Bucs On Pace For Another Dubious Record
November 11th, 2015
The Bucs already have attempted more field goals through half of this season than they did all of last year.
It’s downright rare for an NFL team to attempt 40 field goals in a season. The Bucs are on pace for 52 in 2015. This century, only the 2011 49ers attempted that many in a season.
Again, 40 field goal tries is uncommon. The Jets led the NFL last year with 39. The Bucs had just 24.
The Tampa Bay offense moved the ball well in 2012, with Josh Freeman, Doug Martin and the ninth-ranked NFL offense, but lined up for just 33 field goals.
This year’s total really highlights Tampa Bay’s troubles when it comes to finishing drives.
Good teams score touchdowns.
Fun fact: the 10-6, playoff-bound 1997 Buccaneers attempted just 17 field goals.
November 11th, 2015 at 10:06 am
Thats why I picked up Barth on my fantasy team!!
… But seriously, isn’t it the Dunkaneers? Post to Evans in the back of the end zone… do it, do it
November 11th, 2015 at 10:13 am
At least they are getting to scoring territory this season
November 11th, 2015 at 10:14 am
We’ve had a half season for #3 to continue learning and letting the game slow down for him.
I LOVE what I’ve seen. Not just the energy and diving TD’s but just as important is the fact that #3 hasn’t thrown a pick in way over 100 attempts. That’s always been my greatest concern considering his college rep and those first two pick sixdes.
The fact that #3 hasn’t tossed a pick shows me the kid is truly committed to his craft and willing to learn.
OK half the season is over and what have we found out?
Our D sucks!!! #3 has exceeded all my expectations and IMHO gives us our best chance to salvage the rest of the year.
Take the training wheels off and toss the ball down the freaking field. Dontaae Dye is from a Div III school…a rookie…and many here are already down on him despite his TD catch. That was under the lights in a critical game in Atlanta. I say give the kid a chance to grow up.
We know what we have with ME and VJAX. Since both VJAX and ASJ are and Murphy is gone for the year we need to find out just how good Dye and Humphries might be. Throw the ball deep to Dye and use Humphries as our 3rd down go to guy. Humphries surely gives us our best shot at a “possession” receiver in the Edelman/Welker mold. We know even at his best ME has suspect hands…not just on Sunday which I believe was an aberration. VJAX also is not the most dependable receiver. Neither of those guys gives me comfort as “possession” receivers.
November 11th, 2015 at 10:26 am
@ Joe,
What you are missing with that stat is the bucs are actually moving the ball a lot. The 1997 team you speak of couldn’t move the ball and couldn’t even get into field goal range and that is why they only attempted 17 field goals. I read on buccaneers.com that the bucs have the fewest 3 and outs in the NFL (the Patriots are second). Then you have lovie attempting multiple 53+ yard field goals when many teams would try and punt in those situation. I am excited how much this offense can move the ball. The touchdowns will come.
Joe didn’t miss anything. Obviously, the Bucs are moving the ball to get those shots. –Joe
November 11th, 2015 at 10:31 am
@StPeteBucsFan … “Take the training wheels off and toss the ball down the freaking field.”
I agree with you on just about all your posts St Pete, but not this one. Mike Evans has been targeted 73 times in 7 games and has only caught 32 of those. That’s less than 45%, and on the deep balls thrown to him it’s far less than that. With VJax out there, or ASJ, or even Murphy, it could be a different story. But Dontae Dye? He didn’t even make the team out of training camp did he? I love Adam Humphries, but mostly as a possession receiver (short/mid to move the sticks).
Dirk Koetter found the magic formula several games ago with Jameis: use Martin and Sims effectively (rushing and receiving), throw some to the TEs (Myers and Brate both move the chains quite well in short yardage receiving), but mix in some WR passes at various depths to keep the defense honest and guessing. Above all, keep the chains … and the clock … moving. All the way to the end-zone; no more of this FG garbage. The difference in points (lost) has cost us at least 2 wins in my opinion.
November 11th, 2015 at 10:40 am
@Defense Rules
I certainly accept your point about lack of receivers. And that is a problem
But Koetter is crafty and while Dye didn’t make the team out of camp he had a HUGE mountain to climb as a Div III guy. The Bucs were clearly hoping that Bell was the great hope not Dye. They may be right.
But in addition to Dye’s 4.45 speed they have Sims with good speed.
I’m not suggesting that the Bucs throw sixty yard tosses to Dye every series but a couple times a game would hurt…two wasted plays versus ME’s many drops.
Sims has the speed as well…I guess I’m mainly suggesting they need to toss the ball down the field, not just the short passes. ME is not my favorite deep threat…he’s relatively slow and he doesn’t get great separation. He’s good for the deep prayers..toss it up and hope he outmuscles the DB..he’s good at that..but I have trouble imagining ME or VJAX running by anybody.
November 11th, 2015 at 10:52 am
Another telling stat Joe is the bucs are second only to the Patriots for the fewest punts in the NFL. They are tied with Arizona with 26 punts all season. I believe the TDs will come especially when we get Vjax back. Any updates on him?
November 11th, 2015 at 11:06 am
As I’ve posted several times, I always voted “trade down” in all of the pre-draft polls. So I was not in favor of drafting MM over JW, but I will have to admit that JW3 has done much better overall than I anticipated.
Nevertheless:
MM8: 1610 yards 13 TDs 5 INTs QBR 101.5 after only six games.
JW3: 1897 yards 10 TDs 7 INTs QBR 84.0 3 rushing TDs, 2 “pick 6’s” for his first eight games.
Also, as I have posted “ad nauseam”; in 2013:
MG8: 1782 yards 13 TDs 4 INTs QBR 91.6 for his first eight games.
But since the ONLY stat that counts is W-L record, I will point out that both JW3 and MG8 went 3-5 in their first eight games.
Losses to Titans (2-6), Texans (3-5), Panthers (8-0), Redskins (3-5), Giants (5-4)
Losses to Atl (4-12), Ari (10-6), Pha (10-6) Car (12-4), and Sea (13-3)
It is obvious that MG8 had the better offensive line, running game, receivers, offensive coordinator, and a much easier schedule than Jameis. (sarcasm for the reading-impaired)
BTW for the three games against ATL, Car (#2 D), and Sea(#1 D); Mike Glennon had 5 TDs and 0 INTs over those 118 attempts. But I do have to admit that I don’t have any pictures of him studying the playbook etc., and that he does not have leadership, or the “it” factor. He just had more TD passes, and fewer of those INT thingies.
tickrdr
November 11th, 2015 at 11:22 am
@ Tickrdr
F#$& Glennon. Winston is by far the better QB and comparing Winston or Mariota to Glennon is pathetic and idiotic. Glennon never had an offense in the top 15. Glennon was the three and out King with all his checkdowns. As I posted previously the bucs have the fewest 3 and outs and 2nd fewest punts. Stevie Wonder can see this QB in Winston and this offense is miles ahead of anything GLennon did. Get off that already.
November 11th, 2015 at 11:26 am
tickrdr … I enjoy sarcasm, but it has to be a little relevant to what’s on tap to be meaningful. MM8 & MG8 comparisons to Jameis are kinda irrelevant right now. Jameis is your new franchise QB (if you don’t believe me, ask the Glazers).
StPeteBucsFan … I agree with you about throwing downfield some to keep the defense honest if nothing else (and you never know, Mike might catch one … someday). But watching the Giants Sunday, it killed me that they did to us exactly what the Titans and Texans did … they controlled the clock (35 mins TOP) with dinks and dunks, with a bit of rushing mixed in. We did that same thing to the Jaguars (35 mins TOP) and won a shootout. Until we get the defense fixed (2 years if all goes well), keeping our defense off the field is our best (and possibly only) chance to win. My guess is that 35 mins time-of-possession and 30 pts/game should do it. Go Jameis.
November 11th, 2015 at 11:31 am
LOL MG will forever be known as the “what if” guy in Tampa…. The biggest what if will be… What if he had done a little better when replacing Josh McClueless…. What if we missed out on JW and got stuck with a stat guy as QB vs a proven winner…. In addition to What if WS had him and our current D…. Imagine all the what ifs they only had a real QB talk that would still haut this team…..
So what, IF he becomes great and you where right all along….
November 11th, 2015 at 11:33 am
Yeah JW overthrew Dye by a step on at least one if not two Long TDs last week…. They get they’re timing down…. Problem solved
November 11th, 2015 at 12:02 pm
I think the last time we threw a fade route to mike evans was vs. the redskins last year…why don’t we throw more fades to evans and vjax when we get in the red zone?….GO BUCS!!!
November 11th, 2015 at 12:07 pm
I think obviously the nucleus for a very good offensive team is there and I am all in with JW over MM but now is the time to let lovie go, we can get any defensive system in here to coach because the defense needs so many new pieces, the bucs can keep 5/11 on defense and build from there, kwon, LVD, GMC, verner and banks, so a 3-4 or 4-2 or 4-3, but get rid of lovie and lets start winning
November 11th, 2015 at 12:20 pm
One of the bonus items on Connor Barth is his improvement on kickoffs. Each time he kicks a FG….he has to kickoff.
He’s from my hometown and I actually spoke to his parents about that and they said that he has worked very hard on that part of his game because he knows it was a weakness….
Happy he is back with the Bucs.
November 11th, 2015 at 2:37 pm
” The Bucs are on pace for 52 in 2015.”
Wow! That doesn’t even include the misses by Brindza. I can’t remember when our offense has been in the Red Zone so many times.
Law of averages states we’ll get more touchdowns. I would watch the Team scoring record, which could fall this year with a slightly more productive second half season.