It Cannot Get Worse
July 7th, 2015
It was hard for Bucs WR Vincent Jackson to keep a smile on his face when remembering who was throwing passes to him last year.
If watching old game tape wasn’t jarring enough to Bucs fans remembering just how truly awful was turnover-prone quarterback Josh McClown, data from the statgeeks really sobers up a person.
Yes, Vincent Jackson had a nice season, catching 70 passes and racking up 1,002 passing yards last year. Any receiver who has 1,000 yards is having a fine season.
It could have been so much better if the Bucs had a quarterback.
Mike Clay of Pro Football Focus ran his spreadsheet and found that nearly half of the passes thrown to Jackson were uncatchable.
Per Clay, Jackson was targeted 138 times. Of those passes, just 55 percent were what Clay categorizes as “on target.” It was the worst percentage of all receivers Clay researched.
That is beyond miserable and tells Joe two things: One, the obvious, McClown was pitiful. But also it tells Joe that McClown was forcing passes Jackson’s way whether he was open or not, whether McClown could deliver the ball properly or not.
It also tells Joe it is very possible ill-suited acting offensive coordinator Marcus Arroyo just didn’t know any better.
July 7th, 2015 at 8:15 am
Our offense consisted of failed running plays up the middle on early downs and sideline routes on 3rd down….and yes…..our QBs put the ball up whether the reciever was open or not……usually an off-target throw.
Hopefully, Koetter will use the TEs, RBs & reciever to advantage and we will move the ball over the middle with shorter/safer routes. This is what every team we played used to move the ball on us.
July 7th, 2015 at 8:16 am
TEs, RBs & Slot Reciever…..
July 7th, 2015 at 8:28 am
Just remember we had two receivers with over a 1000 yards with this QB and line and plays.
Now what do you think we are going to have with a QB, better line, plays, and an OC that is at the top of his game?
Now the bad news, the same Head Coach that allowed this mess last year to not only happen, but to continue and get worse.
Here is the good, the people running the organization are not dumb and I will bet they told Lovie to stay out of Koetter’s way or else.
We will see as soon as the pads come on and they start playing. We just might have four 1000 yard receivers and who has ever done that before?
July 7th, 2015 at 8:36 am
What OB just said is the reason I say that Six wins is UNACCEPTABLE!
It is 8 or a Failure.
July 7th, 2015 at 8:45 am
RUN sets up the pass. When the O-line can block for a 1000 yd running back[s] then this team will be a contender
July 7th, 2015 at 9:03 am
Hey Joe…….The Giants just took back their Offer to JPP. Any Chance at all he could wear Pewter and Red?
July 7th, 2015 at 9:05 am
Lovie should be thankful to have a better OC, someone that is more experienced and would have likely never started McCown. I’m still thinking the Bucs win about half the games, the schedule looks tough. I’ll just wait for reality to set in, for better or worse.
July 7th, 2015 at 9:48 am
Can he play?
July 7th, 2015 at 11:22 am
Why couldn’t we run last year? Because we couldn’t pass. All teams had to do was drop a safety in the box and play six under all game. Mccown could never take advantage so opponents just kept playing to stop the run. They almost didn’t have to adjust! With Mccown at quarter, d.coordinators could call plays in their sleep! When you have a young/crappy quarterback, you usually have to pass to set up the run. Defenses dont respect guys like Mccown. They’re not going to change it up until they have to. And with Mccown ans Arroyo, they didnt have to! Unless they came out with four wide or something.
July 7th, 2015 at 11:25 am
Would JPP be a wise signing? IDK didnt he fall off last year?
July 7th, 2015 at 11:43 am
Bucs could not run or pass last year because their offensive offensive line could not block!
July 7th, 2015 at 1:12 pm
I think anyone with that o-line last year would look like a “McClown” throwing the football.
July 7th, 2015 at 1:24 pm
Except it WILL get worse! with Lovie and Jameis as LEADERS on this team, we will forever be the laughing stock. Cant beleive my team will support this clown.
July 7th, 2015 at 2:55 pm
Last year we always played behind the chains. As TBBF pointed out we usually began first down with a failed run, a botched second down play and then it’s third and long.
No team is talented enough to make a living off of 3rd and long.
We all keep saying it over and over again but the play calling of Marcus Arroyo and the offensive scheming was just as bad.
July 7th, 2015 at 3:34 pm
Mike Clay of Pro Football Focus ran his spreadsheet and found that nearly half of the passes thrown to Jackson were uncatchable.
***********
Please smack yourself if you’ve ever referred to him as Vdrops. Ty n Gn.
July 7th, 2015 at 5:25 pm
So true St.PeteBucFan. Arroyo caused the entire breakdown of the offensive unit last yesr. That could be the main reasons the Browns went after McCown was they saw how bad Arroyo scheme made everyone.
July 8th, 2015 at 9:58 pm
Pro Football Focus took a brief look at how much help a running back receives from his offensive line in terms of yards gained before contact. At #7 overall was Bobby Rainey at 2.3 avg before contact. PFF also ranked Tampa Bay 8th overall in run blocking. Last in pass blocking. My point is that it was not all of the offensive lines fault last year. McClown sucked and the blocking from the Bucs running backs and tight ends was almost knowhere to be found. The blocking from Dotson, Smith and Mankins was far from horrible.