Yes, The Bucs’ Passing Game Can Improve
August 8th, 2022
“Mike, if I break Peyton Manning’s record this year, please don’t throw the ball away. I feel bad shafting that doctor in St. Petersburg with tanking crypto.”
The Bucs (mostly Tom Brady) have thrown for a crazy amount of offense, 9,855 yards, through the last two regular seasons.
So how do you improve on the best passing attack in the league? Catch the damn ball!
It is mindboggling how a team that racked up nearly 10,000 yards through the air the past two years struggled to catch the ball. Research from Bryan Knowles in the Football Outsiders 2022 Almanac, by way of Sports Info Solutions, shows the Bucs have been plagued by the dropsies.
Receiver drop totals are very inconsistent from year to year, and the Buccaneers were one of only two teams where Sports Info Solutions counted at least 30 drops in both 2020 and 2021. (The other was Pittsburgh.)
This shocked Joe. First, the Bucs have some of the best receivers in the game. Second, again it just seems crazy to think that an offense with so many passing yards dropped so many passes.
To be mentioned with Pittsburgh is jarring. That team dropped so many passes the Steelers almost had to hire dudes following receivers with shovels, like they were French Quarter mules dropping deposits all over the place.
Shoot, Diontae Johnson dropped so many passes two years ago that Steelers coach Mike Tomlin benched him.
Peyton Manning currently holds the record for most yards thrown in a season at 5,477. Brady was 161 yards shy last year of breaking that record, albeit with one extra game. If the Bucs learn to catch, could Brady snap that record at the age of 45?
The Bucs cannot drop 30 passes if they hope Brady sets that mark.
August 8th, 2022 at 9:16 am
“Second, again it just seems crazy to think that an offense with so many passing yards dropped so many passes.”
It would seem to me that logically, the more you pass, the more drops you’ll have.
August 8th, 2022 at 9:22 am
Yeah, I remember last season screaming at the TV so many times because of dropped passes. Feel though with Julio, Gage, Rachaad White, Rudolph and Cade all added this year as receivers we will be looking at far less dropped passes this year. TB won’t be forced to pass to receivers with questionable hands anymore.
August 8th, 2022 at 10:14 am
Brate had an unusual contribution to the drops last year
August 8th, 2022 at 10:17 am
Joseph Simmons understands math and I agree. Let’s look at drops per attempt and compare that stat.
August 8th, 2022 at 10:22 am
It felt like Tyler Johnson dropped 30 pass himself in the Rams game.
August 8th, 2022 at 11:03 am
I’m far more concerned with the dropped passes by our defense……I mean, right in the hands….easy picks…..dropped……sometimes 2 or 3 in a game.
August 8th, 2022 at 11:09 am
TBBF..yup!
August 8th, 2022 at 11:14 am
Bucs Win@ agree 100% seemed like Johnson, Brate & Darden couldn’t catch a naked lady in a phone book let’s not forget Rojo.
August 8th, 2022 at 11:15 am
Phone booth, freaking autofill
August 8th, 2022 at 12:10 pm
@Listnfrmafar, Darden only had 12 targets and ZERO drops last year, so I’m confused how he contributed to this stat. Just more proof people like throwing his name up for no reason. Reminds me how people used to treat Donovan Smith.
August 8th, 2022 at 12:15 pm
Hear Scotty Miller might be going to Dallas always get rid of the good ones lol
August 8th, 2022 at 12:46 pm
Hey Joe… that guy that got the Crypto had every right to sell it when it was of far greater value. My theory is that I never invest in anything that doesn’t really have some underlying asset backing it up. But each to their own.
August 8th, 2022 at 1:06 pm
I think the drop were a big reason the offense looked so Gronk centric at times. Brady has the least amount of tolerance for drops, as any QB in league history. When you throw the ball that much, drops are inevitable, to some extent.
I prefer Joe Montana’s approach to drops. He almost always blamed himself. He’d often tell his recievers after a drop, hey I could’ve put that in a better spot, even if the pass was perfect. Brady on the other hand, will often stop throwing to a particular reciever, especially if they have multiple drops in a practice or game. I think it’s part of the reason he hasn’t had a ton of success with rookie recievers.
August 8th, 2022 at 1:39 pm
Maniac, really how about the one that hit him in the hands and got picked off? Your right that doesn’t count, its a int. I guess it’s not a drop if the D catches it for you.
August 8th, 2022 at 1:40 pm
GOB, Gronk had his fair share of drops.
August 8th, 2022 at 2:37 pm
I hate to say it but Darden had a drop. Ball hit him right in the hands and he turned it over for an interception. May not count for the records but Darden stunk as a receiver last year.
August 8th, 2022 at 4:38 pm
What was the drops per attempt. If you pass the ball more than anyone in the league you are going to have mor drops.
August 8th, 2022 at 5:45 pm
“It would seem to me that logically, the more you pass, the more drops you’ll have.”
Yeah…. % attempts that were dropped would tell more accurately if this was a concern vs a plain count of ‘drops’
August 8th, 2022 at 6:08 pm
Per a web site providing ‘advanced stats’ for the NFL 2021 season, the Bucs had 32 drops and a ‘drop %’ of 4.5% (percentage of passes dropped per pass, excluding spikes and throwaways)
There were 18 teams with a higher ‘drop %’ in 2021, with the Aints, Panturds, and G-men topping that value at 6.3%, 6.1%, and 6.0% respectively.
Going only by number of drops, there were 9 teams with more in 2021, lead by the Chargers, Bills, and the Panturds/Fish with 38, 36, and 35
Numbers, presented the right way, will tell any story you care to tell……..