Attack!
December 3rd, 2020
“We can do this, Tom.”
Sports is full of cool stats.
One of Joe’s favorites is Stan Musial’s hitting. He had 1,815 hits at home, 1,815 hits on the road. It didn’t matter where he played, he just hit.
The NFL in recent years has had one cool stat, too. Rams coach Sean McVay has never lost a game when leading at halftime. Never. He is 32-0 (and counting) when leading at halftime.
That’s Belichickean.
That, folks, is not just a coincidence, that’s damn good coaching. Which brings Joe to the Bucs.
More often than not this season, the Bucs have trailed at halftime. Noted gambler, handicapper and stathead Warren Sharp documented this.
12: games the Bucs have played
4: games they have led at halftime
for comparison, Brady’s Pats teams led at halftime in 11 of 16 games per season since 2006
Bruce Arians & Tom Brady must use this bye week to figure out how to get this offense started faster in games
— Warren Sharp (@SharpFootball) December 2, 2020
Would you believe the Bucs, when leading at halftime this season, are 4-0? That’s right. In wins over the Stinking Panthers, Broncos, Packers and Raiders, the Bucs have led at halftime. It’s true!
Maybe, just maybe, the simple answer to this is quit trying to be Dan Fouts and the Don Coryell-led Chargers and instead try being more like the Jimmy Johnson-led Cowboys (or even the Mike Tomlin-led Steelers with a certain offensive coordinator crafting a run-based offense).
Of course, the past two games the Bucs got jammed by awful defensive gameplans. That plays a not-so-minor role as well.
December 3rd, 2020 at 8:19 am
“Of course, the past two games the Bucs got jammed by awful defensive gameplans. That plays a not-so-minor role as well”
The awful play of the offense in the first quarter contributed to the defensive struggles in both of those games. Much how everyone blamed Jameis’ turnovers for putting the defense in a bad position, 4 straight 3 and outs have much the same effect.
When your offense can only muster 1 first down in an entire quarter, it will take the wind out of the sails of any defense.
December 3rd, 2020 at 8:19 am
Its insane that the coaches game plan is so regularly ineffective to start the game.
Hate to say it, but we are watching the largest staff in Bucs history waste, possibly the most talented team we’ve ever had.
We haven’t seen this level of talent waste since the Dungy era.
December 3rd, 2020 at 8:37 am
#20carriesforROJO.
December 3rd, 2020 at 8:38 am
Game planning has been our downfall all year. Our offense can be explosive. But not if we don’t run the football. It’s too much talent on this team. To start games as slow as we do. Our staff has been out coached regularly.
As frustrating as this season has been. I’m just glad we’re talking playoffs instead of draft picks right now.
December 3rd, 2020 at 8:40 am
Take the ball of of his hands?? I thought he was “da GOAT” and “best everrr”?? You all sounds like we’re talking about just another jabroni starting QB… Why??? Because we basically signed a healthier/older Alex Smith
December 3rd, 2020 at 8:44 am
Top 10 pick > Losing to the Giants in the Wild Card round.
December 3rd, 2020 at 9:06 am
The coaching staff should be on the hot seat for archaic schemes, no opponent-specific game planning, horrible play-calling, and never taking responsibility–
what a joke that BA now attributes all the planning to Brady.
December 3rd, 2020 at 9:15 am
What continues to ring in my ears is Arians critiquing our defense for not matching the other team’s 15 best plays to start the game.
While I agree with that, the underlying point there is: why are our 15 best plays to start the game are producing NOTHING?! That is not TB, or Rojo running the ball, or anything other than VERY POOR COACHING. I read recently where the Bucs have been outscored in the 1st qtr 52-7 in their past few games. As I keep saying, HOW IS THAT POSSIBLE with the All-Star players we have on offense?!
December 3rd, 2020 at 9:31 am
The key to leading at halftime is to have more points than your opponent….
December 3rd, 2020 at 9:48 am
What that tells me is that our opponents are defensively prepared better than our own offense. Maybe it’s a matter of being predictable. In my opinion, we need to shake up our game plan. Make the opposing team guess more on what defense to run. This is where I do agree on using more motion, and the run game.
December 3rd, 2020 at 9:53 am
Wow Joe, I was soooo proud of you, right up until the very end when you obviously just couldn’t help yourself …
“Of course, the past two games the Bucs got jammed by awful defensive gameplans. That plays a not-so-minor role as well.”
Yes, the defensive game-plans left a LOT to be desired in the 1st half of each game especially. But they adjusted fairly well at halftime; they just need to game-plan better OR adjust quicker.
In BOTH those last 2 losses though the Bucs’ offense could’ve done a LOT more to help out the defense. Put another way, the Bucs’ offense didn’t hold up their end of the bargain.
o Rams game: We were close enough at halftime (trailing 17-14), but the Bucs’ offense didn’t do much in the 2nd half, although the Bucs’ defense stiffened and held the Rams to 10 pts. 3rd qtr: FG (after the defense intercepted Goff), Brady INT (at Bucs 37-yd line), Punt, Punt. 4th qtr: Punt, 4-and-out (downs), Godwin TD (after the defense intercepted Goff), Brady INT (at Rams 37-yd line). Our defense had TWO INTs which allowed our offense to score our only 10 pts. Of course since we lost, the defense sucks.
o Chiefs game: We got trounced in the 1st qtr (behind 17-0), but weren’t helped much by the Bucs’ offense (PUNT, PUNT, PUNT, PUNT). We closed it to 20-7 by halftime thanks to, oh ya, a Bucs’ defense fumble recovery of a Mahomes fumble (Bucs’ offense went on to score a TD off of that FR). The Bucs started off the 2nd half decently with a FG, but then Brady threw TWO INTs in the rest of the 3rd qtr before getting his act together & throwing for 2 TDs to make the score 27-24 Chiefs with 4 mins left. Bucs’ defense held the Chiefs to ONE TD in the 2nd half, but couldn’t shut them down at the very end to get our offense the ball back (bummer).
Point being … our defense does have to start faster like you say Joe, but a lot of that depends on our offense starting faster also AND making fewer TOs. BOTH sides of the ball have a LOT of work to do during this BYE week. And oh ya, so does our coaching staff.
December 3rd, 2020 at 10:40 am
We have the players but not the coaching to be champion level. Very very inept coaching staff. SMH
December 3rd, 2020 at 11:34 am
This is clear evidence that our offensive coaching staff is horrible. Once the Bucs get behind enough to throw the game plan out, the talent level shows through and they start moving the ball and scoring.
The Left Sandwich Offense is a failure. A bad mix of ideas and egos.
December 3rd, 2020 at 12:13 pm
Etzel says: Top 10 pick > Losing to the Giants in the Wild Card round.
No way. Too many years without a sniff of the playoffs. This is already the best season in years. The playoff-void has to end.
December 3rd, 2020 at 6:53 pm
4, 3 and outs in a row makes it pretty impossible for any D to start a game
yet the ridiculous lack of attention to their most dynamic player – I mean when you form a D game plan, should you not start with their most dangerous weapons and force them to use their third and fourth options to win? Double Kelce and Hill, force Watkins coming off IR to beat me….but no, we just treat Altrick Robinson the same way we treat Hill….Busch league coaching effort
since we lost VV, the D has gone wayyyyyyy down
December 4th, 2020 at 12:33 pm
The defensive coaching staff isn’t much better.