Two Ex-Bucs Laud Liam Coen Creativity; Slap Bruce Arians-Byron Leftwich Calls
January 9th, 2025
Liam Coen run schemes stun ex-Bucs.
How bout that Bucs running game! It’s literally the best rushing attack in franchise history.
And it’s got two ex-Bucs in near disbelief — and taking a shot a former regime.
So former Bucs tight end Cameron Brate (2014-2022) sat down with ex-Bucs defensive lineman Beau Allen (2018-2019) on the Green Light podcast.
Yes, the subject of the Bucs offense arose and Brate gushed over the job new offensive coordinator Liam Coen has done.
Essentially, Brate said, the Bucs have run three offenses well this season: the pass-heavy unit with Chris Godwin and Mike Evans healthy, the run-heavy group that saw Cade Otton shine with lots of two-back sets when Evans was lost for three weeks after Godwin got hurt, and then a new look when Evans returned and Bucky Irving became a prime focus.
Both Brate and Allen have been blown away by the Bucs’ running game, and how much it’s changed and improved.
“So creative, the pony (two-running back) personnel packages. They had a few plays they ran this year, I have actually no idea how [Coen] had the balls to call them,” Brate said.
“Like he was pulling the front-side guard and tackle away from the play hoping the D-Tackle and D-end would pinch. And it worked. Just really creative in both the run game and the screen game.”
Allen responded that he thinks Coen’s time calling plays in college helped him be creative versus what was seen under Arians-Leftwich rushing attack.
“Dude, with Bruce Arians for the Bucs, it was like, ‘Duo. Dive solid.’ You know what I mean? You double team and you get four yards,” Allen said.
“It was horrible,” Brate quickly replied.
Ouch!
Yeah, Coen is a master at scheming the run. And he’s got his quarterback throwing for a 71 percent completion rate loggin 40-plus touchdowns. Stud!
January 9th, 2025 at 12:09 pm
lol even the casual fans could tell how bad the run game calls were under the last regime
January 9th, 2025 at 12:12 pm
Yes, it was horrible.
Leftwich is garbage and Arians, I think, was pretty overrated. He was lucky to have Brady.
January 9th, 2025 at 12:23 pm
And Canales wasnt much more creative either. The running scheme this year has been so fun to watch
January 9th, 2025 at 12:37 pm
The Bucs FINALLY have found a coach with a true football I.Q…..
Its the defense coaching staff that needs overhauled…
January 9th, 2025 at 12:39 pm
The scheme matters just as much as the players but everything was working during that Super Bowl run with Arians/Leftwich
January 9th, 2025 at 12:41 pm
*Bucky Irving makes 5 guys miss for a 20 yard gain*
Bucs Fans – “Coen is a mastermind at scheming run!”
January 9th, 2025 at 12:43 pm
Imagine having criticisms of two years of one of the best offenses in NFL history (2020/2021) because they didn’t use “motion” enough.
January 9th, 2025 at 1:02 pm
Arians and Leftwich tried to out talent opponents they rarely tried to out scheme them. That works for a small time and then you get figured out, it’s why the Aints owned Arians while he was here
January 9th, 2025 at 1:08 pm
Liam has been great, but Bucky has turned many 1 and 2 yards runs into 7 or 8 yards.
The 2020 team finished 8th in rushing EPA the last 4 weeks of the season. Averaged 125 during the playoff run. And was 2nd in rushing EPA in 2021.
What are we doing here
January 9th, 2025 at 1:11 pm
“What are we doing here”
Crowning Liam Coen as the 2d coming of Bill Walsh after 17 games.
January 9th, 2025 at 1:29 pm
And yet Arians won a Super Bowl with that!
Brates comments are like a true company man.
January 9th, 2025 at 1:39 pm
The truth is always somewhere in the middle. Coen isn’t suddenly the most creative offensive mind since Walsh or 1970s Tom Landry, but neither was Arians a terrible offensive mind that only called dives.
January 9th, 2025 at 1:40 pm
Tbbucs3…
—- *Bucky Irving makes 5 guys miss for a 20 yard gain*
—- Bucs Fans – “Coen is a mastermind at scheming run!”
Great point!! 😆
It’s hard to say which is the biggest improvement… Liam Cohen, additions to/health of the o-line, Bucky Irving…
Going from last in rushing to third, the answer is…
all of the above!
January 9th, 2025 at 1:45 pm
It isn’t just the players or the playbook alone. It’s having Coen knowing just the right situation for the players on the field. He does. I’ve seen some here say we can win without him. That may be true, but why screw up the absolute best running setup in franchise history by changing the OC again? That makes no sense at all. There’s still room for improvement, and I believe Tucker will make a huge impact next season. Imagine an offense with Bucky, Tucker, and White, a healthy Godwin, Evans, etc, PLUS a TE room set to explode. That’s got to scare any DC in the league. We need help on defense, and a punter for sure, but that’s it. Go Bucs.
January 9th, 2025 at 1:46 pm
100%
BA was a great leader but his scheme was outdated. The entire coaching staff held those Buccaneer teams back
January 9th, 2025 at 1:52 pm
@Tbbucs3
The Bucs averaged 5.25 yards a carry, which is the 3rd best in NFL history. They also had a 1.81 yard per carry increase from last year, which is the largest year-over-year increase in the Super Bowl Era, with mostly the same O-Line, but keeping hating on Coen like always.
January 9th, 2025 at 2:04 pm
I credit Bowles. He is the head coach. Go BUCS!
January 9th, 2025 at 2:11 pm
Dom
And you keep hating on the greatest Bucs coach of all time.
January 9th, 2025 at 2:16 pm
Sign him as assistant coach, give him a big raise and promise him the Bucs head coaching gig when Bowles retires or is fired. I have little confidence in Bowles. Feel the same way about Bowles as I did about Lovie Smith, Mike Smith and Schiano. They are all inflexible when it comes to their system and the only reason Bowles will likely survive is because of Liam’s stellar offense. Do not lose the best offensive coordinator we have ever had!
January 9th, 2025 at 2:25 pm
Most of any running success under an arians regime is due to the aggressive nature of the pass attack. Once he stepped down and they got more conservative they were always running at a disadvantage. Now they are actually scheming it
January 9th, 2025 at 3:10 pm
PLEASE find a way to keep Liam Coen and his assistants.
January 9th, 2025 at 3:39 pm
TB Buc, this is 2025. 2020/2021 was 4-5 years ago. Lots of changes in that time frame- -NFL, also. Defenses evolve just like offenses. Leftwich (if he said motion is bunk) has evolved to 1980 level.
I started watching NFL around Bobby Lane and Dick “Night train Lane” time. I sure have evolved since then. You?
January 9th, 2025 at 4:03 pm
Ridiculous sniping at Arians.
Brady came here because he saw the personnel pieces were all here AND because the coaching staff was legit. It seems he liked downfield passing and situational running. And while the story of what happened with Arian’s’ quick exit has yet to be told, Scoreboard! The grass wasn’t greener with theGOAT on the field and the Coach off the sidelines.
January 9th, 2025 at 4:10 pm
“He was lucky to have Brady.”
Really BA was lucky to have Brady? PUHleez. One could make a strong argument that Brady would have never won his final SB without BA.
Arians has a .624 lifetime win %!!!! And that doesn’t count his 9-3 mark in relief of Chuck Pagano whose illness forced him to the sidelines. He still got credit for that 9-3. No sweat because BA won in BOTH AZ and Tampa and didn’t need Tommy Boy the GOAT to get it done.
BA won .633 of his games here despite his worst season at 7-9 thanks to Fameis! With AZ he was .619
Here is why I rant. RESPECT!!! Again just win baby! BA was an incredible winner. AGAIN 13 Buc coaches…Just FOUR with winning records and Dangerfield and Gruden are just above .500 while BA and Tony Dungy are much better. 9…NINE coaches could not even get to .500!!!
Licht and Bowles have done an amazing Post SB run and it’s gotten better EVERY season. Improve at the same pace and that’s 11 wins next year and 12 the following.
Does anybody here not think the Bucs will have great talent next year if TL drafts defense this year as well as he did offense this past draft?
Look at the needs. ILB!!! Then it’s on to depth building at CB and perhaps edge rush. Dang…one guys wins a SB…one guy is rebuilding very well and the other has overseen it all. Can anybody get a little credit here?
January 9th, 2025 at 4:11 pm
To say Bruce Arians was overrated is laughable. Look at his coaching history and you’ll see how he succeeded everywhere he went. That doesn’t mean he was great in establishing a dominant run game. He was all about passing first. Liam is just a master of utilizing the talent he has and adapting to that. But, for both guys, there has to be some talent to work with. But we’re a much more balanced offense with Liam, which takes a lot of pressure off Baker.
January 9th, 2025 at 4:26 pm
I really feel that Baker and Coen are giving Bowles the confidence he needs to “play to win”. I feel Bowels would never go on 4th and 8 if he didn’t have pressure and more confidence from his offense. Dangit! I can.t seem to adequately state what I mean. GO BUCS!
January 9th, 2025 at 5:00 pm
Completely different systems.
Arians system was built on less deception, and more of just straight up beating your opponent by having more skill and ability. And it worked great when 7 to 8 of our 11 offensive players were pro-bowl / all-pro / future HOFers.
But as soon as a few of them, it was quickly exposed. And the problem with Leftwich was he never adjusted to that at all. Just kept doing the same thing anyways instead of playing to their strengths and covering weaknesses. “We do what we do”.
Coen’s system is far more creative and uses a lot of deception and motion, which can help hide deficencies and weaknesses.
January 9th, 2025 at 5:48 pm
Get it straight according to one fanboi up here Coen had nothing to do with our success so just give all credit to Baker Mayfield. He makes all of his coaches look better than they really are and their schemes and coaching mean nothing to Baker’s elite abilities. We don’t even need an OC because Baker can just go out there and make it happen on his own. Our losses are never his fault just the coaches making him look bad.
January 9th, 2025 at 7:53 pm
Let’s be honest though Bucky is more talented by far than late career McCoy, Fournette or Ronald Jones.
January 9th, 2025 at 8:04 pm
This is why I reluctantly still say if forced to choose between Coen or Bowles, the Bucs should keep Coen. Reminds me of Stoops or Riley; it really does. (Of course I didn’t know that Riley would cowardly run to USC when he learned OU was heading to the SEC, lol.)