Florida Sentinel Bulletin

If the pre-season play of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers is an indication of how the re-gular season will go, it looks like the NFC South will be a three-team race.

With starter Robert Griffin, III watching from the sidelines, the Redskins had no trouble beating the Bucs 30-12 at Raymond James Stadium, and going 4-0 for the pre-season. Redskin fourth-string quarterback, Pat White, threw for 181 yards, ran for a touchdown, and set up another touchdown with a 66-yard completion to Dezmon Briscoe.

The performance by the Buccaneers was a repeat of their other pre-season games, sloppy, including their lone victory against the Miami Dolphins by one point. Third-round draft pick, Mike Glennon, played like a rookie for the Bucs, completing 7 of 16 passes for 63 yards and one interception. He also lost a fumble when the ball appeared to just slip out of his hand before his arm moved forward to throw.

The lone Buccaneer touchdown came on a interception by linebacker Najee Goode, who returned the ball 37-yards for the score. The extra point was missed. The Bucs will open their regular season on the road against the New York Jets.

Underwood, Goode Among Buc Final Roster Cuts

Getting their roster down to the final 53 players, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers announced wide receiver Tiquan Underwood (pictured) and linebacker Najee Goode were being released.

Both players were replaced by wide receiver Russell Shepard and defensive tackle Chris Jones. Shephard, out of LSU, went undrafted in April, and Jones, out of Bowling Green, was grabbed off waivers.

Goode had been the 2012 5th-round pick of the Bucs and played in three games as a rookie. Underwood, who failed to survive the initial cut to 53 players a year ago returned to the team later and played in 14 games.

It’s beginning to look more and more like a certainty that former University of South Florida quarterback, B. J. Daniels, has won a spot with the San Francisco 49ers.

In Thursday night’s win against the San Diego Chargers, Daniels completed 5 of 9 passes for 76 yards and a pair of touchdowns. He also ran for 54 yards, including a 36-yard scramble reminiscent of starter, Colin Kaepernick.

With Seneca Wallace announcing his retirement after 7 seasons, may believe he reached that decision after he was told Daniels had made the team. Daniels was selected in the 7th round by the 49ers, and head coach Jim Harbaugh is known to keep three quarterbacks on his roster.

Daniels will be behind Kaepernick and Colt McCoy.

Helping Daniels is the fact that all of his pre-season performances have been strong.

No. 1 Serena Williams sealed her place in the quarterfinals of the U.S. Open with a straight-sets victory over Sloane Stephens on Sunday.

Williams, the grand slam’s defending champion, was given a fright by her fellow American at Flushing Meadows, but her experience and quality shone through in the second set. Williams emerged a 6-4, 6-1 victor in 89 minutes.

Stephens defeated Williams in the quarterfinals of the Australian Open in January, and they have become rivals as the two best women in American tennis; Serena the powerful veteran, Sloane the rising challenger.

Williams, 31, looked to be on her way to the first set when she broke in the sixth game with a forehand winner. However, Stephens, 20, the world No. 16, refused to lie down and broke back immediately before holding serve to level matters at 4-4.

Still, despite her best efforts, Stephens was overpowered by Williams, who clinched the opening set in the 10th game as Stephens sprayed a forehand wide.

In what has already been a terrible week for forward Lamar Odom, there is one more lowlight: Odom was arrested on a DUI charge early Friday morning in California.

Earlier this week, a slew of reports alleged that Odom had been battling drug addiction, and that his family—including wife, Khloe Kardashian—had been unable to locate him.

While the reports of Odom’s drug issues remain merely allegations, the reported DUI would be a very real problem for Odom. He was arrested at 3:54 a.m. after driving too slow on California’s 101 Freeway in the San Fernando Valley.

Odom is a free agent this summer, and though a handful of teams—including the Lakers—expressed some interest in him, there is little chance that anyone will pick him up now.

Last season, the Tampa Buccaneer secondary was the worst in the NFL. So the Bucs went out and signed Darrelle Revis from the New York Jets.

Without a pass rush, the question has been asked how much difference will Revis make this season?

Former Buccaneer and Indianapolis Colt head coach, Tony Dungy was asked that question.

As the architect of the famous Tampa 2 defense, the groundwork was laid for real Buccaneer history. That defense won Coach Dungy a Super Bowl with the Colts and a place in history.

On the Buccaneer defense, Coach Dungy said, it’s kind of backward, building a defense from back to front, rather than front to back.

“I don’t think you can build a defense that way with the rule the way they are. Having good corners and all that helps, but I don’t know you’re going to have may Hall of Fame corners who didn’t have good rushers in front of them.”

Coach Dungy said with the great Buc defenses, even with Hall candidates John Lynch and Ronde Barber, it began up front.

Coach Dungy said he has nothing against Revis and his skill set, or against Bucs head coach, Greg Schiano.

“I guess their thought is they’ll get more with more coverage. But to me, it starts with the rush. You have to disrupt the quarterback.”

Coach Dungy said he hopes what the Bucs are doing works, and he thinks their thought is they will get more with more coverage.

“It will only work if those guys can create pressure. They must have faith in them.”

Is Braylon Edwards’ career done after being cut Monday by the New York Jets?

Edwards, who has battled a leg injury, had been limited in recent practices and played sparingly in the preseason.

The Jets signed receiver Mohamed Massaquoi last week, an indication that Edwards was in jeopardy.

Also, Santonio Holmes was activated for the first time since undergoing Lisfranc surgery. His health after foot surgery is still questionable, though, by his own admission.

Victoria Duval, 17, dropped the first set to Australian Samantha Stosur, but the young American battled back to take the final two on Tuesday, pulling the biggest upset of the U. S. Open so far.

Duval overcame 35 unforced errors for her first ever Grand Slam victory, 5-7, 6-4, 6-4. The former U. S. Open champion was on the ropes in the third set, with Duval serving for the match up 5-4. But Stosur fought off two match points before Duval’s forehand winner buried the Aussie.

At times, Duval certainly showed her age and inexperience, but she was able to overcome both for easily the biggest win of her career.

During a press conference, legendary boxer Mike Tyson said that he “is on the verge of dying because I’m a vicious alcoholic.”

“I haven’t drank or took drugs in six days,” the former heavyweight champion said. “And for me that’s a miracle.” Following his career inside the ring, Tyson made cameo appearances in movies like 2009s The Hangover, and even starred in his one-man Broadway show.

Tyson is battling addiction and working on his third marriage.

ST. PETERSBURG — Delmon Young is back. Sort of.

The one-time future of the organization returned Thursday when he signed a minor league contract and reported to the Rays’ Double-A team in Montgomery, Ala.

If Young can prove in the next eight days or so that his swing is once again major league quality, then he could join the Rays for the September push for a playoff berth.

“Everything is in play,” Young said Thursday during a conference call. “Come down (to Montgomery) and if everything is going well, I’ll come back up. If not, I’m not. I’ll prepare myself the best I can to be ready in their eyes.”