Blocking Is Getting Better
August 21st, 2023
Improving.
Boy, Joe honestly didn’t think it was that bad.
With Donovan Smith gone to Kansas City, Joe knows some Bucs fans always have to have a player to hate. That’s actually a good thing. It shows fans are passionate and engaged and demand better.
Joe thought maybe Joe Tryon-Shoyinka would take Smith’s place. Joe was wrong. Not quite halfway through the first preseason game, Joe found out who Bucs fans have in their crosshairs: Luke Goedeke.
The second-year lineman from Central Michigan struggled against the Stellers but overall it wasn’t terrible. On one play where he got blamed for a sack, he was taken out when the ball was snapped by tight end David Wells.
Still, there was room for improvement. And along with rookie right guard Cody Mauch, Bucs coach Todd Bowles saw that improvement Saturday night.
“Just on the raw eye [test] from what I’ve seen, I thought they fought and battled,” Bowles said of Goedeke and Mauch. “I’d have to see the tape to worry about the technique and everything that they did.
“But I thought they did a solid job according to their offensive line coaches.”
Mauch looked so much better — in the lone scrimmage against the Jets and in the game. That ferocious grinding until you can’t hear the whistle any longer style of play that endeared him to the Bucs seemed to have surfaced last week.
For Goedeke, well, he’s already been branded. He’s must play many games in a row where he doesn’t allow anyone to breathe on a Bucs quarterback for fans to target someone else.
After all, Smith won a ring with the Bucs and folks still couldn’t wait to dance on his grave.
August 21st, 2023 at 4:03 am
I’m with you, Joe and I’m hopeful for Goedeke. Which brings me to a story this weekend. I met the grandmother of the cousin of our dear right tackle. She informed me how to pronounce the last name which is “Gee” – “Duh” – “Key”. It was a really cool moment and just proves what a small world we live in.
August 21st, 2023 at 4:23 am
The pass blocking was much better, only one sack that I remember and that was a coverage sack, run blocking was also better but still could stand some more work, live work against other teams ,( especially when the other team has one of the top rated defenses in the league),always helps!
August 21st, 2023 at 5:39 am
Oh yeah Leopold ! Well I had herd from the baby mommas aunti twice removed nieces daddy cousin brothers sister that the true was to pronounce it was TEAR – A- BULL
August 21st, 2023 at 5:43 am
Bucs really need this dude to hold down the right side.
Lets hope he is up for it or he will need to be replaced which will
screw up the starting line and the depth.
August 21st, 2023 at 6:01 am
Goedeke and Mauch look fine.
If you are looking for a scapegoat, look no further than Leverett.
That dude looked horrible.
If is is our backup center this year, start praying now Hainsey lasts all year.
In all reality, Hainsey is the starter.
If Leverett is beating the other guys, then we need to sign a quality backup center.
August 21st, 2023 at 6:15 am
BillyBucco … I’d rather hope & pray that Jensen can make it back successfully. Hainsey & Leverett are OK backups, but I shudder at thinking of either of them starting all season. And if Jensen can’t make it back, we need to be lookingn for an experienced starting center.
August 21st, 2023 at 6:37 am
They are blocking scrubs.
August 21st, 2023 at 6:37 am
Leverett was God awful. I concur. I’m sure Keeshawn Vaughn feels the same way.
August 21st, 2023 at 6:55 am
Rewatch the 4th quarter of Saturdays game, 3rd string center UDFA Murray looked pretty solid. I think he played center in college, which is more then Hainsey, or Leverette did. He might be somebody to keep an eye on the last preseason game. Maybe Joe knows more about the kid. Probably headed to the P.S..
August 21st, 2023 at 7:19 am
Until Bucs find an ability to not have consistently negative rushing attemts running to the right side-THEY SUCK.
August 21st, 2023 at 7:27 am
Joe,
JTS is a has been that never was. He’s done nothing but run into the play after its over.
The next up is Logan Hall. The one with the late hit on Jensen. That doomed any hopes of being competitive in Brady’s last year. Cut him for that alone.
Has Hall showed any life at all ? Bust.
Has JTS done anything but run around? Bust.
If Kancey isnt a force on the DL, JL ans Todd are in serious trouble.
August 21st, 2023 at 7:46 am
Speaking for this Buc fan Joe, regarding the loathing of JTS and no sarcasm intended..he’s just been to irrelevant to care about one way or another.
August 21st, 2023 at 7:47 am
I guess Bucs should just cut hall after what 100 snaps last year and 2 preseason games this year sounds like a solid plan
August 21st, 2023 at 7:49 am
Here we go again, hoping that the Bucs will sign an experienced Center. It did not happen last year when they knew for certain Jensen was not going to play for a long time. Now they are hoping he will, so what are the chances they sign a replacement?
August 21st, 2023 at 7:50 am
If Jensen is STILL having inflammation a year later, there’s zero reason to assume he’ll be able to play at all. Hainsey doesn’t allow sacks at least, be he sure can’t move the pile
August 21st, 2023 at 7:51 am
Luke’s T-Rex arms and light base continues to be exposed. ‘Fought and battles’ is coach speak for ‘We’re in deep sh-t!’
August 21st, 2023 at 7:55 am
Have to say I see I see improvement in Goedeke
August 21st, 2023 at 8:05 am
Couple things here:
– Donovan Smith wasn’t very good and deserved most the criticism.
– Saturday Night, the left-side and center was the problem. Better hope none of them ever have to play
– Going to be a work in progress with Mauch & Godeke. This is the deal when we’re spending $40M on Tom Brady this year (dead cap)
August 21st, 2023 at 8:07 am
Goedeke does look like he gives a $hit about his play……watch his antics in the Steeler game after failed block.
That’s a good thing…….D Smith looked like he didn’t care
August 21st, 2023 at 8:14 am
This just in:
Durable Donnie still sucks.
August 21st, 2023 at 8:51 am
Well said BillyBucco. Leverett is a scary thought for C and we know Hainsey is average at the position. Goedeke and Mauch are rookies playing side by side for the first time. They look to be improving. I think they’ll gel. Center looks like the weakest link.
August 21st, 2023 at 9:15 am
BRING BACK JEREMY ZUTTAH & JEREMY TRUEBLOOD!!!!!!!!
August 21st, 2023 at 9:56 am
No Joe! It’s Logan Hall that deserves to be ridiculed. When the brain dead Hall took out Jensen last year, he deserved to be tard and feathered, and thrown into the bay. He’s done nothing and has looked so lost. He just doesn’t have it between the years. Smith was lazy. Too many times did he let guys that were on the ground get up in the middle of a play and blow up a running back. He didn’t start to play well until Brady lit up fire under his behind. It was maddening to watch him during his entire career here. In my Momma’s opinion, the vitriol towards Smith was completely justified. How many times did we see him during his career get holding penalties at the most inopportune times prior to Brady. And he returned to form last year. He became tone deaf to Brady’s plea’s. If he couldn’t play due to injury then he should have been benched. If Lightbulb didn’t have anybody else to replace him that’s his fault. It was complete and utter malfeasance on his part.
August 21st, 2023 at 9:57 am
No Joe! It’s Logan Hall that deserves to be ridiculed. When the brain dead Hall took out Jensen last year, he deserved to be tard and feathered, and thrown into the bay. He’s done nothing and has looked so lost. He just doesn’t have it between the ears. Smith was lazy. Too many times did he let guys that were on the ground get up in the middle of a play and blow up a running back. He didn’t start to play well until Brady lit up fire under his behind. It was maddening to watch him during his entire career here. In my Momma’s opinion, the vitriol towards Smith was completely justified. How many times did we see him during his career get holding penalties at the most inopportune times prior to Brady. And he returned to form last year. He became tone deaf to Brady’s plea’s. If he couldn’t play due to injury then he should have been benched. If Lightbulb didn’t have anybody else to replace him that’s his fault. It was complete and utter malfeasance on his part.
August 21st, 2023 at 10:33 am
Well I noticed that they pulled Goedeke and Mauch much sooner this week. The big problems for them didn’t really start until the 3rd quarter last week. If these guys don’t have the gas tank to play 3 quarters, let alone 4, that’s a recipe for disaster.
August 21st, 2023 at 10:39 am
The headline of the article made me spray coffee. This group couldn’t open a hole if 6 geriatrics positioned on their knees were opposite.
August 21st, 2023 at 10:42 am
With all the worry about who starts at qb, I don’t think that’s the Bucs biggest problem. Neither qb is a super star but both are probably capable enough. In my opinion the o line and defensive backfield are bigger issues. The o line has starters who are big question marks. And the defensive backfield has untested players and few returning vets. Both of these groups are a work in progress and I think have way more questions than the qb position. If the o line can’t block it won’t matter which qb starts. And the defensive backfield is short on experience with half of the starters, and even more inexperienced with the backups. It will be hard to score points with a poor o line. And the defensive backs may give up too many big plays.
August 21st, 2023 at 11:04 am
For all those fans out there, that wanted Donovan Smith gone (for cap purposes, it needed to happen anyways) …but there are many more Goedekes vs. Wirfs out there. That’s just the nature of the position. Show me (2) elite Offensive book ends on any given team and I’ll show you an NFC/AFC championship bound team and/or Superbowl bound team.
I always thought Seattle screwed Russ Wilson out of a stouter Oline during his overall time in Seattle, I remember it was once reported as the worst, or the least paid line in football, and yet with Russ’ ability to roll-out and create time, they managed at least playoff contention for most of his stay there. I guess that scheme in Seattle, which evidentially is similar to ours, seemed to work with patch work linemen…but we don’t have Russ here…so. It’s the type of line that would get Brady killed. It’s going to be interesting to see what the starting rotation looks like as a unit, we have yet to see any of that…and will Jensen make a heroic return? Damn I really thought our most glaring weakness would be Goedeke on the right, and that line would be so much more improved with Jensen returning and the guards we had drafted, free agents and/or the ones returning… but this could be a rough season given what’s happening.
August 21st, 2023 at 12:32 pm
Luke and Cody
Both blocked well
Add Ko at TE
And give them hell
August 21st, 2023 at 12:57 pm
Trade for an experienced center.
Trade Hainsey and Leverette. Cut Jensen. (Injury settlement)
Clear house.
Start over.
Draft a center in the first round next year.
August 21st, 2023 at 1:20 pm
Durable Donnie was playing hurt last season and it was a new experience for him.
Leverett is not hurt, but the center thing is new to him. It takes time to build the muscle groups and muscle memory to play center.
Some of that strain will be relieved with the starting left side of the line, though the back ups playing there right now are doing damn well and gives me some hope that there is enough depth on the O-line to keep our QB upright for most of the season.
Center is weak now, but that will get better as the true line begins to gel into a unit.
August 21st, 2023 at 1:21 pm
I agree Joe. The blocking was improved and there were fewer penalties! Those things killed the Bucs last season and during the first preseason game against Pittsburgh. Progress is progress.
August 21st, 2023 at 2:44 pm
Licht & bowles are making the same mistake they did last year ; in not picking up an experienced center Now !
August 21st, 2023 at 3:51 pm
Well low-IQ dummies are always the first to join a lynchmob – so when some idiot on the radio read a scouting report that said Smith was lazy, those idiots then repeated that for literally the next 8-years, even as he plays year after year without missing a snap on offense.
So Luke has already been labeled a bust by the idiots in the mob, so they’ve already taken their position and it will never change.
That’s what it’s like dealing with morons.
August 21st, 2023 at 4:17 pm
I dared to wish smith good luck in the future and thank him for his play when the chiefs signed him, and had CHIEFS fan telling me what an idiot I was and I don’t understand football lol people just latch onto nonsense
August 21st, 2023 at 4:33 pm
O-line has no push for the run.
August 21st, 2023 at 4:58 pm
So tight end Wells snapped the ball? Confusing sentence there Joey
August 21st, 2023 at 8:23 pm
Agree the OL had better blocking and far fewer penalties. The exception was Leverett who allowed so much penetration that Sneak barely got the ball. At swing tackle Skule is outplaying Walton. I saw Ko drop back in pass pro like an RT! I don’t remember seeing that before. I also think I saw a 4th qtr max pro play where both TEs were in pass pro protecting Trask for a long completion.
August 21st, 2023 at 9:04 pm
67 couldn’t play LG. He was deservedly benched and played later. Now they think he can play outside at RT? Come on. His footwork seems slow and sloppy. He was not worthy of a 2nd rounder. JL of late has gotten too cute with our high picks. OL was a problem last year and could be worse.
We have to get in the Williams and Maye sweepstakes. I’m a Maye more than Williams.
August 22nd, 2023 at 1:27 am
“For Goedeke, well, he’s already been branded. He’s must play many games in a row where he doesn’t allow anyone to breathe on a Bucs quarterback for fans to target someone else”
Joe sometimes you don’t give your readers enough credit. The loud ones seem to get most of the credit for bashing Goedeke. Not everyone is in that camp.
Donovan is different. The dude could be All Pro every year if he wanted. some games you got all the effort, some games he just checked out.
I think most knowledgeable fans see Goedeke as being put in a no win situation last year. Rookie playing on the wrong side and out of position. However he should have been replaced long before he was.
Go Bucs!
August 22nd, 2023 at 11:27 am
The Bucs are drafting good lineman but asking them to make huge adjustments while they are rookies. It’s difficult enough to make the leap from college to the pros. Mauch should move inside to left guard. It’s a more natural transition from LT. Goedeke should be moved inside to right guard (not left guard). Again, it’s a more natural transition. Wirfs moving to LT will take longer then most people expect. In next years, draft the Bucs should select a QB if available or the best LT or RT depending on how the Wirfs experiment turns out. The Bucs need a good GB on a rookie deal so they can build around him. I’d also look at a center if Hainsey doesn’t pan out.