Liam Coen Discusses Late-Game Meltdown
October 10th, 2024
Run to win?
Joe has been over this but today was the first time Bucs offensive coordinator Liam Coen discussed how the Bucs went “Code Turtle,” specifically in the final two drives of last Thursday’s game.
All the Bucs likely needed was a first down on the final drive and the game is over. Hell, Baker Mayfield could have taken three straight knees and the Bucs could have kicked a game-sealing field goal.
Instead, the Bucs went backward, had to punt, and we know the rest of the story.
Joe was outraged that the Bucs didn’t get the ball into the hands of their best players, and instead leaned on the weakest element of the offense, the run game.
Last month, Coen said, “Until Todd [Bowles] tells me to take the foot off the gas, we’re going to try to go,” Coen said.
Joe senses Coen got called to the principal’s offense over that declaration because a week later, Coen bragged about the joys of ground and pound late in games.
Then came the Dixie Chicks game Thursday and it blew up in Coen’s face.
Coen addressed the final ugly drive and reiterated, if the Bucs are in the same circumstance on Sunday against the slimy Saints, he’s going to run the ball come hell or higher water than Hurricane Milton.
“They know we are going to run it; we know we are going to run it,” Coen said today. “We had an opportunity to win that game.
“We have to use that as a learning moment. If we don’t learn from this and get better from this, it will happen again.”
Well, Joe also hopes Coen learned from this, too. First, always get the ball into the hands of your best players. Your best players are not Rachaad White or Bucky Irving. Your best players are Mike Evans and Chris Godwin.
Second, Joe is troubled that Coen seems to want to run the ball late, no matter what the defense does. That’s reckless it not irresponsible.
Joe doesn’t see Mike Alstott or Earl Campbell or Christian Okoye in the Bucs’ backfield. Those were rare guys that even against a nine-man box could find a way to get yards.
This sure doesn’t sound like the same guy who, a month ago, believed in all gas and no brakes. Because someone sure as hell slammed the brakes on the Bucs offense in the second half last week.
October 10th, 2024 at 5:04 pm
Shameful.
October 10th, 2024 at 5:16 pm
Looks a lot like the philosophy that plagued the Bucs last year.
Who and what’s the common denominator?
October 10th, 2024 at 5:18 pm
I mean historically good teams run out the clock… Bucs aren’t built for it, BUT they were having more success than usual on the ground before Bucky’s fumble. I can see his perspective.
Hopefully they evolve to Baker throwing to Mike and CG until the bucs are up four scores.
October 10th, 2024 at 5:40 pm
Bucky. Missed. Gaps. Last two runs . Stevie wonder can see it on the all22. He cuts left instead of right, Barton doesn’t hold, and first down is made.
October 10th, 2024 at 5:42 pm
I don’t remember the run game looking awful, either. Predictable in final moments? Sure. But one (missed) face mask call and this game was sealed.
October 10th, 2024 at 5:56 pm
I loved the article. If I had asked questions, I would have mentioned that many fans are calling the defense “code turtle” and why there were no passes to our best players. When he talked about running at the end of the game that seemed like a good opportunity. I guess that answered our questions about who scripted those plays. PLUS he talked about ME getting the ball early but never mentioned using him late. sigh
October 10th, 2024 at 6:14 pm
Todd Bowles, the head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, has emphasized a “ground and pound” approach since taking the helm. This philosophy prioritizes a strong running game to control the clock and dictate tempo. While this style can be effective in certain contexts, it poses challenges for an offense that has historically relied on a dynamic passing attack.
Under Bowles, the Bucs have shifted focus away from the high-octane offense that defined the Tom Brady era. This reliance on the ground game can stifle offensive creativity and limit scoring potential, leading to an inconsistency that I as a fan and some analysts have noticed. I’m with Joe “code turtle” all the sudden wanting to run the ball. It has Todd Bowles written all over it.
The move toward a more conservative offense not only hampers the team’s ability to adapt but also impacts the development of younger players who thrive in a more explosive scheme. IE Trey Palmer, Jalen Mcmillen, even Mike Evans and Chris Godwin as veterans had to have like Cohens Explosive high scoring offense. As the Buccaneers navigate this transition, the tension between Bowles’ ground-and-pound philosophy and the need for offensive versatility remains a critical factor in their success moving forward. I hope he can ease up a bit and step into the 21st century when it comes to offensive innovation.
If not I fear it will be the reason they fall short of super bowl goals until he is replace. He’s a good man, the team clearly likes him, hopefully he can see the light and accept it’s not 1992 anymore teams score an average of 30 points a game….
October 10th, 2024 at 6:22 pm
No risk it …
October 10th, 2024 at 6:23 pm
@Let Em Bake – I went to look after your comment. I think you’re right on the Barton hold play. It was a wide open alley to run for atleast a first.
The fumble play was less obvious because he had two good options and he was one defender away from breaking that run for a TD. Jessie Bates made an all-pro play there.
October 10th, 2024 at 6:42 pm
If the run game is working, run. If the pass game is working, pass. This shouldn’t be complicated
October 10th, 2024 at 7:02 pm
2 words. Todd Bowles.
October 10th, 2024 at 7:10 pm
The Bucs, in my humble opinion, might have been afraid of a pick. If so, yes, the safest strategy was to run.
Short, low-risk passes to our best WR’s named Evans and Godwin could have been used as a run game, to chew up clock, and get a few first downs. Sure, gotta sprinkle in a run here and there to keep ’em guessing.
October 10th, 2024 at 7:19 pm
Two words explain that meltdown.
Todd
Bowels
October 10th, 2024 at 7:57 pm
When does Todd tell him Code Turtle?
I never see the MFer talking.
October 10th, 2024 at 8:53 pm
Running the ball runs the clock. Incompletions kill the clock. It was probably the correct strategy @ the end and had the face mask been called, the Barton hold not called, etc we’d probably all be talking about how well we closed out the game with a dominant run game finally.
I think we’re learning as we go. Coens 5 games into calling plays and running an NFL offense. We’re making progress improving the run game.
I, for one, just ain’t buying in to the “code turtle” Todd pumped the brakes “conspiracy theories”.
October 10th, 2024 at 8:56 pm
Wrong answer, Liam! This is so simple, D-Roc and others said it, the OC play calling was playing scared, playing not to lose. Sometimes you have to play to win, and close games out! You want to win with, or go down with your best players. Bucs have become so predictable in these situations, it would have been so simple for Baker to play action, and roll out, quick throw to Godwin, or Evans drives downfield, stops and comes back for an easy completion. We used to call that a button-hook, and Evans is so dangerous that’s an easy completion. If they’re not sure bets, then just run, get what you can get and slide in bounds. I believe any version of that would have gotten a first down if not more, and only needed one actually. I would have run the ball Zero times.. in that situation. The difference was Cousins was able to play un-throttled; Baker was turned into a game manager, handoff machine, and Evans and Godwin were glorified decoys. What a waste. Falcons won a game they should have lost, and Bucs lost a hard fought game that they deserved to win..by 1 second! There’s always going to be bad calls, missed calls, fumbles etc. The difference in this game was lack of courage and trust in our best players, i e, bad coaching/play calling. Next time play to win. Go Bucs!!
October 10th, 2024 at 9:55 pm
2 different OC’s over 2 different seasons both under the same HC, both calling the same game and drive losing plays ….only other constant besides the horrible decision making is the HC aka Toilet Bowles. #FACTS
October 11th, 2024 at 2:43 am
U r right Joe n posters, i put this ? Out 2 reporters when coen was yapping run at end of game n how we knew wed run n they knew we’d ren
My ? Was y y would we run? We win by throwing on clutch plsys 2 our clutch players
Y y y ???? Also, this week with Goedke, n maybe hainsey , B ake will b able 2 throw more n set up long passes 2 our srars!! N our defense will lite em up with the return of at least 1 or 2 of our stars, go bucs n hush up bowles n let Bake n Bucs PLAY N SLING IT N WIN
October 11th, 2024 at 7:16 am
“They know we are going to run it; we know we are going to run it,…”
Bucs aren’t good enough to get successful runs when they stack the box. Excellent time for play action
October 11th, 2024 at 8:36 am
Correction…. on his comment that “we had a chance to win that game”…..NO NO NO….. You had that game won until you gave it away.