Balanced Offense
November 25th, 2024
Mike Leach would approve.
The late college coach Mike Leach will be remembered for years for two things: his massive impact on innovating the passing game on all levels of football and his one-liners.
If the original Buccaneers head coach John McKay had the internet, 24/7 sports networks and radio stations following his every move, well, that’s what Leach became decades later.
Joe isn’t sure what Leach’s lasting singular legacy will be: developing the modern passing game, the Air Raid, or his love of microphones to offer wit and wisdom, sometimes in the same sentence.
Leach pretty much thought running plays were a waste of time. He believed you moved the ball by throwing. So when he was at Washington State, he was asked about a “balanced attack” of equal plays running and throwing.
Leach was morally offended by the suggestion scoffed loudly, launching into a long unplanned but welcome lecture that included the joys of the wishbone offense.
“There’s nothing balanced about 50 percent run, 50 percent pass because that’s 50 percent stupid,” Leach growled, half-appalled by the question and half seemingly in pain from the thought.
What Leach believed was a “balanced offense” was spreading the ball to your weapons equally. And boy, did the Bucs do that yesterday against the Giants.
Joe has already gone over how Baker Mayfield — who has a direct football lineage to Leach — completed passes to 11 different targets. That’s only happened five times in Bucs franchise history, the last when Bucco Bruce Arians and Tom Brady did it in December 2020.
But it wasn’t just Mayfield. It was the ground game too.
The Bucs had four rushing touchdowns. One by Sean Tucker, Rachaad White, Bucky Irving and Mayfield.
That’s the first time anyone in the NFL has accomplished this feat this season. It also was the first time in Bucs franchise history.
So to recap, 11 different players catching passes and four different players scoring touchdowns (albeit on the ground)?
Leach would have been proud. Sort of.
November 25th, 2024 at 4:05 am
Dont get ahead of yourselves please…that game was practice….win the rest of them
November 25th, 2024 at 5:02 am
So not a huge deal imo here , but let’s keep it real still okay.
Truth is Todd should have pulled his starters on offense. Cohen should have demanded it. No reason with 5-8 mins left and up 20+ on them we should have risked starters careers by forcing them to play. Injuries are a thing and it’s not good standard. Unprecedented and risky decisions aren’t needed.
Just go get the dub and don’t act like an ass while doing it. As much as I enjoy trolling and the devito dance we have to focus more on team chemistry and get the guys who are showing weaknesses to be built back up and stronger then ever.
Kyle Trask , Payne Durham , Sean Tucker ,Robert Hainsey , sterling shepherd etc.. Alll of them guys should’ve been getting the 4th qtr reps.
November 25th, 2024 at 7:15 am
Nothing wrong with a balanced attack on offense as long as it’s intelligent and creative. I love the idea of 11 targets. I’m sorry I missed the first half. Love, love, love BM’s feistiness and leadership, but please Baker, do not get carried away and get badly injured! We’ve suffered enough Buc Luck this season. On to Charlotte and the dueling Offensive Coaches. C’mon Bucs!!
November 25th, 2024 at 8:44 am
Good win. Let’s stack!
November 25th, 2024 at 12:57 pm
Finally found a head coach that makes Bowles look great. Brian Daboll is probably the worse head coach in the nfl. How do you sign a quarterback to a 40 mil plus and within two years you demote him to 3rd string and then release him. I can’t believe this guy has a job in the nfl period.
November 25th, 2024 at 10:50 pm
Only 7 points scored in the 2nd half…