Can Bucs Offense Continue To Be “FAST?”
March 7th, 2025
Former Bucs OC Liam Coen explains.
Joe admits the 2024 Bucs offense was one of the biggest, dramatic turnarounds Joe’s ever seen.
In the 2022 and 2023, the Bucs were p!ss poor running the ball. Dead-last in the NFL two years running, or not running as the case was.
A running offense improving to, say, No. 15 from No. 32 is a pretty big jump. Expecting a run game to improve more than that in one season is, well, unrealistic.
But the Bucs behind then-new Bucs offensive coordinator Liam Coen did the unthinkable, raising their dormant run game to No. 4 in the NFL.
Unreal!
Appearing on the Barstool Sports podcast “Pardon My Take” with co-hosts Big Cat and PFT Commenter, Coen gave major props to Bucs players saying they all bought in to what he preached and embraced playing “FAST.”
Coen said the acronym embodied what he wanted the offense to be.
F = Fundamentally sound.
A = Attacking.
S = Situational masters.
T = Tough mentally and physically.
“That’s where it starts,” Coen said. “That’s where it stems. The mentally and physically tough part is what we really want to talk about.
“We go into Tampa this year, they had the 32nd-ranked run game in the NFL in the last two seasons. And we go in and bring it to No. 4.
“It was buy-in. It was all about toughness. It was physicality, the way that we wanted to play the game, our style of play.”
The man who may have represented “FAST” best? Coen singled out Bucs star receiver Mike Evans.
Why Evans?
Coen explained with his status across the NFL and in Tampa, he could have just worried about catching passes and that’s it. Who was going to bark at a future Hall of Fame player? Nobody.
Instead, Coen said, Evans embodied the “FAST” mentality, playing constantly with grit and determination on all plays, pass or run.
“I mean, dude, Mike Evans is digging out support on safeties,” Coen gushed. “He doesn’t have to do that stuff!”
And Coen said that was just an example of what kind of class guy Evans is, and the consummate professional Evans strives to be, the ultimate teammate.
“There was immediate buy-in,” Coen said of the Bucs offense.
Now, the only question is can the Bucs carry that “FAST” attitude into 2025 with new offensive coordinator Josh Grizzard?
March 7th, 2025 at 7:14 am
“I mean, dude, Mike Evans is digging out support on safeties,” Coen gushed. “He doesn’t have to do that stuff!”
THAT is why you have to be particular who you bring to your team. Every FA is a ‘spin the bottle’ moment where you could bring in someone to poison the team (cough cough Randy Gregory cough cough)
In the Cowboy’s Tom Landry era, at one point, EVER SINGLE player on the team was drafted by them. They took a huge step by signing Preston Pearson from the Steelers in ’76 or so
March 7th, 2025 at 7:37 am
Well said Beeej. And, love the 1970’s Dallas research.
March 7th, 2025 at 7:45 am
3rd down conversion rate was SICK last year , improving there will be incredible.
March 7th, 2025 at 7:59 am
To be fair, a lot of doubt about Mike Evans character came from these pages.
March 7th, 2025 at 8:07 am
Lt. Dan Says:
March 7th, 2025 at 7:37 am
Well said Beeej. And, love the 1970’s Dallas research
Grew up in northern VA, Roger and the Pokes were our mortal enemies!
March 7th, 2025 at 8:20 am
@Beeej – been in RVA for 25 years now.
March 7th, 2025 at 8:32 am
Hey Joe’s, what happened to the ” El Serpentine!” moniker for Coen? You said he was cool with it at the draft meetings, and he understood why you used it. Did you and Coen come to some type of agreement to no longer use the ” El Seprentine!”, “Moniker”?
Because as I have not read it here @ JoeBucsFanever since you said Coen was “OKAY” with your use of that….
We still see the ‘America’s QB”, “The Savior”, etc, but no longer see the ” El Serpentine!”????
I do wonder what the ” agreement” was…
I have no issue with Coen taking the Jags HC job, I just did not like the way it went down.
GO!!!!! BUCS!!!!!
March 7th, 2025 at 8:36 am
Selfish
Narcissist
A$%hole
Knave
Enemy
March 7th, 2025 at 9:33 am
I think this guy was extremely lucky. He had a bunch of vets on bucs roster that made his job super easy. He should praise Todd Bowles because Todd could of gave that team to any oc and they still would of been destined for playoff football in that division. That jaguar team is run poorly
March 7th, 2025 at 9:35 am
Wow. People sure do hold a grudge. It was a difficult situation, but in the end he just was pursuing his dream of being a head coach. I’m not going to fault him for that or for making some communication mistakes. Got more important things to be angry about. That said, I’m not wishing him success. He’s just another enemy coach, one of 31.
March 7th, 2025 at 9:45 am
I have no problem with Liam. Most of us would have done the same thing. But him talking about everyone buying in and how they consciously played a more physical game? Let’s not give him all the credit. How about a comfortable QB in his 2nd year with his new teammates? How about Barton, Bredeson, Bucky, Jalen and JLs fantastic rookie class? New OL coaches. An entire team with a great attitude long before Liam got there. Not to mention Griz. Not only will our offense continue to be fast. It’ll be faster. Just watch.
March 7th, 2025 at 10:18 am
Fundamentally sound? No. Nowhere close. Too many mental mistakes, boneheaded penalties, unforced errors.
Situational Masters? ROTFL. Just look at the playoff game. The stupid call with the reverse, and the horrible execution. The play call was reckless at that juncture and the execution validates that viewpoint.
Then later on the botched 3rd and 1 (hard count? Duke center trying to be cute and snapping early? WTF?), which led to Todd retreating into his cowardly stance, giving them the ball back with an eternity of time when there was no chance we were going to stop then with Todd’s “scheme of the day.”
Makes me sick to think about.
March 7th, 2025 at 11:10 am
I can agree with Liam on all of that.
The guys on offense were:
* Fundamentally sound
* Attacking — how many first drive TDs did we have last year.
* Situational Masters — This could have been a little better but my gosh the increase of 3rd down efficiency was amazing.
* Tough – A little more physically than mentally
But really, how do you argue with our offense last year. It might be harder to say the same things for the defense. Especially about *** Situational Masters ***
March 7th, 2025 at 11:14 am
Lt. Dan Says:
March 7th, 2025 at 8:20 am
@Beeej – been in RVA for 25 years now.
RVA?
In hillbilly land near Roanoke myself, (lived in Tampa for many years)
March 7th, 2025 at 12:35 pm
Benedict Coen is the leader of the Coenheads.
He will struggle as Head Coach of the Jagmires
March 7th, 2025 at 1:04 pm
Filthy Animal, well said, it was just business. That is how business is run in Amerika. You don’t like it, move to Russia, which is who is running this country nowadays anyway.
March 7th, 2025 at 1:50 pm
@drdneast… I’m with you on the Russia thing. Can’t say more without angering cult members though.
March 7th, 2025 at 3:59 pm
Grizzard People 🦎