Rout doesn't mean much, but it shows promise

KANSAS CITY, Mo. --

The Bucs began their preseason with a methodical romp Friday night over the Kansas City Chiefs, ESPN's Adam Schefter reports.

Sorry, force of habit.

There is no more lockout — just the unleashed melody of what could be for these 2011 Buccaneers.

Friday's final: 25-0.

Forget it, we already checked: they hand out the Lombardi Trophy at the end of the season.

Still, for starters, for practice, does it get any better than the new middle linebacker, rookie Mason Foster, coming up with a fumble in his first series in any sort of NFL game, or the same old (young) Josh Freeman scrambling for a touchdown two plays later, or a gang sack for safety for a 15-0 halftime lead?

Ah, August.

Throw in a Sabby Piscitelli sighting — but on the other team (overall, a comforting feeling).

Last season will be a tough act to follow, that stunning 10-6 turnaround season, though the tough act didn't result in any playoff games. Schedules change, expectations change, everything changes when people are on to you.

That's these Bucs.

Friday night, they didn't play any number of who they're counting on this season, from Kellen Winslow to Arrelious Benn to Gerald McCoy to Aqib Talib and so on and so on, injuries, rest, etc. It didn't matter. They romped.

Ah, August.

But there was Freeman (9-of-13, 73 yards) and there was LeGarrette Blount and there was hope, again, the idea that maybe 10-6 was just the start. And there was Foster, who is trying to replace Barrett Rudd, which I don't think will be that easy, making a third-down stop on a Chiefs runner to force a punt.

Raheem Morris remains the NFL's youngest head coach, and his team remains the youngest, too. It's nearly ridiculous: only three players over the age of 30, and 74 of 90 players in training camp 25 or younger, though the numbers are slightly skewed by those six 9-year-olds getting a look on special teams. Note: Three of them haven't passed the conditioning test yet.

Freeman led the offense to 13 first-half points, his TD run and two shouldn't-have-stalled drives that turned to field goals. The real answers lay down the road.

But you look at this offense and wonder what can stop Freeman, Blount and Mike Williams. You wonder if Benn can pick up where he left off. You wonder if Dezmon Briscoe, who had some very nice moments Friday, is ready to join the group, too. You wonder if the offensive line will carry the day, or at least hold up.

Maybe the defense will begin to catch up with the offense. The D made some splash plays in the first half: Foster's recovery, or Al Woods forcing a fumble that Sean Jones recovered, or that safety, the combined work of Dekoda Watson and Michael Bennett, with Bennett showing no signs that he intends to cede the job of starting left end to rookie Da'Quan Bowers

"We have some high expectations for this young unit, but it's encouraging, the way we played in the first half," said Ronde Barber, who also made a tackle for loss in the Chiefs' first series. Young unit that.

Still, you wonder if the Bucs can build a pass rush this season from two rookie ends, Adrian Clayborn (who made a play or two Friday) and Bowers, and second-year tackles McCoy and Brian Price, and that's in front of a rookie middle linebacker. It's a daring concept.

They're so young, and already they play so hard for Morris. But follow-up years are never easy. It's about building. It's about continuing to grow. This team could be better than last year's team and not have as good a record.

It's entirely possible. Then again, so is the moon.