“Our Main Focus Would Be What Can We Do”
June 25th, 2023
Stop trying to pigeonhole the Buccaneers offense.
Though he never would say it that way, that was sort of the message from new Buccaneers offensive coordinator David Canales last week.
He’s said that previously, but he went there a little differently this time during a Buccaneers.com sitdown called Slice.
Canales was asked how to describe the Bucs offense to fans.
“Our main focus would be what we can do,” Canales said. “So I’m more interested in finding out what are our best runs, what are our best passes. So that over time, at the end of a season, and in critical situations, the words that come out of my mouth from the call sheet are things make these guys get excited.
“From the minute I met with Coach Bowles, his philosophy for what this team would look like, it was like hearing what I’ve learned, what’s kind of in my fabric, which is this team that plays aggressive, great defense, hair-on-fire special teams and then an offense that has an attitude by running the ball and by having efficient passes so that we can complete the ball, eliminate turnovers … just being able to play that football that’s connected.”
Joe had to chuckle when Canales mentioned the “hair-on-fire” special teams. That sure would be great to see, and perhaps the athletic rookie class can help make that happen.
Obviously, Canales wants balance. But Joe is comforted knowing Canales is wise enough to realize maximizing Chris Godwin, Mike Evans and Russell Gage, assuming they’re all healthy, is probably the best way to make the Bucs offense dangerous again.
June 25th, 2023 at 3:41 pm
Its going to be refreshing seeing our offense play with an actual strategy. It was so frustrating last year watching an offense whose identity was the true meaning of insanity: “Doing the same thing over and over again expecting different results.”
June 25th, 2023 at 4:00 pm
So in other words: Aggressive defense and a play-it-safe, just-don’t-mess-up offense. Let’s be very clear, that strategy is doomed to failure in the modern-day NFL. Best-case scenario is one 11-6 season at some point before everybody gets fired.
If you’re trying to compensate for your QB not being very good, then fine. But to have that as your core football philosophy is just so flawed and backwards.
June 25th, 2023 at 4:02 pm
How about an offense that scores points?!! You can eliminate turnovers but you still have to score.
June 25th, 2023 at 4:22 pm
If we can do the things he’s talking about on offense we should score. You people are so negative.
June 25th, 2023 at 4:42 pm
The whole BA and Leftwich policy has always been against Bowles’ view of an offensive strategy. He doesn’t want those 3rd and 2 shots. Folks kept saying Bowles had no input last year. It’s BS. He said wanted to run the ball. I’m totally in Bowles’ corner.
June 25th, 2023 at 4:44 pm
Hodad
I agree so much negativity!! There are so many positive aspects of this team yet some ppl harp on the negative. I guess they’re just shell shocked from the losing years and are worried we will have a bad season.
June 25th, 2023 at 5:10 pm
Everyday I’m either hearing we (Bucs) aren’t good enough We are just tanking Nobody wanted Baker that’s why we got him… How about we fire everyone and then Hire Les miles and urban myer and add Warren Sapp as DC with assistance being R.Barbar, S.rice and see what happens
June 25th, 2023 at 5:35 pm
“hair-on-fire special teams” translates to “chickens running around with their heads cut off”, so long as Keith Armstrong is still here.
Pathetic special teams under him every single year.
Canales seems like a bright guy and I’m trying to remain optimistic on the offense, understanding it will take some time to gel. But it does sound like it’s going to be pretty conservative, which isn’t very fun.
June 25th, 2023 at 5:58 pm
Unbelievable … ‘Canales seems like a bright guy and I’m trying to remain optimistic on the offense, understanding it will take some time to gel. But it does sound like it’s going to be pretty conservative, which isn’t very fun.’
Interesting perspective. I guess we might have different outlooks on what’s ‘conservative’ and what isn’t though. All this article really says IMO is that this year’s Bucs team wants to focus on what they do well. In Canales words … ‘So I’m more interested in finding out what are our best runs, what are our best passes’.
Some folks (not necessarily you Unbelievable) are taking that to mean we’re gonna run, run, run this year, and fore-go the ‘bombs away’ strategy of days gone by. That’s not how I interpret what Canales is saying. I think he’s saying ‘We’ll focus on what we figure out that we do best’.
None of us know what that is right now (and I suspect that includes Canales himself). Until the pads come on, and until we get some real games under our belt, there’s no real way to know how well all these new pieces will mesh, and what our strengths (and weaknesses) will be. Like you said … ‘It will take some time to gel’. I think we’re gonna have some interesting days ahead. Actually, could be fun.
June 25th, 2023 at 6:00 pm
I think he’s planning to start basic and grow into taking chances. Or, I might be giving him too much credit.
It makes sense though. Get the new OL run blocking well, and then work on pass blocking more.
Right round game 6 is when the OL should start to improve. And that’s about when Baker will be replaced.
June 25th, 2023 at 6:02 pm
If Canales can do well the second half of the season…he may just take Bowles job. Not sure how I feel about that.
June 25th, 2023 at 6:03 pm
By that, I mean yeah, replace bowles…but we’ve gone the route of promoting a coordinator before and it didn’t turn out well.
June 25th, 2023 at 6:24 pm
The first half of that quote is great. That’s what an offense should do. The problem I have is with the conservative philosophy of aggressive defense, dont-make-mistakes offense. People tell you what’s important to them. He said attitude, running the ball, and eliminating turnovers, nothing about points. That doesn’t mean they’re only going to run the ball, because no NFL team does that. But it does speak to the belief that if you control the clock and don’t make mistakes, you’ll score just enough to win. This philosophy is why we lost to the Browns last year. It affects end-of-half and game time management, 4th-down decisions, etc. It doesn’t win championships.
The only acceptable offensive philosophy in today’s NFL is to attack and score the maximum amount of points. You want to dominate on offense. You want the defense to have their heads spinning because you’re scoring so fast.
June 25th, 2023 at 7:36 pm
Man if the defense can improve from last year which would prob put us in the top 10 and our offense can score points. Pretty sure we take the division. Let’s go Bucs. All this is far fetched.
June 25th, 2023 at 8:03 pm
I’m sorry.
Am I the only one who see’s those quotes as nothing more than word salad?
And then everyone pipes up with their interpretation of what they want it to mean.
If he tries to please all of you we will have nothing but chaos.
I sure hope he really does have a plan!
To be honest, I really don’t expect him to tell us, and the rest of the NFL, what his plan is.
Just put it on the field and then we can make judgements on it.
June 25th, 2023 at 8:04 pm
We gave up 170+ yards rushing six times last year and we have gotten smaller up front since then – we are woefully thin in the front seven and we are banking on a lot of rookies.
The offense is a complete unknown to everyone in this galaxy
We have the historically worst special teams coach in the NFL – it is laughable he is still employed
Top all this off with a HC that has 4 losing seasons in a row coming into the season opener
Don’t know why anyone would be pessimistic about our chances
Get used to it, six wins max
June 25th, 2023 at 9:49 pm
“offense that has an attitude by running the ball and by having efficient passes so that we can complete the ball, eliminate turnovers” …
Bowles wants low scoring games, control TOP, keep the defense fresh, and doesn’t lose games. It’s old school Parcels football. I don’t hate it.
June 25th, 2023 at 9:50 pm
Russell?
I thought his name was Pulled Muscle Gage.
Got it. Russell…
June 25th, 2023 at 10:45 pm
see it to believe it — talking about the running game
June 26th, 2023 at 12:36 am
Russell Gage …will not make this team ….well ……he shouldn’t!
June 26th, 2023 at 2:36 am
Our new offense as of right now is pretty much a mystery.
I hope Canales can make some big plays with Mike, Chris, and Gage (if he is not on IR)
Right now its pure conjecture.
Go Bucs!
June 26th, 2023 at 7:15 am
Canales is going to do what many other teams like the Pats do and that is tailor their game plan week to week based on what opponent they are playing.
Lets just say the Bucs will be overall balanced offense but they can be pass heavy or run heavy based on game situations and opponents.
June 26th, 2023 at 8:06 am
I’m not so sure this new offensive coordinator will be able to dictate what he will do in each game, because if this secondary goes full on Swiss cheese like they so proudly showed us in their last game at home against the mighty Dallas cowboys with their no name receiver group, on national tv, the offense coordinator will have no choice but to respond with full on ‘air Coryell’.
Hence, no running game at all.
Because when you are down by 4 touchdowns in the early part of the game, it can kinda tend to limit the response if you know what I mean!
But if we do see this, I just ask one thing from this teams upper management, don’t hand out huge raises to that groups failed efforts again.
That May set a bad precedent for the rest of the team. just sayin.
June 26th, 2023 at 1:25 pm
@DR – those are good points and up to this point, I have been pretty optimistic and encouraged by most of what Canales has said.
I guess with this particular quote – it was the juxtaposition of describing defense and special teams as aggressive, hair on fire, etc, and the offense as “running the ball and by having efficient passes so that we can complete the ball, eliminate turnovers” just screams conservative to me. But I hope I’m wrong. It doesn’t need to be bombs every play by any means either. I just want to see an offense that is creative and unpredictable, as those typically are most efficient and productive.