The Great Cadence Caper Explained
November 2nd, 2023
Tipping pitches and adjusting.
Earlier this week, Joe brought word of a conversation between former Bucs guard Ali Marpet and Bucs right tackle Luke Goedeke about quarterback cadence and defensive lines reading tipped pitches.
This was in a public forum heard by the free world on the Buccaneers Radio Network.
There, Marpet said it appeared the Bills had figured out Baker Mayfield’s cadence because the Buffalo defensive line was getting such a good jump off the snaps. Goedeke agreed and added that film study showed how Buffalo was getting off the ball a microsecond prior to the actual snap.
It sounded so outrageous to Joe; there had to be more to this. Just had to be. So Joe was scoping for Bucs offensive linemen yesterday in the locker room.
Joe found two available: Matt Feiler and Cody Mauch. (Feiler got a kick out of how Joe approached him. Joe asked if he had a moment and then Joe said, “Wait, you didn’t play last week. Nevermind. Sorry.”) So Mauch was the only lineman hanging out in the locker room that started last week against Buffalo.
Mauch backed up what Goedeke said on radio about Buffalo’s offensive line.
“I’d agree with that, yeah,” Mauch said. “I think maybe they had a bead on our silent cadence, maybe. Maybe that’s what it was, I’m not sure.”
Regardless, Mauch said the Bucs did make an adjustment “later” in the game. For proof, Mauch said they got Von Miller to jump offsides with the adjustment.
Joe did the research and Mauch is right, per the official gamebook. The Bucs did lure Miller offsides — on the second-last play of the game, the play right before the failed Hail Mary.
But to Mauch’s point, the Bucs offense finally showed a pulse in the fourth quarter. Was that because of the adjustments? Did the Bills simply call off the dogs? Joe isn’t sure.
“We adjusted late,” Mauch said. “And we started to slow them down a little bit.”
Since three starters on the offensive line (Tristan Wirfs, Goedeke and Mauch) suspected something fishy was up with the jumps Buffalo’s defensive line was getting, Joe asked Mauch if anyone approached Bucs coaches to tell them about their suspicions.
Mauch said that did not happen. But, he emphasized the Bucs did adjust.
November 2nd, 2023 at 12:13 pm
OLine coach should have seen this much earlier than the 4th quarter
Rookie OC caught not changing up his cadences and tempo – oh that’s right Todd said we are not allowed to run tempo it tires out his D too fast
You know, the D that is dead last on 3rd down in the NFL – it’s because we play too fast on offense….
November 2nd, 2023 at 12:14 pm
I think it might have been more than solely cadence. They knew it was run vs. pass early in the game – and it was also more than just guessing BUCs would run on first down.
November 2nd, 2023 at 12:55 pm
Voice irony abounds Bucs are super slow on offense.
November 2nd, 2023 at 1:39 pm
‘Joe asked Mauch if anyone approached Bucs coaches to tell them about their suspicions. Mauch said that did not happen. But, he emphasized the Bucs did adjust.’
Say what? The OLinemen surely wouldn’t seen that the guys opposite them were moving BEFORE they did (unless they had their eyes closed, but we won’t go there). And yet, they didn’t tell their coaches, and apparently not the guy responsible for the cadence, Baker Mayfield (who apparently didn’t notice either?). But somehow, magically, they DID adjust (too late apparently).
It’s Todd Bowles fault. Not sure why, but thought I’d beat some of the rest of the other JBFers to kicking the scapegoat.
November 2nd, 2023 at 1:46 pm
I was seeing it in real time. I was wondering why they didn’t vary the snap count more. I thought Von Miller was offsides a couple times that was never called and Baker had immediate pressure in his face.
November 2nd, 2023 at 2:05 pm
What about the offenses snapping while the D isn’t set all Year !! Joe have you noticed this …… especially on third down !!
This is a very low effort non physical Team but many other Coaching Tells are abundant and they are Not good Tells !! …….. BTW when you pay both your corners , it’s to get off the field on third down !!! Worst in the league getting off the field !!! Poor Todd !! Poor Poor Todd !!
November 2nd, 2023 at 4:35 pm
32
Canales is 1 of 32 OC in the NFL. That’s a small number of seats. Every OC should have a PHD in football when there are only 32 seats. They should not be learning the basics of the job. Canales is not qualified to be an OC. Buh bye.
November 2nd, 2023 at 5:32 pm
So, what I get from this post and related comments is that DCs are able to look at film and determine not only when we will snap the ball but also whether it will be a run or pass play. If that’s true, it’s a hell of an advantage and might explain our W-L record. At the beginning of the season Canales was new to the league and there was little film to evaluate.So, we jumped out to a 2-1 start. Now the DCs have weeks of film to study and, voila, during the last four weeks, we’re 1-3. While the Bucs are still trying to figure out the offensive scheme, our opponents seem to know it pretty well. Tells me Canales needs to be less predictable. Sound familiar?
November 2nd, 2023 at 5:37 pm
PSL Bob … I think you’re onto something. Should we tell Canales or wait for the offensive line to do it?
November 2nd, 2023 at 7:45 pm
Ultimately this is on Bowles. He’s way too disconnected with the offense to be taken seriously as a head coach. It is also on Canales for not seeing it but if he can’t catch it the coach must be savvy enough, and pay enough attention to both sides of the ball to catch this.
I saw this earlier against either the lions or the eagles. Thinking as I’m watching the game that they needed a hard count or change the count entirely. There is more to this game than simply calling the plays and executing. We cannot simply be outsmarted. There is no greater shame than to be outfoxed by your opponent.
November 2nd, 2023 at 8:21 pm
Hearing Bowels say that we can run hurry up because we screw up is very telling and depressing. With that said, the All22 shows a good game plan with receivers open, really open, yet Bakers doesn’t find them and/or we have a penalty. Clean it up. Come on Baker – you’ve got a few games left before the plug is pulled.
November 2nd, 2023 at 8:53 pm
How embarrassing.
Bunch of clowns running the show.
November 3rd, 2023 at 3:52 pm
This is one of the big things i talk about; what the heck r the coaches doing????? they r not adjusting and changing it up enough, soon enouth; go for some Hail Marys sooner; swap out some quick 5yd n 10yd throws n/or runs(still lol a bit on the runs) but 4 pete’s sake; figure it out n COACH!!! DONT MAKE THE PLAYERS HAVE TO DO IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
November 4th, 2023 at 8:17 am
@Defense Rules
It is probable in fact that the O line handled this on their own.
O lines are a tight knit bunch and they regularly will play games with the Defensive linemen trying to screw with their heads. I played LT for several years and I can tell you that Mauch and company probably only talked with Baker and between themselves and solved the issue by changing it up…and probably changing it back….just to screw with the D line.
My hats off that they did this without screwing up themselves. That is impressive to me, and a great sign that these guys are gelling.
Go Bucs!