“Until Todd [Bowles] Tells Me To Take The Foot Off The Gas, We’re Going To Try To Go”
September 13th, 2024
“No field goals, got it Mayfield?”
My how two years can change things.
After Super Bowl-winning coach Bucco Bruce Arians resigned and his defensive coordinator, Todd Bowles took over, Bowles didn’t want to run Arians’ offense any longer.
Bowles’ take was both logical and head-scratching. Bowles said Arians’ offense was so high-octane, by the end of the season his defense was shot from playing so much. While that may be true, it was working. The Bucs the previous two seasons won 29 games including a Super Bowl.
All defenses should be so drained.
Well, the result was almost too predictable. The Bucs offense was beyond dreadful in 2022, save a game or two. The next year, after disgraced former offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich was run, the offense was somewhat better under Dave Canales.
However, Canales’ problem was loved running up the middle. The times he did open the offense, the Bucs played damn good ball.
Now comes Liam Coen as the third offensive coordinator in as many years. Yesterday, Coen said he has no desire to keep the Bucs offense in first gear.
He has superior weapons and plans to use them to score a lot of points. That is, unless Bowles issues a directive.
“Until Todd [Bowles] tells me to take the foot off the gas, we’re going to try to go,” Coen said.
Music to Joe’s ears!
Still, Coen confessed he can’t go full-blown Mike Martz. He referenced how scoring drives that are too quick wear out a defense (see above) so Coen said he must keep in mind the offense is part of the team, not the team.
“Yeah, it’s definitely on the mind a little bit,” Coen said about not getting overly aggressive. “It’s a balance, right? It’s a balance between wanting to be aggressive as a play-caller and get plays off that we like on our call sheet against certain defenses, while also understanding this is a team game.
“We have to make sure we’re putting our team first, not just the offense first when it comes to how we want to operate, how we want to go about this thing.”
In Arians’ perfect world, the Bucs would light up the scoreboard and then in the second half, pound the ball not just to drain the clock, but to take the will out of a defense (think the Super Bowl win over the Chiefs). Bowles wants to take a page from that book.
Bowles said this week he wants to keep Rachaad White on the field in the first half, despite his running struggles now entering Year 3, because White is so dangerous in the passing game.
Once the Bucs establish a comfortable lead in the second half, then perhaps it’s time to pass the baton to Bucky Irving.
So even though Bowles two years ago didn’t want to run Arians’ offense, it seems now he’s working toward that Arians’ philosophy.
Joe sees stars like Mike Evans, Chris Godwin and White (as a receiving back) and thinks a coach is fully mental not using them and instead relying on a running back (White) that has proven week after week for over two seasons and 450 carries he’s less than average toting the rock.
The fact Coen has no desire to pull back the reins, well, that makes Joe a very, very, very happy football fan.
September 13th, 2024 at 9:13 am
Coen/Bowles may be the combo we needed. Canales was the only coach we could find last year. Glad he gone.
September 13th, 2024 at 9:33 am
Bowles is definitely loving the “Foot on the gas” approach. No stopping them now!
September 13th, 2024 at 9:36 am
HC agreed. The Panthers did the Bucs a favor.
September 13th, 2024 at 9:41 am
The key is we have an above average right end and two good receivers not named Evans or Godwin. Beating Detroit in Detroit is a huge ask especially without two of our best players. I rate the Lions as second best team in the NFC, only a shade behind the 49ers. We don’t yet know if putting up 37 was due to the a good offense or their dreadful defense. Lions are a top 5 team; Buccaneers somewhere around 8 or 9 at this point. Detroit was one of my preseason Superbowl wagers.
September 13th, 2024 at 9:57 am
@HCGrover Right? Who would have thought this matchup of Todd Bowles and “they guy who coached Baker for a few games in 2022” was going to seem so cohesive?
I understand we haven’t lost a game yet, but it’s hard to not get excited about the respect among our HC(&DC) and our OC.
September 13th, 2024 at 9:57 am
Maybe it just makes sense to treat White as a receiver who just happens to line up in the backfired on every play.
September 13th, 2024 at 10:01 am
I would think every time you get the ball besides to just run out the clock at end of game the goal should be to score. If you score first and every time afterward you win the game. I have seen Baker in plenty of shootouts…. Mahomes and Baker (OU vs. Texas Tech) 66 to 59, OU wins. Mayfield outscores Mahomes and there were over 1200 passing yards between them. Mayfield 7 Touchdowns. Mayfield said that they had to score every time they touched the ball. I like that mind set.
September 13th, 2024 at 10:02 am
Buddha, exactly my thoughts. Don’t forget McMillan, Otton, and also Palmer. Tough group to cover.
September 13th, 2024 at 10:04 am
He’s going to keep while on the field because the lions played base defense and forced the rams to throw the ball. That could change this Sunday.
Side note: There’s a YouTube a comment by someone claiming to be Liam’s uncle. He was singing the praises of the organization because this is the first coaching job Liam has had where he can be himself and there’s no work place tension. Might be made up but I like to think it’s true.
September 13th, 2024 at 10:11 am
Who runs Carolina and do they know football?
1. Trade Caff
2. Draft the worst QB and give up picks to do so.
3. Hire the worst OC as HC (32nd ranked rush)
It’s so many horrible decisions that it feels intentional.
September 13th, 2024 at 10:14 am
Simply stated every coach should ideally incorporate the best of what they have learned from other coaches over time. The results of the Coen and Bowles combination should be exciting to watch as it evolves. Great to read these comments by Coen here.
September 13th, 2024 at 10:16 am
I bet White will end the year with 4.3 YPC.
September 13th, 2024 at 10:24 am
Based on the trainwreck the Redskins are, this game will show what this Bics team really is.
September 13th, 2024 at 10:25 am
This week is a huge test. If the Bucs can get an early lead, then our D just has to find ways to get off the field on 3rd and 4th downs. Sundays game should be fun!
September 13th, 2024 at 10:57 am
This is wild if you think about it. Part of the reasons both Jimmy Haslam and David Tepper were awarded the Browns and Stinking Panthers, respectively, is that both were minority owners in the Steelers.
The thinking in the league was, “Well, these guys learned from the Rooneys. They will know how to run a model organization.”
Yet both Haslam and Tepper have been the total opposites of the Rooneys. These two guys are clown owners. They run off coaches more often than they change socks. The Rooneys haven’t fired a head coach since 1969.
Now Joe’s not saying coaches should not be fired. But dang, didn’t these two learn anything from the Rooneys about hiring the right coach?
September 13th, 2024 at 11:00 am
Why not go 2 backs with both White and Bucky on the field? Use White as a FB or a TE. I would think that would completely open up some doors– no idea where the ball is going and have to respect the run or the pass.
September 13th, 2024 at 11:04 am
Joe says;…after disgraced former offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich was run,…
From the Cambridge dictionary; Disgraced def. …having lost people’s respect because of bad behavior that has been made public…
Good choice of words Joe, much better than incompetent. Bad behavior cannot be confused with incompetence. Perhaps that is why he is nowhere to be found.
I will defer comment on the Kangol Hat.
September 13th, 2024 at 11:06 am
SlyPirate Says:
“It’s so many horrible decisions that it feels intentional.”
That sounds familiar….
Same deal with the Giants btw….
It’s like the blue football teams and the blue political team have a lot in common…..
September 13th, 2024 at 11:13 am
Leftwich was well regarded (so we are told) with the Steelers. Why hasn’t Haslam or Tepper hired him ?
I suspect the Glazer family has learned the lesson to which Joe refers.
September 13th, 2024 at 11:15 am
Having all off season to prepare if not for a Defensive Penalty the Bucs first drive would have been very fast. 3 and Out.
Perhaps the Lion’s will come out playing an even softer zone than the Commanders and the Bucs will score it’s 1st opening drive TD in forever.
I would not think that the Lions will allow White to log 75 total receiving yards with 106 Yards after the Catch. Only way I can see those numbers even being possible is his 6 of 6 receptions averaged being caught 5 yards behind the line of scrimmage. Could be looking at a few 2nd an longs but Mayfield will have a high completion percentage.
September 13th, 2024 at 11:26 am
When you get inside the RedZone speed it up… DON’T slow it down. That is the time to even go FASTER. DON’T worry about the clock trying to milk-it before going into the half… A lot of times there are penalties (PI’s, even picking up a first-down), etc. You never know what’s going to happen and you might end up wishing you’d had that extra time you lost trying to keep the other team from getting the ball back with just 12-seconds left versus 43 or whatever. It actually happens often when teams do this. If your defense can’t stop ‘em with 28-seconds left and no timeouts, then that’s NOT on you! Keep it movin’ FAST… Especially, when inside the RedZone.
September 13th, 2024 at 11:33 am
Don’t worry about the clock going into the half… Just worry about scoring the Touchdown FIRST. Play-it normal (but faster, at least on 1st and 2nd downs)… Don’t ‘milk-it’ from 58-seconds left, & only leaving yourself just 18. You never know what might happen next… Heck, ya might even get a holding penalty. JUST SCORE. A Touchdown.
September 13th, 2024 at 11:51 am
I think claiming that Bowles didn’t want to run Arians offense or score lots of points in 2022 is a bit misguided.
The truth is, they couldn’t run the Arians offense anymore.
They had no o-line to run that defense. We lost Marpet, Cappa and Jensen in the span of 4 months. There was no interior o-line anymore.
No o-line means no run game.
No o-line means no protection for your 45 year old statue of a QB.
And Leftwich had no ability adjust the scheme to deal with that. So what we got was a bad dink and dunk offense with no run game and lots of throws into the dirt to avoid sacks.
Claiming this was ALL because of Bowles is misguided. Of course he did want more of a run game for ball control / clock control too, as a defensive head coach. Both things can be true.
September 13th, 2024 at 11:55 am
I think is obvious now the past three years Bowles did not trust his OC.
Bowles is too smart to not see there seems to be a good match with a Ken as OC.
I’m all in to see Arians way again. Let’s win the game by halftime and then wear them out in the second half with Buckey and Tucker.
LFBake!!!!
September 13th, 2024 at 11:56 am
Coen not Ken lol
September 13th, 2024 at 11:58 am
Btw Joe
The Rooney comment was great stuff. Thank you for sharing.
September 13th, 2024 at 12:05 pm
The defense also has the responsibility to get themselves off the field. If they can force the other team to punt the ball, they get off the field as well. If they keep allowing third down conversions, that will tire them out as fast as the offense scoring too quickly. I realize it’s hard to force the three and out if you are playing a lot of backup secondary players. Until we’re healthier, got to do what you got to do.
September 13th, 2024 at 12:12 pm
To be clear, Coen is definitely not running Arians’ offense. Arians was hyper-aggressive, and the reads went from high to low, meaning the QB’s first read was deep, and his progressions would lead him to shallower and shallower reads from there.
Coen’s offense is seemingly a West Coast-type scheme, with quick reads, quick release, horizontal routes, and a lot of primary targets in short to intermediate zones.
September 13th, 2024 at 12:13 pm
In the end Bowles did train under Bruce Arians. I love the idea of lighting up the scoreboard and letting the defense hunt second as long as he continues to light up the scoreboard. They embarrassed us the first game and beat us in the playoffs. They deserve an embarrassing beat down. If Bowles was in command of this game and didn’t then he doesn’t deserve to be coach. I hate every single team on our schedule and all teams in the NFC.
September 13th, 2024 at 12:20 pm
Yep two different offenses.
But I love Arians mindset as Joe described above.
LFBake!!
September 13th, 2024 at 1:15 pm
If you purposely keep the offense on the field , slowing down the game, doesn’t that tire out the offense? Defenses can keep you from losing games but your offenses get you the points to win games, do you really want a tired offense trying to go for a last minute score when they could have put the game away earlier?
September 13th, 2024 at 1:29 pm
Although pairing White and Irving together in the backfield sounds intriguing, I wouldn’t want to send Evans, Godwin, or McMillan to the bench to make a spot for the 2nd RB on a regular basis.
September 13th, 2024 at 2:04 pm
“Until Todd [Bowles] tells me to take the foot off the gas, we’re going to try to go,” Coen said.
—–
So basically if the team has a 3-point lead in the 2nd quarter.
September 13th, 2024 at 2:32 pm
Canales was too green and unable to challenge Bowles. It was obvious from his play calling. Coen is a gas to the pedal guy, and Bowles will need to throttle him if he wants a more conservative fame plan. This feels like a great pairing. Last year felt more like an offense with training wheels.
September 13th, 2024 at 4:28 pm
#TotallyTransformedTodd
Please help Drule or whoever is playing RT, with another OL or at least Payne Durham. Bucs can still do damage with 4 eligibles.
September 13th, 2024 at 5:10 pm
Is that why, when the Steelers offense was Leftwich-like last year and they were about ready to can their offensive coordinator and Leftwich called the Steelers and offered his services, Mike Tomlin told him, thanks but no thanks?
And then Tomlin goes out and hires Artie Smith. ROTFLMAO!!!
September 13th, 2024 at 7:36 pm
Hutch will feast. Expect a lot TE backfield sets to allow Baker that extra half half second before Hutchinson goes bananas. Sorry guys, not realistically optimistic.
September 13th, 2024 at 7:57 pm
If the Lions come in over confident and guys like Hutchinson figure the Bucs are a Sunday stroll, Detroit will get their butts handed to them. Tampa Bay knows what’s going down, Buc Luck and all. They know they’re going into Detroit injured, but this isn’t last year’s team. If Bowles gives Coen the green light, pow! What’s the Vegas line on this one, Lions by 14?
September 13th, 2024 at 8:04 pm
Joe Says:
September 13th, 2024 at 5:10 pm
^^^^
I recall how BA once touted the high regard the Steelers had for Leftnut. To be rejected by Tomlin for Artie was beautiful. Swallow the black ball Byron and fade away, please.
September 14th, 2024 at 4:03 am
Wow! Not a hint of we do what we do Leftwich. Or even we are gonna be stubborn in the run game Canales.
Now would be a perfect time to put Kieft in at H-back for some snaps me thinks.
Go for it Coach Coen!
Go Bucs!
September 14th, 2024 at 9:54 am
Baker made Canales look good. Now Baker and Coen are making each other look good
September 14th, 2024 at 5:28 pm
White needs to be in the backfield most of the time. He’s the best at pass pro we have. It may limit the play calls a little, but at least Baker has a chance and White is versatile for run or pass. Please protect Baker. I’m not sure more TEs on the field is the best use of our receivers.
September 14th, 2024 at 7:50 pm
I think we lose this game to many injuries!!
September 16th, 2024 at 3:48 pm
I was wrong and I’m glad I wasn’t right on my prediction!!