Dave Canales: Penalties Begin With Me
November 3rd, 2023
Discipline critical.
Last week against Buffalo in the fourth quarter, the Bucs, down two scores, ate up over seven minutes in one drive to pull within four points.
It left the Bucs with scant time to work. Still, the Bucs nearly won the game on a narrowly-missed Hail Mary.
If the first touchdown drive of the fourth quarter had been used with a little more urgency or speed, perhaps the game would not have come down to a Hail Mary.
Bucs coach Todd Bowles said he wanted to use a faster tempo but the offensive line was committing too many penalties when they tried to step on the gas.
Yesterday, Bucs offensive coordinator Dave Canales admitted it is his responsibility to make sure his offense is better disciplined. He took full blame for the sloppy play which handcuffed the offense.
“I’ve got to go to me first and just ask myself, ‘What am I doing? What indecision, what hesitancy [and] angst at the snap am I creating with what we’re asking them to do?’” Canales said. “I know that we can’t be as simple as not having alerts on plays.”
Apparently, calling alerts on offense to what the Buffalo defense was showing triggered the penalties.
Canales suggested this was reflective of his season-long narrative, that it takes time for players to run his offense efficiently and there are no shortcuts available.
“There [are] ways to take advantage of the defense – that’s part of the growing pains,” Canales said. “This was a problem for us in Seattle, I’ll be honest. Over time, we got better at it – the quarterback and the center owning the snap and then just the discipline of the play by the tackles. We’ve got to have discipline out there.”
Discipline with his offense was a big focus in practice this week, Canales noted.
“We really attacked it head-on this week,” Canales said. “We put the noise as loud as we could and put it on plays that get alerted – there are different things that happen so they had to sit there [and say], ‘We can’t hear, let’s verbally, non-verbally communicate.’ We try to put them in pretty difficult situations.”
Canales admitted he is frustrated with the offense. He noted at Minnesota and at New Orleans, both loud domed stadiums, the offense didn’t have near the problems screwing up as it did in Buffalo.
It almost sounded to Joe like Canales was suggesting his offense has regressed.
“We were great in Minnesota, we were great in New Orleans – two of the loudest places you could play in,” Canales said. “This one got us. I don’t know if it was the short week [and] not having the noise as part of our walk-throughs early on.
“But, again, that’s on me – I’ve got to ask for those things. I know I can take my part of it, but the players also have to take that part of, ‘Let’s move forward, let’s make new mistakes.’”
Well, it could be worse. The Bucs have had coaches in the past that would have reacted like, “Problems, what problems?”
Canales is up front pointing out the problems and seems to be attacking ways to prevent them.
Sunday ought to be very interesting for Joe and other fans. Canales asks for patience each week, saying his offense takes time to hum. OK, fine.
On the other side of the ball on Sunday is an offense for the Texans with a first-time playcaller just like Canales, with a new coach and a rookie quarterback — and they don’t seem to be struggling that much with a new offense through seven games.
Houston averages 21.1 points a game. The Bucs average 17.3 points a game.
November 3rd, 2023 at 7:40 am
He is lost and clueless. Months after taken the job he is still preaching basic fundaments that should have been learned in high school. Coaching staff has to go.
November 3rd, 2023 at 7:42 am
His Pee Wee Herman mannerism has got to be growing old with these Alpha Male athletes. Although, a perfect pairing with our “Urkel” head coach. You hear it from them all the time “Family Matters”.
November 3rd, 2023 at 7:43 am
Well, Houston’s QB and HC are both young and ascending. The Bucs’ QB and HC are both retreads clinging to their last chance. Not really apples to apples.
November 3rd, 2023 at 7:44 am
One might ask…did he take the Tampa OC gig to be closer to that Sarasota theatre?
November 3rd, 2023 at 7:48 am
A point arrives where you wonder “mebbe the offense is too complicated?”
November 3rd, 2023 at 7:52 am
Tell you what we have that Houston doesn’t have……BOWLES. WTF.
November 3rd, 2023 at 8:06 am
Agree with Beej.
November 3rd, 2023 at 8:09 am
The OC said:
“We were great in Minnesota, we were great in New Orleans – two of the loudest places you could play in,” Canales said. “This one got us. I don’t know if it was the short week [and] not having the noise as part of our walk-throughs early on.”
Ugh, Coach Dave, you just said that the offense has regressed since the New Orleans game. That is right up there with some of the zingers the head coach has launched at us about why his defense is so inept at the wrong times.
This could be ugly, kind of like when the wheels fell off for Rah: 4 dash 2 to 4 dash 12 and a pink slip. So Todd and Dave: is 3-14 on the horizon without deliberately tanking? It seems like the below average coaching is there along with the inept mistakes made over and over again!
November 3rd, 2023 at 8:57 am
meh…..at what point do we just stop caring…..getting there
November 3rd, 2023 at 9:01 am
The steelers are 5-3 …. Just goes too show coaching and culture matters something the bucs dont have
November 3rd, 2023 at 9:05 am
🎻
This guy is becoming all talk and no show. It’s time to show something.
November 3rd, 2023 at 9:23 am
You can walk into a Bucs Bar and just say “Lovie Smith” or “Dave Canales” are you are sure to get a laugh.
Canales is just a punchline. This season is a bad joke.
November 3rd, 2023 at 10:17 am
After week one most of y’all had Canales as the next head coach.
November 3rd, 2023 at 10:28 am
Well at least he holds himself accountable. Something the HC never does.
November 3rd, 2023 at 10:44 am
Sure sounding like it will take 1 or 2 full years for the offense to grasp this system. That’s too long for today’s NFL.
A full off-season of installs and preseason games SHOULD be long enough for a team to grasp a scheme. Sure, they will work on stuff throughout the season and hopefully improve, but the entire system should be in place by Week 1.
Anything else is way too long given the parity and player turnover annually.
Just my opinion.
November 3rd, 2023 at 11:04 am
Drama queens cry less than most of the posters in this forum. Grow a pair you loud bunch of sissies.
This team isn’t stocked with players good enough to score more points with. The interior offensive line wouldn’t start on any other team this season. The starting QB is a retread playing better than he has in years, but he isn’t a difference maker. They are exactly as good as they’re playing. It’ll take more than even a genius OC could do to get more out of this group.
Instead of whining like toddlers, start thinking about the 2024 draft. Because the players who’ll help the Bucs be better are in that draft.
November 3rd, 2023 at 11:15 am
So far Bowles has crapped his two most important decisions: OC and QB.
November 3rd, 2023 at 11:24 am
His good guy… “I’ve got to go to me first”…. is a cop out. We’re nine weeks into the season – kinda late for that thought.
Is it situational play calling? Yes
Offensive line talent…. ehhhh maybe.
Coaching fundamentals? ehh hellyes.
Canales:
“But, again, that’s on me – I’ve got to ask for those things. I know I can take my part of it, but the players also have to take that part of, ‘Let’s move forward, let’s make new mistakes.’”
hoooboy this aint high school. Let’s try mistake free football.
November 3rd, 2023 at 11:47 am
It’s a broken record with this guy. In one breath he says he’s to blame, while then immediately proceeding to place all the blame on the players.
“the quarterback and the center owning the snap and then just the discipline of the play by the tackles”
“but the players also have to take that part”
November 3rd, 2023 at 12:14 pm
We’re going to bang our fists on the table until things improve
November 3rd, 2023 at 12:29 pm
but he shook everybody’s hand ……. Gee,, what more does he need to do !!!!???
November 3rd, 2023 at 12:45 pm
Just remember, we chose not to interview, Todd Monken because theoretically, he didn’t fit bowles conservative game plan style. Now he has Baltimore’s run and pass offense humming, while we’re still struggling with the basics. Make it to that service Great choice Todd…
November 3rd, 2023 at 12:54 pm
Mostly Peaceful Trask Fan Says:
November 3rd, 2023 at 12:14 pm
We’re going to bang our fists on the table until things improve
You’re going to shatter the bones in your hand if you do that. We’re not going to improve until they fire Bowles and the rest of these clowns. He single handily took a top 5 offense and destroyed it the last two years, trying to shove square pegs into round holes. Todd Bowles is as stubborn as they come.
November 3rd, 2023 at 12:59 pm
MarkV I think we did actually interview Todd Monken before Baltimore did. We should have hired him.
November 3rd, 2023 at 1:37 pm
The best OC candidates didn’t want to come here, not even knowing who the QB would be, which is how we ended up with Canales, who was previously a QB coach.
If you’re Todd Monken, do you want to coach Lamar Jackson and his very good team, or a bunch of question marks in Tampa?
November 3rd, 2023 at 1:40 pm
“We were great in Minnesota”
No you weren’t, you were good, not great, for half a game.
I can’t believe an OC would say he played great when the team scored 20 points – the same team that was averaging 30 points a game a couple of years ago.
That is pitiful.
November 3rd, 2023 at 1:43 pm
For the dummies saying Canales is the problem – you’re wrong. Canales isn’t great or anything, but he’s far from the issue.
The issue is the headcoach, because he’s the one that made his QB selection based off turnovers – instead of points. As Bowles said, the QB’s top job isn’t to score points, but to protect the ball, and the Bucs lead the NFL in turnover ratio.
When you have a loser headcoach like that, a boring, ineffective offense that is afraid to take chances is what you’re going to get.
This is the same loser head coach punting the ball from the Bills terrority to end the half because he’s more worried about what can go wrong, than trying to score when you’re down 7.
So Mayfield, who is also a loser and sucks, is paid with a loser headcoach who sucks, and shockingly enough, you got a loser offense that sucks. Who’d have seen it coming.
November 3rd, 2023 at 1:46 pm
Shrink the FREAKING play book. Run the plays that you are succeeding with, that should shrink the playbook incredibly. Figure out what you can run in a two minute offense , because you do NOT have a 2 minute offense.
November 3rd, 2023 at 1:52 pm
We have injured Offensive linemen, replaced with lesser athletes.
Yup, that is going backward.
I like Canales. Once we get our Oline set- I think Mayfield can be very productive in this offense.
I think the problem right now is more HC than OC
November 3rd, 2023 at 2:05 pm
Houston we have a problem.
November 3rd, 2023 at 2:06 pm
Canales may have the best playbook ever created, but if his players are having trouble running it, gotta simplify. He’s saying it himself that it is complicated and takes time to learn.
Fair or not, he’s on a 3 game losing streak and may not have the luxury of a 2-year implementation plan. Also, fans don’t like this excuse. If this team needs to use the real games for ‘practice’ then is it fair to be charging full price tickets for these practice sessions?
November 3rd, 2023 at 2:28 pm
I don’t understand. Carson High School didn’t have this problem in 04-05.
November 3rd, 2023 at 2:33 pm
The sad part is that worthless touchdown at the end on a bad pass, that Mayfield lucked into by bouncing the ball off a Bills head, that dumb play is why all the talk isn’t about Mayfield being benched. That should be the talk. The team has lost 4 of 5, the QB play has been garbage in those games, and the offense appears to be getting worse by the week, mainly because the QB is playing exactly like that guy on tape from the last two years, who was literally the worst QB in football.
If Mayfield was a rookie, or hadn’t played much, you’d brush off the bad streak – but you have years of tape of him looking like trash and getting his OC’s fired over and over again. If Canales doesn’t want to be the next victim of Mayfield, he needs to convince Bowles to bench him.
November 3rd, 2023 at 2:41 pm
The title of this seems to indicate that Canales is (finally) taking responsibility but in the first quote he kind of pivots to blaming the players again by “asking them to do too much” as if calling alerts is something foreign or exotic that’s way over their heads.
If I were a player hearing his rhetoric we’d be having some words. Dude is a clown. “I’m a genius. They players just don’t get it. Am I causing them angst?” Angst???? Do they need a safe place and a binky?
I think I’ll skip all future posts on Canales because he’s definitely giving me “angst”. I’ll read the one where he’s demoted or fired though.
November 3rd, 2023 at 2:42 pm
At least he holds himself accountable. Now he needs to hold the OL coaches and RB coach accountable.
Did Wirfs have any penalties? I guess he has super natural hearing unlike Goedeke.
November 3rd, 2023 at 4:31 pm
Louis Friend Says: I have been wondering for a long time if there are any sane posters on this site! I have finally found one in you. Everyone knows that Sean Payton is a REALLY good coach like him or hate him and he is losing in Denver. Did he all of a sudden forget how to coach? NO! He can’t fix bad players no matter what scheme or formations or motivations he employs. That’s why he is going to clean house to have some cap space and draft picks. The Bucs need to do the same thing. If fans want to be Super Bowl contenders again there is a price to pay for at least 2024 an 2025. Is Bowles a good coach? Is Canales a good coach? i don’t know, but i do know we don’t have the players now to be very
good.
November 3rd, 2023 at 4:48 pm
Todd Monken should be on the short list for Head Coach after the Bowles firing along with Harbaugh, Matt Campbell, and Lincoln. Bakers coach in college.
November 3rd, 2023 at 5:15 pm
BabyGrace – Exactly. The bottom feeder bellyachers here seem to be completely clueless that coaching can only go so far if there aren’t enough good players to improve the offense.
November 3rd, 2023 at 5:35 pm
What a bunch of BS. “Oh its my fault, oh its my fault, oh its my fault. Coach Canales, the players don’t need you to fall of your sward so they will like you better. They don’t need another best friend. They need a COACH. A LEADER. Someone who will hold them accountable. Not someone who will make excuses for them when they screw up. Grow a pair and be a man. They have enough buddies. They don’t need another one. Keeping it real in Ireland.
November 3rd, 2023 at 8:28 pm
Tampa, we got a real problem on here. I’ve visited this site for several years now, and like, WHERE are the real Bucs fans???? Everytime I get on here, I’m looking at usernames I’ve never seen before. This ain’t the only blog I wander on. I sure hope Tampa wins Sunday cos mebbe that will get rid of all the foreign fungus on here for a week.
November 3rd, 2023 at 9:49 pm
Orlbucfan: most of these posters are Traskites also known as Trask-truthers (fans that followed Trask in college. Then you have the Bakerists, also known as Baker-truthers who followed Baker from Cleveland and possibly Oklahoma. There are also Baker-self-haters which are people that like baker but stay in the closet due to being afraid of judgement. So they hate on him in public but love watching him so they can say “I told you so.” Like those kids in highschool that make fun of something because everyone else does. It is a weird world out there. If someone mentions Trask in their post you can easily identify them. The rest of the people here are Bakerists, Closet-Bakerists, or Baker-self-haters.
November 3rd, 2023 at 10:03 pm
Bucs are playing ugly football right now period. A division championship that is won by playing ugly football. That was last season’s division championship. And now we are looking at the same ending to this season. I learned from watching Tom brady in a Bucs uniform here. If an team isn’t going for a championship then there is nothing. Us talking about a division championship being acceptable, that’s a loser mentality. If we learned anything from the Brady years. I would hope the players have not accepted that loser mentality. Let’s Go Bucs!!
November 3rd, 2023 at 10:41 pm
Way too many runs up the middle to prove a point that didn’t exist. Why the Bucs could have have won at least one more Super Bowl.
W hy Tony Dungy was fired.
November 4th, 2023 at 4:02 am
Is it just me or does Canales make other people cringe with his squeaky clean bible thumping vibes.
Just STFU Dave and get your offense to play football