Todd Bowles Seems To Indicate Bucs Will Run More
February 17th, 2023
Mind melding.
Yeah, Joe is sort of crystal-balling this. The dots are, however, out there for reasonable people to connect.
One reason the Bowles ran failed offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich was because he didn’t run the ball enough. Joe has to have Leftwich’s back here a little. No, really. The Bucs couldn’t run the ball. So why the eff would you want to run the ball more?
There are only so many snaps an offense gets per game. Why p!ss them away? Especially when your team has loads of talent in the passing game?
Joe has three pillars of football success that are really easy to grasp: Block, tackle, produce. The game is all about production. If you can’t run, then don’t! You are not producing. Don’t continue to attempt something unsuccessful.
It’s clear Bowles, despite having an offense built to pass, wanted to run more. OK.
So in a statement released by the Bucs Thursday on the hiring of new Bucs offensive coordinator Dave Canales, Bowles seemed to indicate Canales wants to run the ball as well.
“I look forward to seeing what he will do with our players on offense,” Bowles said. “The more we talked, the more it became apparent that we are very similar in how we approach the game, and I am confident.”
Seattle, since Canales and Seahawks coach Pete Carroll first arrived in the Pacific Northwest, has mostly been a ground-and-pound team. But when they did throw, they were often successful.
So given Canales’ background and Bowles wanting to wean the Bucs off the no-risk-it; no-biscuit offense with Tom Brady retired, Joe thinks it’s fair to suggest a lot of running is coming this fall.
February 17th, 2023 at 12:12 am
‘it’s fair to suggest we’re going to see a lot of running this fall.’
And a LOT of 3 and outs!
February 17th, 2023 at 12:15 am
After this past season, even an unaware hunk of sedimentary clay might have said, “We need to score more” instead of “We need to run more.”
First there was penicillin. Now we have imbecillin.
Thanks, Todd!
February 17th, 2023 at 12:18 am
Bowles also said he and Brady see the game the same way, how did that work out?
February 17th, 2023 at 12:29 am
After 2023, the firing of Leftwurst will look like the biggest scapegoat move in Bucs history. And I was and still am happy he’s fired. But he was fired for totally the wrong reason.
Now Toad will be able to average 10 points a game instead of 18. Oh happy toad.
February 17th, 2023 at 12:33 am
I know that Blowes can do more than sit up, take nourishment, and fill his bag.
But some of the things he says, and most of the things he does, indicate that his cerebral cortex has shriveled to the size of a walnut.
February 17th, 2023 at 12:37 am
Need a healthy and tough OL to run. Bucs may have Jensen, Mason and Wirfs but that other side of the line is going to collapse time after time ifit remains the same as the D is going to know that Bowels/Caneres (BC powder anyone?) is going to try to pound the rock if Trask or Gabbert is the qb. Plus the current stable of running backs on the roster are mediocre at best. The strength of this offense is its wideouts so it is mind boggling that Bowels will already be committing to the run. How is this going to be different then what Leftwich tried to do besides the fact TB12 will not be able to pull a rabbit out of the hat like he did vs the Rams, Cards and a few other times last season? I want to be optimistic but I thought the Bucs brought in a new OC to change the mentality of the O not just dumb it down even further.
February 17th, 2023 at 12:37 am
Is there any other choice? Trashk is next up…..dammit boy….what do you do with this lol
February 17th, 2023 at 12:50 am
To say we’re going to run more is:
a) obvious, and
b) reasonable.
Why, you ask?
We threw the ball more than any other team in the league and our run game sucked and we paid for it and we no longer have the GOAT… so why on earth would we not try and be a more effective running team and do it more often?
We better run more often than last season and we better get good at it because we don’t have Brady to bail us out. If we don’t run more/better, we will lose 12 games.
And the fearmongering about ground-and-pound might be premature. It’s not the end of the world to be a strong running team and play defense. That doesn’t mean you can’t pass. The immortal Geno Smith threw for ~4300 yards this year. Canales was his QB coach.
Seems Joe is just throwing chum in the water to feed the haters and whiners. Sorry I had to do the job of adding context and perspective. But I guess being reasonable doesn’t generate as many clicks.
February 17th, 2023 at 12:57 am
It’s not that Leftwich couldn’t run, its that he ran the ball too many times on first and second downs. His runs were always anticipated and snuffed out by the defense. Leftwhich’s main problem is that he didn’t know how to scheme running plays, like Shanahan and Reid. And he never schemes receivers open; they always had to beat their coverage.
February 17th, 2023 at 12:59 am
Are offense is built to throw. We haven’t had a good run game since Doug Martin s third year. We saw first hand how bowls philosophy worked this season and he is going to continue this madness, he will have to completely rebuild the Bucs offense and light only knows how to build no risk it no biscuit type offenses. square peg round hole. I sure am not looking forward to Evans and Godwin highlights of blocking all game.
February 17th, 2023 at 1:04 am
A$$quatch misses the third grade reader conclusion.
Score points, the best way you can, each week, depending on opponent and the health of your horses. (That’s a metaphor, dumba$$.)
When Toad’s defense gives it up like a crack whore at 3am, the optimistic genius calls for “run the ball more because we passed it more than any team last year.”
Durrrrr…….because we couldn’t run the ball effectively, dumba$$.
But keep it coming. You’re cute when you’re exposed.
February 17th, 2023 at 1:10 am
Not with this OL.
Running the ball is great when it works. And Leftwich tried to run. It failed over and over again. It put the offense into obvious passing situations. Then got behind in the scoreboard. Then you had Brady throwing 50 times to catch up. Once you fall behind, you abandon the run. And Leftwich was forced to do that nearly every game.
Unless there are major upgrades to the offensive line, they can’t be a power running team. They become predictable. And opponents will just stock the box because they know when you are going to run. Our defense is going to be worn out by halftime with all the 3 and outs.
February 17th, 2023 at 1:15 am
@Goatfu©ker,
You’re a real piece of sh!t dude. i understand why we passed. My point (if you can follow logic) is that the inability to run was one of the main problems in the offense. If we don’t run better this year, we are sunk.
Only a dumbass such as you would think trying to run more means running even when it doesn’t work. The point is to get good at it, not to mindlessly pound the ball up the middle for 2 and 3 yard gains… Jeezus, what a boob!
And, I still think we’ll throw it quite a bit as long as we have Evans and Godwin.
Keep being a dipsh!t dumbfu©k.
February 17th, 2023 at 1:15 am
For the first time in 43 years the bucs had an offense that could score points almost at will. I don’t think it was a coincidence that Bowles gets hired as our head coach and our offense goes to s—t in one season, and I don’t want to hear one person say it was because of injuries on our Oline. Do your research the O line was actually pretty good this season. I personally saw Lenny miss open holes more than once and the rookie White can’t run through tackles he drops at first contact.
February 17th, 2023 at 1:20 am
This is no longer a passing team nor should it be without Brady. Mike evans has slowed down a bit and Godwin made the big money working in the slot. He’s no burner either. They will need gage and another in the draft for sure
February 17th, 2023 at 1:20 am
Amen.
February 17th, 2023 at 1:22 am
Run more?
Hell, It’d be hard to run less!!!
February 17th, 2023 at 1:23 am
If anyone was actually watching the offense this year knows that we were not running no risk it no biscuit we were running a type of west coast offense with the short dump off passes to the running backs that were mostly ineffective, it was also very simplified with hardly any motions and single back formations.
February 17th, 2023 at 1:31 am
Capt.Tim Says:
February 17th, 2023 at 1:22 am
Exactly.
With an offensive coordinator presumably more skilled in designing a decent running game and (hopefully) more capable of calling a less predictable game, we ought to be improved immediately. Health and greater stability on the O-line should also make it easier to run the ball effectively and a bit more often.
Some simple-minded complainers might be inclined to think that advocating for a better running game means we don’t want to throw the ball. As a fan, I want big plays down field. Canales is not some dinosaur. He knows you’ve gotta throw the ball to win in the NFL… But running the ball helps throwing and throwing helps running game.
February 17th, 2023 at 1:37 am
The problem with the Bucs run game last season was that it was predictable and inefficient. Too many first down runs which gained little to bo yards put Bucs in precarious situations. A varied run game, which is we’ll schemed will help the offense.
February 17th, 2023 at 1:39 am
The censors are on overdrive . For some. Others who type “piece of sh!t” – not so much.
February 17th, 2023 at 1:40 am
There is a rebuttal, snowflake. You’ll see it eventually, by many.
Look at the data and trends, best demonstrated capability.
Piece of sh!t.
February 17th, 2023 at 1:44 am
I’m not sure what your point will be, regardless. I just state the obvious — being able to be more effective running the ball is a good thing, especially if your QB situation isn’t the best. No sane person would dispute that.
February 17th, 2023 at 2:00 am
Calm down guys, calm down…its all good….get away from each other for a minute lol
Me and 87 went through some stuff years ago, and then we became friends….it’ll work itself out
February 17th, 2023 at 2:06 am
I’m curious what the statistics are for success of first time offensive coordinators that have never called plays on any level.
February 17th, 2023 at 2:38 am
It really makes you wonder how much of the offensive problem were Bowles, even more than Leftwich, and how much Bowles actually dictated the game plans.
Comments like his today, the coming of Canales, and what appears to be a desire to duplicate the Seahawks glory years Beast Mode smashmouth strongly suggests it.
Bowles has always wanted something that the roster was not built for. He forced it, even with Brady at QB. We kept asking why the dimwit playcalling, “why don’t they fix it”. We kept seeing disconnects between Brady and “them”.
Now we know why.
Because Bowles wanted it that way, and now he wants more of the same. Even if it fails like it did for a whole wasted season and that painfully squandered Brady finale. He still wants it and will accept nothing less. Keep banging that skull against the wall until he’s happy.
There is nothing wrong with overwhelming physical domination, overwhelming power at trench on both offense and defense. IF YOU HAVE THE PERSONNEL FOR IT. But this is not the old Seahawks. This is not the Bucs circa 2002-2003.
We have a nice mess of cross purposes and ideas and parts that don’t fit. Now if Bowles and Licht plan on completely retrofitting the roster to do these things, fine, let’s see them do it. Let the man of vision make it so. Let Canales, the man who hasn’t called an NFL play, create a “better” Bowles running offense to please the master.
February 17th, 2023 at 3:15 am
Quatch – you spew hope, without basis. Whether discussing the past or the future. Bottle it up and try to sell it. Your inventory will kill you because no one is buying.
February 17th, 2023 at 3:16 am
Max – you are right. Quatch has written some good stuff that I have enjoyed.
Personal attacks combined with baseless hope gets annoying.
February 17th, 2023 at 3:20 am
Sasqrotch – keep humming while you’re wallowing. Calling me a piece of sh!t because I lay performance data out for you and you come back with “I grew up and I love my team no matter what, yay” is like the cheerleader who keeps yelling “Beat State” even though State is up by 40 points with 5 minutes left in the game.
It may be admirable in some sphere, but right here it looks ignorant in a Polly-Anna-ish way.
But go ahead and make in personal if your soft tendon is damaged by reality.
The points have been made, go read them.
February 17th, 2023 at 3:31 am
A good, effective run game makes everything easier if you can run the ball.
Proudbucsfan, I don’t know the success rate of first year playcallers. The guy seems competent enough that he’ll almost definitely be better than lefty the lump.
February 17th, 2023 at 3:36 am
Im not choosing sides…..its not worth the energy in my opinion
February 17th, 2023 at 3:38 am
And back to the topic, a run game can be much better with a much better LT….and my vote is Jaelyn Duncan….
February 17th, 2023 at 3:39 am
Goatfarmer, this is the time of year for hope. It’s free and it keeps us happy for a while.
Yeah, I know I’m just waiting on the hangman to take me to the gallows, but I can still hope he’ll get struck by lightning bolt on the way there.
February 17th, 2023 at 3:44 am
Joe … ‘Seattle, since Canales and Seahawks coach Pete Carroll first arrived in the Pacific Northwest, has mostly been a ground-and-pound team but when they did throw they were often successful.’
Not so fast Joe. Seattle hasn’t been a ‘ground-and-pound team’ since Russell Wilson’s first 4 years with Pete Carroll (2012-2015). In each of those years the Seahawks ran more than they passed so they were truly run-focused. And BTW, Seattle’s combined record for those 4 years was 46-18, they made the playoffs all 4 years, were in the Super Bowl twice, won it once, and Wilson made the Pro Bowl every year. Point being: Pete Carroll’s TEAM capitalized on their strength & were successful doing it.
But in the 6 years after that (2016-2021) in which Wilson QB’d the Seahawks, they transitioned to a much more BALANCED ATTACK except for 1 year (2018). In those years Wilson threw more than the Seahawks ran, and guess what … they were STILL SUCCESSFUL (their 53-37 included only one losing season … Wilson’s last in Seattle).
Pete Carroll is a master IMO at DOING WHAT IT TAKES TO WIN. Duh. He’s been awesome at capitalizing on his strengths & minimizing his weaknesses. Duh again.
Philly did exactly the same thing this past season with Hurts. Mobility was his strength & they capitalized on it. And as he got more time under his belt (aka, more ‘experience’?) he got better not just at running the ball (165 rushes in his 15 games), but also at passing (66.5% for 22 TDs & 3700 yards). Not your Tom Brady numbers, but guess what: Hurts made it to the Super Bowl, Brady didn’t.
And BTW again, Eagles ran the ball on 48.4% of their plays last season & went 14-3. Chiefs ran the ball on 38.1% of their plays, a full 10% less. BUT … they both made it to the Super Bowl. More than one way to skin a cat.
February 17th, 2023 at 3:52 am
^ thats why i was ready for Brady to hang it up….no dis to him but it was time
February 17th, 2023 at 3:55 am
damg, almost 4am, i have to go to bed…..yall take care
February 17th, 2023 at 4:39 am
Goatfarmer … ‘Quatch – you spew hope, without basis’.
The word HOPE implies little certainty but suggests confidence or assurance in the POSSIBILITY that what one desires or longs for will happen.
Conversely, the word EXPECT implies a high degree of certainty and usually involves the idea of preparing or envisioning.
You obviously have very low EXPECTATIONS for the Bucs this year, and that’s your choice. Others prefer to HOPE that we’ll be able to make lemonaide out of lemons, and IN THE PROCESS have a relatively successful year as we rebuild.
You never know Goatfarmer, you might be pleasantly surprised.
February 17th, 2023 at 5:36 am
My GOD ! It’s like they are trying to ruin this team on purpose with this clueless moron of a coach . Point blank…nuff said
February 17th, 2023 at 6:43 am
Article #2 in 2 days that indicates the Bucs will run more. At least I will be able to pick out the words “Run” or “Rush” or any variant and skip those articles. Thank, Joe. Another dead horse is born. Beat that thing!!
February 17th, 2023 at 6:53 am
I also think that means we see a QB drafted that can move the ball with his legs. Not a running QB but a mobile one and that ain’t Trask. If you have an immobile QB, you’re predictable
February 17th, 2023 at 7:14 am
rrsrq Says:
February 17th, 2023 at 6:53 am
I also think that means we see a QB drafted that can move the ball with his legs. Not a running QB but a mobile one and that ain’t Trask. If you have an immobile QB, you’re predictable
^^^^^^^^^^
Good point, a mobile QB would add a lot to the Bucs offense.
February 17th, 2023 at 7:37 am
I don’t think he wants to run it more, I think he wants to run it better. Don’t we all? To many times last year opposing defenses not only knew when we were going to run it, but where we were going to run it. Defenses also had our snap count down pretty good even getting to the spot we were running it before we could. I don’t remember us ever drawing teams offsides with our snap count, something Brady was always good at in N.E.. We have to run it better, not more.
February 17th, 2023 at 7:43 am
Looks like bowles will lock up the first pick in next years draft!!!!
February 17th, 2023 at 7:44 am
if such is the case, lenny will be here this year…
for 7 mil, if they run him into the ground, it’s a decent deal…so he will be here – and he’s experienced and a good receiving back to help trask to their 5 wins this year…
so lenny and rachaad will be rocking 20-22 carries per game…??? and trask will throw the ball like 25 times a game ???
we don’t exactly have alstott and dunn back there…so this could get suspect quite quickly…
if lenny is washed up, rachaad ain’t all that and a bag of chips, and trask is trash we could be gunning for 3 wins…
that’s a what if…as in if they all crash and burn…and if they have good years we are at 7-10…
that’s why initially i went in the middle with 5-12…
#EarlyPrognostications
February 17th, 2023 at 7:44 am
Sounds like Bowles wants to run like he tried last season. lol. Well, they’re going to let him run but he might run himself out of a job. But it will be his call. And his fault.
February 17th, 2023 at 7:50 am
They ran a lot and didn’t pass as much but the QB who played for Seattle still ended up with over 3.5 k yards and 30 TD’s every season except one.
I’m looking forward to hopefully punishing teams in the trenches and using play action again.
February 17th, 2023 at 7:51 am
Seattle had the “Beast”. Marshon Lynch and the “Legion of Doom” a great defense.
Of course you want to run the ball and get turnovers, then take shots with Russell Wilson’s very accurate deep balls.
The Bucs don’t have the grinders on the line to run block and Fournette is no Lynch.
Get the talent to fit what you can do and then start this discussion about having a more effective running game.
The past 3 Superbowls have been won by high scoring teams, Bucs then Rams, now the Chiefs. Scoring 17 points a game doesn’t cut it any more. There are no more ’85 Bears defenses or ’99-’01 Buc defenses. No defense can shut down the great offenses of this era.
February 17th, 2023 at 7:53 am
Bowles is a dumb a**, save us the pain and de-hire him now!
February 17th, 2023 at 8:15 am
It’s been pointed out lack of creativity, motion, predictably etc. was the main issue in the run game. These are professional offensive linemen, they know how to block. Yes the running game will be better and Bowles will be patting himself on the back. What happens when it doesn’t work is the question?
We all know BL is incompetent especially when it came to the running game, but was that really his fault? He played for NO risk it NO biscuit BA a pass first coach. Maybe BL became that fish out of water and just couldn’t adapt to Bowles philosophy.
February 17th, 2023 at 8:27 am
In my opinion they fired the wrong man. Bowls is not head coach material.
February 17th, 2023 at 8:29 am
In my opinion they should have made Byron Leftwich the head coach. Todd Bowles is not head coach material. All you had to do was watch all the games to see this. Okay
February 17th, 2023 at 9:30 am
@ Robert J Backes Jr
Well, let’s all thank Jesus H. Christ you’re not the one in charge of hiring and firing at One Buc.
February 17th, 2023 at 10:06 am
2024 is shaping up to the most boring team ever fielded in the NFL.
February 17th, 2023 at 10:17 am
Robert J Backes Jr,
Seriously. Leftwich as a head coach would be a friggin’ disaster. The dude can’t even utter a comprehensible sentence.
February 17th, 2023 at 10:37 am
@Lover of Goats,
You misunderstand my whole point.
I am not a pessimist or an optimist. I don’t have great expectations for this team in 2023. I’m not trying to sell that this is going to be a playoff team. It’s not. What I’m looking forward to is some improvement on offense — evidence of well designed plays, less predictable playcalling, better running game. I see no reason Canales can’t deliver that.
My only point about constant spewing of negativity is that it gets old and it’s a miserable way to spend the offseason. It also is utterly delusional to have such certainty that the whole thing will be a disaster. To just sh!t on every move as a reflex and not entertain an ounce of hope just seems like a stupid waste of time. It also is obvious to me that choosing to look at the positive possibilities over the negative possibilities is a choice. Give things a chance, remain open minded.
Personally, I’d get no enjoyment from being a fan if I always crapped on everything the way I see a lot of people do. Makes no sense to me. And I’m not being Pollyanna. I’m just someone who enjoys the process of watching them build a coaching staff, and build a team, even under difficult cap circumstances.
If they had kept Leftwich it would be a different story. I don’t really know what I’d do. I’m not sure I’d be able to muster anything but negativity under those circumstances.
February 17th, 2023 at 11:26 am
I guess it was good thing that Licht drafted a punter last year…dude will be the only Buc going to the ProBowl this season.
February 17th, 2023 at 1:13 pm
When you pass the clock stops ticking, when you run the clock keeps ticking. To be able to run the ball is fundamental to clock control. Keeping your Defense fresh by keeping them off the field, is fundamental to winning football games. You have to dominate at the line of scrimmage, on both sides of the ball. Yes, I want us to run the ball better so we can wear down their Dline/LB and allow us to be dominant at the point of attack. Then use Play action to its most effectiveness, not because we use that type of play, but because we CAN and DO run with success, from the beginning to the end of the game. Which makes our team not one-dimensional, being only a passing team. Force the other Defense to bring more up to stop the run, then Pass.
February 17th, 2023 at 1:55 pm
I’ve absolutely had enough of this crap. Why do the Glazers hire coaches who have to force their schemes on the players? Why don’t they hire coaches who can create a scheme to fit their players instead? Coach My Scheme 2.0 had the G. O. A. T. and pro bowl receivers but he insists on running the ball. Now he’s probably going to get another losing drain as he guts the roster and rebuilds the Bucs into a 1970s running team capable of generating no more than 2 TDs per game. Screw that! I. Am. Done.
February 17th, 2023 at 3:41 pm
WillieG Says:
February 17th, 2023 at 1:55 pm
Not exactly accurate.
That actually IS what Bowles does with his defense.
Perspective… When they HAD the GOAT last year, they led the league in passing attempts. So no, he DID NOT insist on running the ball. He did apparently ask Leftwich to build a better running game and Lefty failed. A decent running game certainly benefits your passing game.
This year, we have no idea who our QB is. The only thing we know for sure is Bowles wants to be better at running the ball and do it more often… which is a sound strategy under the circumstances.
B!tches gonna b!tch.