Miserable Passing Game
June 26th, 2014
Bucs WR Mike Evans is one of five major weapons the Bucs added to what was a limp passing attack.
Joe saw an awful passing game last year. Yes, Mike Glennon was a rookie, but geez, Joe has seen equally green rookies forced into the starting lineup perform better than what the Bucs had for a passing game last year. Shoot, Bruce Gradkowski led a higher rated aerial attack.
The thing that stumped Joe so much was that the Bucs had one of the better wide receivers in the game and a surprisingly good rookie tight end, yet still smelled worse than a Midwestern hog farm.
Aaron Schatz, one of the masterminds behind Football Outsiders, detailed just how bad of a passing offense the Bucs had last year.
Random stat from editing: TB averaged 3.9 YAC last year over a half yard less than any other offense.
— Aaron Schatz (@FO_ASchatz) June 25, 2014
It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out new Bucs coach Lovie Smith saw the same thing. How many teams go out and add potentially five starting passing weapons in an offseason?
Lovie got a new quarterback, drafted a wide receiver on the first day, drafted a basketball tight end on the second day, drafted a pass-catching running back on the second day, and added a free-agent, pass-catching tight end (Brandon Myers) and a veteran wide receiver (Louis Murphy).
If the Bucs are to be serious contenders for a playoff berth, 3.9 yards of YAC simply isn’t going to cut it.
June 26th, 2014 at 7:14 am
You left out the crappy offensive line.
June 26th, 2014 at 7:23 am
Yac has more to do with the recievers than anything. Not sure how you justify crucifying Glennon on a stat about yards after catch. Unless you have an axe to grind of course.
June 26th, 2014 at 7:24 am
‘sigh’
June 26th, 2014 at 7:28 am
I thought Glennon was so incredibly accurate that good YAC was inevitable. Guess he’s not that good if Lovie replaced him
June 26th, 2014 at 7:44 am
All that and you didn’t even mention Herron. Yep, we completely overhauled the passing game. Or at least I sure as hell hope we did after everything we put into it!
June 26th, 2014 at 7:45 am
YAC depends partially on ball placement and timing. Glennon was not very good at either. I don’t think the YAC problem was entirely his fault (or even mostly), but he does shoulder some of the blame.
June 26th, 2014 at 7:46 am
We still didn’t reach for a QB and Glennon remains on the roster. We have new WRs, RB and o-linemen.
The offense stinks because of the positions outside of QB.
June 26th, 2014 at 7:49 am
It all starts with the o-line protection, which there was very little, then the wide recievers catching the ball and running. As you stated in the story, new WR talent and TE talent are now here, so is a new o-line now we can judge the QB not what happened last year.
June 26th, 2014 at 7:51 am
Lovie didn’t replace Glennon, he took the pressure of expectations off of him. Worst thing you can do to a rookie, especially a rookie QB is put the pressure and weight of the team on him when he’s not mentally ready. The shitshow that was the Bucs the last 2 seasons was way to much for a veteran to handle let alone a rookie. No, what Lovie did was, brought in a guy to take the heat off of Glennon while he develops. McCown is what he is, he’s not Rich Gannon and Lovie ain’t Gruden, the magic that they found together in Oakland won’t be found here, McCown will have his 5 good games, and then he’ll return to being the guy he is and Lovie will start Glennon come late-October.
June 26th, 2014 at 7:55 am
All I could ask last year was “why is Napoleon Dynamite my QB?”
June 26th, 2014 at 8:00 am
And the (not so) subtle Glennon digs continue. It’s OK after he comes in to salvage the Bucs season you guys will learn to appreciate the guy that both Schiano AND Lovie see a lot of franchise QB potential in 🙂
June 26th, 2014 at 8:07 am
An NFL defense can take away one receiver from an offense, no problem, thus you were left with Tim Wright……rotten passing game? Chalk one up for Captain Obvious…..
All the more reason to draft offense, which they did.
Makes sense, doesn’t it?
June 26th, 2014 at 8:10 am
Personally don’t see Mike Glennon as the Bucs ‘QB of the future’ but thought he performed quite well last year under some trying circumstances. What I saw was (1) a very predictable and ill-conceived offensive strategy; (2) terrible offensive coaching; (3) mediocre offensive line; (4) very few offensive weapons; and (5) oh ya, Glennon was a rookie who performed like, oh ya, a rookie. Drew Brees might’ve gotten us up to 6 wins, but I doubt much more.
This is pretty close to a whole new team offensively. I applaud Lovie and Jason for aggressively attacking the problems we had (and there were MANY). We gained a lot of new weapons, but I personally think that the most significant will end up being Josh McCown. Folks need to just chill a little and give him a chance. Not saying that he’ll take us to the Super Bowl this year, but he’ll surprise a lot of doubters. I’m confident that our Bucs will play a LOT better football this year than we’ve had to endure for the past several years.
June 26th, 2014 at 8:22 am
*yawn
June 26th, 2014 at 8:23 am
YAC……slow recievers….bad routes…..predictable offense and a coach that was a terror over offensive turnovers. Yes, some of this is on the QB…..but in the “Run, Run, Pass, Punt” playbook of the great Sully….when we did pass..everyone knew it was coming….
June 26th, 2014 at 8:24 am
Funny how Glennon remains on the offense, but we may have so many other new Bucs on offense.
If Glennon was part of the problem then he wouldn’t be here.
June 26th, 2014 at 8:25 am
I wish you would lay off of Glennon. These stats have to do with an offense that had 1 legit weapon to work with. As a defensive coach that is what I am looking for when attacking. I can stop that in my sleep.
Bad offensive line. If you watch the games, Jackson gave up on games early and wasn’t finishing routes as he was being double teamed with no other options. (Wright was not a legit option)
No running game (4th string running back not scary) and a rookie QB still learning the Pro game. Even your precious Johnny Football would stink that up. Reminds me of the last year of Brad Johnson. And he was a pro Bowl quarterback Super Bowl winning QB at that.
June 26th, 2014 at 8:31 am
Dur, dur, dur, Napoleon Dynamite, dur, dur, dur, Beaker, dur, dur, dur.
If you don’t like how he plays, that’s one thing. If you want a pretty boy QB, go watch Freeman. If he ever makes it back into the league.
June 26th, 2014 at 8:35 am
The haters always “overlook” the fact that Glennon was a rookie thrown into the fire with half a team. If we had the weapons we have now I think Mike would’ve changed a few minds. And all the haters would have jumped on the MG8 bandwagon. When he starts playing with a real team that we have now, we won’t let you on.
June 26th, 2014 at 8:48 am
Jesus joe, you really won’t be happy till he gets cut will you?
June 26th, 2014 at 8:51 am
my 10yr old grandson has more imagination playing “Madden” than Sully did with offense last year. TBBucfan said it: run,run,pass,punt playbook
June 26th, 2014 at 8:52 am
MG is getting a lot of like this morning. The giraffe is so tall he can see for miles. All the way over the stinking hog farm mess that was last season.
June 26th, 2014 at 9:10 am
Haven’t we read this article before? How many times do you need to state the obvious? We all know the BUCS sucked on offense last year… What’s your agenda here?
June 26th, 2014 at 9:11 am
Glennon didn’t lead receivers as well as he could have, that’s why YAC wasn’t impressive. Also, they didn’t run many effective slants or post routes, the types of routes where you catch and go, sometimes a long way. The offense was too slow in play development, and most of Glennon’s moon shots went to Jackson where he was stopped pretty much wherever he caught the ball. Not a bad strategy since Jackson isn’t going to outrun anyone, but he wins almost all of this 50/50’s if the ball is placed well enough.
June 26th, 2014 at 9:12 am
I’m not in the MGM……I’m just like many fans who wish all of our players well and hope they develop and help the team win…..
I am hard-put to find any other circumstance where a 3rd Round Backup QB has gotten so much criticism for play in his rookie year.
All of this is either simply an attempt to gin up controversy or some sort of hidden agenda.
June 26th, 2014 at 9:13 am
I feel bad for your wife, Joe. You always bring up the past like a female. LET IT GO!!!
June 26th, 2014 at 9:15 am
Why the continued diatribe about MG8 unless there is an agenda! I’m sure a has been golfer really enjoyed this article. This morning. Sucks, I bet it will be fodder for radio today. A lot of people will have egg on their faces when Mg8 lights it up this year. A stronger O line will show you why your ( the haters ) arguments about last year are all wrong and that the haters just want to rag because the washed up moon walker is no longer here.
June 26th, 2014 at 9:18 am
#CryBabies #GetOverIt
June 26th, 2014 at 9:18 am
Yawn. Johnny Football is not a Buccaneer, a former Buccaneer, or a potential Buccaneer. Joe has no interest in your ridiculous, insulting theories. –Joe
June 26th, 2014 at 9:21 am
Joe
As SAMCRO said:
“SAMCRO Says:
June 26th, 2014 at 7:14 am
You left out the crappy offensive line.”
When you did get to throw on second down and you have one second to throw. the receiver was not very far from the line of scrimmage.
You also forgot to mention that at least four of the games last year was that future traveler to Canton. Mr Freeman, throwing for all of those YAC.
Is it less than 29 days to training camp yet?
June 26th, 2014 at 9:27 am
Yea Steven k what kind of madness is it to blame the quarterback for worse passing offense in the league. That’s horrible considering tim Wright was always getting yards after catch. That stat also screams checkdown
June 26th, 2014 at 9:30 am
Why bring up YAC when “Cement Shoes’ could only complete dink passes? Once other teams had film on ‘our qb of the future’ they took away the long ball. If a qb can not complete a few passes per game over 10 yards there will be minimal YAC’s to count!
June 26th, 2014 at 9:36 am
Some people will never understand. Joe isn’t getting a dig in. Aaron Schatz of Football Outsiders made the comment about YAC. Joe posted it and commented about it (without a mention of the QB!)
June 26th, 2014 at 10:08 am
If I was Glennon, it would be very hard for me to be nice to you guys when you tried to ask me anything….just saying!
But knowing him, if he’s even read the storm of craptacular criticism of his rookie year from you, he’ll probably just roll with it and be nice….theres more important things going on.
June 26th, 2014 at 10:08 am
buc4lyfe,
If Glennon was as bad as some fans seem to think, then the Bucs would still have: Penn, Zuttah, Larsen, Mike Williams, etc.
Keep in mind the Bucs passed on Johnny Football in favor of taking a WR, and spending the entire draft on offense. Did we take a QB? No. Did we trade Glennon? Nope.
Glennon has earned the right to be on this roster, period. He will get a chance, and I think the kid is prepared to make the most of it.
June 26th, 2014 at 10:42 am
JoeBucsfan.com,
Mike’s good stats (tds/ints) mean he’s great.
Bad stats are everyone else’s fault and should not be discussed or even considered.
Sincerely,
The Mob.
June 26th, 2014 at 10:55 am
Predictable
June 26th, 2014 at 10:59 am
REEEEEEEEAAAAAAACH!!
There WR needs to get separation from a CB at the LOS to positively impact YAC. The QB has so little to do with YAC. Play design and WR play/ability. determines YAC more than anything.
Know football from an athletic standpoint; don’t just look at numbers.
June 26th, 2014 at 11:54 am
Joe, the hate you have for Glennon IS REAL! Come on man, he had 1 of the worst O-lines in the league, only 1 WR and TE, and no real coach. AND YET HE STILL FOUND A WAY TO MAKE IT WORK. Face it Joe, he’s our future… EMBRACE IT!!
June 26th, 2014 at 11:56 am
Stir the pot! Hey, it makes for interesting conversation!
Everybody knows how bad this offense was last year. Bad is an understatement. It’s like watching the Rays this year…wake me up after we lose! Can it get any worse?!
With the addition of some weapons, we should be improved.
Whose fault is it? Who bleeping cares?! If you’re a fan, you’re rooting for THIS team.
YAC? YAC is what I wanted to do after watching the Bucs on offense LAST year!
June 26th, 2014 at 12:17 pm
This story is hilarious! Can’t wait until next week for a story how Glennon missed up the field goal kickers, ” because he is only supposed to be a place holder for special teams and will never be anything more.”
This is why this off-season has been so great, joe’s hate for Glennon and how they have all been wrong at every turn.
P.S. even if Glennon does not win the starting job, he will always be just 1 play away.
June 26th, 2014 at 12:25 pm
Please feel free to point out where Joe typed his name in this post.
Man, people read what they want to read. smh
No, what Joe hates is lousy offenses and more importantly, losing.
June 26th, 2014 at 12:27 pm
Thank you BamBam
June 26th, 2014 at 12:42 pm
It’s right there in the 2nd sentence….
June 26th, 2014 at 1:08 pm
Joe….do you even read your own posts????? Wtf man, you reference him in the first paragraph……guess Stiring the pot gets more hits for dolman law than unbiased perspective…..
June 26th, 2014 at 1:20 pm
Also, Joe forgot to mention we had the SLOWEST RECEIVERS in the NFL last year and MG outperformed all other rookies…This reasoning is laughable, as a Bucs fan we should always root for our players.
June 26th, 2014 at 2:45 pm
Haha. That’s funny. Where’s Glennon’s name? As Joe would say, check the archives. Or better yet, just look up. WTF!! The hatred is making you guys blinder than than you already have been.
June 26th, 2014 at 2:48 pm
A lot of us who read this blog can not help to see the hate some have for Glennon. We know of course that’s not Joe or his radio partner. I can not wait until We hear all love and admiration. We all know Joe Likes Glennon.
June 26th, 2014 at 2:51 pm
Until net wendnesday………..for Glennon
Hard to type on phone.
June 26th, 2014 at 2:57 pm
Why spread silliness and attacks on Joe?–Joe
June 26th, 2014 at 5:19 pm
“This is why this off-season has been so great, joe’s hate for Glennon and how they have all been wrong at every turn.”
Winner Winner
Joe has no hate for Glennon. You Mobsters are ridiculous. –Joe
June 26th, 2014 at 6:02 pm
CANNON in 2014!
MGM = fans who judge QB’s by something other than
pulling ability and wanna-be rockstar mentality.
Sincerely,
Malloy
June 26th, 2014 at 6:18 pm
It’s a combination of weapons and play calling. Thats why we sucked last year our play calling sucked. Now we have ELITE weapons and creative play calling. Worst case scenario this offense finishes ranked 16th or better with a top five defense backing it….WHOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!
June 26th, 2014 at 8:33 pm
Joe, I don’t think you hate MG at all. You just think he has’nt shown enough consistency or promise to go all in on as the Bucs future QB. That is a reasonable opinion and one that I respect. I have expressed favoring MG from his arrival, but I am not certain he can lead the Bucs to a high level of success. I do enjoy the back and forth from pro and anti MG opinions. Keep up the good work!
June 26th, 2014 at 9:39 pm
If sticking up for a kid who is relentlessly bashed damn near every. friggen. day. makes me a “mobster” then so be it. It’s old, and getting older with every ‘clever’ jab you post on here. What QB better than him is currently seeking employment? If you say Freeman, you’re a moron, and a blind one at that. If he sucks as bad as you make it out, he’ll eventually be traded, or released. Give it a rest.
June 26th, 2014 at 10:35 pm
How is Gradkowski’s 1600 yds and 9 td a “higher rated” passing attack?
June 26th, 2014 at 10:53 pm
If there is honest reflection, all one would have to do is to go back in the radio archives of the JoeBucsFan Radio Hour and one would find early maligning of Glennon’s talent, let’s get rid of Shiano and Glennon also. You just might find a reference to him being so tall with a long neck, then there’s references to N Dynamite. But it was probably all the dogs fault because Joe Likes Glennon . Oh ya! Does any one else besides me remember all the snide laughter at Glennon’s expense? You never heard anything like that about Freeman! But then again he was the Quarterback choice of the moderators . It was at this time those of us who thought Glennon deserved the same chance as Freeman had or any other QB deserved received the slur of being a mob and then mobsters. Think about it friends, Joe Likes Glennon so that makes him a member of the mob.
June 27th, 2014 at 2:49 am
Nice Joe… you are not the only one who “smells” something,.. your constant “water torture” is nearly unbearable,.. and your objectivity Stinks!