“Atrocious” Screen Game
December 21st, 2020
An ex-Buc explains first-half woes
A prominent former Buccaneer has watched the Bucs-Falcons film and shared ideas on what went wrong in the first half yesterday, when the Bucs flashed fans back to 2013.
Longtime tight end Anthony Becht, who has been busy on national Monday Night Football radio broadcasts, still lives in the Tampa Bay area and pays very close attention to the Buccaneers.
He hopped on WDAE radio this morning and said the Bucs’ slow start yesterday was tied to two factors offensively: confusion and poor finishing on the offensive line, as well as failed screen-pass attempts.
“Another thing that I think has to be better that was atrocious in the game was the screen game,” Becht said. “It was just atrocious. Three screens, they couldn’t get anything, pressure, they couldn’t get the right timing with the [running] back.”
Becht detailed an unfinished block by Ali Marpet that he said could have sent Leonard Fournette to the house. And Becht spelled out center Ryan Jensen being confused by the Falcons’ pass rush and changing looks. He also noted that fill-in left tackle Josh Wells had an up-and-down day, and Becht speculated Tom Brady wasn’t confident in his pass blocking early and was feeling rushed.
Of course, it all got fixed after halftime.
December 21st, 2020 at 2:32 pm
And contrast the above observations with the Saints… Chiefs game! Damn Stone Age in comparison.
I don’t know if you have ever seen really elite flag football teams play… after watching Mahomes play a few times I have seen the future of the NFL
and it made me think back to the grizzled ole defensive coach disbelief at the game at the end of his days coaching with the Bucs…, “ football has turned into basketball on grass”
Eye to the future scouts! Eye to the future!
December 21st, 2020 at 2:39 pm
Lol this has been a freaking issue for years. We suck. I mean absolutely suck at it. These guys are awful in space. If I could pin point one issue this is a way you deal with pressure. ….against the saints we could have used it but we are not physical enough to do it. Glad someone finally talked about it
December 21st, 2020 at 2:40 pm
The 2 faces of Eve. An old movie about a person with multiple personalities. Seems the Bucs have two personalities also. Ugly ass bunglers in the first half. Playoff contenders in the second half. I almost turned my TV off after the first quarter! Could we please see 4 quarters of solid play in the final two games?
December 21st, 2020 at 2:42 pm
Brady was changing Jensen’s miss-calls at the LOS.
December 21st, 2020 at 2:43 pm
I am going to assume that everyone on this page watched the game. I could only watch the animated coverage on ESPN gamecast but today I watched the full highlights. Here’s an old saying. “different as daylight and dark” There’s only 2 games left so I suggest we let Slingblade be the DC and Send BA and BL to a motel 6 in Montana. I’m sure they will leave a light on for them. When I read some of the “experts” talk about how good their defense is, I say “WTF” Yes, their defensive line is good IN THE SECOND HALF Send the coaches somewhere that they can’t screw up the Bucs. Tommy Boy can’t keep cleaning up Todd Bowles’ mess. The O-line was much better IN THE SECOND HALF and Tompa was a frick’n surgeon in the 2nd half. Wouldn’t it be great if the Bucs hired Josh McDaniels
December 21st, 2020 at 2:46 pm
Oh I forgot to credit Floyd Peters with his “ basketball on grass “ statement!
December 21st, 2020 at 3:00 pm
Screen game? What if a back can catch the damn ball might help.
December 21st, 2020 at 3:06 pm
if they suck at it, why keep trying……or at least open them up like they did in the 2nd 1/2….get em off their game, then throw the screen…….sure the rb’s drop a lot, but TB throws to their BACK shoulder, which exposes them and they could very likely get lit up! but they never catch it, so who knows…. LOL
December 21st, 2020 at 3:18 pm
It would be nice to see a good screen play. I dont understand because we did really good on screen plays in 2019(except the ints lol).
But we are still in a great place with our front line. We have had great success at running the ball. That minght cone in handy in January.
December 21st, 2020 at 3:29 pm
WR & TE screens work because they catch the ball.
Brady has been uncomfortable early in most games….I’m not quite sure this is coaching….
I’m sure the coaches have paid much attention to our slow starts and have tried everything to rectify them…..perhaps they should do absolutely nothing….tell Brady to just go out and play….make the calls early…
December 21st, 2020 at 3:41 pm
Screen game has been abysmal for years. This year is no different. We need to have an answer to the pass rush. If we can’t run the ball, play action becomes ineffective and opposing defenses can rush to a spot and find Brady there every time. An effective screen game serves the same purpose as a run game, it slows the pass rush. This has to improve or it’ll be a quick exit from the playoffs.
December 21st, 2020 at 3:51 pm
To get an effective screen game you first must figure out how to transform BL into a legit OC.
December 21st, 2020 at 3:53 pm
I don’t agree that all the screen pass failures were on the RB’s inability to catch the ball. Yes, some of the failures were because of dropped passes (e.g., Vaughn dropped one that he could have gotten big yardage on). But others were clearly on Brady not getting the ball where the RB could easily catch it and take off. RBs coming out of the backfield shouldn’t have to make circus catches. They need to get the ball cleanly where they can quickly survey the blocks down field and burst forward.
December 21st, 2020 at 4:10 pm
The way I see it is the offensive game plan in the 1st half is trying to setup plays later in the game, they’re out thinking themselves. Then we get behind and game plan goes out the door. Then it becomes a matter of just moving the chains with plays that work. Maybe they should stop trying to be the smartest coaching staff and start off with the plays that work? Come out and run no huddle/hurry up offense to get the blood flowing. Brady does better better out of the shotgun anyways. Establish the pass first and then work in the run game, need to do something different, that’s obvious to everybody.
December 21st, 2020 at 4:40 pm
BL ain’t no Eric Bienemy
December 21st, 2020 at 6:00 pm
Eric Bienemy ain’t no Andy Reid.
KC is good offensively because of Reid who calls the plays and Mahomes who is crazy talented. Not because of Eric Bienemy. That is crazy talk.
Eric Bienemy only other offensive coordinator job was with Colorado in 2011 and 2012 and those offenses were some of the worst in the league. What behind the scene stuff do you have on EB to suggest he is good.
There is a chance that Eric Bienemy is better than BL but there is really no way for you to know that. Come on man.
December 21st, 2020 at 6:15 pm
For some reason the Bucs can’t get blockers in front of a screen, never have been able to. We have some receivers who are good enough blockers that they could make it work, next season. It is too late to work on something like that now.
Now they need to find a way to get TB into the game earlier. I could see how apprehensive he was to start the game and too many of the plays were too long developing. That can change quickly enough.
December 21st, 2020 at 6:21 pm
2011 was 10 years ago man….
All the work under Reid has to be worth something. I’ll take Andy’s word for it.
December 21st, 2020 at 7:35 pm
The screen pass is a “touch” pass not a bullet throw like you might throw to a wide receiver. Tom sometimes zips the ball too hard. He also has made a number of throws that don’t slightly lead the back forcing the rb to make an awkward attempt to adjust to the ball. Maybe the backs he threw to in Boston had hands like a wide receiver. The Bucs rbs need a softer throw that leads them slightly up field that they can catch without breaking stride or reaching back. It could be that the short preseason meant not enough practice on screens. But some of blame is on both the qb and the backs. Most of their screen plays have looked out of synch.
December 22nd, 2020 at 2:37 pm
James White.
The Bucs should really consider throwing a draft pick to NE after the season for this guy; hands as good out of the backfield as anyone I’ve ever seen. Also a FLA guy, first-rate person and a first-rate teammate. May actually be a FA, not sure.