Scripting Plays
December 19th, 2019
Bucs OC Byron Leftwich.
There are flukes and there are patterns. And when there’s a pattern, there’s a problem and it should be easy to fix.
Four times in the last five games, and a total of five times this season, Mr. Entertainment, America’s Quarterback, Pro Bowler Jameis Winston, has thrown a pick on the Bucs’ first possession of the game.
(Interestingly — Joe wanted to use the word “ironically” but he knows how the constipated crowd always twists in their briefs when that word is used — the Bucs’ record in those games is 4-1).
Now obviously, the Bucs script plays on the first possession of the game. So yesterday during his weekly presser, Joe asked Bucs offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich if he or anyone with the Bucs has thought about taking a step back and giving a close look to the plays that are being scripted and, perhaps, if they are plays that put Jameis in bad situations.
Joe cannot ever remember a quarterback throwing so many interceptions on a game’s first possession. It’s getting damn near to be like clockwork. Jameis even threw one in New Orleans and it was called back for delay of game.
Leftwich told Joe there is no need to take a step back and look at the plays in a different prism to find the culprit.
“No, it’s not about plays,” Leftwich said. “It’s about execution of plays. If it was the same play that it happened on, yes, you would have a point there, but it’s been different scenarios. We’ve just got to protect the football.”
Maybe it is just Joe, but it seems it is the intermediate passes, especially ones linebackers can get their mitts on, that give Jameis fits on these first possessions.
Maybe since Jameis is doing so well with the deep ball (Joe’s waving right at you, malcontent DeSean Jackson) Leftwich should be calling for Jameis to heave it on the first possessions?
December 19th, 2019 at 8:08 am
Great on the deep ball. Fun to watch. Cant believe its the same guy.
December 19th, 2019 at 8:11 am
It’s always the same type of first couple passes, teams are jumping this routes. I’d say a double move could hit huge on the first pass play
December 19th, 2019 at 8:12 am
i agree with BL…..
its the execution…..
passes are late…WRs running lazy routes…..missed blocking assignments….
clean up the execution and we’d be fine….
GO BUCS!!!!!
December 19th, 2019 at 8:17 am
Jameis seems to be having issues lately with Linebackers dropping into zone coverage.
A good running game will help solve that problem.
Draft OLinemen with premium picks!
December 19th, 2019 at 8:18 am
Like Joe said it’s been mainly intermediate in the middle passes that’s the problem. Simply stop calling them so much and go deeper on the passes like that 71 yarder that went to Godwin against Atl. Also those curl routes . Maybe some digs would be better.
December 19th, 2019 at 8:31 am
I get the Desean anger but I don’t get blaming him on the deep balls. Every QB Desean has worked with has been able to hit him deep without taking the time to build the chemistry except one. Jameis just stunk at the deep ball until this year.
There’s a lot of things to complain about when it comes to Desean but this ain’t one of them.
December 19th, 2019 at 8:35 am
We agree Joe. The Bucs try to give Jameis easy throws to get him going, but they seem easy to pick off also. Jameis has always had a hard time throwing over LB’s, how about plays where you are forcing the LB to cover instead of letting him read JW’s eyes, and trying to throw over him? Or as you say Joe, throw the damn thing 50 yards the first couple of times. Last two weeks three picks by LB’s, one a pick six, Lefty has got to eliminate that somehow.
December 19th, 2019 at 8:41 am
Maybe it takes Jameis a few plays to get into the groove…..
I’d start with some screens mixed in with a deep pass…..stay away from the intermediate routes early.
December 19th, 2019 at 8:44 am
If you watch the tape 2 of the last 3 have been blitz scenarios where Jameis is throwing to a hot and they are running a linebacker right in the throwing lane of the hot. So they clearly know where our hots are and are designing zone blitz packages to take advantage of that knowledge. For example on the one against the Colts he had either Brate or Perriman wide open on the blitz but the LB went to Perriman, why? It’s because he knows the order of the reads and went to the first one based on the blitz. He knows the QB is not going to have to time to read it out so he just went to where the ball is supposed to go and it worked. The one on Sunday it appears Jameis threw it while the linebacker was flowing to Jameis’s left to cover the back and then as Jameis was throwing the ball he just stopped which was a great play. I think in both instances this is Jameis’s biggest issue to clean up. He just trusts what he is taught and his teammates too much and he has to play with a little more instinct instead of just doing what the play calls for regardless of what else is going on. Then again he is often being told don’t be Superman and stick to the script, it’s a fine line.
December 19th, 2019 at 8:48 am
So basically BL said it was JayMiss’s fault.
December 19th, 2019 at 8:50 am
Yep, that’s what he said, Doosh. Feel better now?
December 19th, 2019 at 8:50 am
Change the playbook to 1 play every down.
1. Hail Mary
December 19th, 2019 at 8:58 am
It starts with Jameis ,IMO.Does he have some kind of tell that defenses have identified ? Also, its possible , which direction a receiver takes on a routes helps
to identify the possible target and location of the pass. so it might boil down to tendencies in these situations and teams figuring out.
December 19th, 2019 at 9:07 am
Reading some articles today and this one comment came up from Joe Bryant. I thought it was pretty spot on.
“My buddy Matt Waldman says Winston is the kind of guy that’ll set the house on fire then be the hero for putting out the fire.”
December 19th, 2019 at 9:29 am
Every team says the same thing every week…..the opposing defense is confident they will be gifted 5-6 opportunities each game to create a turnover on Winston. In simple terms, he’s highly inconsistent on a play by play basis. Whether its focus, competitiveness, inaccuracy, holding the ball too long, trying to force a throw, trying to extend a play….or a combo of all, its plain as day to the opposing team. If you really watch the coverages, you’ll see LBs, CBs, Safeties….all jumping routes. Its no secret in the NFL. The key has been and will remain, he has to cut down and prove he’s different. Even with the “winning streak”….he’s still presenting opportunities and teams WILL take those odds in pulling out a win. We’ve beat some pretty crappy teams, some who benefit more from losing then winning at this point. Texans will be a good test for growth as a team and for Winston.
December 19th, 2019 at 9:33 am
1 series is usually something intermediate or some type of deep out. Can we switch it up with a screen?
December 19th, 2019 at 9:54 am
wasnt that first interception in new orleans on a deep throw though? something is happening with jameis having an issues with linebackers and throwing it into tight windows. like that london game which i was at but overall that was bad execution on everybody including mike and JW.
i figure the coaches will or have figured out if that is the issue though. end of the day they know way way more than we do.
December 19th, 2019 at 9:58 am
I still think Jameis has vision issues. Whether addressed or not, I’m not sure he sees everything going on.
December 19th, 2019 at 10:24 am
The problem with the scripted plays is the QB. He focuses completely on what the plan is and doesn’t look off the linebacker, he stares down the receiver until they are where the play says they should be thrown to.
I still don’t like or trust Jameis, though I enjoy the upside all the way to the bottom of a glass of whisky. Some of those super plays of his are just inches or an ounce of effort from a receiver from being major mistakes.
The Bucs offense is still to staid in their programming. Running on every first down is getting to be dumb as schnitzel. They need to play closer to the edge, where Jameis is.
December 19th, 2019 at 10:30 am
I know for sure the other defenses the last two weeks schemed their way into those interceptions. Bring pressure on one side. Allow the LB to drop back opposite the blitz to bait the throw to the crossing route. Its obvious. Maybe attack the side the blitz is coming from or check into a run play going away from the blitz.
December 19th, 2019 at 10:34 am
Draw plays , screens, RB flares, and wheel routes do wonders for keeping LB’s honest. The really interesting conversation will be if JW excels again during the Texans game:
1. Is it the receivers that make the stats so good for the QB?
2. Or is it the QB that makes the stats so good for the WR’s?
December 19th, 2019 at 10:35 am
No, he’s still on our team.
I’ll feel better when he’s not.
….. and yeah, I probably have a little bit of a wait.
December 19th, 2019 at 11:17 am
It only took 38-43 years depending how you look at it for the Bucs to get a Qb as good as Jameis but still some of you’ll can’t wait to see him gone. Maybe the Bucs can cut that wait time in half and we’d only have to wait another 20 years to find someone better. But even that is doubtful though because he’s raised the bar quite a bit.
December 19th, 2019 at 3:05 pm
Remember last year? First play of the game, Fitzpatrick throws a bomb to DJ for a TD. Could catch the DBs off balance and work. Let Breshad Perriman run a wheel route and unload it. Even if it’s intercepted, the opposing team wouldn’t get that good of field position (hopefully wouldn’t be a pick 6).
December 19th, 2019 at 5:18 pm
Houston wins the toss and Defers.
Jameis throws a 75 yd TD to the new guy on the 1st play.
Problem solved.
That dude is fast.
Where’s the pic of BA whipping his head left?
December 19th, 2019 at 7:33 pm
Although Jameis has always been very good against the blitz, he has ALWAYS struggled with linebackers dropping back into underneath coverage.
Always. He just doesn’t see them (Sometimes it’s a slot CB too).
And we know he still has a tendency to stare down receivers from time to time.
I hope this part of his game is cleaned up next season. He’s getting everything else pretty damn well!