Inconsistent Offense Is Highly Encouraging
November 20th, 2020
One of the most cerebral and astute analysts in the game, a man with three Super Bowl rings, considers the Bucs a fascinating team that is underachieving.
That was the word this week from Ed McCaffrey, who had a hell of a career as a wide receiver and is the dad of Panthers running back Christian McCaffrey.
The elder McCaffrey breaks down all things NFL on SiriusXM NFL Radio like the Stanford man he is. He explained that the Bucs have been extraordinarily up and down, and McCaffrey said he saw a Tom Brady last Sunday that missed three touchdown passes, despite posting 46 points on the road against an average Panthers defense.
The McCaffrey message is that the inconsistency of the Bucs offense is encouraging. Why? Because they’ve shown they’re capable of being the highest scoring team in the NFL, and that their offensive issues all season have been caused by their own mistakes rather than defenses consistently locking them down.
“Self-inflicted wounds,” McCaffrey said, are a good sign in the Bucs’ case. “There a team that is winning while still attempting to find out how good they could be.”
Joe likes this healthy and optimistic view of the Bucs offense. Essentially, McCaffrey said the Bucs offense — and defense — are so damn talented that only they can stop themselves.
As for Antonio Brown, McCaffrey said the Bucs were still figuring a lot out offensively before Brown arrived, so he views Brown as just another talented piece to work in.
McCaffrey believes Brown is worth the risk because he can still win 1-on-1 matchups and that kind of play helps win games. Also, he said the Bucs are talented without Brown and if they have to cut him, then so be it.
November 20th, 2020 at 5:53 pm
McCaffrey might be a ‘Stanford man’ but his logic on this one escapes me.
Apparently the Bucs could be the highest-scoring offense in the NFL if they didn’t keep shooting themselves in the foot and creating “self-inflicted wounds”?
Fascinating line: “Only they can stop themselves”. Me thinks that McCaffrey needs to talk to the Saints’ defense. They might disagree. Just a hunch.
November 20th, 2020 at 5:55 pm
Let’s put up 55 again against the Rams, they did it last year with J-Dubb so why not repeat.
November 20th, 2020 at 6:00 pm
Completely agree, we have seen the bursts on O and D – both have shown complete dominance at times.
At work it’s called a WIP
Six more weeks to tune up for the run to the ship!!!!
November 20th, 2020 at 6:03 pm
Drules – I take your point. Except that the Saintsl game was such an anomaly – inexplicable play by the Bucs. No adjustments by the coaches either. I don’t think they can be that bad again – nowhere close, This Mc analysis sounds pretty good (optimistic for the team) for the rest of the season – at least to me.
November 20th, 2020 at 6:06 pm
Sounds about right to me.
November 20th, 2020 at 6:09 pm
AB is by a long shot our most dangerous player after the catch. He makes moves that can’t be taught. I say he takes a short one to the house monday night.
November 20th, 2020 at 6:29 pm
We sure have a lot to overcome. The defense is a box of chocolates. And the offense alternates between looking unstoppable, and not being able to get started.
I love that we are 7-3, but I really don’t know how we got here, Other than professional level quarterbacking.
November 20th, 2020 at 6:44 pm
DR………..you know that the Saints beat us with short throws and delays that used our D speed against ourselves. Payton delivered the PERFECT game plan. BL and TB did NOT. We were out coached from the opening snap.
November 20th, 2020 at 8:41 pm
The gameplan is key#1, the adjustments to the gameplan is key#2. The play on the field Is dependent on the skill and the will of the players on the field and is key #3. Who knows what mix of the 3 will make you win or lose. Of course you have to add in turnovers and the refs calls during the game. I propose that you win or lose for these specific reasons which can’t be easily determined before you play the game. That’s why it is difficult to predict a single game and if you don’t believe this then I propose you’re wrong and I’m right.
November 20th, 2020 at 8:41 pm
I read that Ali Marpet is not at practice tonight. I hope he didn’t suffer a set back from his concussion and is otherwise well. If he did he’s most likely out this week. If that’s the case I think they should consider putting him on IR to really heal up. Those lineman have a lot of big collisions every game and he has obviously suffered more than a minor concussion at this point. Best to let his brain completely heal before being inserted into the line up again.
November 20th, 2020 at 8:45 pm
Casual Observer … The key word in the title of this article was ‘Inconsistent’. We’ve had games where we played poorly for a half, then came on like gangbusters (Example: Chargers game we were behind 24-7 towards the end of the 2nd qtr, then turned it on & won 38-31). Other games we were comfortably ahead but relaxed & lost (Example: Bears game we were ahead 13-0 halfway through the 2nd qtr, but fizzled with 2 FGs the rest of the way & lost 20-19).
That’s the classic definition of ‘Inconsistent’. Our offense has all the talent in the world, but it usually seems to take some type of a ‘spark’ to get them untracked (like a defensive takeaway or an explosive run?). I think that a more BALANCED ATTACK & improved game-planning/play-calling is what’s needed to really make this offense unstoppable.We’ve got the talent to do it; just need to feel a sense of urgency right from the git-go each game.
November 20th, 2020 at 8:51 pm
SB … I feel that this team will make the play-offs this year; how far we go is anybody’s guess at this point. One thing’s for sure though: there are no ‘cupcake’ games in the playoffs. Generally every offense & defense is very capable, some more than others obviously. I’m convinced that COACHING is the most critical difference-maker. Ours needs to improve IMO to be playoff-caliber. We’ve got 6 games remaining to accomplish that.
November 20th, 2020 at 8:54 pm
Defense I think you’re correct need a sense of urgency from the git go. With that in mind would probably be a great idea to come out and let Brady make the calls at the line to start the game. Get him and the offense in a rhythm while not allowing the Rams to substitute and have them on their heels out the gate. If we start on defense first I hope we don’t come out with the corners off 10yds. That contributes to our show defensive starts imo
November 20th, 2020 at 9:25 pm
DR
As to your first statement about the Saints defense…
They’re thanking their lucky stars that we never got going on offense
Our defense never got off their heels
Yes we were outplayed, but mostly because we never got started on either side of the ball
Stalled at the starting line, so to speak
November 20th, 2020 at 11:00 pm
Saints are better because their coaches are better. Simple as that.
November 21st, 2020 at 12:19 am
If you look at the Bucs the way I do, which is they are building for a playoff run, then I very much agree with McCaffrey. To be this high of a scoring offense and they totally are a work in progress. Yeah the needle is definitely pointing up. This team is on schedule at 7-3 in the process. Maybe if they lose the next 2, but even then they still have a shot. But if they go 1-1, then they will be fine while building for the Playoffs. I think at least 1-1 is going to happen. The Chief game is the one where we will see. Ma home boy can expose our secondary in a heart beat. That is very concerning. But at the same time the Bucs can keep up or out score the Chiefs. Who knows but it is a fun season so far. GO BUCS!!!
November 21st, 2020 at 3:40 am
There is no way you can have Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, Antonio Brown, and the GRONK on the field at the same time with Tom Brady and not daydream when they might have that perfect game. Where everyone gets in on the act and every play is special. Go Bucs!
November 21st, 2020 at 8:55 am
In consideration, the Bucs game last Sunday, they were the highest scoring team.
November 21st, 2020 at 11:46 am
DR: total agreement on coaching. Still recalling the dumbfounded expression on ahole Payton’s face during the last Aints game. He couldn’t believe how bad the Bucs were. That one starts with Arians-period-exclamation point. This is the most talented Bucs team in the 41 years I’ve followed them. Arians better get with it. Monday night would be a nice start.