Sticking To The Plan
September 11th, 2023
Didn’t deviate.
Joe remembers this summer asking Bucs offensive coordinator Dave Canales how he can improve his running backs’ yards-after-contact yardage.
Canales’ answer was simple: Keep running. It’s easier to make adjustments to something you continue to do, Canales said, because a defense eventually will show a way for an offense to counter what it is doing. Call it a pattern.
Canales said it’s difficult to make an adjustment when a defense hasn’t shown enough times how it is defending specific plays.
It seems that is exactly what Canales did today, to hear Bucs coach Todd Bowles. The Bucs offense in the first half was awful. But Bowles complimented Canales (indirectly) for sticking with their gameplan and making adjustments on what the offense was trying to accomplish, not throwing away the gameplan and starting something new.
“[The Vikings defense] did some things we had to get used to,” Bowles said. “I thought the adjustments [Canales] made at halftime were outstanding.
“We started moving the ball some. We stuck with it. These guys are gritty. It’s a tough win, tough place to play.”
It wasn’t pretty. Wasn’t pretty at all. But the Bucs were effective in the second half. And doggone-it, a win is a win. The NFL isn’t college basketball where pretty wins means more than ugly wins.
The season is very young. The Bucs can continue to work on improving the offense. You can’t turn the clock back and turn losses into wins.
The Bucs are 1-0. A few more of these and they may win this division.
September 11th, 2023 at 12:06 am
I think you mean “didn’t waver”…
Waiver is a noun and doesn’t mean the same thing.
September 11th, 2023 at 12:30 am
Canales, Please give Sean Tucker more carries/touches.
September 11th, 2023 at 2:50 am
Look, some of you are half cocked…want to be in a little want to be out a little, I get it. Just be a true fan and let everything in the past from anyone be just that…the past!
Climb onboard this Buc train and lets pull for our guys. I think we got this next one with Da Bears….then the Iggles, that one will be an upset and I CANT WAIT for that one hahahaha.
September 11th, 2023 at 3:12 am
Great adjustment in the final 32 minutes is all I can say. GO BUCS!!!!
September 11th, 2023 at 3:38 am
Bottom line is a win on the road against an NFC opponent is real good.
September 11th, 2023 at 4:26 am
The OC and HC/DC plans worked. Now they are 3 point faves for this week. They overcame the slow start. Mayfield looks like the new Billy Kilmer. Hope it works this week. Close game but Have A Tampa.
September 11th, 2023 at 4:41 am
All_da_way,
A win on the road against an NFC North Division champ team with a 13-4 record in 2022 n a 13-4 total home record the past two years is GREAT!!! Hats off to the Bucs.
September 11th, 2023 at 6:03 am
HC Grover … ‘The OC and HC/DC plans worked.’
Wow! Quite the turnaround from the lambasting you’ve been showering on Bowles for the past few months. I’m wondering now though: was it that you thought their plans wouldn’t work, or that their ‘plans’ turned out to be different from what you assumed?
Bowles stated that he wanted to ‘run more’ … and they did. We ran 33 times … that’s 48.5% of our 68 total plays. Higher than what I thought we would (I was guessing 40-45%) admittedly, but what amazed me was how ineffective our rushing was (I expected us to do better). Total of 73 yards rushing on 33 attempts (2.2 YPC) against a supposedly meh rushing defense. Ugh
But what wasn’t disappointing was that we stuck with it. Yes it was largely ineffective, but we’ve got the players to make it better if we just stick with it. And we did get several 1st downs rushing so there’s that.
Or maybe it was the Bowles’ defensive plans that impressed you. After all, Bucs did hold a high-powered offense to only 17 points at home. And we did pull off a 3-0 Turnover Differential (over 90% chance of winning games when you do that). And our run defense did work amazingly well (another goal this year), holding the Vikes to only 41 yards on 17 attempts (2.4 YPC). And we did manage to sack Cousins twice and pressure him quite a bit on many others (just not enough).
So yes, overall ‘their plans worked’, after a lot of in-game adjustments I’m sure. But to me the real story is that this young team played their hearts out for the full 60 minutes & never stopped believing in each other AND their coaches. And in the process they made several big plays that sealed the victory. I’ll gladly take the ‘ugly win’. Next up: the Bears.
September 11th, 2023 at 6:55 am
Remember you are playing the Bears. Focus solely on the Bears. Each game you will improve, especially the offense where continuity is built a game at a time.
September 11th, 2023 at 7:38 am
Tucker time he will get the run game going over white who outside of 1 game has shown very little
September 11th, 2023 at 9:15 am
Road win over a playoff team last season in a loud domed stadium? I’ll take it. Plus, factor in all the rookies on this Bucs squad???? This season has got the makings to be an interesting one.
September 11th, 2023 at 10:41 am
This is really about the QB because this is almost the same roster as last year but with a healthy oline. Baker needs to be average for this team to have a chance at the playoffs. Doesn’t need to be a top 14 QB. Early but seems like we may have had a good draft.
September 11th, 2023 at 4:54 pm
Shawn Tucker hits the hole with authority. No tippy toeing here. White for whatever reason looks like he’s running on ice too thin to support his own weight and it’s ready to Crack. Shawn is ready, give him the rock.
September 12th, 2023 at 3:48 am
Not sure why but the run game looked much better late. O line and tired defenders is my thinking.
Go Bucs!