Marcus Mariota Being Marcus Mariota Explains How Bucs Offense Has Been Stifled
December 5th, 2022
“My name isn’t ‘Marcus.'”
It’s very, very difficult for Joe to believe that one of the best offenses in the NFL led by a quarterback who should have been the MVP last year, throwing for over 5,000 yards, can overnight turn this miserable.
Sure, the loss of Super Bowl-winning coach Bucco Bruce Arians is clearly a major setback. Still, the Bucs offense shouldn’t be this neutered.
It’s very difficult for Joe to believe the loss of a tight end, center and left guard would thoroughly drag down an offense this badly unless several changes were made in the direction of the offense.
Simply put, this offense was raging the past two years and now it appears to have been fed saltpeter.
Notice all the dink and dunk passes in the loss to Cleveland? Somewhere, Arians was puking in a toilet. Bucs coach Todd Bowles playing for overtime (where he got two of his best players hurt) because he was scared Brady might throw a pick? That is the polar opposite of no-risk-it; no-biscuit.
So what does this have to do with worthless Dixie Chicks runaround quarterback Marcus Mariota? Dixie Chicks coach Artie Smith said yesterday after Atlanta lost 19-17 to the Steelers that he’s open-minded about benching Mariota for a lack of production.
Mariota has thrown for 15 touchdowns this season.
Entering tonight’s game, Brady has 14 touchdowns thrown.
Those last two sentences are not typos.
Is Joe calling for Brady to be benched? Hell no! Brady, 45, is still excellent. He entered this weekend’s games leading the NFC in passing. But his lack of touchdowns tells Joe something much deeper is going on with this Bucs offense.
The Bucs, as of yesterday evening, were No. 18 in the NFL in yards per game. Last season the Bucs were a hair away from leading the league in offensive yards and finished No. 2.
No. 2 to No. 18 with the same quarterback and many of the same weapons is a massive dropoff, especially when the same QB leads his conference in passing.
Arians left the Bucs offense with a mint-conditioned Mustang engine. Someone tinkered with it and it’s now a sputtering Pinto.
December 5th, 2022 at 4:26 am
Joe … ‘Notice all the dink and dunk passes in the loss to Cleveland? That is as polar opposite of no-risk-it; no-biscuit as you will get’.
Yes there were a lot of short passes in that game Joe, but there were also a lot of deep passes. Of the 66 offensive plays accounted for:
o 20 runs in the game (equates to 30.3% rushing which is considerably LOWER than what the Bucs averaged in 2021 … 33.8% … or in 2020 … 36.3% … under Arians).
o 43 passes in the game, of which 34 were short (26 were complete … 76.5%) and 9 were deep (3 were complete … 33.3%). That means that 20.9% of Brady’s passes were deep. That’s more deep passes than most teams throw, and higher than what we were throwing under Arians in most games in 2020 & 2021 it looks like.
The bigger problems with our offense are that our rushing is abysmal (#32 in the league), we’re not hitting on the deep passes like we were in 2020/2021, and the intermediate passing game has albeit disappeared (way too many dump offs to Fournette & White that aren’t yielding very much at all). Oops almost forgot, and everything is just so damn predictable making it easy to defend.
December 5th, 2022 at 4:40 am
“It’s very difficult for Joe to believe the loss of a tight end, center and left guard would thoroughly drag down an offense this badly unless several changes were made in the direction of the offense.”
Joe, it is the combination: of post-Super Bowl malaise, abysmal coaching resulting in lack of direction and poor player attitude, critical personnel losses that were not adequately replaced and upgraded in the offseason, mediocre drafting (multiple years), JAGs, and underperformance on the part of remaining veterans (who aren’t injured). Brady is surrounded by a mess. A coaching mess, and mediocrity. Gronk is gone. None of the WRs is playing up to their big name and salary. Evans is mentally quit. Lenny, not great anyway, is shot and White isn’t elite.
The joke is, the NFC South is so bad, this undeserving Bowles mess still has a shot if they manage to sneak by in a few games, and Brady of course can still save their rear ends with last minute drives (as long as he is allowed to run them).
December 5th, 2022 at 5:46 am
FIRE BOWLES AND MAKE BRUCE INTERIM COACH
GET OUR OFFENSE BACK
December 5th, 2022 at 5:57 am
DR, it was a throwaway in your last paragraph but I think the strongest point, being the intermediate game has disappeared. Evans strongest routes are the deep in, and the deep curl which are both technically misnomers bc they end up being 12-15yard routes. Want to know why Evans numbers are below expectations? Those routes are no longer executed.
Brady is tops in release time and bottom in yards per attempt. He is not waiting to make 3rd reads or allow intermediate routes to develop bc his offensive line isn’t giving him confidence. Also they love the short screen, a play that everyone has become wise to, and no longer occasionally surprises teams for 15 yard gains bc we go to the well too often and safeties don’t play high on us anymore – they’re closer or inside the box and ready to make quick tackles.
Last, “somewhere Arians was puking in a toilet.” If he is a paid member of this organization why isn’t he a) speaking up in outrage or b) his message being received if he is speaking out?
The problems are so clear that blog posters and JBF commenters have this team figured out!!
December 5th, 2022 at 6:08 am
BA isnt going to say anything that could negatively impact his guys to possibly leak. He’s been as far as I’m concerned very hands off with coaching during games, especially after the Lattimore fiasco. It is a shame
December 5th, 2022 at 6:32 am
Problem is Todd Bowles is now mandating this new offensive strategy. Leftwich is just following orders.
December 5th, 2022 at 6:54 am
Clueless Todd and Bumbling Byron strike again. Dungy stubborn and Schiano Stupid.
December 5th, 2022 at 6:55 am
Edsel is my choice
December 5th, 2022 at 7:20 am
Predictable is the key word, the DC knows what’s coming, tough to run a play that way. We all saw Evan’s quit on two of those deep routes, one he caught OB?, 2 he.stopped and one PI. The biggest Brady miss was Godwin over the middle. Brate can’t get open any more and BL sat Otton. The biggest problem is this has been going on for many weeks and it doesn’t seem like anything is changing. Tonight 1st play run up the gut, wait for it.
December 5th, 2022 at 7:22 am
You CANNOT have a successful passing game without a running game!!! It’s called ONE dimentional.
December 5th, 2022 at 7:32 am
Scubog … ‘Problem is Todd Bowles is now mandating this new offensive strategy. Leftwich is just following orders’.
Several others have said the same thing Scubog, but no one offers anything but speculation. Where’s the proof? I’ve been seeing the same plays run over & over again for 4 years now. They were just executed better prior to this year. It all starts with the OLine, and this year’s OLine isn’t nearly as proficient as what we had previously. It’s showing up in our running game and in our passing game. You can’t lose 2 Pro Bowlers like Marpet & Jensen without feeling the impact. Same thing happened on our DLine when we lost Hicks for those 6 games. Key cogs in the wheel.
December 5th, 2022 at 7:32 am
It is the game plans. This mess is no accident. It is planned. By you know who.
December 5th, 2022 at 7:48 am
Agree Joe that skill players are about the same, but the o-line is and has been way different. And of course, the head coach is completely different with “I don’t want no biscuit” Bowles.
December 5th, 2022 at 7:55 am
2 words BAD COACHING !!!!
December 5th, 2022 at 7:57 am
Bowles forces the offense to control the clock through short/safe routes and runs. If he doesn’t the defense is gassed by mid 3rd qtr and they get exposed.
December 5th, 2022 at 8:01 am
Running game is inconsistent- could be good, but Bucs abandon run in 2nd half of alot of games. Loss of Jensen, Marpet, Cappa and Gronk has been devastating. TE production is down- could be good, but Bucs’ coaches think Brate is better than Otton and Kieft. Defensive Turnovers are way down from last year – Bucs aren’t as physical a team without Whitehead and Suh.
Bucs are in 1st place in a crappy division because the Saints have been a turnover machine.
December 5th, 2022 at 8:02 am
The problem is that our drives are stalling and our red zone performance is lacking.
Brady is uncomfortable…..rushed……receivers aren’t getting open….play calls are predictable…
Not enough play action….and zero running game.
Primary reason is a weaker Oline and an immobile QB who has to rely on them and receivers getting open.
It’s a “no risk it” “forget the biscuit” offense.
December 5th, 2022 at 8:17 am
Come on Joe stop acting like you don’t know 🙂 Todd and Lefty have blown the engine out of this car, its as simple as that.
December 5th, 2022 at 8:18 am
Here is the ROOT of the Problem.
Yeah it may be well intentioned but Todd it has been a failure in execution
Go back and watch the Sunday night game interview by Tony Dungy with Todd Bowles.
Todd said he wanted to run the ball more.
OK I get ot, take some of the load off of Brady,
OK, give the Defense more time to rest, stay fresher,Ok,
BUT……….
“Houston we have a problem”
Ground control to Major TODD, great Idea on paper but with a makeshift offensive line overall has been bad. Glimmders of hope, but mostly bad/
Hey lets just cram a round peg into a square hole???????
Be willing to change, or suffer the consequences and get fired for cultivating a Dumpster fire of a team.
SIEGE THE DAY, THROW BOWLES IN THE BAY
GO BUCS!!!!
December 5th, 2022 at 8:20 am
Puke !
December 5th, 2022 at 8:22 am
The statistics are fine to look at but it doesn’t get to how bad the sequencing is and that’s were the problem is it’s the predictablity of it. They run plays everyone knows they are going to run at obvious times which makes it easy to defend. Think maybe the deep throwing stats maybe padded because they find themselves behind so often and are forced to but I don’t think that is the gameplan which maybe why the execution is bad because they probably are not practicing that so the timing and chemistry is way off.
December 5th, 2022 at 8:24 am
Your larger point is correct, but it is worth noting that Atlanta has currently played two more games than the Buccaneers have. Still a massive problem however is how Byron calls this offense.
December 5th, 2022 at 8:25 am
Bottom lne: they should have fired Bowles and Leftwich long time ago.
December 5th, 2022 at 8:27 am
DR, proof? He stated it in a presser, NO more risk it NO biscuit. That’s proof to me. So I suppose BL orchestrated the offense the last 3 years not BA? You can’t have it both ways. Bowles changed the fliw!!!
December 5th, 2022 at 8:28 am
August1976-
I disagree- Granted, OLine is diminished but Bucs could run the ball if they were more physical but they’re not going to be more physical playing Brate instead of Otton and Kieft.
And Otton is a better receiving threat than Brate. Kieft might be as well.
December 5th, 2022 at 8:28 am
Flow
December 5th, 2022 at 9:01 am
Joe is funny, “many of the same weapons”. Jensen,Cappa,Marpet,Antonio,Gronk. Thats 5 of 11 starters or “weapons” right there. And if you throw in a not healthy godwin for the first 9 weeks. That 5 1/2. Be real Joe. Tampa lost 50% of their offense from last year, and somehow their PPG dropped by 40%. hmmm seems like basic math to me.
December 5th, 2022 at 9:16 am
And oh by the way Joe speaking of Pinto’s. If the ownership group doesn’t wake up we are going to get kicked in the ass and blown up on Prime Time just like that car used to.
December 5th, 2022 at 9:28 am
You are so generous with the Pinto description, Joe. I say it’s more akin to a Gremlin.
December 5th, 2022 at 9:34 am
True 941, but Gronk was out 5 games last season, Godwin out after the Saints, Lenny out for a few games and final playoff game(s) Wirf and Jensen were beat up, yet they still achieved. What I conclude from that is BA’s influence, not always agreed with was the right fit for the team he built. Bowles has been destroying this team ever since the Rams PO game.
December 5th, 2022 at 9:41 am
No more vertical game, unable to convert third downs, lousy in the red zone. Brady is not playing well. BL is unable to adjust. O-line is out of synch. The whole offense is a disaster.
December 5th, 2022 at 9:43 am
The OC is also the same as last year and the year before, and arguably part of the pristine engine. What’s new? The head coach! And he’s a head coach who went through 4 OCs in his last job, which he ended with a terrible record. Why are we acting surprised?
December 5th, 2022 at 10:04 am
“we are going to get kicked in the ass and blown up on Prime Time…”
AGAIN!! Time for the players to show a little pride, Tommy to stop playing scared of being hit and hang in an extra half second for something beyond 5 yds to develop, and avoid another national embarrassment. The team/Brady cannot wait for Byron/Bowles. Tom can audible, call timeouts, and be the goat. Wtf is he afraid of, being benched. I recall over 23 yrs many posters, talking heads, and print media gushing over how brilliantly Tommy audibles out of bad situations. Why haven’t we heard that this yr? Or maybe he is to this sh!t show we’ve been watching. I don’t believe he is…I just think he has been checked out this season (see drama filled jbf post after post leading into the season, a mid season divorce, and his beat down demeanor).
December 5th, 2022 at 10:04 am
DR – really good information.
If you cannot run block the running game is not effective. If the D does not have to commit to stopping the run then it can afford to take away the deep ball. I think the lack of success going deep is a function of our inability to run.
Credit Brady with not throwing picks – but at times he seems to give up on the play too early or settle for the underneath route (particularly on third down).
December 5th, 2022 at 10:19 am
rsj, I would agree but it appears like most of his throws have to be perfect because they are always contested. Look back to last weeks 2nd sack, he had a LOT of time to throw, the camera man panned the field from Brady’s view, not one receiver was open, did they quit on their routes or easy to cover? The WR’s are close to last in separation. They are not being matched up appropriately.
December 5th, 2022 at 10:35 am
Isn’t it obvious? The O-line sucks. Plain and simple.
If you can’t run the ball AND can’t protect Brady long enough consistently…. you’re doomed.
December 5th, 2022 at 11:14 am
rsjcheapseats … Real good points. As the old saying goes, sh1t flows downhill. If you make yourself 1-dimensional due to an ineffective running game, you just made your opponent’s job 50% easier. And if your receivers don’t get any separation, you just made your opponent’s job even easier. Hard to sustain drives that way.
Lack of separation seems to me to be a function of play design, the play call (in terms of the defense & down/distance situation) and of course receiver play execution (route running, etc). We seem to be failing far too often in all 3 aspects.
December 5th, 2022 at 11:19 am
Todd Bowles speaks calmly, moves slowly, and never changes his demeanor during a game… you know, just like the offense.
December 5th, 2022 at 12:05 pm
DR – I think one key issue here is that we lost possibly the greatest tight-end of all time. Gronk made Brady better, and his presence in retrospect seems much larger than we anticipated. I can recall games where Brady essentially went to Gronk over and over again when the Bucs (and the Pats before he was with the Bucs) when the team was in trouble.
Gronk was a big reason why Brady was successful later in his career – maybe more than anyone really understood.
Add to this the fact Evans and Godwin are both two years older than they were on our Super Bowl run. Without Gronk we need a third and fourth threat which we don’t have. They tried (Gates, Jones) but even without the OL problems I think the gap between the ’20 Bucs receiving corps and the ’22 Bucs receiving corp is way bigger than we think.
We are basically running the same offense this year as in the past, and I don’t think the playcalling is much different.
It’s funny: I went to the Pats game Thursday and the teams are in an odd way kind of similar. The Pats are better than the Bucs on the ground, though of course Brady is miles better than Jones (who looks like no more than a backup) but both offenses are trying to throw quickly and as a result are kind of punchless. I see the same thing when I go to the Bucs games – the completion rate is pretty good but we are just not very dangerous.
December 5th, 2022 at 12:48 pm
rsj, Brady won 3 SB’s without Gronk, the greatest SB comeback ever against Atlanta, Gronk was injured. Ant GREAT wr, TE, back makes a QB better but if they cannot get open it doesn’t matter. I keep seeing unbelievable great catches over and over but I can only remember two this season by rhe Bucs, Godwin’s ankle catch and Jones diving. That’s not enough big plays, instead Bucs see easy drops. Go figure.
December 5th, 2022 at 12:53 pm
Not really liking bowels as the head coach. Get back to defense Bowles n please bring BA out of retirement. This offense is bad.
December 5th, 2022 at 1:07 pm
It is incredible how awful Leftwich and Bowles have been. They have taken a roster that is arguably the most talented in the league with the best player of all-time leading it and turned it into a below average football team.
December 5th, 2022 at 2:04 pm
Gronk was instrumental in the ’14 comeback. And in the AFC Championship in 2018. I think you are wrong to suggest he was anything but really important to the Pats and to Brady in particular.
December 6th, 2022 at 12:39 pm
Imagine Patrick Mahommes with Travis Kelce the chiefs would be horrible. Our Bucs WR’s definitely are not getting any separation this season and the play calling is just stagnant. The defenses are keeping us in check because the run game isn’t a threat and there are not many deep balls being completed or attempted.
December 6th, 2022 at 7:00 pm
Hey Joe why not put your skinny ass out there as QB. See how long it would survive ! The OL is no where as good as last year.Maybe when Brady leaves next year you can try out !!@
December 7th, 2022 at 12:37 pm
Let the GOAT run the offense and call the plays
Correct me if I’m wrong, but he does have more playoff experience and 7 super bowl wins than the coaches
I don’t think the coach or offense coordinator can claim those credentials
LET BRADY RUN THE OFFENSE
And please find a decent kick returner
December 9th, 2022 at 4:24 am
Defense Rules Says:
December 5th, 2022 at 7:32 am
Scubog … ‘Problem is Todd Bowles is now mandating this new offensive strategy. Leftwich is just following orders’.
Several others have said the same thing Scubog, but no one offers anything but speculation. Where’s the proof? I’ve been seeing the same plays run over & over again for 4 years now. They were just executed better prior to this year. It all starts with the OLine, and this year’s OLine isn’t nearly as proficient as what we had previously. It’s showing up in our running game and in our passing game. You can’t lose 2 Pro Bowlers like Marpet & Jensen without feeling the impact. Same thing happened on our DLine when we lost Hicks for those 6 games. Key cogs in the wheel.
Bingo!!! WE have a winner!!!
Been saying the same thing since the the Green Bay game. Then you add Byrons stubborn/inept ass to the mix and this is the result!!!
I also agree about Hicks. He really helps the whole D-line because he has to be accounted for.
December 9th, 2022 at 4:29 am
Hey lets just cram a round peg into a square hole???????
YUP Stupid… Stuborn…or both …You choose!!!