Play-Action = Success
January 4th, 2021
Surprising stat.
Joe has noticed something different since the bye week.
On first down, rather than a plunge up the middle, the Bucs are having park-violating, home-invading, NFLPA-ignoring, down-forgetting, handshake-stiffing, jet-ski-losing, biscuit-baking Bucs quarterback Tom Brady use a play-action pass.
And it just so happens when the Bucs offense quit being vanilla, the offense exploded. And Joe isn’t a big believer in coincidences.
Well, Joe’s good friend Mike Tanier of Pro Football Network dug up an interesting stat. Tanier is a former high school math teacher and one of those rare cats who’s good at math and writing (one of Tanier’s former pupils was a kid named “Joe Flacco”).
Tanier is also one of the high priests of Football Outsiders, a stat outfit Joe greatly respects.
With the stat Tanier cited in a write-up on the Browns and Baker Mayfield facing the Steelers in the playoffs — Tanier did not link to it so Joe will guess it’s from Football Outsiders — he noted there is only one team/quarterback combo that has a better efficiency rating on play-action passes than the Bucs/Brady. And that would be the Packers/Aaron Rodgers.
Browns’ passers (mostly Mayfield) entered Week 17 ranked third in the NFL with 9.6 yards per attempt on play-action passes and third to the Green Bay Packers and Tampa Bay Buccaneers with an efficiency rating on play-action of 122.1. Play-action, the Nick Chubb/Kareem Hunt two-headed backfield, and an offensive line led by Jack Conklin, Wyatt Teller, and Joel Bitonio can all do their part to keep the Browns on schedule and slow the Steelers pass rush.
Well, this could also work for the Bucs.
Brady is lethal with play-action. The Bucs, despite popular local opinion, have a strong offensive line. Saturday’s playoff opponent, the Redskins, have a ferocious defensive line.
What Tanier says the Browns can do to thwart the Steelers, the Bucs can also accomplish to stunt the progress of the Redskins’ defensive front and Chase Young in particular.
January 4th, 2021 at 8:44 am
Hey guys did anyone see the redzone attempt when the score was like 30 something and after Brady throws a incomplete pass he looks over to the side line and SAYS (read his lips) THAT WAS A STUPID PLAY.
January 4th, 2021 at 8:45 am
TB12 seemed to give the receivers a couple seconds to get open or he put the ball where nobody could get it. I would rather waste a down than give the opponent the ball. Such improvement at the position over last year.
Check yo sheet!
January 4th, 2021 at 8:47 am
Play-action: Good.
Empty Backfield: No good. Especially when Donovan Smith acts like the pass rusher isn’t there, and Brady gets sacked in less than 3 seconds.
January 4th, 2021 at 8:47 am
Play Action is deceptive by design.
How can that not be lethal with the best QB to ever suit up?
January 4th, 2021 at 8:47 am
Luvmybucs
Hahaha
Yup. Me and buddy were texting back and forth on that one
That play will be thrown out and burned forever
January 4th, 2021 at 8:49 am
Play action is great when used properly. Can’t be overused.
January 4th, 2021 at 8:49 am
Let me change the title above
BRADY = success
16 out of his 21 seasons he finished with at least 11 wins
No brady and none of his buddies here and is this team even 8-8?
Doubt it
January 4th, 2021 at 8:50 am
Sup LUV!
Give me a shout this evening.
January 4th, 2021 at 8:55 am
Been touting play action on 1st downs for months…it works because defenses believe we will run because we always have….it will continue to work…the only problem is that if there is an incomplete pass, running on 2nd down is expected…gets stuffed….
January 4th, 2021 at 9:07 am
I see a lot of check-down passes to backs coming out of the backfield next Sunday. McCoy could be the hero of the game. He’s rested, a good blocker, and has great hands, all of which will be needed against Washington’s front four.
January 4th, 2021 at 9:07 am
BL IS WORKING MAGIC!!!!!
GO BUCS!!!!
January 4th, 2021 at 9:39 am
Chase Young can be a real game wrecker, if not accounted for.
January 4th, 2021 at 10:50 am
Joe in Michigan Says:
January 4th, 2021 at 8:47 am
Play-action: Good.
Empty Backfield: No good. Especially when Donovan Smith acts like the pass rusher isn’t there, and Brady gets sacked in less than 3 seconds.
——————-
I knew some clueless fan would come to this erroneous conclusion. The inside LB came on the play, he went inside the DT who bumped outside over Smith. The DE also rushed on the play… pass blocking rule #1, always block the free rusher closest to QB. Your analysis is wrong.
January 4th, 2021 at 10:57 am
Play action is effective. It’s even more effective if you have an actual RB threat like Jones or Fournette.
As far as I am concerned, Ronald Jones is a 1200+ yard back. In the last half of the season, he was all elbows and knees hitting the LoS hard. I love watching him play. He is becoming a serious RB threat for the Bucs.
January 4th, 2021 at 12:01 pm
How about Young calling out I want you Brady. News flash, he’s heard it from Donald, Sughs, Ray Lewis, Bosa & Ingram, Watt, Von Miller the list is endless. Pretty sure he’s not worrying about it too much as he cruises along in his multi million dollar boat today. Hope BA pulls a Belichick and shuts down their strength and let them try to beat us then.
January 4th, 2021 at 1:14 pm
And it only took them 13 weeks to figure this out!
Not like any of us have been screaming to mix up the 1st down plays and use more play action all. season. long…..
Better late than never though!
January 4th, 2021 at 3:35 pm
Brandon: Who was supposed to block Dante Fowler, the DE, on that play? Donovan Smith was the closest Bucs lineman to him, but Smith wasn’t even able to acknowledge that Fowler was there.
January 4th, 2021 at 4:18 pm
My point was that the “empty backfield” doesn’t seem to work for the Bucs very often, it didn’t last year, it was a disaster on that play I mentioned. Brandon, you’re as oblivious to my point as Donovan Smith was to Dante Fowler. Since you know the Bucs playbook and blocking schemes, was it the TE that was supposed to block Fowler, or D Smith?
January 4th, 2021 at 6:36 pm
Why is it that the people that run their mouths the most go into hiding when you ask them a question?