Going To The Well
October 3rd, 2019
Philosophy.
Look, Joe is happy as can be the way the Bucs dragged the Rams up and down the Colesium field Sunday in Los Angeles. But Joe also wonders how much a good offense can be better.
Dropping 48 points on the Rams (remember, one touchdown was a defensive scoop-and-score) is just one step sort of sick. But Joe thinks the offense can actually improve. Imagine if, for example, tight end O.J. Howard had his number called more often on medium- to deep-routes?
That doesn’t seem to be in the cards to hear Bucco Bruce Arians talk about his offense yesterday at One Buc Palace.
Arians was asked about how and why Mike Evans and Chris Godwin work so well together. His answer was interesting.
“They can do so many different things,” Arians said. “They’re not always sitting in one spot. They’re both good blockers, so they can get through play-action because they block.
“They’ve got great hands and they’re good receivers – that’s a hell of a combination. They can run. Just keep throwing the damn ball to them.”
The last line about keep throwing to them is what caught Joe’s ear. That’s because this is exactly what America’s Quarterback, Pro Bowler Jameis Winston is doing.
Per Evan Silva of EstablishTheRun.com, who is one of the smartest stat guys out there, he dug up that Evans, despite being under the weather with flue for the better part of Weeks 1 and 2, is being thrown to quite a bit.
#Bucs WR Mike Evans’ first two games were wrecked by a debilitating stomach
Illness.Over the last 2 weeks, he’s drawn 89 more Air Yards than any other NFL player.
Through 4 weeks, Evans is on pace for 140 targets, which would be his most since 2016.
— Evan Silva (@evansilva) October 1, 2019
To put this a little in perspective, Godwin has one less target than Evans.
So it seems as if Arians believes in the theory, “Don’t fix what’s not broken.”
In the past 10 quarters, there is nothing broken about the Bucs offense.
October 3rd, 2019 at 8:08 am
When a defensive coordinator decides to double both Godwin and Evans, that’s when OJ will go off.
October 3rd, 2019 at 8:14 am
Arians will unleash OJ, Auclair, and Hudson in a later game this year. Right now DCs are focusing on our WRs. A good coach will set up the other team’s defense to focus and cover the WRs, then go to the TEs.
Last week we saw more screens and RB passes. The TEs are coming soon to a TV near you.
Imagine the opposing team’s helplessness when we run a 2 TE running play, followed up with a 2 minute offense with 2 fast pass catching TEs split out covered by LB and S. Defense won’t have a chance
October 3rd, 2019 at 8:16 am
Chris Godwin and Mike Evans are the best one-two punch in the NFL at the WR position. I dare someone to name a better WR tandem right now.
October 3rd, 2019 at 8:16 am
Saints will be ready…time to get serious again…last game is history….Saints have weapons to score
October 3rd, 2019 at 8:23 am
“My Dad said
Game vs Saints is a game where the offense is our defenses best friend and has to help the defense once again
we need to put the ball in Bridgewaters hands
we need to score and be ahead
if we play close and allow Payton to run and pass with Kamara…we are done
Payton and Andy Reid are the 2 best RB screen coaches. Whitehead and LVD has to comeup huge
no field goals. We need 7s in the redzone
ME has mental issues with Lattimore and Godwin will be double covered and blanketed
its OJ HOWARD TIME”
Son of Kobe Faker
October 3rd, 2019 at 8:24 am
Let’s not get too carried away. The defense needs to step up. Can’t expect these guys to score 40+ ppg in order to win a game.
October 3rd, 2019 at 8:28 am
Daaaang. ME13 had a stomach/flu and still posted great #’s? He never even hit the Injury Report.
October 3rd, 2019 at 8:28 am
There is no question that with a running game, 2 great WRs & 2 great TEs teams will have problems containing us…..you can’t double-team 4 receivers…..
The key to all of this is the short passes & screens…..along with play-action….keep that up.
October 3rd, 2019 at 8:31 am
Let’s not forget about Cameron Brate. Another great option in the passing game.
October 3rd, 2019 at 8:34 am
db55
defense will step up…..
rams were a top scoring offense and in the SB last year…..
defense is still learning a new system too…..along withh finally being developed properly….
GO BUCS!!!!!!
October 3rd, 2019 at 8:37 am
Son of Kobe Faker Says:
October 3rd, 2019 at 8:23 am
“My Dad said
YOU’RE NOT HIS SON!!!!!!
now go to the corner with realist and smitty….
GO BUCS!!!!!!
October 3rd, 2019 at 8:43 am
“ME has mental issues with Lattimore and Godwin will be double covered and blanketed”
I thought ME got the best of Lattimore last year and has matured mentally. I think the Ram’s game will help Mike out even more than Godwin. He learned all he has to do is remain patient and eventually the game will come his way. Peters got the best of ME early but ME got to toast him big time in the end.
Talk about mental issues, as soon as Peters realized how badly he was burnt, he ran out of the camera shot, and left ME alone to dance a little and chew some extra clock. Then he sat on the bench and had a major hissy fit.
Last year Evans said he was impressed with DeSean Jackson’s off season speed workouts and vowed to do that himself. It appears that he did just that
October 3rd, 2019 at 9:03 am
What has also helped (outside of the run game; those Rams LBs were biting hard!)?
The multitude of formations!!!!
Three wide, bunch setups, MOTION!!!!! And all on different parts of the field! We even ran five wide more than once this past weekend!
My biggest gripe with Koetter (among others) when it came to how he ran the Bucs offense was the absolute lack of diversity in the formations and ABSOLUTELY MINIMAL MOTION! How do you confuse a defense lining up the same way EVERY. DAMN. OTHER. PLAY.
Can you imagine being a DC for the upcoming team and reviewing game film?
Also, notice how all three of the big runs (including two called back) were to the right side? Behind Cappa and Dotson, with additional help from a WR (Bobo and Godwin) and TE (OJ looked stout blocking last game and was praised by BA).
BA, Leftwich and Christensen ALONG WITH TOM MOTHER&*^&^% MOORE!!!!!! Are doing great with offensive game plans through the first quarter of the season.
October 3rd, 2019 at 11:47 am
Agree completely with D-Rome and Privateer.
I look at OJ and Brate as aces in the hole when the DC’s go nuts and overcompensate trying to figure out how to cover the top WR tandem in the league. They MAY stop one or both of them but not without leaving OJ, Brate, ROJO, open and hopefully Perriman/Miller can help out.
October 3rd, 2019 at 12:26 pm
@ ghost
Peters got the best of mike early? What game were you watching? Mike was doubled all game even the head coach, jameis and evans said so afterwards. Thats why godwin feasted. The one time they didn’t, 70 yard td bomb to evans. If anything its another step in the maturation of jameis because he did not force it to evans. Evans didnt learn to be patient in that game because he has always been patient and has never complained about getting or not getting the ball. Buc fans love to talk out of their @$$es . Level up please.