"Buccaneers coach Raheem Morris does not like to talk about left tackle Donald Penn.Morris does not avoid the subject because Penn has played poorly. His silence is not because Penn has been manhandled by opposing defensive ends each week. It is not that Morris doesn't believe Penn looks like a potential Pro Bowl player. In fact, the reasons for Morris' aloofness are the opposite. "You might be jinxing him right now," Morris said. "He has been playing really well. He's playing with a nasty demeanor, he's been playing tough, he's been playing physical and he's been doing all the things you ask him to do." Morris will ask Penn to slow defensive end John Abraham as Tampa Bay (5-2) travels to Atlanta (5-2) in a crucial NFC South matchup Sunday. "I call (Abraham) my nemesis," Penn said. "I call him that because the first couple of games, first couple of years, I would always play a great game and then there would be that one play and he'll get me. "I still have a little sour taste in my mouth, because about two years ago when we played Atlanta, he got a last sack against me on that last drive. That put us back when we were going to try to win the game. I'll never forget it. I have tremendous respect for the guy. He is a great player and I love playing against him." Penn's love for playing against Abraham is strong after last season. Abraham had two sacks combined in two games against Tampa Bay in 2007 and four overall in 2008, including three during Atlanta's 13-10 victory in the second meeting. However, Penn held Abraham without a sack in two games last year, and that is the sort of success his teammates expect. "I think Penn is one of the most underrated left tackles in the league," said center Jeff Faine, who will miss a fourth straight game with a quadriceps injury. "I hope he starts to get his just due because he's been shutting guys down for years. He's done a good job against some of the better pass rushers in the league with Abraham and (Julius) Peppers, and go down the list, like Will Smith in New Orleans. He's definitely a guy who deserves more respect than he's getting. "I think he's playing like a Pro Bowler. I think he's definitely in that conversation. I think as we start to play better as a team, he'll start to get that type of respect." Penn is still seeking respect from those outside Tampa Bay. Since the Bucs picked up the lineman off Minnesota's practice squad in 2006, he has started 51 consecutive games. Tampa Bay rewarded him in July with a six-year deal worth $41 million, but Penn wants more. "I have zero Pro Bowls. I have no accolades, really, but a big (contract)," Penn said. "I earned that deal, and I'm very grateful and very appreciative of it, but I know I'm a Pro Bowl tackle. "I don't like to put people down, but some guys shouldn't be there just because their team is winning. That's how it goes. I understand that and I'll just keep working http://www2.tbo.com/content/2010/no...-is-prepared-for-a-big-challenge/sports-bucs/
