“Explosive”
July 9th, 2019
The way Joe looks at the Bucs, two outcomes could happen this season.
One is the team blows up, meaning remains the same or regresses.
The second would be the team blows up in a good way with an explosive offense.
Typing for USA Today, Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz leaned toward the latter. He listed five “explosive” teams for 2019, and included the Bucs.
As the NFL’s oldest head coaching hire at 66, Bruce Arians is no doubt an outlier. That label, however, extends beyond his age, as the former Cardinals coach’s downfield passing attack stands out in an era of dink-and-dunk offenses. He arrives in Tampa Bay with a fitting focal point in Jameis Winston, whose audacious approach is reflected by a league-leading average of 10.7 air yards per attempt since 2016, according to Next Gen Stats.
The Buccaneers already have proven they can generate long gains with ease, as they trailed only the Chiefs in pass plays of 20-plus yards (71) in 2018. But a league-worst 35 turnovers proved to be a significant stumbling block, as an offense that ranked third in yardage (415.5 per game) finished just 12th in scoring (24.8 points per game). Learning to be more discerning while still embracing Arians’ “no risk it, no biscuit” philosophy could be the biggest challenge for Winston, whose 76 giveaways are tied for the most of any player since 2015.
Still, so long as wide receiver Chris Godwin and tight end O.J. Howard step up following the departures of DeSean Jackson and Adam Humphries, Tampa Bay could unearth the staying power that eluded it in 2018.
The only way this offense doesn’t take off, in Joe’s eyes, would be the rushing attack drags it down and forces the Bucs to be too one-dimensional, which is what every defensive coordinator craves.
Regular readers already know Joe has grave doubts about a running attack that was simply awful last season and the team willfully ignored any upgrade this offseason.
On the bright side, Joe believes the defense could still finish last in the NFL and still be an upgrade from the atrocity it has been the past couple of years. The Bucs defense can only improve from complete rock bottom last year.
July 9th, 2019 at 7:24 am
We’re going to discover just how important Adam Humphries was to this offense. Huge hole now.
July 9th, 2019 at 7:40 am
I think Godwin will replace Humphries just fine in BA system he prefers big bodies inside Godwin is that n he n Winston have chemistry. However I also think Humphries can make Mariota flourish cuz he can take short passes from him n turn them into huge gains n Mariota doesnt have much in wrs. We will all find out soon n I cant wait. GO BUCS
July 9th, 2019 at 8:12 am
I say we go to a 2 QB system.
Let Winston run anything up to the Redzone.
Then bring in the closer to finish off the drive.
There everything is fixed!
July 9th, 2019 at 8:23 am
Joe, I disagree the Bucs ignored any upgrade in the running game.
The entire coaching staff has been upgraded.
If you look at tape of last year’s run plays, there was confusion and hesitation among OLinemen, backs and even receivers.
Linebackers were left unblocked on many plays, allowing them to stuff for no gain or run blitz for losses.
Also, Benenoch is not a guard, he is a tackle and doesn’t have the versatility of Earl Watford. Dotson is no longer an effective run blocker (unless he was injured and it affected his power and leverage)
They are trying to make Cappa a guard and it seems he may have the same issue as Benenoch- good tackle in college, but not versatile.
Arians will simplify the scheme and running game will improve
Roster is not complete yet
July 9th, 2019 at 8:24 am
Joe, I disagree the Bucs ignored any upgrade in the running game.
The entire coaching staff has been upgraded.
If you look at tape of last year’s run plays, there was confusion and hesitation among OLinemen, backs and even receivers.
Linebackers were left unblocked on many plays, allowing them to stuff for no gain or run blitz for losses.
Also, Benenoch is not a guard, he is a tackle and doesn’t have the versatility of Earl Watford. Dotson is no longer an effective run blocker (unless he was injured and it affected his power and leverage)
They are trying to make Cappa a guard and it seems he may have the same issue as Benenoch- good tackle in college, but not versatile.
Arians will simplify the scheme and running game will improve
Roster is not complete yet
July 9th, 2019 at 8:26 am
Explosive indeed Joe. What the Bucs need is a huge bucket of ice cold water to throw on opposing offenses. Just improve from 32 to 22 on defense and we can finally leave buccaneer cove!
July 9th, 2019 at 8:28 am
Not sure what you’re talking about threw Tatum already has an exclusive offense. Still talking or of both sides of your face. Talk all offseason about the defense was based on stats from last year to rate threw team this year but wont do threw same for the offense but we should take your opinion seriously?
Not sure what nonsense you’re saying because the outcomes are either they win or lose
July 9th, 2019 at 8:30 am
I’m very upset with myself… I’m full of hope again for my Bucs! I know I should be worried about RB, OL and DBs but… can coaching and some new blood in a new scheme on D make a huge difference? We’re going to find out.
July 9th, 2019 at 8:34 am
More speed on defense/ defensive coordinator that likes to blitz/ better coaching / quarterback whisperer / rookies starting / accountability / big beheamoths on Dline
It should at least be more entertaining. Let’s just hope their record is at 8-8 or better
Go Bucs
July 9th, 2019 at 8:48 am
Get over the hump
July 9th, 2019 at 9:15 am
Correction the team already has an explosive offense and like you kill the defense and talk about how bad they are based on the previous coaching staff and results you have to give the offense its credit despite the lack of a running game.
July 9th, 2019 at 9:43 am
“We’re going to discover just how important Adam Humphries was to this offense. Huge hole now.” No we wont. He has never played in this offense. He played in Koetters offense, and was important to that, but BAs offense has no use for a underneath dink and dunk receiver that cant take it to the house and isn’t a great blocker (Good got a dude that’s 5’11” 190, but not better than a TE). Hump was good and reliable, but he can only play one position. We have plenty of good slot and underneath receivers in our TEs that can also block.
July 9th, 2019 at 10:09 am
Hump was good but not for that price.
July 9th, 2019 at 10:19 am
Hump was a slow boring undrafted bum a typical favorite of low standard bucfan. No one falls head over heels for mediocrity like a clueless bucfan…. the object of the game is to win not fall in love with bums who loose and scare no one on the opposite sideline…
July 9th, 2019 at 10:21 am
It won’t be long until our team will practice in pads and we will see how Dotson can block, who was playing hurt last year. We’ll see if Liedtke can take over the starting RG position. We’ll see if Jensen in the power blocking scheme can regain his excellent stats that he showed as a Center for the Ravens, and we will see if D. Smith is still vulnerable to speed rushers (if yes he will need help from a TE who can also chip block), and we’ll see who are OL backups will be, etc. I am looking forward to seeing how well our 3-4 defense can play, also. Since players are also kept accountable for their practices too, I predict we will look much better on both sides of the line from the sorry Koetter team from last year. That should give this team hope for this season.
July 9th, 2019 at 11:05 am
O line is marginal and we have one back
July 9th, 2019 at 11:06 am
And 3 is the 23rd best qb
July 9th, 2019 at 11:56 am
I would also include passes over 40 yards in our totals. Ryan Fitzpatrick had 45 in 8 games and Jameis had 40 in 11 games. This is pretty close to his totals the previous two seasons. For us to be successful in 2019, I look for Jameis to break into the sixties total in these two categories.
July 9th, 2019 at 12:00 pm
If he gets 5 or 6 over 40 and the rest over 20 that’ll do it. Over 60 gets him near his rookie totals and on par with a lot of the better QB’s.
July 9th, 2019 at 12:14 pm
How many weeks into the season, will ole coach stale biscuit go from “outlier” to “Old liar” for all the trash talk he did when he was first hired???????????????
2019 will reveal answers to the sheep, that the “real” fans already know!!!!!!!!!!!!!
July 9th, 2019 at 12:32 pm
Stonedbuc
“Get over the hump.”
Get over the running game. I’m just more scared of Leftwich being the OC. BA is going to be throwing the ball every play this year with this Jameis challenge. We have one of the better WR and the best TE corp in the game.
If Scotty Miller can show up in NFL pads like what they’ve been saying about him in early practice and his college film, Licht will have pulled off another mid-late round-UDFA gem.
There is going to be so many different passing plays with good WR rotating all the time. Evans, Godwin, Watson (this dudes legit. If anything great ST player), Perriman(?), Miller (rookie ?)
July 9th, 2019 at 2:38 pm
Again I think it will be the o-line that holds this team back offensively, especially the run game.
July 9th, 2019 at 3:14 pm
I’m telling you guys, if he stays healthy through camp keep an eye on Bruce Anderson to make an impact. Bruce Anderson made Shaun Wilson expendable.
July 9th, 2019 at 3:57 pm
Surely we will sign a competent running back before the season starts right? Maybe Licht has a secret plan to trade one of our 400 defensive backs for one? Maybe Licht has realized that M J. Stewart is not a safety either, but a running back! I feel much better now.
July 9th, 2019 at 4:10 pm
Training camp is around the corner the first preseason game is AUG 9th that is in a few short weeks!!!