Cameron Brate Talks About What He Would Do If He Were Byron Leftwich
November 26th, 2019
Despite the Bucs offense ranked among the very best in the NFL at racking up yardage and points, offensive coordinator/playcaller Byron Leftwich has his detractors.
They don’t like the playcalling, though those folks will be rather quiet this week after the balanced and effective offensive performance against the Falcons.
One thing unique about the Tampa Bay offense is a total of 202 combined targets through 11 games have gone to Mike Evans and Chris Godwin. No other team has two receivers who together get that much action. Both are top-10 in the NFL when it comes to targets. Jarvis Landry and Odell Beckham, Jr. of the Browns are the next busiest tandem.
Tight end Cameron Brate hopped on Buccaneers Radio last night and acknowledged that the Bucs pumping balls to their two big guns is the way to go.
“It’s kind of what we’ve done all year. If I was the OC, I would just keep throwing it to Mike and Chris, and that’s kind of what we’ve done all year,” Brate said. “Teams just don’t have an answer for it.”
Yes, the Bucs could throw even more to Evans and Godwin, but there is a limit, especially if you want to keep a defense somewhat honest.
Brate added that Godwin is the kind of do-it-all receiver that he would want first if he were “starting a football team,” and he added that Evans’ extremely competitive nature drives a lot his success. Brate also said Godwin becomes like a very tough running back as soon as a he catches the ball; Joe liked that analogy.
As for Leftwich, Brate noted Leftwich is a different kind of offensive coordinator for the Bucs and he gushed about his “great presence” and contagious passion for the game.
“Just his ability to relate to everyone and kind of communicate with everyone, he does a great job with that,” Brate said.
November 26th, 2019 at 8:08 am
Sounds like he’s giving the edge to Godwin.
I won’t disagree.
November 26th, 2019 at 8:09 am
If the bucs are not going to use the tight ends that much they could use his 6 mil for the o-line.
November 26th, 2019 at 8:23 am
relates to everyone and communicates with everyone….
sounds a lot like what players were saying about BA…..
BL is a great OC and a HC in the making…..
GO BUCS!!!!!
November 26th, 2019 at 8:40 am
You use wrs to open up the short/intermediate for the tes….same goes for using Brate/Howard to open up the downfield game for Chris and Mike. It shouldn’t be one or the other. Think of what Aaron Hernandez and Gronk COULD have been. INSANE!!! With ANY run game, which JAMEIS STILL HASNT HAD, its near impossible to stop.
November 26th, 2019 at 8:49 am
Just because the Bucs beat Atl. does not mean BL doesn’t suck. IMO one game doesn’t change anything. That also goes for JW.
November 26th, 2019 at 8:52 am
Just because Bucs beat Atl does not change anything. BL still sucks, as well as JW.
November 26th, 2019 at 8:56 am
Rams win is looking less impressive every week
November 26th, 2019 at 9:01 am
Its off subject but change.org has a fire jason licht petition. Everyone go sign it! Hes the change we need.
November 26th, 2019 at 9:04 am
TiredBucsFan
Getting rid of licht will do nothing to improve this franchise…. getting glazers to sell or move the team is Tampa bays only hope for improvement…. glazers are not even trying to be competitive. You can not be this bad for this long without trying to be this bad….
November 26th, 2019 at 9:06 am
I love the well thought analysis of some of the comments left on this site.
November 26th, 2019 at 9:08 am
Leftwich called a good game in Atlanta.
Our offense may be new to some people, but I remember it well.
It is based on the old Air Coryell offense used in San Diego years ago.
November 26th, 2019 at 9:19 am
Now imagine how this offense will look when BL starts getting Rojo the ball more and mixes in the TEs effectively. Teams will have a hard time preparing for us.
November 26th, 2019 at 9:48 am
Good one, Ocala! :-#
I was impressed with Leftwich’s play call for this one also. Hopefully he has grown in his role as well this season.
November 26th, 2019 at 9:51 am
tmax,
So if the win against the Rams looks less impressive I guess that means your hero QB also looks less impressive right?
Didn’t he have a big game?
November 26th, 2019 at 9:58 am
I would just keep throwing it to Mike and Chris, and that’s kind of what we’ve done all year,” Brate said. “Teams just don’t have an answer for it.”
Hey Brate not sure if you were active when you played the Saints twice or Panthers in London but they would completely disagree that teams dont have an answer.
November 26th, 2019 at 10:02 am
Agree that BL called an excellent game in Atlanta well-balanced was the key. And yet, many are applauding the offense for the win, when the real story was offense AND defense (some might even call it COMPLIMENTARY FOOTBALL).
Bucs’ offense had the ball for 13 drives, 28:22 TOP but only 66 offensive plays. Offense scored 4 TDs & 1 FG in that span, punted 4 times, had 2 INTs to end drives & 2 drives ended at the half & end-of-game.
Bucs’ defense was on the field for 13 Falcons drives, 31:38 TOP and for 87 defensive plays (over 20 more plays than our offense). We held the Falcons to 2 TDs (one very late) & 3 FGs, forced 6 punts, got 1 INT & 1 Fumble recovery (for a TD). One of the Falcons TDs was after a Jameis’ INT at the Bucs 19 yard line.
All-in-all, BOTH sides played some good football. Interestingly, our 2nd longest drive (95 yards 11 plays for a TD barely took 4 minutes). Our longest drive (98 yards in 5 plays only took 2:37 off the clock). Our offense is healthy, and 10 players got 50% or more of the offensive snaps.
Our defense is also healthy which allowed 13 players to get 48% or more of the defensive snaps. Seems to me that as long as we’re healthy, this Bucs’ team can hang with just about any NFL team now. We need better depth for sure, on BOTH sides of the ball, but we’ve got some very talented starters & key rotational players.
November 26th, 2019 at 10:06 am
@ tmaxcon you are a true idiot!!! Sell or MOVE the team? So you think selling the team is the only answer to cure your frustration, you cant simply stop watching the only answer you can think of is to make someone sell something that belongs to them because you dont like it?
Honestly stop watching them play if you want to move or at the very least stop coming here posting absurd comments. Personally I’d rather root for this losing team than to have no team at all. For all the winning Atlanta and Carolina has done they still have zero championships. We only have one but it belongs to Tampa.
November 26th, 2019 at 10:21 am
Brate and Howard the most overrated tight ends in the game. They both are injured half the time. Howard can run if he can catch the ball, Brate just catches the ball and falls down. No one would give a number 1 pick for Howard before the trade deadline. They better move him in the 2020 draft because hes getting worse instead of better.
November 26th, 2019 at 11:04 am
Allbuccedup
I beg to differ sir based on bucfans infinity for mediocrity brate and oj have already earned thier place in bucs ring of underachievement with the one year wonders and other career losers…
Joe’s mancrush on brate is cute but based on harvard not football….
November 26th, 2019 at 11:13 am
Chris- I remember it, remember Kellen Winslow Sr? BA and BL need to go back and see how they used him. We have 2 good TEs, OJ needs to get his head out of his a$$ or be gone. OJ for Trent Williams- straight up.
November 26th, 2019 at 11:13 am
Defense Rules, NICE post! 👍
November 26th, 2019 at 12:43 pm
Saints blitzed heavy
ATL hardly blitzed
Defeating BA/BL scheme is quite easy and the blueprint was created by Dennis Allen and the Saints which ATL Quinn stupidly didnt apply
Blitz the porous Bucs off line and hit JW3 before the 2 outside receivers are finished their long developing routes
November 26th, 2019 at 2:01 pm
Pewter power
Glazers are a complete embarrassment in 2 sports on 2 continents. They should be forced to sale by other NFL owners for diminishing the nfl brand year in and year out…. Jerry Springer show has more integrity and credibility than bucs franchise. History proves it… and you can call mr Mr Idiot madam….
November 26th, 2019 at 2:18 pm
Teams don’t have an answer for it, what our record?
November 27th, 2019 at 7:30 am
Defense, I have once again applaud your comment. 100 % spot on.
I’d like to go even one step further: The game in ATL wasn’t the epiphany of the O it was the birth of the D!