“And Not Just Saying, ‘Run, Run, Pass’ And ‘Pass, Pass Run'”
October 16th, 2024
If you’re not in the read-between-the-lines crowd, then you might not find this interesting.
Todd Bowles was asked yesterday to describe new offensive coordinator Liam Coen’s influence on the Buccaneers’ high-scoring offense.
Here’s Bowles’ answer via the Buccaneers Radio Network:
“I think the way [Liam] gives Baker the plays and communicates to him what he wants and Baker going out and having options at the line of scrimmage,” Bowles began. “And doing a great job putting us in the right plays and getting what we want, and getting the right angles and not just saying, ‘Run, run, pass’ and ‘pass, pass run,’ just putting us in some great spots.”
So does this mean Bowles thought his prior Bucs offenses were overly predictable? It sure sounded that way to Joe.
As ex-Bucs quarterback Dan Orlovsky noted on BSPN, the 2024 Tampa Bay offense has no true identity — in a good way.
Joe is so intrigued because if the Bucs’ successful run game is not a mirage, then that should open many more options for Coen to keep defensive coordinators guessing and confused.
October 16th, 2024 at 11:24 am
Like you and so many others have said on this site, Chaad has a shot to be a positionless player in an electric offense. That fact alone is so unpredictable vs Dave’s scheme of running rachaad up the middle until the stadium falls asleep.
October 16th, 2024 at 11:35 am
I’m so impressed with Coen and Baker this season. By the end of the year, I expect the Bucs to be extremely dangerous if we can stay healthy.
No way Coen doesn’t get hired in the off-season to be head coach. No amount of coordinator money will fix that.
October 16th, 2024 at 11:41 am
Hopefully he sticks to a heavy dose of pass this week. I was going to say keep passing like crazy the next couple weeks, but after Monday night if we are pass heavy, the Falcons will be gameplanning for that and we should see lighter boxes for the run game to open up. This is why Bucky needs to be starting and out there for most 1st and 2nd downs.
Keeps the playbook open and we can take advantage with Bucky and Sean. To those points, you would think White sees light boxes all the time, as teams surely don’t respect him as a between the tackles runner… but never seems to produce results.
October 16th, 2024 at 11:48 am
I for one am happy that LC got this OC job. This offense will average 30 points a game and that translates into always having a chance to produce a W! Big test on MNF! If the Bucs can get more starters on the field they will have a chance for a W against a strong Ravens team!
October 16th, 2024 at 11:54 am
In my opinion, you have to be crazy to take a one-year OC and offer him an HC job, and if you did, he’d be crazy to take it.
October 16th, 2024 at 11:55 am
@Saskbucs I don’t think White will ever be the back we want. He’s a terrific pass catcher but when it comes to vision, quickness and power in the run game, you can really tell with Buck and Tuck touch the ball. They explode through the hole and understand how to make people miss in the hole.
October 16th, 2024 at 11:55 am
I’ve always said that it’s NOT run-pass balance, it’s about being unpredictable. I have a habit, inspired by Hank Stram’s TV personality, of mentally guessing each play just before the snap. Canales was predictable, but I can never guess what Coen will run!
October 16th, 2024 at 11:58 am
Credit to Todd for the offense, because he is the head coach and he hired Liam. He really does seem to get it – offense has to rule, gotta score tons of points with these weapons and this defense. Maybe he learned that operation turtle against the Falcons was one of many dooming decisions that cost us the game in inexcusable fashion.
Now, Todd – hire a full time DC and become a true head coach who can refine the team’s performance details to the next level. It won’t happen but it’s a nice dream.
October 16th, 2024 at 12:01 pm
White’s future may heavily be as a gadget piece. Not necessarily the standard 3rd down back. I can’t cleanly describe it as the position doesn’t exist in the common tongue. His talent and his size could be used to have a guy that might lineup as an outside receiver on 1st down, as a slot/h-back-tight end hybrid on 2nd down and the true 3rd down back on…3rd down.
I’m thinking many of the ways that the Titans used Frank Wycheck for better than a decade combined with ways we currently use Godwin, mixed with some Devin Hester. I can’t claim that White would be as good as any of those guys in those roles, but I will claim that with a commitment to the concept from White, he could be 3 in 1 Swiss pocket knife that’s never been. Yet.
October 16th, 2024 at 12:03 pm
In the modern NFL game it’s not about running to run it’s about being creative in the run game. Run out of unpredictable sets, run behind the numbers, meaning out flank the defense.
Leftwich didn’t know how to do that
Canales was more creative cheating on his wife than he was calling plays
Coen the last few weeks has looked good but against Detroit and Denver he was bad, really bad
Need to see some consistency from this team as a whole
October 16th, 2024 at 12:10 pm
Exactly right, Joe.
I am a read-between-the-lines person and am definitely hearing it. Mix it up and keep them guessing is just what we needed.
October 16th, 2024 at 12:18 pm
Coen has only been the Bucs’ OC for 1/3rd of a regular season. As he gets more acclimated, it frees Bowles up more to concentrate on the D. One game at a time for petessake! Some of the comments on here act like Coen has been the OC for 3 years or more. Patience is a virtue, y’know? BTW, Bucs won their 2nd SB only 4 years ago. Hopefully, they won’t have to play one in Europe.
October 16th, 2024 at 12:34 pm
The Bucs could get better production from Rachaad White
If they use him in the same way the Falcons were using Cordelle Patterson. Line him up all over the field, the slot, outside, backfield etc
October 16th, 2024 at 12:37 pm
Sean Tucker won NFC player of the week! No way he gets less than 10 touches Monday night… right?
October 16th, 2024 at 12:38 pm
It better be the Buck and Tuck show on Monday night. White can be the third down back. Until a team shows they can stop what we saw in the second half of the saints game we need to keep doing it.
October 16th, 2024 at 12:47 pm
Yep, agree we need 2 b unpredictable n like Saskbucs said, Hope they r smart eniugh 2 pass a LOT this week against the Ravens, running vs Ravens is super tough, but, i do think we will get so.e big runs in this game 2!!!
October 16th, 2024 at 12:55 pm
open holes and keep Baker upright… O LINE!! They do their job this offense can be extremely special.
They just put up 51!!!!! AT the ‘aints! With Palmer and White injured and McMillan and EVANS barely involved. Incredible
October 16th, 2024 at 1:48 pm
Buck & Tuck compliment one another so perfectly… They just have that ‘juice’ and POP. White just doesn’t have ‘it’ when being used as a typical, every down, feature type of back running between the tackles, Etc. He’s too slow at the attack, lacks the vision, and doesn’t have the instincts. He needs to be used a lot more like, how Curtis Samuel was used early on in his career… Ya know, he started out as a Running Back at Ohio State, and switched to Wide Receiver for the Draft. I agree with some of the other comments on here, that he could be a valuable weapon for the offense, when being utilized in multiple positions, lined-up all over the field. He can block and is a nice depth piece as well, to have at Running (&/or) possibly even at Wide Receiver. He could also, play a Slot/Hybrid Tight End type of position… He can play how Sterling Shepard was being used just this past Sunday. I mean, why not… What else do you have to lose!? It’s at least worth a try… Giving him a look and a shot at playing multiple positions on the field. Defenses wont know what hit ‘em… It’ll be coming from literally, EVERYWHERE. I like the “Swiss Army Knife” analogy, & being compared to Cordarrelle Patterson.
October 16th, 2024 at 3:09 pm
But what happened to the “great code turtle” conspiracy ?
Remember that? Todd was ordering the offense to pump the brakes but there was ZERO evidence to support that claim or that Todd “tampers” with the offense… Remember?
I guess he read yalls criticisms and decided to change huh 🤣
October 16th, 2024 at 4:05 pm
Can anybody recall those old days when idjits actually debated did Canales revive Mayfield’s career or did Mayfield play so well he got his OC an HC position.
Who zoomed who? Was it Mayfield who made Canales or the other way around?
October 16th, 2024 at 4:20 pm
stpete, who knows? I’m just glad Canales split cos he was driving me up the wall with that run-up-the-middle BS on first down. I don’t know where Licht scared up Coen, but I’m sure glad he did! Go Bucs!!
October 16th, 2024 at 4:24 pm
MNF would be a great time for ME13 to get healthy…. Gonna need him.
October 16th, 2024 at 5:15 pm
I’ll betcha Coen is burning some midnite oil this week at 1 Buc.
October 16th, 2024 at 8:36 pm
‘Joe is so intrigued because IF the Bucs’ successful run game is not a mirage, THEN that should open many more options for Coen to keep defensive coordinators guessing and confused’.
Sounds like you’re still not convinced Joe (just reading between the lines). IF-THEN statements kinda give that away.
New Orleans’ defense was very good at stopping the run, BEFORE the 4th qtr in Sunday’s game. THEN the Bucs rolled over them. I love the way that we built up to the run: 4 runs in Qtr 1; 4 runs in Qtr 2; 8 runs in Qtr 3; then 19 runs in Qtr 4. Up until the 4th qtr, Tucker only had 4 rushes, but then he got 10 rushes in that 4th qtr for 125 yards. Fresh legs paid off.
October 16th, 2024 at 9:19 pm
Any objective fan retains a degree of skepticism about most facets of this team — worst running team for 32 consecutive games suddenly a juggernaut? A defensive genius who gives up more 500 yard passing games than anyone currently coaching? Letting inexperienced guys like Bo Nix and Taylor’s Heineken (and Spencer Rattler for a half) shred you like they were the greatest show on turf and you were Yale?
Skepticism and a “show me” attitude is warranted. Despite that there are blind know-it-alls who just love to show how many words they can write to win the internet.