Third Down Conversion Must Improve
April 23rd, 2023
Sad statistic.
This may sound elementary, but the way defensive-minded head coaches are so allergic to taking chances and being aggressive with the ball, the following bears mentioning.
The easiest way to win games is to score points. Lots of them. More than the other team, in fact.
One method is moving the ball down the field. To do that, it helps to be able to convert third downs. Per Sharp Football Analysis, the Bucs were bad at that, ranking No. 22 in the NFL last season.
That’s not good. But when you start peeling the onion skins back, it becomes downright alarming.
The Bucs had the greatest quarterback of all time. They had a possible Hall of Fame receiver. They had a Pro Bowl receiver, as well. They had a running back catch 73 balls and that same guy was one of the NFL leaders in yards after catch (YAC).
Yet the Bucs were in the bottom-third of the league converting third downs?
And some people wonder why disgraced former Bucs offensive coordinator SpongeBob is unemployed.
April 23rd, 2023 at 9:04 am
Is there a stat that shows it average yards to go on 3rd? After running up the gut twice for 3 yards converting third gets harder
April 23rd, 2023 at 9:17 am
His nickname is “Sluggo”, but yes, he was truly awful.
April 23rd, 2023 at 9:52 am
In 2021, Bucs had 3 players among top 15 in explosive plays (gain of 20 yards)-
Gronk, Evans and AB.
Well, Gronk and AB were not on 2022 Bucs.
Julio Jones led the league in explosive plays in 2020 and Bucs obviously signed him to make up for the loss of Gronk and AB, but it didn’t work out.
Add in a loss of 3 starters on OLine, other aOline and RB injuries and a subpar performance by D Smith-
Leftwich had alot to contend with.
Obviously BL didn’t adjust well, and his playcalling was unimaginative and predictable- which is why he’s unemployed.
April 23rd, 2023 at 9:59 am
Possible Hall Of Fame receiver?
Definite Hall Of Fame receiver!
April 23rd, 2023 at 10:01 am
Ok I’ll set myself up as the out of touch dope – I don’t get the SpongeBob reference. Somebody please help.
April 23rd, 2023 at 10:02 am
We were even less successful running the ball for 3rd down conversions with only 26% of our 3rd down runs gaining 1st down. On top of that we rushed for only 5 TDs on the season.
I think our 3rd down conversion passing the ball was better than league average. My eyes suggest that it was no push from our 2 guards and our center on 3rd and short along with BL’s play calling that were last year’s biggest problems.
April 23rd, 2023 at 10:18 am
I think the really headline should be the Head Coach must improve
April 23rd, 2023 at 10:30 am
The offense was a mess!! The coaches starting with TB, made no adjustments. The rest is history.
April 23rd, 2023 at 10:49 am
The Bucs could not effectively convert on 3rd downs, run the ball, score when in the red zone, complete deep passes, and in general put points on the scoreboard. A mess!
April 23rd, 2023 at 10:59 am
Hence, why you hire a run dominant new OC, start revamping OL, draft new OT, sign big “body” FA OL, dump RB who goes down after one hit! Since no money, after all in with Tom, time for Bucs fans to watch some good ol grind out ball.
April 23rd, 2023 at 11:08 am
Agree with goatfarmer, after Bucs shooting blanks in 2023, and focusing on growing OL with some big ballers, with money next year can go get a Penix to steer our ballers!
April 23rd, 2023 at 11:23 am
Is it true Lefty got turned down for a high school football coaching job?
April 23rd, 2023 at 11:34 am
I admire Ariains’ loyalty to Leftwich, and, it may be a while before I understand what he saw in him.
GO BUCS!!
April 23rd, 2023 at 11:52 am
Allbuccedup Says:
April 23rd, 2023 at 11:23 am
Is it true Lefty got turned down for a high school football coaching job?
________________
LOL! Imagine how that interview went. “We be gonna do what we do, we gotta do be multi. Games be simple, on offense we gotta be do scorin points and on defense we gotta make the other offense be don’t. “
Interview panel: “Maybe you should enroll as a freshman.”
April 23rd, 2023 at 11:52 am
We had an unimaginative, predictable offense last year. Replacing Leftwich alone should produce better results.
April 23rd, 2023 at 12:04 pm
Capt. Flat Brim ain’t be dat much of a wordsmiff Goat.
You be being generous.
April 23rd, 2023 at 12:18 pm
Can someone explain why the Glazers thought Bowles was the best HC for Bucs?Serious question.
April 23rd, 2023 at 12:20 pm
That three and out offense absolutely crushed the defense, they barely got off the field before they had to go back out, between no rest and bored players they didn’t stand a chance.
April 23rd, 2023 at 12:24 pm
The GOAT’s gone.
It ain’t going to get better…
Go Bucs!!!
April 23rd, 2023 at 12:28 pm
A credible running game will help with the 3rd down conversions, hopefully keeping us at 3rd and short more than like 3rd and 7 or 8.
April 23rd, 2023 at 12:32 pm
This has been written hundreds of times: Because Arians wanted Bowles to succeed him.
April 23rd, 2023 at 12:45 pm
Still convinced it was the offensive approach. You win on third down by not being in third and long. If you can’t run the ball, that’s hard to do. Defenses played strictly coverage against us. It wasn’t Brady’s fault. Said this many times. No QB threw into 7 plus defenders more than Brady last year. The offense was completely unimaginative. The talent drop off only made that fact more apparent. If you run a scheme predicated on winning every matchup, you’d better have an outstanding roster.
April 23rd, 2023 at 1:09 pm
Simple. 3rd and 3…up the gut for 1. They will do it again this year. Bowles Curse.
April 23rd, 2023 at 1:18 pm
Another pathetically low bar for Canales to clear as a rookie OC
April 23rd, 2023 at 1:36 pm
Canales can come out and be a poor offensive coordinator and still be an upgrade.
April 23rd, 2023 at 1:41 pm
Redeemer rings the Sunday Internet Bell. Spot fargin’ on.
April 23rd, 2023 at 2:05 pm
They were behind the chains more often on third down, and Brady wasnt going to hold onto the ball to let the plays pan out. Total wishful thinking to expect addition by subtraction, I still think they can score more than 20 a game regardless of qb.
April 23rd, 2023 at 2:10 pm
Doosh, you are right, my transcript of the Leftboob’s interview was far too verbose and articulate.
April 23rd, 2023 at 3:57 pm
Silly me. I didn’t realize BA made the HC decisions.
April 23rd, 2023 at 4:11 pm
Ok so the real Question is WHY DID THE GLAZERS KEEP BOWLES????
April 23rd, 2023 at 4:59 pm
Roc, its simple. Ownership and management apparently didn’t believe Bowles had a fair shake. Crazy as it sounds, that’s the only reason I can come up with. I don’t care if you have Montana, Young and Brady all rolled into one guy. If you can’t run the ball to save your life, everything else is doomed to fail. They didnt even have the threat of a running game. It was Brady throwing sideways, and draw plays.
April 23rd, 2023 at 5:25 pm
Kinda hard to have a good 3rd down conversion rate when you are staring at a 2nd and 10 essentially every drive. Serious question: what was going through Leftworst’s brain when he called the same exact play every 1st down? Is there a rational explanation out there?
April 23rd, 2023 at 6:51 pm
Lefty would make a great Halloween costume. Just seeing him pictures on the front of Joe’s article made me think he was coming back in some way and scared the p*ss out of me.
April 23rd, 2023 at 7:10 pm
Quit running for nothing on first and second downs and third will be a lot easier.
April 23rd, 2023 at 7:11 pm
Tony Soprano asked: “ Serious question: what was going through Leftworst’s brain when he called the same exact play every 1st down?”
He was probably singing that song “If you be happy and be knowed it call a run, if you be happy and be knowed it call a run, if ya be happy and be knowed it then be middle you be runnin it, if you be happy and be knowed it call a run.”
April 23rd, 2023 at 8:06 pm
Brady is suing an AI generated comedy video that uses a likeness of him.
He’s also dropping hints that he might play.
Knowing Brady he’ll join the Dolphins (or another team) right before camp.
I’d bet money on it.
What???
It’s better (and less depressing) than talking about sponge bob square hat
April 23rd, 2023 at 9:15 pm
If you don’t waste first down just running up the middle, you won’t be in so many thirds and long.
In addition to wasting 1st down, last year, without Arians there to tell him what to do, Leftwich thought it was a brilliant idea to repeatedly throw 0 yard WR screens on 2nd and longs, becoming, again, completely predictable on now 2 of the 3 downs.
April 24th, 2023 at 12:42 am
Umm yeah
Reminds me of the great Bill Russell saying in a live broadcast “the team that wins the game… will be the team that scores the most points” I still laugh when I think of it.
April 24th, 2023 at 11:08 am
garro- too bad Bill Russell passed away. It would be useful to share that wisdom with the Bucs current headcoich.