of the Ravens, no defense is more gifted--the Bucs have problems.

The offense doesn't complement the defense, Because of the NFL salary cap and free agency, teams have enough money to build only one side of the ball into a championship unit. The teams that win construct the weaker unit to complement the dominant one. Consider Baltimore last year, when the Ravens' high-priced defense was aided by a run-oriented offense, which gave the defense plenty of rest.

Tampa Bay's original plan was similar to what Baltimore did last year. Now, however, instead of relying on the running game to control the dock and rest that awesome defense, the Bucs are throwing a lot. They have attempted 68 more passes than runs. The Bucs' running game is ranked near the bottom of the NFL, and this is taxing to their defense.

The passing game is one-dimensional. Keyshawn Johnson has 46 receptions, which is almost as many as the rest of the team's wide receivers combined. Quarterback Brad Johnson feels so much pressure to get his big-money receiver the ball that it has created tunnel vision. Jacquez Green, Dave Moore and Warrick Dunn are productive as receivers, but defensive coordinators won't pay attention to them until Tampa's quarterback spreads the wealth.

The misfits on the offensive line. Tackle Jerry Wunsch and guards Cosey Coleman and Randall McDaniel ...