Impotent Offense
October 31st, 2023
Running to nowhere.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, Joe knows people harp on the third-down defense. Joe isn’t defending the league’s worst third-down defense here. There are bigger issues.
Wait, what? The third down defense isn’t an issue? When your defense has the sixth-best points allowed per game average, no, defense is not the issue.
The issue is points scored.
Five times this season the Bucs have been held to less than 20 points.
The Bucs have scored a grand total of 10 touchdowns this season. And that’s with Mike Evans, a likely Hall of Fame receiver, and Chris Godwin, a Pro Bowl receiver. How??? Why???
The 10 touchdowns the Bucs have is tied for seventh-worst. How bad is the Bucs’ scoring offense? The clawless Bears (a total joke of a team) and the worthless WTF (which has a truly heinous offensive line) both have two more touchdowns than the Bucs.
Let that sink in.
The Bucs average 17.3 points a game. That’s fifth-worst in the NFL. The only teams worse are really terrible teams, the Dixie Chicks, the Steelers (whose fans want to toss offensive coordinator Matt Canada into the Allegheny River), the Raiders, the Belicheats and the Giants.
Yyyeeeessshhh.
Given how bad the Bucs offense is, it is almost impressive that the Bucs are just half a game out of first place.
The Bucs have played seven games. Joe hears week after week it takes time for the players to learn the offense. The way it’s going, this team might finally get a grasp of the offense when they’re eliminated from the playoffs.
October 31st, 2023 at 12:05 pm
But,but,but I really like this Canales dude.
October 31st, 2023 at 12:05 pm
It’s kinda funny how our starting RB decided to change his number to #1 and he happens to be one of, if not the worst starting RBs in the league. #29 was way more fitting.
October 31st, 2023 at 12:11 pm
Last year Detroit started 1-6 and finished 9-8.
It is possible for a team to come together during the season
October 31st, 2023 at 12:13 pm
When your head coach values/prioritizes time of possession over scoring points, this is what you get.
October 31st, 2023 at 12:18 pm
Every player on this terrible, anemic offense was drafted by Licht except for the QB and LG. But tell the readers again how none of it is Licht’s fault.
October 31st, 2023 at 12:19 pm
“Impotent? Couple blue pills and we’re in the end zone”. John McKay
October 31st, 2023 at 12:20 pm
Todd Bowles is writing his pink slip every week.
October 31st, 2023 at 12:21 pm
redneck dude show up to the doctor in a suit and gettining out of a limo
doc asks…why all the fuss?
well, if I’m gonna be impotent I may as well look impotant
October 31st, 2023 at 12:25 pm
Although Canales is a fist time play caller, I don’t think the bad offense is on him. To me it’s bad execution. Over thrown passes, penalties, you can’t hand the ball to your RB you have to pass it to him. Game management. What’s confusing to me is, you have a season vet offensive mind on staff with T Moore and the offense just right stink and almost the worst in the NFL
October 31st, 2023 at 12:25 pm
And we have averaged 12 points a game the last 3 games. We are going backwards.
October 31st, 2023 at 12:30 pm
Sigh
Yeah.
October 31st, 2023 at 12:35 pm
FIRE CANALES ! he has no idea how to run an efficient offense. In the first place, why do the Bucs hire waterboys from the Seahawks org. to be the OC ? just because he stands on the same sideline as Pete Carol does not make him a good choice…… jeeeeeezzzzzzz…..
October 31st, 2023 at 12:39 pm
Maybe Bowles should start firing coaches and not wait until the end of the year like last year. Firing Lefty apparently didn’t fix anything. Time to look in the mirror and resign before we get a top 5 pick.
October 31st, 2023 at 12:48 pm
I’m not upset with the coach it’s Jason Licht that is the issue!!! With out Brady would Jason still have a job?
October 31st, 2023 at 12:52 pm
What if that’s exactly how good they are? You cannot scheme a team with deficiencies in 3 offensive line spots and a collection of TE’s and RB’s who wouldn’t start on any other team to do much more than they have.
They simply aren’t good. I could resurrect Don Coryell, bring back Bruce Arians and steal Shanahan from the 49ers and they’d still be about the same.
Scream and moan all you want about bad coaching or scheme or what have you and it won’t change the fact that only 6 starters on offense are legitmate NFL players right now.
October 31st, 2023 at 1:00 pm
Joe, the Bears won against the Raiders with a Div II QB precisely because they did what the Bucs cannot. They physically ran the ball down the other team’s throat and mixed in some passing. And played good defense. They held the Raiders to 20% third down conversion. Running and defense matter.
October 31st, 2023 at 1:16 pm
So can we start calling Dave Canales a failed offensive coordinator now? Or is it still too early?
October 31st, 2023 at 1:22 pm
Possible if you have the pieces. Baker Mayfield is not Jared Goff.
Teams/offenses can do a lot of things, if you have a stud quarterback.
Several playoff teams last year (including the Bucs) lost three straight (or more) regular season games. They bounced back because every one of them had a franchise quarterback.
October 31st, 2023 at 1:23 pm
“The Bucs have scored a grand total of 10 touchdowns this season. And that’s with Mike Evans, a likely Hall of Fame receiver, and Chris Godwin, a Pro Bowl receiver. How??? Why???”
Oh come on. Its time for us to take off the homer glasses and that should start with you guys in the media even if you are the home team media. All Buc fans can talk about is Evans. After hIm and Chris name the even little above average weapon on offense?
I’ll be waiting. Crickets will make the background music while I wait.
It aint the running back or running offense. Thats so horrid average would be reaching higher than the moon.
It aint at TE . They SUCK. Throw a ball at the top of their helmet and its probably too high for them to catch. Present QB1 has always loved a good tight end. He has a below average one now.
The coachis on record and every one can see theres no WR3 or 4 ( best shot as a joe has suggested is White)
EVERY SINGLE defensive coordinator knows if you win at denying Evans the ball the game is a lock. They can do this by blanketing Evans Or getting the QB dancing for his life ( on his one year contract). Canales can adjust schemes but if he loses then its ball game on offense
Thats what all the teams in the last few weeks have and will continue to do now that its established there s nothing else to really worry about. When Bowles and canales talk about “work in progress” and getting better” its much more than just normal coach rhetoric. It was always the real game plan going in . Being a good team by mid season – not starting out.
October 31st, 2023 at 1:24 pm
No, but would it shock you that come mid-January, Canales is part of a failed staff (unemployed)?
October 31st, 2023 at 1:29 pm
Louis – it very much is the coaching.
October 31st, 2023 at 1:30 pm
Joe: “Possible if you have the pieces. Baker Mayfield is not Jared Goff.
Teams/offenses can do a lot of things, if you have a stud quarterback.”
You had me at hello
October 31st, 2023 at 1:34 pm
Ten touchdowns. Baker Mayfield has thrown 10 TD passes. What’s missing from this equation? A complimentary running game that can score in the red zone. It seems like the Bucs aren’t going to make a move.
This is our team.
October 31st, 2023 at 1:36 pm
Got to stop the penalties. This is designed to be a deliberate offense, clock chewing grind it out with runs and short high percentage passes with a couple deep shots sprinkled in.
October 31st, 2023 at 1:41 pm
The Bucs average 17.3 points a game.
————
The Bucs offense only averages 16.2 points per game when you take away the defensive score vs the Bears.
But hey, the Bucs are #1 in turnover margin, at +8, and like Bowles said all offseason, he wants a QB that protects the ball first and foremost.
Personally I want a QB that scores more points than the other team, but that’s just me, I’m not a professional NFL coach being paid 7-digits so what do I know?
October 31st, 2023 at 1:42 pm
“When your defense has the sixth-best points allowed per game average, no, defense is not the issue.”
They’re only ranked 6th because of those fluky turnovers you loathe so much, Joe. This defense is near the bottom of the league in yards allowed, and dead last in 3rd down %.
Yes, redzone takeaways keep points off the board, but they also set up your struggling offense with a 90+ yard field.
October 31st, 2023 at 1:44 pm
“Several playoff teams last year (including the Bucs) lost three straight (or more) regular season games. They bounced back because every one of them had a franchise quarterback.”
Incomplete analysis – not one of them had as putrid a running game either and almost al all of them VASTLY better running games and thats just one single other factor. Rookie makeup., talent level etc are all others including maturity of cordinators and system
You can’t look at one factor and determine causation.
Thats what traskies do. 🙂
October 31st, 2023 at 1:44 pm
The Bucs have lost 4 of their last 5, and in that strech have averaged 14.8 points per game, they’ve also lost 3 in a row, and over that stretch has averaged 12.3 points per game.
But dang, if we had Zack Moss, it’d all be different.
October 31st, 2023 at 1:47 pm
Bucs RBs can’t run
Bucs TEs can’t catch
No depth at Oline or WR
But still it’s #BlameLeftwhich #BlameCanales. The blame needs to go directly to Jason Licht. But folks are still stuck in 2020 so that apparently means Licht is immune to any criticism.
October 31st, 2023 at 1:47 pm
Drone……what’s also missing is a complimentary passing game. Not like we have one and not the other. We have neither.
October 31st, 2023 at 1:49 pm
The fact that there are fanbois of a QB as bad as Baker Mayfield just shows how effective TV advertising is on the feeble minded. They see Baker living in a stadium and taking out his trash, and these weak minded simpletons relate to that and think that he’s one of them.
Meanwhile he’s a millionaire with a super hot wife and doesn’t actually live in the stadium and isn’t taking out the trash.
But please, don’t burst their bubble, it makes them very angry, and you won’t like them when they’re angry.
October 31st, 2023 at 1:53 pm
Yeah, well, they got beat, manhandled by the Dixie Chicks. It looked like the bucs were the softer team.
October 31st, 2023 at 1:56 pm
Rod Munch Says:
October 31st, 2023 at 1:44 pm
But dang, if we had Zack Moss, it’d all be different.
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I Forgot your thesis Rod – because its 2023 we can “run in the air”.
LOL
I do forget utter vapid nonsense no rational human being would accept.
October 31st, 2023 at 1:59 pm
Another grand indictment of the offense but no mention of Baker. 🤔
October 31st, 2023 at 2:01 pm
The Bucs have to take more shots downfield. Evans isn’t always covered and you know what, a decent playcaller will find a way to move him around and get him open. Just turn off the Bucs and watch other teams.
Every coordinator knows that the Bengals offense runs through Chase but the coordinator moves him around and keeps him targeted. The Bills did the same thing with Diggs. They don’t let their best players run decoy routes or send them downfield when they are covered. They adjust the playbook to get these great players the ball.
Watch the Eagles, AJ Brown is the man. He gets the ball. The Niners give the ball to McCafferty and throw to Kittle. The Chiefs find Kelce. You don’t think that the defense doesn’t try and shut down Kelse? Andy Reid knows how to set up his best players to get the ball.
Watch the Dolphins, they force the ball to Tyrek Hill but he knows the ball is coming and he’s excited to be a focal part of the offense.
Mike Evans has nothing to be excited about in this offense and he looks moody and isn’t having fun. How can you have fun playing for a serious guy like Bowles. Arians was loose and the team didn’t play so uptight.
Enough of this crappy offense, love the Bucs but I enjoy watching teams that know what the are doing play each other.
October 31st, 2023 at 2:02 pm
An intelligent team does this:
1. Trade Mayfield for draft picks.
2. Play Trask for the first time ever with starters in games.
3. Evaluate Trask.
4. Determine whether Trask is the guy.
5. Draft accordingly in 2024.
October 31st, 2023 at 2:03 pm
Tony Marks – I’m still waiting on your list of Super Bowl winning teams over the last few decades that are run first…
October 31st, 2023 at 2:04 pm
Joe, with the Bucs terrible 3rd down defense, what is the average starting field position for the offense compared to the rest of the league?
October 31st, 2023 at 2:05 pm
JOE: “Given how bad the Bucs offense is, it is almost impressive that the Bucs are just half a game out of first place.”
That’s a commentary on the NFC South, not the Bucs.
October 31st, 2023 at 2:11 pm
A traskie whines
“The fact that there are fanbois of a QB as bad as Baker Mayfield just shows how effective TV advertising is on the feeble minded.”
LOl which begs the question – what drivel do you have to watch to actually write – because it 2023 you don’t need Rbs because you “run in the air” ?
Let me spell it out for the mentally impaired. What goes along with the points issue for the bucs?
Field goals instead of TDs when in the red zone or short half of the field .
What happens when you are in that part of the field – welll der – the space gets shorter…which der err means the defense has less room to cover
so when you have no run game – what do teams have to worry about but coverage? NADA
Its not merely about how the ball moves like Traskie rod claims – its about whether defense has to worry about and scheme – Geezaloo some of you need to go watch Peewee footbal and ask the kids about football after the game.
October 31st, 2023 at 2:16 pm
He’s not. If he was he’d be starting.
October 31st, 2023 at 2:25 pm
D-Rome Says:
“4. Determine whether Trask is the guy.
He’s not. If he was he’d be starting.”
You don’t know that. Because you can’t know that. Because Trask has never taken a snap with the starting offense in any game, not even in preseason. A moron like you would have kept Brett Favre on the bench, Tom Brady on the bench, Kurt Warner on the bench, Brock Purdy on the bench, and this past weekend, Will Levis on the bench.
FREE TIP: There’s a reason nobody in the NFL pays you.
October 31st, 2023 at 2:28 pm
Rod Munch Says:
The Bucs offense only averages 16.2 points per game when you take away the defensive score vs the Bears.
————
Moreover, the Bucs had two game-ending 4th downs, the Bucs failed to convert, extended by stupid Buffalo penalties. The Bucs should have had 10 points vs Buffalo. They’d be 2nd worse in the league.
October 31st, 2023 at 2:29 pm
Tony Marks Says:
I’m still waiting for the light bulb to come on with you that having a running game does not equal being a run first team.
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Sort of like when I already explained to you that ‘run through the air’ doesn’t literally mean you never run the ball – it means if you can’t run the ball, instead of wasting downs and getting no yards out of them you replace those plays with the short passing game.
Try to be less of a boring in the future, darling.
October 31st, 2023 at 2:31 pm
SlyPirate Says:
Moreover, the Bucs had two game-ending 4th downs, the Bucs failed to convert, extended by stupid Buffalo penalties. The Bucs should have had 10 points vs Buffalo. They’d be 2nd worse in the league.
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Not to mention their other score came off a Bills turnover deep in their own territory.
The offense has been putrid. People who pretend otherwise are just Baker fanbois, or Zack Moss truthers who know that if we only had Zack Moss the offense would be back to Arians-Brady-Winston days of 30-points a game.
October 31st, 2023 at 2:54 pm
Rod Munch Says:
October 31st, 2023 at 2:29 pm
Sort of like when I already explained to you that ‘run through the air’ doesn’t literally mean you never run the ball
—-
You literally wrote that because its 2023 teams don’t need a running game. Just because you realize now you will never live it down because of how utterly dumb the argument was doesn’t mean you get to change what you argued for.
all that shows is in addition to not being up to snuff on football you can’t man up to your errors either.
Your overall argument that a run game does not help the pass game is just dumb. Your claim, you can replace runs with short passes and screens and its the same is vapid. A good running game will get you one yard on 3rd and one much easier and efficiently than throwing the ball in the air as long as you can run the ball.
That in turn extends drives and thus gives the QB 3 more down . That alone improves the pass offense and everyone who has an ounce of common sense can see how. The fact that Traskies can’t see thar shows the ounce referenced above is not in their possession.
P.S. calling me your darling might explain why you are so blown away by Baker’s wife.
October 31st, 2023 at 2:57 pm
If we give Trask a shot, and he’s as bad or worse than BM, will those clamouring for him accept that he’s not the guy, or will they blame the o-line and lack of run support?
October 31st, 2023 at 3:01 pm
NFC South is the bottom of the barrel. No wonder the Bucs are in 2nd place with a losing record especially after getting torched by a bad Falcons team. I am already looking toward 2024. Nuff said. Go Bucs. Fire Bowles.
October 31st, 2023 at 3:16 pm
Do you guys harping on Canales even watch the games? He’s got Turkey conservative Bowles over him, a weak IOL, no running back and he isn’t out there holding, jumping offsides and dropping balls. He’s a rookie. Yeah he is messing up and needs to do things differently but outside of a couple halves this season his playcalling is fine. Players are blowing it.
No one is trading picks for Mayfield. I don’t think teams are trading good draft assets for anyone not named Evans. They could sell him. They obviously aren’t selling Wirfs or Winfield. I don’t think anyone else on the roster gets a better pick than a 4th unless a team thought Davis or Dean would be studs in their scheme but we saw how much other teams valued Dean in FA. White and David would be rentals. No good picks means might as well keep the squad together and try to win the division. Unless you think a 4th or 5th is making the difference to move up in the 1st round, not likely.
October 31st, 2023 at 3:25 pm
UKBuccaneer Says: “If we give Trask a shot, and he’s as bad or worse than BM, will those clamouring for him accept that he’s not the guy, or will they blame the o-line and lack of run support?”
If 0-experience Kyle gets to play with the starting offense and matches veteran 6th-year Baker’s performance, in my opinion that would be a great floor with much upside.
The real question is if Trask gets to play with the starting offense and matches Baker’s performance, would you Bakettes celebrate him like you celebrate Bakey?
October 31st, 2023 at 4:14 pm
So if Atlanta is a “really terrible team” who just beat us, and is ahead of us in the NFC South, what does that make the Bucs, Joe?
October 31st, 2023 at 4:57 pm
Rod Munch Says:
October 31st, 2023 at 1:49 pm
The fact that there are fanbois of a QB as bad as Baker Mayfield just shows how effective TV advertising is on the feeble minded. They see Baker living in a stadium and taking out his trash, and these weak minded simpletons relate to that and think that he’s one of them.
This is maddening. What’s worse is the HC is one of these people.
October 31st, 2023 at 5:18 pm
Tony Marks – you still haven’t given me that list of all the run first Super Bowl winners from the last two decades. If you’re going to insist that we abandon the pass game, at least give me examples of your dumb plan working.
October 31st, 2023 at 5:19 pm
Mike S – Hey, the offense isn’t working and we’ve lost 4 of 5, but who cares about that nonsense. The Bucs are winning the turnover battle and that’s all that matters!
October 31st, 2023 at 5:22 pm
Six wins max is a fact
This coaching staff belongs in the USFL not the NFL
October 31st, 2023 at 5:26 pm
You can’t trade Mayfield. He’s not as good as most teams back up. What value would there be.
October 31st, 2023 at 5:46 pm
Mike S, are you seriously suggesting that people believe the commercials were anything other than a bit of fun?
Maybe some of us just accept that this team’s problems are far greater than the QB position, and a change there isn’t going to be a magic bullet type fix.
October 31st, 2023 at 9:58 pm
Rod Munch Says:
October 31st, 2023 at 5:18 pm
Tony Marks – you still haven’t given me that list of all the run first Super Bowl winners from the last two decades. If you’re going to insist that we abandon the pass game,
_—–
Yo Mush, If I had a plan for the Bucs to be a run first team I would but since I don’t and you know it – It just makes you a Pinnochio – plus no knowledge of The NFL
lol. Only a Traskie would continue to argue that having a run game means having a run first team. One thing I have to say about you is you certainly aren’t afraid of making yourself look like a fool. Still….
How many screens have you broken with that growing nose of yours? 🙂
October 31st, 2023 at 10:06 pm
Mike S Says:
This is maddening. What’s worse is the HC is one of these people.
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What are you talking about Mike? Thats the BEST part of it. Thats what has people who rooted against their own team with steam coming out of their ears. The fact that all they can do is whine on a blog about what they are powerless to change has them going out of their minds
Karma has shown up and what they said about her is true.
You all got your just desserts and its quite funny..
November 1st, 2023 at 1:36 am
Power sweep,
“You don’t know that. Because you can’t know that. Because Trask has never taken a snap with the starting offense in any game, not even in preseason. A moron like you would have kept Brett Favre on the bench, Tom Brady on the bench, Kurt Warner on the bench, Brock Purdy on the bench, and this past weekend, Will Levis on the bench.”
How could a moron have kept all those guys you listed on bench? The reason they got their shot was INJURY!
Arguing with those examples is hilarious! Saying if baker gets injured, we have a started on the bench who could be HOF, is what your argument actually is.
If you stick with Will Levis , then that’s a good reason why to give Trask a shot!
But he only played because of injury as well, so you’re making no kinda sense.
November 1st, 2023 at 4:32 am
We impove on third down we get more punts/possessions and maybe more TDs?
Umm just me thinking Joe…
Go Bucs!
November 1st, 2023 at 7:10 am
@D1
It’s going over your head, so allow me to assist you. The point about all the bench warmers I listed shining when they got finally their chance is that nobody – not Favre’s coach, not Brady’s coach, not Warner’s coach, not Purdy’s coach, not Levis’ coach – knew what they had in those quarterbacks until they got in the game with the starting offense. Ergo, you don’t jack shït what Trask has until he gets in games with the starting offense.