Offense Talented Enough To Carry Bucs?
July 17th, 2024
Questions.
Can the offense carry the Bucs? Be honest, the pass defense has more questions than the offense. And yes, it’s a passing league.
The Bucs have no long-proven edge rusher (that’s a whole other story) and Joe isn’t sold that Zyon McCollum is at least an average starting cornerback.
And if McCollum struggles, boy will opponents pick on him.
So Greg Rosenthal makes an interesting point on NFL.com: He seems to think the Bucs may have to lean on their offense to win games.
Mike Evans is still a star. But is this skill-position group good enough to elevate a mid-level starting QB in Baker Mayfield? The lack of continuity at offensive coordinator, with Liam Coen replacing Canales, is a concern.
It’s not like new Bucs offensive coordinator Liam Coen and Mayfield are strangers. Coen was the guy who helped revive Mayfield’s career in Los Angeles.
Joe thinks the Bucs do have the firepower on offense. The bigger questions are:
Will Coen use that firepower?
And, will Todd Bowles let Coen use that firepower?
Last year, especially late last year, when then-Bucs offensive coordinator Dave Canales unshackled the offense, it blew up. Dominant performances at Green Bay in the middle of December and at home against Philadelphia in the playoffs were Examples A and B. However, the offense stalled in must-win games against New Orleans and Carolina.
So it’s not so much do the Bucs have the horses to ride on offense, Jo believes it’s will the Bucs allow those horses to gallop.
July 17th, 2024 at 12:06 pm
The two things I have huge questions on are the Play of the QB, and if there is any semblance of a running game.
A falter by either will make for a long season.
July 17th, 2024 at 12:15 pm
Too many starting caliber CBs still available. I get they trust McCollum but we have to stop gifting these guys starting spots early in the offseason. Sign a vet and make them battle it out. Will be good for all parties involved imo
July 17th, 2024 at 12:29 pm
#AsToddEvolves 11-6 25ppg
July 17th, 2024 at 12:43 pm
Our offense would have to improve by leaps and bounds in the execution department, but no I don’t think our offense “carries” the team with Mayfield and an OC who’s never called a full season of games at the NFL level.
July 17th, 2024 at 12:51 pm
McCollum made several fill-in starts last year and played better than the 2 regular starters. No worries about him, he’s ready.
July 17th, 2024 at 1:09 pm
Joe … ‘Will Todd Bowles let Coen use that firepower? Jo believes it’s will the Bucs allow those horses to gallop.’
That’s quite demeaning Joe. I’ve never seen anything factual indicating that Todd Bowles put the shackles on Leftwich or Canales. And it’s pure speculation that he’d keep Coen throttled back.
Face facts Joe and stop using Todd Bowles as your scapegoat. Bowles inherited Leftwich in 2022 and picked an inexperienced shot-caller to replace him in 2023. Our starting QB was older-than-dirt in 2022 and our 2023 starting QB is a mid-tier QB coming off a pretty bad year. Our RB group was marginal in both 2022 & 2023, as were our TEs. Bucs had a crappy OLine in 2022 followed by a crappy OLine in 2023. Maybe THAT’S WHY our offense finished #25 in 2022 then #20 in 2023?
Canales ran the Bucs’ offense last year, just like Leftwich did in 2022 unless you’ve got some actual evidence that Todd Bowles made them both run the offense a certain way. Taking the 2 years together, we finished in about the top of the bottom third. Whooppee. Coen has no place to go but up.
July 17th, 2024 at 1:57 pm
Mayfield is poised to have a sensational year. Need to have the defense make consistent stops and get the ball back to the offense. Can’t afford long clock eating drives given up by the defense. That happened way to frequently last year.
July 17th, 2024 at 2:05 pm
It must be said,( and I am not a Mayfield fan and this is really not a knock on him), but , after reading all these never ending propaganda stories , ad-nauseam, all off season long, about how wonderful a recently former , mid-level , journeyman quarterback is going to be ,( I have never seen such an effort , not for Brady, Rogers , or anybody!), and how great he’s going to perform this year , You are not doing him any favors. You are setting him up for failure if he does not reach the Superman levels of performance that you are building him up for people to expect , and it will not be his fault if he doesn’t meet those lofty goals , ( maybe tone it down to something more humanly obtainable , like a bit of improved consistency).
July 17th, 2024 at 2:11 pm
Who knows what this offense will look like this season. Will the OC play to the strengths of the players? Will there be a run game? Will QB play improve? Will this offense score consistently on the first drive or at least the first quarter with a TD?
Lots of questions.
July 17th, 2024 at 2:23 pm
If the O-Line, can noticably improve, yes this offense will score points! How many depends on the effectiveness of the run game. Improvement there and then all the Bucs need is to be able to get the defense off the field, on 3rd and 4th downs more often than the last several years. IMO.
July 17th, 2024 at 2:38 pm
I think the offense is capable, there were more than a few games where the offense carried this team last season.
If the o-line is better, and the running game is better, then this offense can carry the team. Depends on how long it takes for them to digest the new system.
Defense should be better up front, a little concerned about the corners, but the safety’s are spectacular.
July 17th, 2024 at 3:04 pm
First off I will start by not making excuses on why the QB position will be bad, for example, offensive line, running game, experience of OC, if the offense fails then it is on the QB, he is not a rookie he is very inconsistent, so if he can be consistent and not throw interceptions, not to mention fumble the ball then maybe the bucs have a chance
MAYBE!!!!
July 17th, 2024 at 3:21 pm
IF Coen can design and implement an offense that takes advantage of all the talent he has.
And
If The O-line competition and new additions can level that unit up.
And
If Baker can continue to Ascend and establish more consistency.
And
If The secondary can do a better job against the pass between the 20s.
And
If The D-line can improve pass rush w/out blitzing.
And
If We can avoid injuries to our key players.
And
If We don’t regress significantly in any areas we’re already strong in…..
We’ll be fine…. 🤞🏼
July 17th, 2024 at 3:27 pm
Mike, football is a team sport! For a play to fail, you need just one player of eleven to not do his assignment correctly. Just sayin’
July 17th, 2024 at 4:17 pm
We had two huge holes on the team last year–safety and center, lesser hole (s) at edge. Regardless of that, the team got better as the year progressed, and those holes have all been addressed
July 17th, 2024 at 4:23 pm
If Baker is a mid-level QB, then yes, that might be just barely good enough to carry the Bucs, if Bowles can get another top 10 defensive performance.
However, again, last year Baker was 20th in scoring, in a career year. If he slips even a little, he’s a bottom 3rd QB and the Bucs are sunk.
I’ hope Baker is up to it. If he can become more consistent, that would be the easiest way for him to improve.
July 17th, 2024 at 4:32 pm
I feel too much is being made by Joe regarding Coen and Baker being at Rams at the same time. Coen wasn’t running the offense or calling the plays except for the KC game. Coen left so he could run the offense so I don’t think we really know how much of Rams offense is coming with Coen.
July 17th, 2024 at 4:56 pm
The head coach is responsible and accountable for results. If Todd was just the DC, then someone else would be head coach and accountable for the putrid offense. Dungy was fired over that issue after 2001. Koetter was fired after 2018 for refusing responsibility for the putrid defense.
Todd is the head coach and it is up him to see that the team performs to the best of its potential. Excuses might make some feel better, but in the end Todd is a losing head coach for two franchises and that’s going to change this season.
#AsToddEvolves #Accountability 11-6
July 17th, 2024 at 5:32 pm
Joe,
Not sure why you think losing CD3 makes our secondary so much more of a liability. He got burned to a crisp time after time. Seems like most replays of opposing team passing TDs involved CD3 watching someone run right by him, or him just giving up on the play early. He was just terrible, not to mention he AND Dean are made of glass and get hurt on routine plays.
I think McCollum is an upgrade, and certainly plays with more fire. I believe the changes made this off-season have improved a subpar pass defense enough to not be the biggest liability on the defense – leave that distinction to the edge rush (we agree there).
July 17th, 2024 at 6:57 pm
Look, I’m gonna take crap for saying this, but I think our pass rush will be a good bit better this year. DR thinks I’m naive for trusting in Watts and Ramirez but I think both make the team and will contribute at least a few sacks on third and long plays. I’m sure hoping for at least a few from Brasswell. Yaya looked pretty good. All of them should produce more than last year. [Meme of Alfred E Nueman saying “What? Me worry?]
July 17th, 2024 at 7:06 pm
Get ready for a bunch of off man zone defensive plays this season. Give up the short yardage plays consistently. Hopefully we get some ints in the mix and expect both our safeties to have huge years. Our season will come down to our passing defense. If they excell, we have an 11-12 win season. Mediocre they have another 8-9 win season. If they get burned and we don’t have a lockdown redzone defense expect a top 10 draft pick next year. There are a bunch of what ifs as to improvement for this and hopefully they all make jumps but numbers don’t lie and we can’t expect it from everyone. I see another 9-10 win season
July 17th, 2024 at 9:00 pm
I think we have to use fire power, and hope for the Gel up front and running game to just look like something other than someone just running senselessly into a block wall. Your gonna have plenty of receivers, and the defense if they aren’t on the field two thirds of the game hopefully they show everybody what’s up and hello to the playoffs, playoffs!! Go Bucs!!!!
July 17th, 2024 at 9:00 pm
Just go balls to the wall on offense. We aint got nothing to lose. Todd will be gone if we have a bad season and Liam will be gone also. We need Detroits mentality this year. Go bite some kneecaps lol
July 18th, 2024 at 1:16 am
It’s about whether they can gallop CONSISTENTLY.
That was the issue last year. Consistency. Dominant one week, incapable the next. Faster starts + more consistent production.