Sad Opening Drive Offense
July 6th, 2023
Ugly stat.
Joe never imagined referring to a Tom Brady-led offense as “sad.” But here we are.
The Bucs were in the bottom half of the league in touchdowns scored on opening drives in 2022. Obviously, the Bucs had 17 first drives last regular season. Guess how often they scored a touchdown?
Try three times.
Remember, a team’s first drive is often scripted, based largely on a gameplan cobbled together from deep research on the opposing team’s tendencies and weaknesses. At least with the Bucs last season, it sure seems like someone struggled with crafting gameplans.
Remember, this was an offense that had Chris Godwin, Mike Evans, Tristan Wirfs, Playoff Lenny and Brady.
Of the 16 teams that had as many or fewer touchdowns on opening drives as the Bucs last season, only five (including the Bucs) made the playoffs. Of the 16 teams that scored on their first drives more often than the Bucs, nine made the playoffs.
What was SpongeBob doing all week leading up to games?
TDs scored on opening drives last year
8 – PHI, MIN
7
6 – CIN, SEA, CLE, TEN
5 – BUF, SF, ATL, LAC, DET
4 – KC, NO, CHI, LV, MIA
3 – TB, JAX, WAS, DAL
2 – IND, LAR, ARI, HOU, DEN, PIT, NYG, CAR, NE
1 – NYJ, BAL, GB— Warren Sharp (@SharpFootball) May 23, 2023
July 6th, 2023 at 8:04 am
What’s worse is Brady’s abysmal 17% conversion rate on 3&5 or more.
July 6th, 2023 at 8:36 am
You simpleton Brady bashers can go eat peanuts. I am grateful for everything brady gave us in his advanced age.
July 6th, 2023 at 8:42 am
Bowles Curse. It will continue. He never learns from his blunders he just doubles down.
July 6th, 2023 at 8:46 am
He was doing what he do, which was apparently nothing.
July 6th, 2023 at 8:48 am
It’s not just Brady bashing, I too appreciate everything Brady did for us. But objectively, he wasn’t the same top shelf QB last year.
July 6th, 2023 at 8:50 am
CLE and ATL having more opening drive tuddies really paints an ugly Leftwurst picture there….
July 6th, 2023 at 8:59 am
new head coach ruined the offence…Look at the big picture ..Not Brady
July 6th, 2023 at 9:15 am
The first two years with Brady.
We crushed people on opening drives.
I’d love to see the data on His first two years .
You know.
When he had a profesional offensive line.
Brady Forever.
July 6th, 2023 at 10:11 am
What was SpongeBob doing all week leading up to games?
He do what he do to give players a chance to do what they does.
July 6th, 2023 at 10:17 am
You are all too emotional over this. I don’t take anything away from Brady and his impact on the Bucs franchise. However last year at a fragile 45, out of his normal shape, and mentally distracted from a divorce he played poorly.
That doesn’t mean Byron Leftwich wasn’t a problem. He was.
July 6th, 2023 at 11:00 am
If anybody believes that Leftwich had solo or total control over the “scripted” plays I have stock in the Sunshine Skyway at a bargain price.
Seriously! Do we not think the GOAT…never a shy guy…didn’t have MAJOR INPUT into game plans? Really? Tom got the plays that HE wanted.
Again pointing out the disaster that was a team effort also involved Brady himself is not disrespect! It’s not a lack of gratitude for the first two years. It’s a simple observation of fact…Brady stayed one year too long…as did Unitas, Namath and a host of other former GOATS.
July 6th, 2023 at 12:09 pm
Brady needs to take some of the blame. He played horribly in the first quarter of every game and simply missed throws. It didn’t help having Leftwurst and his scripted play calling.
July 6th, 2023 at 12:21 pm
Say what you want about BL, but he be lookin goot in dat flat brimz……
July 6th, 2023 at 12:32 pm
My toooo many mistakes 👍
July 6th, 2023 at 1:08 pm
8 total TDs scored in the first half of 17 games. We only scored 2 of those 8 1st half TDs in the first quarter of games. Not only is that bad, but does that make Tom Squidward or Patrick or Plankton?
July 6th, 2023 at 2:20 pm
Grover, apparently Bowles learned, and didn’t double down, he fired Leftwich didn’t he? He went out and hired a young offensive mind in Canales, and we’ll see how it turns out. Bowles could’ve stayed the course with Lefty doubling down, but he didn’t.
July 6th, 2023 at 4:09 pm
It’s “sad” that Joe thinks Tom Brady had a “sad” offense when it was #2 in passing yards
July 6th, 2023 at 4:39 pm
Brady was sacked 2.9% of the time he went back to pass. Best in the league. Best in his Bucs career. He was sacked 4.8% of the time he went back to pass as a Patriot.
The offensive line was far from great and Brady was far from good. He stunk last season as a QB, 18th in league in QB Rating and QBR, one behind Justin Fields. You can’t give Brady 100% of the credit for 2020 and 2021 (some of you credit him with 2019) and none of the blame in 2022. He sucked. Or as Koetter used to say, “He chose to suck.” And he did.
July 6th, 2023 at 8:14 pm
@Brandon, that’s not a contextual stat at all… he rushed his plays to due his uneasiness with the line, it’s why so many plays never got past the line of scrimmage and/or why this BA/BL vertical offense was rendered useless.
July 7th, 2023 at 1:56 am
We all knew that our offense started games with Nada and zilch.
No effective run game. No time in the pocket for Brady. And piss poor game plans. Play calls?… Geez!
Should have benched Leftnut before mid season.
Go Bucs!