Smoothing Out The Offense
September 16th, 2022
Unmoved by offense.
The Bucs are 1-0 headed to New Orleans.
But being undefeated doesn’t mean offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich is happy.
Oh, he’s OK with being 1-0. But for the Bucs to continue to win, Leftwich believes the offense has to get a lot better.
“I think we played okay,” Leftwich said with a sour look on his face yesterday at One Buc Palace. “I think we did some really good things in areas we needed to get better at, but I’m more concerned about the things we didn’t do so well.”
So what were those areas? One was third down. The Bucs converted on just 35 percent (5 of 14) of their third downs at Dallas. That’s sad.
Another area concerning Leftwich? Red zone offense. The Bucs finished Week 1 ranked No. 24 in the NFL in red zone offense by converting a touchdown on three trips inside the red zone.
“So that’s our focus,” Leftwich said of what he and his offense are working on this week. “To make sure we lock in and make sure we do a better job of executing.”
If the Bucs could have executed in the red zone, just forget about third downs, that game Sunday would have been a total blowout.
This week? Converting third downs and scoring touchdowns and not field goals will be critical.
September 16th, 2022 at 4:56 am
Red zone play-calling is what needs work. Lacked imagination, which made it too predictable.
September 16th, 2022 at 5:03 am
So it was imagination and predictability? Funny I saw both left tackles beat off the snap. Must’ve been watching a different game.
September 16th, 2022 at 7:49 am
Or as TB12 likes to say, we need to play better in the red area.
September 16th, 2022 at 7:55 am
It’ll work itself out, getting the ball down inside the 25-20 yard line is just a step in the process and figuring out the best ways for our team in those scenarios to punch it in will develop as the season progresses. Leftwich took full accountability on “putting guys in a better position to be successful” and it’s not due to incompetence.
September 16th, 2022 at 8:13 am
The only time they scored a TD is also the only time they did not run on first down when they got down there. Pass to Mike Evans on first down got it to the 5 yd line. Next play, first and goal from the 5 … another pass for a TD.
September 16th, 2022 at 8:47 am
Bucs made to the Red Zone on 4 drives Sunday night.
O Drive 2: 3rd down at DAL 20 … Brady pass (Incomplete) … FG
O Drive 3: 1st down at DAL 13 … White run (Minus 1); Brady pass (Complete 6 yds); Brady sacked; FG No Good.
O Drive 4: 1st down at DAL 11 (after INT) … Fournette run (6 yds); Fournette run (1 yd); Brady sacked; FG
O Drive 6: 1st down at DAL 5 … Brady pass to Evans … TD
So on our 4 trips to the Red Zone, Bucs offense scored 1 TD & 2 FGs, plus missed another FG. The 2 sacks on 3rd down killed us.
We had 3 first down opportunities; ran on 2 of them & passed on 1 (for the TD which was an awesome catch by Mike BTW). TB12 completed 2 of 5 pass opportunities (1 TD to Evans, 1 6-yd pass tp Godwin, 1 Incomplete, 2 sacks).
September 16th, 2022 at 9:35 am
It would be nice to see a TE do more than block in the red zone. BL’s play calling has always lacked creativity. No surprises there. Hopefully, he’ll go off script some so personnel packages don’t totally project run or pass. Ko catching a pass out of the backfield after lining up as a FB on those predictable 1st down runs would prevent a yawn or 2.
September 16th, 2022 at 10:07 am
Is Brady too old/infirm for a bootleg option play?
September 16th, 2022 at 10:28 am
Brate is pretty clutch in the red zone.
And, playcalling plus imagination definitely must improve —. shouldn’t leave a one on one matchup with the best and only pass rusher giving you problems. Both of Pusson’s sacks were one on one situations.
September 16th, 2022 at 12:00 pm
Youngbucs … ‘Funny I saw both left tackles beat off the snap’.
So did I (guess we were watching the same game after all). Both sacks came on 3rd down. Given the formations, what were the odds Brady was gonna pass? Dallas teed off, and our young OLine couldn’t hold long enough (I’m trying to be kind).
Agree with Goatfarmer; the only real pass-rushing threat for Dallas Sunday night was Parsons. Leaving him 1-on-1 is inviting trouble unnecessarily.
September 16th, 2022 at 12:37 pm
TE production overall against Dallas.
Brate: 1 catch for 7 yds.
Now I know the run game was important but I wonder if Brady has EVER had a game where his TE production was that low?
My vote is for more motion and creativity.
September 16th, 2022 at 2:21 pm
@BillyBucco. TE production was damn awful. Brady has aways liked his TEs. Before Gronk, his guy was Benjamin Watson. Brate is cooked. He will always be a beloved Buc, but it’s time for some fresh legs. Give Otton some more chances in the passing game. What’s really bugged me about Brate is that if the pass isn’t perfectly thrown, he won’t catch it. Not every throw will be perfect. It shouldn’t be hard to ask someone to make a mildly difficult catch.