Stress Above The Neck
May 20th, 2024
So Joe has spent a bunch of time digging into new Bucs offensive coordinator Liam Coen and what makes him tick.
That’s had Joe listening to all kinds of Coen interviews over the years, and more.
One thing Joe has concluded is that Coen is big on smart players and players that practice with great focus.
He talks about “stress above the neck” in training camp and how all the formations, motions and shifts he uses serve as a good barometer for gauging how locked a player might be.
And simply stated, Coen sees thriving under the mental stress he brings is a good indicator that a player will be ready to fly in Week 1.
Last year, former Bucs offensive coordinator Dave Canales was public in his “don’t rush it” approach. He really wanted to be vanilla early as the entire team learned a new offense with new quarterbacks. And frankly, Canales himself was learning about his coaches and aspects of crafting a running game as a first-time playcaller.
Joe believes Coen will have a different approach this spring and summer. That’s already been sensed among players at One Buc Palace, Joe’s been told.
Coen is throwing a lot at players and expecting a lot. And it helps that he knows exactly who his quarterback will be, a QB with experience in his offense.
May 20th, 2024 at 2:26 pm
Just like what Coen said about audibles and changing plays for Baker, but apply to individuals and the offense. See what they can handle and then move back a step.
May 20th, 2024 at 3:26 pm
L F G!
May 20th, 2024 at 3:50 pm
While Baker has experience in the offense the other players don’t. If Coen wants plays changed at the LOS based on pre-snap reads, a player needs to know the playbook well or else there’s a missed assignment. I would expect the young players to struggle the most, but among the young guys, who’s most likely to miss the assignment and let the play get blown up?
May 20th, 2024 at 6:44 pm
We can have hope for a good season this year based on what looks to be a well thought out off-season! Of course we won’t know right away, but there is every reason right now to be hopeful!
May 20th, 2024 at 11:49 pm
Am I the only one tired of hearing how complex football is when every hot new coordinator changes teams? These complex systems are stuff today’s players start learning in junior varsity. Bill Walsh and Air Coryell was over 40 years ago. Gruden and Sean Payton and that group were over 20 years ago. The Rams offense with Warner … Andy Reid’s Philly and then KC offenses… none of this is new.
If you play for a major college, coming into the pros as a rookie and being lost on the playbook is inexcusable. This isn’t years ago where a wishbone QB had to learn to throw against a blitz in the NFL, or Brett Favre’s famous admission that he didn’t know a safety from a LB until Gruden taught him…. He just thought “they have 11 guys”