Michael Lombardi: Bucs Offense Is “Really Good”
September 23rd, 2021
Runs New England plays.
With Jason Pierre-Paul quite possibly out Sunday and the Bucs defense already showing signs of leakage, specifically in the secondary, one might dread the fact the Bucs will face the dangerous and undefeated Rams.
Don’t lose too much sleep, Bucs fans; the Bucs offense is so good it may just carry the team without JPP or Sean Murphy-Bunting, says a former NFL general manager.
Michael Lombardi, a former coffee-fetcher, driver and personnel man for Bill Walsh, Al Davis and Bill Belicheat, was super impressed the Bucs put up 48 points on the Dixie Chicks last week and didn’t come close to playing their best.
Lombardi, on his podcast “GM Shuffle,” said other NFL teams ought to be downright scared of the Bucs’ offense.
He thought it was cool that when the Bucs needed to put Atlanta away, they crushed the Dixie Chicks like a cockroach infesting JPP crib.
“If you took Atlanta [and the points], after the fourth quarter, you’re feeling pretty good,” Lombardi said.
Then — boom! — the Bucs ring up 20 points in the blink of an eye.
Good night now!
“Brady has the weapons he wants and he is so good at the line,” Lombardi said. “And let’s make no mistake about this: This is Brady’s offense. You see all the New England plays in full force which are the Brady’s plays he likes to run.”
Joe has a hunch the Bucs will need to rack up 40 points this week to win. The Bucs already average 39 points a game. So don’t tell Joe this cannot be done.
September 23rd, 2021 at 3:24 pm
I don’t recall that it was the offense that “rang up all those points in the blink of an eye.” Our O is terrific but it was those pic 6’s that secured the game.
September 23rd, 2021 at 3:28 pm
“Don’t lose too much sleep, Bucs fans; the Bucs defense is so good, it may just carry the team, without JPP or Sean Murphy-Bunting, says a former NFL general manager.” ? Think you meant to say the offense, because that’s the storyline here.
September 23rd, 2021 at 3:29 pm
“Don’t lose too much sleep, Bucs fans; the Bucs defense is so good, it may just carry the team”
Defense or Offense?
September 23rd, 2021 at 3:30 pm
Sure he runs plays he ran in NE, but he’s also throwing deep a lot now. That’s the hallmark of Arians’ offensive strategy. It’s clearly a Brady/Arians/Leftwich hybrid.
September 23rd, 2021 at 3:39 pm
Lombardi usually equals the KOD!
September 23rd, 2021 at 3:59 pm
IMO this will be a nice collaboration!!! Offense puts up PLENTY of points while the Defense slows the Rams down enough to walkaway with another W!! THE TEAM WON’T LET AB DOWN ON SUNDAY!! BUCS 34, RAMS 24 GO BUCS!!!!
September 23rd, 2021 at 4:01 pm
If the game was in Tampa, Bucs win.
It’s in LA, Rams win.
AB, JPP, and SMB just exacerbate the situation.
September 23rd, 2021 at 4:03 pm
I hope you’re wrong Joe. I hope this is the week our defense comes alive by shutting down Stafford, 4,5 sacks would be nice. A couple of picks, and throw in a fumble recovery. Asking our offense to score 40 every week is asking to much. Bow up defense, time to shine. Let’s give the league more to worry about than our offense.
September 23rd, 2021 at 5:02 pm
I should make a YouTube channel just to show people these so called Brady plays😂. We’ve run these same plays before he got here. For example the td to Godwin is the exact play winston hit him on in 2019 against the rams go check. There are many others the media just likes to all say the same things they don’t do homework. More motions yes more play action yes. But all the heavy formations tight ends all where done when Winston was Qb Brady is just better faster more decisive and accurate. Way better pre snap and I’m not saying this to down winston it’s just truth. And to finish of course there’s plays he likes there should be.
September 23rd, 2021 at 5:45 pm
Please. Just cover the halftime over. I want the Fox announcers at halftime stuttering.
Make Stafford Stafford Again!
September 23rd, 2021 at 5:47 pm
Yes….our offense is good enough to win this game for us……our defense gets stronger in the red zone & at the end of games……if we can force a couple of field goals, we should be good.
As far as the offense……turnovers & penalties will tell the story….eliminate them and we will rack up considerable points.
September 23rd, 2021 at 6:15 pm
Yes, the offense can be Tommie terrific. It is close and will get closer every week. Turnovers and penalties will slow up.
The defense is also close, one step away. Do that six or eight times and Stafford will get shaky. The rams offense is trying to emulate the Bucs. They want six or eight long shots per game. Shake up Stafford and those get shaky too.
Then the defensive front will feast. I predict 5 sacks this week.
September 23rd, 2021 at 6:42 pm
@Craig … “The rams offense is trying to emulate the Bucs. They want six or eight long shots per game. Shake up Stafford and those get shaky too. Then the defensive front will feast. I predict 5 sacks this week.”
Interesting observation Craig, and you got me curious. Yes Stafford has thrown deep 6 times in each of their first 2 games. Against the Bears, Stafford was 5-for-6 deep (2 of them were long TDs). Against the Colts, Stafford was 2-for-6 deep (1 of them was a long TD; and 1 of them was an INT).
But as far as trying to emulate our offense goes, Rams’ offense is much more balanced. We throw deep about 11-12 times a game (twice as much). We only run on about 26% of our plays; Rams run on about 47% of theirs (much more balanced?).
More than that though, the Rams OLine has protected Stafford very well (only allowed 2 sacks), so I can’t see us all of a sudden getting 5 sacks this week (hope we do though). We’ve only got 2 sacks total in 2 games, and now we’re missing JPP. Plus Stafford is very good at the quick release & throwing the short stuff (he’s completed 32-of-44 or 72.7%, which is almost identical to what our Bucs’ defense has allowed in the first 2 games). I’m expecting less blitzing Sunday and better short coverage by our LBs (we can handle the deep stuff). The game outcome will hinge on turnovers & penalties IMO.
September 23rd, 2021 at 7:03 pm
Dear Mr. Lombardi,
Duh.
Sincerely,
The NFL
September 23rd, 2021 at 7:31 pm
Bucs scored 55 last time they were on the road against the Rams and I certainly wouldn’t expect this offense to do worse than that.
Make sure Brady is aware of that stat, and we should be good for 70.
September 23rd, 2021 at 7:37 pm
The issue is going to solely be, can they keep the pressure off Brady. Last year Marpet was out, and he’s an all-pro level player. That might make all the difference, depending on how other guys play. Not having Brown however is huge, since he’s your quick guy who can run short routes, and they really don’t have a replacement for that. Miller is fast, but not quick and Tyler isn’t fast or quick. Maybe if Darden is active he plays that role, but based on the preseason do you trust him at this point? I wouldn’t.
If this game turns into a shootout, then I think the Bucs win. But if stupid Leftwich comes out saying we need to establish the run, and he’s just running it up the gut for 1.2 yards per play, then it’s going to be really tough to get a W.
September 23rd, 2021 at 8:06 pm
We only run the ball like 15 times/game. Why are you still talking about running too much
September 24th, 2021 at 12:27 am
Uh, the defense ran up most of those points, it the offense…
Did Lombardi even watch the game?
September 24th, 2021 at 12:27 am
*not the offense
September 24th, 2021 at 3:44 am
@Sly Pirate.
Rams already won in Tampa.
Time to repay the favor.
Only team Bucs lost to besides Chicago they haven’t avenged already.
They were eying these next to games in June.
Bring it.