Bucs Could Have Been So Much Better With A Run Game
January 29th, 2023
Downfall of Bucs spelled it out.
Ian Beckles is bummed out about the Bucs.
The former Bucs offensive guard and currently popular local sports personality did sort of an obituary for the 2022 Bucs on his podcast last week, “In the Trenches.”
Beckles believed the Cowboys exposed the Bucs for what they were in 2022, a losing team that should have been at home.
“They had no business in the playoffs,” Beckles said. “They weren’t a playoff team.
“We don’t rush the ball well enough. We don’t protect the passer well enough. We don’t have enough speed. We don’t run the football well enough.
“There are not many things we did well enough this year to make a difference.”
Beckles said statistically the Bucs were good enough to win with its defense. But the offense couldn’t put up points and that did the team in.
“Defense was No. 9 [yards per game],” Beckles explained. “That’s not bad. You can win with that. You can win championships with that. There are championships won with 15th-ranked defenses.”
For a team that had a woeful offense, Beckles said the Bucs defense needed a lot more big plays. The Bucs had one defensive touchdown all year and that was a pick-six by Mike Edwards Week 2 at New Orleans.
Why did the offense stink? Beckles pointed right at the running game. Or to be precise, no running game.
“You cannot win in the NFL averaging 77 yards rushing,” Beckles howled. Beckles didn’t kill the Bucs for not running enough because of the 3.4 yards average a run.
“When you’re averaging 3.4 yards a carry, who would run the ball?” Beckles said. “I wanted to defend Byron Leftwich but I see that [those running stats] and I cannot defend him no more.
“You didn’t give the offensive line a chance to win the game this year.”
Beckles admitted when a team is 32nd in anything (Bucs were 32nd running the ball) someone is going to pay the price. That’s just the way the NFL works. But Beckles said it wasn’t just Leftwich.
“We can blame Todd Bowles if you want,” Beckles began. “We can blame Byron Leftwich if you want. You can blame anybody. It was collective.”
Beckles wanted to let fans know that despite what Bowles said in his season-ending press conference, the Bucs are rebuilding.
“The Bucs aren’t reloading,” Beckles explained. “You don’t reload from an 8-10 year. You reload from a Super Bowl winner.”
January 29th, 2023 at 8:59 am
The Bucs aren’t reloading,” Beckles explained. “You don’t reload from an 8-10 year. You reload from a Super Bowl winner.”
There is the voice of experience. THAT is what many of us are trying to say. And if you are rebuilding, it takes more than replacing one OC to get the job done. Every year we sit in denial on where we are and what needs to be done, we just extend the process out another year or two.
January 29th, 2023 at 9:02 am
And sure, replacing much of the OC staff was part of the process. Though the last great winning HC coach didn’t think they were the problem. As Beckles rightly observed. “It was collective.” And I think it goes beyond the actions already in process.
January 29th, 2023 at 9:32 am
The freaking guy finally wrote something worth reading!!!
January 29th, 2023 at 9:39 am
We need to draft much better. The punter is the best player we’ve drafted in the last 2 years, that is unacceptable.
January 29th, 2023 at 10:11 am
Genius!
January 29th, 2023 at 10:12 am
NEFan….he didn’t say we already know.
January 29th, 2023 at 10:14 am
Besides…a run game for what?…to run it up the middle for 0 gain?…f¤cking Leftwich…🤦
January 29th, 2023 at 10:16 am
*he didn’t say anything we already knew.
January 29th, 2023 at 10:31 am
Not lying but the pass the defense gets is hilarious. Got the doors blown off them anytime they faced a good QB or good play caller. They can’t rush the passer. That’s what matters most come playoff time. Shaq coming back off a torn Achilles is rough. Need to add someone.
January 29th, 2023 at 11:04 am
Preach! Awful run game doomed us
January 29th, 2023 at 11:34 am
And John…let’s not forget all the backups we will likely lose in FA. Not only was our Offense old, it is obvious that the Defense was too. Is it the scheme? The players? I’d have to defer to DR.; We had absolutely now answers against Dallas after the first couple of series.
January 29th, 2023 at 1:29 pm
Well said. I think the biggest indictment on this team was their epic failures in short yardage situations. 3rd and 1 was a nightmare all season. That points to a system and attitude problem.
January 29th, 2023 at 1:32 pm
I’ll blame Leftie.
You can’t run if you O-line isn’t in on the play. Lefties seemed to not be able to call a play that included the O-line. The few counter, pulls, and treys called worked well, they just didn’t happen often.
Secondly, the team energy was at low tide. They had nothing to be excited about and it got worse as they lived up to their own expectations of nothing.
Hope Monken joins, he might be that needed boost of energy.
January 29th, 2023 at 3:14 pm
I know you put that one back Ian as that monster is way over 27 inches-Nice Fish!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
January 29th, 2023 at 4:42 pm
2023 a rebuild and evaluate. Bowels and Licht gone next
Btw Lichts record is 66-80
January 29th, 2023 at 4:48 pm
The last sentence nailed it.
But if Brady comes back, you’re just delaying it a year. Which I’m fine with as well. I’m not ready to spend another 8 years being pathetic and uncompetitive… A better run game and an off-season without the off field drama for Brady, and I think this offense is still putting up nearly 30 a game.
Defense is in a messy situation tho…
January 29th, 2023 at 10:38 pm
Th reason the Buca couldn’t run the ball was because Brady couldn’t throw the ball down the field. They were all under 7 yards. The defenses then moved closer and thus stop the run. ANy coach that watched the Bucs will tell you that. the problem was Brady. he just sucks.
January 31st, 2023 at 12:42 am
Yeah alex, I guess those bombs Mike Evans kept dropping in the end zone were only seven yard passes.