Keeping It Simple
October 24th, 2024
Challenges.
If Liam Coen can keep the offensive production close to what the Bucs have been getting, there is no doubt he’ll be a head coach in the NFL somewhere next year.
For now, Coen has a helluva challenge before him. He just lost two of the better receivers in the game and on a short week, he has to build an offense using different receivers in areas they may not be used to playing.
Additionally, just last week Coen said to find a No. 3 receiver, he had to trust the player before anointing him with the job. Now those same guys who last week Coen didn’t fully trust yet will be asked to be Nos. 1 and 2 receivers.
Again, all on a short week.
Coen spoke today about how he’s trying to navigate this.
“It’s a little bit of a challenge of, ‘Ok, we’ve got to keep it fairly simple for the guys that are playing in new roles and new positions for a lot more playing time,’” Coen said. And “also understanding that we’ve got to throw some different wrinkles at [the Dixie Chicks] because we did just play them relatively not long ago.”
Fortunately for the Bucs, Coen has been through a similar ordeal. While with the Rams in 2022, Coen lost Cooper Kupp and Allen Robinson.
That was also the year the Rams brought in Baker Mayfield after Matt Stafford was down with an injury.
It’s good that Coen has experience trying to replace key injured stars in the passing game. Then again, the Rams’ record that year, as defending Super Bowl champs, was 5-12.
Only three times after both Kupp and Robinson went down did Coen’s offense score 20 points or more the rest of the season.
October 24th, 2024 at 5:37 pm
Lot more two-back sets
October 24th, 2024 at 5:42 pm
I’m most interested in how Bowles fixes the D –
October 24th, 2024 at 5:44 pm
Well, that inspires a lot of confidence…
October 24th, 2024 at 5:56 pm
Bowles fixes the D with quality players , like any other DC
October 24th, 2024 at 6:27 pm
Coen sounds like he knows what to do and has a plan. Love the fact that he knows they must throw the Falcons some wrinkles in this game.
October 24th, 2024 at 6:39 pm
The offense showed marked improvement under Coen. The defense has continued to decline, it is nearing the pathetic stage. Do the Bucs want to reward success, or failure?
October 24th, 2024 at 6:41 pm
Coen does have quite a challenge. No one in the NFL cares what the woes of our offense are. Though I am down because of what happened I do want to see how we perform this time against Atlanta. Coen has already earned my faith.
Go Bucs!
October 24th, 2024 at 6:43 pm
I notice that Joe said in his first paragraph that if Coen does keep the O productive this season that he will be a head coach, not a head coach somewhere else. That is telling. This season reminds me of the last one with Lovie and Koetter. Bowels is acting like a Lovie clone; stubborn and unwilling to make adjustments.
October 24th, 2024 at 6:50 pm
Far as I’m concerned, the season is done. I mean, I’ll pay attention in the hopes that I am wrong, but this team doesn’t usually turn around seasons that are injury plagued.
October 24th, 2024 at 6:50 pm
At least the OL can continue to develop.
October 24th, 2024 at 7:07 pm
If the offensive production continues and he is not retained as a head coach this Franchise doesn’t want to win…
Period….
Young offensive innovative minds are not easy to find Defensive coordinators are. I can name two off the top of my head Robert Salah, Rex Ryan would use the existing talent on this team better than Bowles has already.
October 24th, 2024 at 7:24 pm
Sure would be nice if Bowles adopted some of this mindset. 6 years into this system, the defense continues to look lost and we continue to hear about miscommunication. Simplify things, Todd. Don’t require a PhD for players to step in the field. I truly think if he played more man and just let the front line get it at, we’d see better results. Maybe not elite, but not give up 500 yards on a regular basis.
October 24th, 2024 at 7:33 pm
Guess it does take much to get a HC job these days.
October 24th, 2024 at 8:11 pm
He would be smarter to wait a year or two. Only a desperate franchise will hire another one-year semi-wonder. Especially after Canales.
October 24th, 2024 at 8:14 pm
Rex Ryan!? If he’s so good, why hasn’t he coached in the past 8 years?
October 24th, 2024 at 8:36 pm
I agree with you Josh. If Bowels continues to stubbornly play soft zone and the Bucs are 4-6 going into the bye, it might be time for the Glazers to think ahead. Additionally, if Coen is actually getting a short-handed offense to remain competitve while Bowels’ D continues to get boat-raced like a Mike Smith D, then they need to lay down the ground work to retain Coen as HC and target someone like Saleh as the new DC with a high salary incentive as he will likely be interviewing in places like Jacksonville, New Orleans and Vegas for their HC gigs as well. Still too early to say Bowels is done but if the Bucs lose to the ATL because the dirty birds put up 30+ again with zero adjustments by Turtle Todd, well that should be the beginning of the end of the Bowels’ dynasty.
October 24th, 2024 at 10:00 pm
Why would you change from Todd Bowles to Robert Saleh who runs mostly deep zone coverages?
October 24th, 2024 at 10:01 pm
We are in much better shape than that Rams team he only got to 20 a couple times. Allen Robinson was a shell of himself and that entire offence ran through Kupp. They had a weak OL and I couldn’t even tell you who the RB was… Akers who had lost the trust of the staff or some guys like Henderson who aren’t even in the league anymore.
Coen at least has a top 10 OL to work with, a couple decent backs and guys like Shepard, who Baker is somewhat used to throwing to. Palmer and J-Mac need to seize the moment.
October 24th, 2024 at 10:04 pm
Josh invoking the name of Rex Ryan when Vrabel and Belichick are out there is… something haha.
I would also argue that young offensive minds probably aren’t that hard to find, takes scouting them like you would players and taking a chance.
College I am sure is full of innovative minds, it’s just these major sports leagues act like an old boys club most of the time when hiring and search from a talent pool of been there done that.
Having said that, would be ridiculous to let Coen get loose if he can continue to avg 24 points a game from here out.
October 24th, 2024 at 10:29 pm
I saw the title of the article and got all excited that it was the headless coich admitting he needs to free his guys up from too many variables, options and variants, and just play fast and confident in a simpler defense.
Fat chance.
Todd will be running a motorized scooter dealership in February.
October 24th, 2024 at 10:57 pm
Bucs finish the season 7-10. The DEFENSE is still the biggest problem. It’s the scheme. It’s not working. Hasn’t been for 4 years now. Scheme is everything.
October 24th, 2024 at 11:31 pm
There is no defense for the Toodster.
October 25th, 2024 at 12:25 am
I actually don’t mind Bowels thus far. I think the scheme is fine…it just isn’t playing consistently.
October 25th, 2024 at 12:31 am
Josh, Rex Ryan is a horrible coach.