Alex Cappa: Plan Was To “Gas Them Out”
December 14th, 2021
“Let us breathe over here, Tommy.”
Astute observers of Buccaneers football have noticed a lot of no-huddle from the offense over the past month.
It works. The Bucs seem built for it, and Tom Brady is as cool anyone in that approach.
It’s part of what led to the Bucs’ quick start Sunday against Buffalo and the week prior versus Atlanta.
Veteran right guard Alex Cappa talked about playing fast yesterday on Bucs Total Access. He explained it was part of a broader strategy against Buffalo.
“It was a lot of no huddle and I think we were just in a good rhythm,” Cappa said of the first-half attack. “I feel like our offense is pretty heavily like rhythm-based. Like when we’re in a good rhythm it’s tough to stop us. And I think we were trying to gas them out a little bit. Our O-line might have been gassed out a little, too. Yeah, we had some good pressure on them. … “Usually at the end of the first quarter you’re not looking at everybody and we’re all just gassed out; it’s the first quarter still.”
That’s the thing about no-huddle. The downside is gassing your own team, and the Bucs don’t train like Chip Kelly’s high-octane, top-5-ranked Eagles offenses of 2013 and 2014.
It almost felt like Buffalo was better equipped for the warm temperatures.
Was the early success and tempo a factor in the second half, when the Bucs’ mustered just three points? Cappa didn’t go there, and Joe won’t go there either. The Bucs are way too talented to score three points in a half against anyone.
December 14th, 2021 at 10:48 am
Cappa must have gassed himself, because he gave up a sack on Brady way too easily.
December 14th, 2021 at 10:55 am
Yep….who got gassed? And, I certainly agree…3 points in a half with this offense against anyone is an absolute failure…..
Many think our defense collapsed…..but I think the opposite…..we failed miserably on offense and it started in the first half by not capitalizing on the Sherman interception…..then the fake punt……no points off of either of those….
We need to concentrate on moving the chains when we have a lead…..stop with the absolute stupid, stupid empty backfields.
December 14th, 2021 at 10:56 am
There are way too many vets, including Tom, to where we can be darting back and fourth with no huddle the entire game. Who the hell wouldn’t want Brady to not be talking in the huddle anyway? Especially in the playoffs.
December 14th, 2021 at 10:56 am
The Bucs defense was the only team looking gassed, which is probably why that time out was called by the Bucs late in the fourth quarter. I think the team needed to catch its breath, they were on that field for far too long.
The defense gets props for coming up big though. After losing that OT coin toss, I think most thinking fans were in cringe mode. They got their stop, and the offense did the rest.
Again, the strategy in the second half was using the offense as a form of “prevent defense.” That made the offense sputter. The Bucs just don’t have that between-the-tackles running game.
December 14th, 2021 at 11:06 am
When you allow 27 points to be scored on you in a half, it is safe to say the defense collapsed. Especially when you allow it to happen so fast.
December 14th, 2021 at 11:08 am
Giving up a sack to that monster defense is not a horrible thing. Giving up multiple sacks would’ve been a problem, obviously.
December 14th, 2021 at 11:19 am
TBBF- I couldn’t agree more. Our offense sputtered and gave the ball back to Buffalo too quickly. We have to find the balanced “sweet spot” between moving the chains and going for the jugular.
We throw deep on third and short/medium too often, IMO. Move the chains.
December 14th, 2021 at 11:46 am
IMO,. The defense went to a more prevent style of play the second half. In the first half they were filling the box and moving around pre snap, blitzing from the safety, linebacker, or corners. That was keeping the Bills very confused. This was very effective.
In the 2nd half the Bucs played very soft zone more. Like a lot of teams this year and last, the Bills took what the Bucs defense was giving and moved the ball up field very easily. Without the box being filled they were able to spring some runs too! A defense gets worn out when they’re on the field for long drives. The Bills were able to put together some of those. While the Bucs offense didn’t sustain their drives during the 2nd half.
December 14th, 2021 at 11:54 am
The whole team – players and coaches – all of them – went totally brain stem dead in the second half. Fortunately the Bucs tightened it up on Bills 3rd and goal, and ME13 with the beautiful and creative non-PI that he drew in OT – and the Bucs avoid a potentially season ruining collapse by the skin of their teeth.
If the Bills can play like they did in the second half for the rest of the year, they will be dangerous in the playoffs.
December 14th, 2021 at 11:57 am
I agree those deep passes on third and short lead to too many punts. what ever happened to taking a shot on second and short, then you still another chance to get the first down.
December 14th, 2021 at 12:10 pm
The Bucs D let Allen off in the second half, they gave up on trying to pressure him. The Bills, in the second half, pressed more.
The Bills caused Brady to rush a few things, hence the missed third downs. Bucs needed to play the whole game like the first half, they didn’t and it turned from a blow out into a heart attack spiral.
December 14th, 2021 at 12:12 pm
Once you take the foot off the pedal, it’s really hard to find the pedal again.
December 14th, 2021 at 12:13 pm
Brady has always been great in the no huddle up tempo. He gets into a rhythm,he knows the defense can’t substitute and he calls his own plays. I used to love it when Brady ran the no huddle in New England. I wish Tampa would use it more in the playoffs.
December 14th, 2021 at 12:22 pm
Yeah info too much soft zone, although some of that might have been because dean was out. Prevent defense means it prevents you from winning most of the time
December 14th, 2021 at 12:26 pm
When Jamel Dean went out the collapse began. Again.
December 14th, 2021 at 12:56 pm
“When Jamel Dean went out the collapse began. Again.”
Can we please stop with the “We lost player X and it all went to crap”?
I watched the Rams down multiple players still play very solid defense on the road and actually be able to cover people.
December 14th, 2021 at 1:39 pm
Joe … ‘The Bucs are way too talented to score three points in a half against anyone.’
And yet, that’s exactly all we scored in the 2nd half of the Bills game. Also scored just 1 FG in the 2nd half of the Bears game, and just 1 TD in 2nd half of Eagles game. It happens, particularly when coaches take their foot off the gas pedal.
In defense of the Bucs’ defense, they only allowed ONE FG to the Bills #5-ranked offense in the 1st 37 1/2 minutes of the game. Even after they allowed the 1st Bills TD about halfway through the 3rd qtr, we were still up 24-10 but then the Bucs’ offense punted on 3 of the remaining 4 drives (plus kicked the FG to make it 27-10). And then all he11 broke loose. It was really obvious watching the game that OUR defense was totally gassed. We weren’t sealing the edges on the runs & our pass protection was ludicrous.
I kept focusing for some reason on Andrew Adams (#26) and on most plays couldn’t figure out what his assignment was (there was no one around him on a number of plays). I suspect he wasn’t the only one (since our D allowed 17 unanswered points in a little over 8 1/2 minutes).
December 14th, 2021 at 1:52 pm
Joe … ‘When Jamel Dean went out the collapse began. Again.’
Dean wouldn’t have made a huge difference in the 4th qtr Joe. Bills had several outstanding runs (like Singletary going 18 yds over left tackle & Allen scrambling for 23 yds over left guard). Most of their 4th qtr passes were short left & short middle that ended up gaining a bunch (like short middle to Beasley for 15 yds & short middle to Knox for 24 yds). Our pass protection on most of those was too soft & our tackling sucked.
December 14th, 2021 at 1:55 pm
“When you allow 27 points to be scored on you in a half, it is safe to say the defense collapsed. Especially when you allow it to happen so fast.”
Are defense isn’t that good to collapse in the first place. But the GOAT doesn’t come up with nothing, Ima have to put it on Brady and the offense. I feel bad for the team that is going to pick up Byron as the HC.
December 14th, 2021 at 2:54 pm
In the second half, I would have liked to see Lenny or Gio more in the backfield with Tom doing more of that “dinking and dunking” he was always criticized for because he had such a “noodle arm”…lol. Low risk play-action dump offs for 5-6 yards a play..just moving the ball down the field. Instead, BA/BL wanted to go for all those “biscuits” left on the table in the first half. Another heart-attack game. We gotta watch out for Sean Peyton whose ‘Super Bowl’ would be in sweeping the Bucs.
December 14th, 2021 at 3:26 pm
Well, that defensive effort in the 4th quarter sure had the smell of assgas.
December 14th, 2021 at 3:36 pm
We sometimes seem to short circuit mentally… I mean, where was the run-pass balance? We need to figure out how to run the ball more consistently– I also don’t get why Ronald Jones isn’t getting more touches?
Sure, Fournette has had great runs, but he also has a lot of bad plays on critical downs. RoJo will come in, make a few explosive plays, then get pulled. WTF? Also, we are not using Fournette, RoJo, and Bernard in the right situations and also failing to realize we can have two of these three great backs on the field at the same time (can you imagine the different things you could there?)
In general, we also seem to be much better at pass blocking than run blocking.
December 14th, 2021 at 9:49 pm
Keep up the no huddle it works!!!! Change up the plan and have a back up plan. Defense keep playing hard LFGO!! #1 SEED!!!!!!
December 14th, 2021 at 9:59 pm
[While Joe knows folks at One Buc Palace read this site often, anyone posting on a Bucs blog or any football blog claiming they work in the Bucs’ scouting department would likely get canned within a week. Besides, your IP address doesn’t line up with your claims. Thanks for contributing anyway. 👍 — Joe ]
December 15th, 2021 at 1:36 am
I was more concerned with the D line getting after Allen in the first half and then not getting home in the second half. A lot of the blitzes that worked early didn’t work late. Maybe rotate in more early on D line, less blitzes. Save some fresh legs and fresh blitzes for the second half
December 15th, 2021 at 4:05 pm
Tampabaybucsfan is 100% right on. The offense failed the defense by all the three and outs and no first downs or points.