Now This Is A Balanced Offense
November 14th, 2024
Strong conversion rate.
Joe is pretty darn confident that somewhere next year, maybe in the NFL, maybe in college, Bucs offensive coordinator Liam Coen is going to be a head coach.
Lord knows Joe doesn’t want Coen to leave. But football coaches crave a chance to run their own program. Who could blame Coen if he left?
The only blemish Joe can find with Coen is how he didn’t use Bucky Irving in the Bucs’ last drive against the 49ers on Sunday.
If you have to sift through 10 games to find one big mistake a coordinator made, then he’s doing a helluva job. Joe loved the game Coen called against the Chiefs a couple of weeks ago. Smart, well-designed plays. It was fun to watch.
So, the PFF tribe was documenting how often teams convert a series of downs into a first down. That showed just how balanced the Bucs offense is.
Really good offenses don’t see many third downs. A first down is converted on first or second down.
The Bucs, per the tribe, are incredibly balanced in that way. The 2024 Bucs have converted some 76 percent of their offensive series into first downs. And three games have been played without Mike Evans and Chris Godwin. So that rate is impressive.
But if you look a bit deeper, look how even it is on the downs in which the Bucs record a first down. The percentage of converting on first downs, second downs or third downs is nearly identical.
Coen and the Bucs don’t give a damn what down it is, there is a near-equal chance the Bucs can gain a first down on any snap.
Now that’s what Joe calls balanced.
As the great Mike Leach once said, “Running the ball 50 percent of the time and throwing the ball 50 percent of the time is 100 percent stupid.”
November 14th, 2024 at 12:15 am
The Glazers and Jason were happy to unload Canalwater, who ironically will probably sweep Lovie and leave the Bucs in the cellar. No way the Glazers and Jason let Liam go to keep Lovie. Not a chance. They fired Lovie once after 2015, they’ll fire him again for the first time to keep Liam in whatever capacity necessary to keep him.
November 14th, 2024 at 1:41 am
Just keep him here….our new HC
November 14th, 2024 at 1:43 am
Its pretty obvious todds horrible decions and schemes have kept us out of close winnable games. Liam can find a much better DC.
Just do it now and get it over with!
November 14th, 2024 at 1:46 am
Do it now and bring in Robert Salah for the defense now before anyone else can hire him
November 14th, 2024 at 2:04 am
Pair him will bill bilacheck
November 14th, 2024 at 3:14 am
Do it Glazers. Make Todd go away.
November 14th, 2024 at 3:53 am
Biucs & Bengals only teams in top 12 there with losing records. Hoping Coen given the oppt here in Tampa. Sharp guy, would be interested to see what type of Def staff he’d assemble.
November 14th, 2024 at 4:14 am
I agree, hire Liam as new head coach/OC it’s time
November 14th, 2024 at 5:08 am
Great stats!
Coen is doing a fantastic job. I am not ready to say he should be HC quite yet. It’s only been 1/2 of a season. Waiting to see how the rest of the season plays out. Todd also still has the locker room right now too.
November 14th, 2024 at 5:12 am
Fire Lovie Bowles and Keep him.
November 14th, 2024 at 6:26 am
Glazers will keep Toad Bowels and let Coen walk.
That’s just the way it is with this team.
November 14th, 2024 at 6:27 am
The sentiment does not matter if the Glazers have the policy of not firing a head coach until the end of a season. However I see no reason to believe that Coen does not want the challenges that go with being a head coach in the NFL.
November 14th, 2024 at 6:48 am
smh… one season calling plays at the NFL level…not even a full one yet, we’re 4-6 everyone, Coen is not going to get offered the keys to the castle for the next struggling franchise… and I tell you that’s not what you want here in Tampa.
This trend is cooling on trying to find the next Sean McVay, because it’s not working for many of the franchises and frankly its setting them back. And wait for next season, they’ll be a couple more of those young prodigies that will be looking for work. If Bowles is gone, our GM needs to find an experience coordinator and/or former head coach that’s willing to keep Coen, and we pay Coen a nice chunk a change to hang around. Sadly if you’re not a fan of another defensive head coach, I think our best option, REALISTIC options will be a guy like Flores, who took over the Vikings defense in 2023, where the Vikings defense was one of the worst in the NFL in 2022, and despite Darnold plummeting down back to earth, they’re still winning football games thanks to a stout defense season.
Saleh is a meat a potato guy. There’s nothing complicated about his defense, nor does it get creative if it doesn’t have the right personnel or if the injury bug hits it, and right now, our defense DOES NOT have the right personnel to run his defense because it requires a serious 4-man pass rush. As you can see in San Fran, their defense is still great without him because they have the personnel.
November 14th, 2024 at 6:57 am
The best path to Bowels getting fired and Coen promoted is defense continues to be abysmal and offense to keep humming. But the defense has to be bad enough to lose 4 of the last 7 resulting in a 7-10 record. I see potential losses to Chargers, Dallas, and maybe Saints (revenge) or Raiders. Will 8-9 get Bowels fired? It should considering they would be a playoff team with just an average defense. But we’re talking Glazers here. How likely are they to be influenced by 1) giving Bowles a pass due to injuries; and / or 2) letting Arians the snake oil salesman talk them out of firing him.
November 14th, 2024 at 7:32 am
Some are not ready to be HC after one successful season. Especially if they’re going to keep calling the plays. Lot of pressure on them. Canales. But, I’d rather not lose Coen. He’s worth a shot. With us.
November 14th, 2024 at 7:41 am
Fire Todd. Keep Coen as the new Head Coach and bring in a Real DC like Dennis Allen that just got fired and would love to coach against the Saints 2x a year.
November 14th, 2024 at 8:00 am
Yes. Keep Coen. Fire Bowles
November 14th, 2024 at 8:14 am
Give Todd a chance/choice.
Hire a DC and be the HC and locker room guy,
OR
retire.
November 14th, 2024 at 9:46 am
Zoocomics is the only sensible commenter.
November 14th, 2024 at 10:39 am
Would be dumb for the Bucs to let him get away.
November 14th, 2024 at 11:04 am
Just Imagine what the Buccaneers Record Would Be with a DC that Used a Fast Attacking Style Defense. Hard to Believe the Glazers are Not Actively Pursuing an Available and Talented DC to Match Up with HC Liam. Act Now, Be Bold and Be Smarter than Other Team Owners.
November 14th, 2024 at 11:30 am
Can’t let him go. You have nothing to lose by promoting Cohen. The players love him. And, you have an experienced FO up and down & all around, including GREAT “Ambassador” types, in Bruce, Dungy, Chucky (he’s back), & soon to be Bowles. You’ve got HOF’er hanging around there too, with Brooks, Barber, Gronk, etc. It’s a damm good group to have on hand, to turn to for some additional help and support, when and if needed. Just gotta get the DC and the rest of his staff right, is all… The sky’s the limit. Sometimes, you have to take chances and make BOLD moves. It’s a total WIN/WIN. If he doesn’t workout, then you just move-on after 2yrs & you call-it a day. But, there is NO WAY in HAIL, that Bill Belichick is returning to the NFL as a friggin’ “Defensive COORDINATOR (at 73-years old). The ONLY way or ‘reason’ he returns to coaching again, is for a shot at the ‘All-Time’ Wins Record (and that is IT). I mean, come on guys!? LoL.
November 14th, 2024 at 11:34 am
Are there many teams looking for a 4-6 coach with zero head coach experience?
November 14th, 2024 at 11:50 am
Find any way to qualify the Bucs Offense as Balanced. It’s a Pass heavy offense and there is no way to change that.
Joe pines for more passing and then complains when they don’t run?
Top 10 Pass Heavy Offenses are 32-64 with none currently holding a Playoff Spot
Top 10 Run Heavy to just over 51% Pass are 68-26 and hold 10 of 14 Playpff spots.
Blame the defense all you want and coronate Coen as the next best thing. At least this Joe has lowered the bar to include a position in the College World next season. That’s an at best as I see it. Nothing Special. Just a guy reaping the fruits of someone else’s labor and an Offense with an extra year together and better O Line than in 2023.
Has anyone noticed that Canales has his team one win less than the Bucs and his defense is not very good either. All the while doing it without an 8 year veteran behind center but a second year guy on a rookie deal and a washed up Andy Dalton,
November 14th, 2024 at 11:59 am
Bucs aren’t letting coen get away. Sorry but there not.
November 14th, 2024 at 1:09 pm
The bottom-line is NO ONE has “Head Coaching” experience in the NFL until they first, become one. 20-year ‘ultra-successful’ college coaches and even longtime NFL coordinators ‘fail’ all the time… A lot more often than they succeed. Ownership, FO, QB, overall fit, and LOTS of other factors contribute to this. It’s a ‘crapshoot’ to begin with, so why not give a guy you already know and are familiar with, who has been very popular with the current players, & team. You really have absolutely NOTHING to lose. Might as well make it a BOLD move!!!!
November 14th, 2024 at 1:15 pm
“Lord knows Joe doesn’t want Coen to leave.”
I don’t want him to leave either…but I do not want him to be the new head coach…that reminds me of our Dirk Keotter experience.
Unfortunately…I DO want a new head coach…so if Bowles has to go…I’d rather not promote Coen.
November 14th, 2024 at 1:18 pm
MelvinJunior Says:
“It’s a ‘crapshoot’ to begin with, so why not give a guy you already know and are familiar with, who has been very popular with the current players, & team. You really have absolutely NOTHING to lose.”
That was the attitude when Dirk was given the job. We lost a LOT then.
We do better with offensive veteran head coaches. That’s how we get the rings.
We have owners and a GM who will give a head coach what he needs…I’d rather have someone who knows how to win and can make it happen.