Raheem Talks Offensive Identity
December 6th, 2011
Hand the rock to LeGarrette Blount 30 times a game. That’s what Raheem Morris says is the Bucs’ offensive identity.
Raheem has said that multiple times on The Raheem Morris Show on WDAE-AM 620, including last night.
Yesterday a caller into the show named Billy asked Raheem if he was ever going to keep the offense wide open after completing a first down in a four-wide-receiver set outside of a two-minute or four-minute offense. Billy said he thought the Bucs’ offense was too predictable and even fans can guess play-calls from the stands.
“It kind of goes to offensive identity,” Raheem said. “Right now, what your team is built for offensive identity-wise is to hand the ball to Blount 30 times.
“Once you go to a four-wide package you kind of take Blount’s ability to run behind a fullback and really be a power offense, ala some of the power offenses in the league, that got’em 10 wins last year. You know, it’s less about what the defense knows. They gotta go out there and be able to stop it. And right now they’re stopping it because they’re out-executing us at the point of attack, or we’re making mistakes on any particular play on offense.”
Raheem went on to say that the Bucs can’t go to four wideout sets early in games because the Bucs can’t change who they are effectively midseason – “to try to become something that you’re not,” Raheem said. “You have to have some sort of offensive identity before you mature.”
Raheem gave an example of Tom Brady’s evolution, growing into using multiple packages over years of development. Raheem acknowledged that the Bucs are nowhere near that level.
Joe always cringes when he hears Raheem say Blount should get 30 carries if a Bucs game is going according to plan. That reminds Joe of the mind-boggling opening day when Blount got only five carries, and other days when the Bucs seemed under-committed to the run.
Whatever the Bucs’ offensive identity is, Joe hopes it becomes noticeable and effective soon. And if any of Joe’s readers know what the Bucs’ identitity is in the red zone, feel free to share below.
December 6th, 2011 at 12:03 pm
So he is basically throwing Olson under the bus, it’s your team Raheem, if YOUR OC is not calling the plays you want then either sit him down (ala Lovie Smith/Mike Martz) and tell him to call the plays you want or fire his ass, those are your two options.
December 6th, 2011 at 12:08 pm
Like the players, I have tuned this guy out a long time ago
He doesn’t have a clue and reinforces that fact every time he opens his mouth
December 6th, 2011 at 12:14 pm
Our identity in the redzone is ‘Susan’.
December 6th, 2011 at 12:17 pm
When have they handed it to Blount 30 times a game?
Say what!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The problem is they DONT do that!
Also, didn’t the man see that about six of the ten wins last year were the result of Freeman in the passing game? After they fell behind and couldnt run?
Flabergasting……….
December 6th, 2011 at 12:17 pm
Has Blount gotten 30 carries even once this year? No.
DET 5
MIN 13
ATL 24
IND 25
SF 10
NO 0 (out)
CHI 0 (out)
NO 13
HOU 10
GB 18
TEN 20
CAR 11
If we are a power running, run first, offense – then these carry numbers are pathetic. Only 3 games had Blount with 20 or more runs. ESPECIALLY since we don’t have a top shelf second back he’s sharing carries with.
December 6th, 2011 at 12:22 pm
You know the panic button has been pushed when coaches start throwing each other under the bus like this. That was a thinly veiled swipe at Olson, clear as day.
The flushing sound continues.
December 6th, 2011 at 12:25 pm
He can swipe at Olson now. I don’t care. But where was he earlier in the season? Why didn’t he say to Olson after the detroit game, you run Blount less than 20 times again and you’re done here.
Boom. Problem solved. After game 1.
Instead here we are at the 75% mark of the season and Blount has been run over 20 times TWICE. Both games we won, I’d add. And they’re just figuring out the problem NOW? We’ve been complaining about this here, and on every other bucs blog I read, since after the detroit game. And he’s just figuring this out now?
This is just f-ing infuriating.
December 6th, 2011 at 12:26 pm
So, Raheem, if Olson’s play calling is to blame for the offense’s woes, who do you blame for the even worse defense you have? Oh that’s right…we don’t have a defensive coordinator to throw under the next HART bus that comes by. Guess you gotta take the fall, big guy.
December 6th, 2011 at 12:26 pm
And don’t get me started on taking Blount out in the 2 minute offense and 3rd down package.
Excuse me while I go to the bathroom and vomit.
December 6th, 2011 at 12:33 pm
I completely disagree that we are a power offense that should hand Blount 30 carries. We have more success, more often, when we are in 3 and 4 WR sets.
It’s not that we shouldn’t run Blount, he IS effective and has a place and should be in on 3rd downs. I just don’t think the league favors a power, run style offense anymore. Points and excitement come from the passing game…and we’re built that way talent wise – like it or not.
December 6th, 2011 at 12:43 pm
This is a swipe at the players too. If I’m reading between the lines I believe he said the players aren’t smart enough to learn multiple sets.
God I can’t wait for this season to be over. And if no coaching change is made the draft will be tainted.
December 6th, 2011 at 12:45 pm
We need to run a lot. That is simply what we need to do. We don’t have a Drew Brees or a Tom Brady. We don’t have a Steve Smith or a Calvin Johnson. We need to run because that is the talent we have. Blount.
December 6th, 2011 at 12:47 pm
The Bucs identity is offensive.
December 6th, 2011 at 1:00 pm
This is why Raheem should not be the Head Coach. He cannot stand up to Olson and say “heres what you need to call offensively.” He cannot stand up to Winslow and say “stop making stupid offensive pass interference calls” and he cannot stand up to Talib and say “stop cussing at me in front of other players and oh yeah stop getting stupid personal fouls.” Basically he has no guts and has no right to be head coach.
December 6th, 2011 at 1:00 pm
Our redzone identity is called the choke formation its where every player lines up looking very sincere about what there doing until they hear the word hike…Lmfao
December 6th, 2011 at 1:01 pm
CAN anyone tell us where our identity is at any point of the field, at any time of the game, on either side of the ball? We have zero identity starting from our product on the field, to the coaches on the sidelines, all the way up to the owners sitting pretty in that Man U lux box. There is NOT a scent of winning mentality in this locker room. I’m a Rah fan, but I don’t think he can turn us into champs. Sitting at that game sunday w my girlfriend, I was embarrassed to be a Bucs fan. I feel like one of those desperate and hopelessly optimistic Bills fans, this sux…
December 6th, 2011 at 1:02 pm
FIRE OLSON!!!! Problem solved. The dude sucks.. Everyone knows it. Do something.. Your the head coach and you tell him to run Blount 30 times a game and he’s not listening.
December 6th, 2011 at 1:04 pm
I know this past Sunday I played some good defense from the couch before cam newton called hike I turned the channel and got some pretty good stops lol then I was a shut down corner and stop watching. And this week I’m reading a book written by the bucs called the blame game is anyone accountable for anything…
December 6th, 2011 at 1:27 pm
“Hand the rock to LeGarrette Blount 30 times a game. That’s what Raheem Morris says is the Bucs’ offensive identity.”
BULLSPIT!
If that is true, he has zero control over Greg Olson. Instead of telling Brian Price to go home the other day in the middle of the game, he should have told Olson to go home.
F’!
Olson has done more to destroy this season than Price’s penalties.
December 6th, 2011 at 1:38 pm
Here is our identity:
We totally suck.
December 6th, 2011 at 1:40 pm
@Oahubuc…Susan just told me she was going to kick your arse for insulting her toughness!
December 6th, 2011 at 1:41 pm
@Jimmy, agreed! That would have been awesome! “OK Olson, we have seen enough, hut the showers!”
@Eric, unfortunatly you hit the nail on the head.
December 6th, 2011 at 1:54 pm
WTH is this garbage? If you want to run Blount 30 times or more per game then make it happen, your the damn head coach for crying out loud. I used to really like this coach but like everybody else is saying on here he has no ball$ to discipline the players or tell his coaching staff what he wants to really see out of the play calling during the game. Him throwing Price off the field was the first thing I’ve seen this season that looked remotely like disciplining a player. I don’t agree with the move because his production outweighs what little penalties he does get called on. I have tickets to the last home game this season but I’m not sure that I really want to go anymore seeing how bad they are. The Bucs used to be a defensive monster, what happened to that identity? Find another DC at least close to Monte Kiffin ask him to come on board. Oh I know, Rob Ryan, the DC for the Dallas Cowgirls, is looking for a head coach job, LOL. It would interesting to see what he could do for the Bucs after seeing what he’s done for the Cowgirls. I mean he comes from a line of good coaches, his dad Buddy Ryan, his brother Rex is doing ok up in NY. At least he’s been to the playoffs in his young career as a head coach.
December 6th, 2011 at 2:00 pm
When we hit the redzone we do everything but run the ball. I knew trusting blount this year in the redzone was gonna be bad but not this bad smh I never thought him falling short last year in atl was gonna punish him this whole season..
December 6th, 2011 at 2:07 pm
Here is all you need to know about Rah Rah and his undisiplined team.
Rah Rah is addressing his team pregame and on this photo on the Bucs facebook page, EJ Biggers is on his iPhone.
http://a8.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/384670_10150510085649595_95501124594_10371122_354333167_n.jpg
You think any player would pull that stunt right in front of Bill Parcells, Bill Cowher, Bill Belicheat, Mike McCarthy, Tom Coughlin, etc.?
That one photo just shows how much respect the players have for Morris, and what is wrong with the Bucs. A picture says a thousands words. Pregame talk from the coach and a player right in front of the coach has to talk on the phone.
Pathetic.
December 6th, 2011 at 2:17 pm
Funny legart blount was a for sure first round draft pick before. The boise state punch at Oregon. All they ran was 4 wr sets . Olden can run more than that counter draw too
December 6th, 2011 at 2:33 pm
@jimmy e.j. biggers was on the phone with the fire dept asking for a close eye and hose on standby in case he got burned….raheem knows all about it. Youngry guys eat cell phone minutes in front of him all the time lol
December 6th, 2011 at 2:46 pm
I thought clearly our identity is to have Benn run an end around on 3rd and short… :/
December 6th, 2011 at 3:11 pm
Now wait a minute… which identity are we talking about? We all know the offense is schizophrenic. We may start the game as a “Power run” identity, prepared to run Blount 30 times a game. But when they hand it to him in the obvious 1st and 10 situation to open the game and he gets thrown for a loss, or maybe makes it back to the line of scrimmage our other identities kick in. We get the “Our run game is getting stuffed, so let’s go Check-Down offense”, we get the “Nobody’s open so force it to K2 or chuck it up for grabs” offense, we get the “Let’s get Freeman killed because we can’t pass block for 3 seconds, our WRs can’t get open, and Freeman is afraid to run this year” offense. And when all else fails, and we’re trailing by two TDs, we can go to the “Let’s slow this down, take all the time off the play clock, and run a draw play up the middle” offense.
Our OC doesn’t have an identity because he panics at the first thing that doesn’t go right. If Blount gets thrown for a loss or no gain a couple times, we completely abandon the run game, even though we all know (as fans) that the very next run Blount could break out a 50+ yard gain. Once we abandon the “game plan”, then our guys are playing a game they didn’t prepare for. How’s that supposed to work?
Are Olsen and Mike Shula related in any way? Maybe they’re inbred?
December 6th, 2011 at 3:14 pm
None of the players, in that photo, look like thier attention is captured by the great Raheem!
Hated the hire of him, but did end up biting my lip eventually and gave him a chance. He’s showed me all I want to see of him as headcoach!
December 6th, 2011 at 3:22 pm
“Everyone has a game plan until they get punched in the face” Mike Tyson.
December 6th, 2011 at 4:00 pm
Was there a caption on the pic? How do we know what was going on by a still. The old saying is not really true, pics are very subjective. A video would give greater meaning. I am not saying Morris shuld stay, I am just saying no need to pile on.
December 6th, 2011 at 4:58 pm
McBuc
It did! It said….”First take off your underwear, then put your big boy pads on….”
December 6th, 2011 at 5:17 pm
You can’t run Blount 30 times a game when you run him 11 times and he’s only got 19 yards. When Blount starts running hard every play and stops the twinkletoes crap at the line of scrimmage where he gets buried for a two yard loss then I’ll be a bigger fan. Right now I’d take a Frank Gore over Blount any day because Gore never slows down. If there isn’t a hole he makes positive yards with his strength and momentum. Blount runs hard when he chooses to but it’s not often enough. Apparantly he can’t block well either.
December 6th, 2011 at 10:05 pm
@Bobby
Our passing game is horrible and therefore, Blount needs to get the ball!!
December 6th, 2011 at 10:55 pm
One word Joe – Sybil (or the Three Faces of Eve), take your pick.
December 7th, 2011 at 9:54 am
We need offense and defense, everyone bought into Raheem’s boom rah rah style. Not me! He was a cheap way out to letting Gruden go! I had issues with the way the team wasnt winning with Gruden after the Super Bowl, but hell I think we would have still been better than this!
December 7th, 2011 at 10:45 am
I think they have a case of mistaken identity.