Short Fields Coming For Bucs Offense?
December 21st, 2024
Takeaways on the menu?
Tomorrow night might be a Todd Bowles kind of night.
Bowles is a defensive guy. Defensive guys like takeaways. Some, like lousy Lovie Smith, thought takeaways were more important than points or getting your defense off the field.
Bowles isn’t that far off the cliff when it comes to takeaways, but he’s big on them. Well, tomorrow night might be his kind of game.
It seems if you just looked at the numbers, you’d think America’s Quarterback, Jameis Winston, was playing for the Cowboys. He doesn’t, but the turnovers are coming.
Per Rich Hribar of Sharp Football Analysis no team coughs up the ball more frequently than the Cowboys.
The Cowboys have turned the ball over on a league-high 20.5 percent of their possessions at home.
So every fifth possession the Cowboys play Santa Claus. Cool. Maybe the Bucs can take advantage?
And that’s the key. That’s why Joe is firmly convinced takeaways are terribly overblown, but many NFL folks claim the data is overwhelming takeaways lead to wins.
It is hardly an absolute and there is way, way, way too much data to show that if you don’t score points off takeaways, they really don’t mean much.
For example, Tampa Bay was tied for third with the most takeaways in 2013 under former Bucs commander Greg Schiano. The Bucs won four games.
Tom Brady, on the road in the NFC championship game, threw three picks. The Bucs won.
And more recently, in his last eight starts, Bears quarterback Caleb Williams hasn’t thrown a pick. The Bears are 0-8 in those same games.
Takeaways are nice but points are much, much better. And with the offense on fire, the soon-to-come turnover by the Cowboys could turn into seven Bucs points.
Points are a beautiful thing.
December 21st, 2024 at 12:06 pm
YES they R!!!!
December 21st, 2024 at 12:35 pm
Takeaways are nice but points are better. So well said !
December 21st, 2024 at 12:38 pm
0-8 lmao. tuff division
December 21st, 2024 at 12:39 pm
I’m glad you pointed that out!
Let’s Buck, Tuck, White and BAKE!!!!
Go Bucs!!!
December 21st, 2024 at 12:59 pm
With talk like the joes-joes are doing may lead to the perfect storm against dallas. Talking that way has a history of teams losing. Watch out!
December 21st, 2024 at 1:02 pm
Our D needs to convert a TO to a TD once a game from here on out – add that to the offense firepower we posses and we could win a SB trophy
December 21st, 2024 at 1:35 pm
Joe, you are absolutely right about turnovers. The interception thing gives the poorly informed something to complain about. In three games this year all losses, Mayfield had ZERO interceptions. In those games where he had at least one interception the team was about .500. In the NO games where Mayfield had 3 INT’s Bucs had biggest point total of the season in a 51-24 victory.
None of us like turnovers and would rather not have them, but they aren’t the whole story in any game.
December 21st, 2024 at 1:51 pm
Score baby score! Scoreboard is the main stat. Go BUCS!
December 21st, 2024 at 1:51 pm
VOT
Agreed
Our D has scored 1 TD off of a fumble and collected 2 pts for a safety. Zero pick 6’s.
I’m not expecting a performance like our D in 2000-2002, but it would be nice to see a little more defensive scoring!
December 21st, 2024 at 2:18 pm
Hoping for the win. Good article! Need to make sure the Cowboys can’t get to Baker. Go Bucs!
December 21st, 2024 at 2:30 pm
Yeah but a turnover means “no points for you” (soup Nozi voice) if it ends your drive.
December 21st, 2024 at 3:47 pm
Turnovers are very useful if you score points off them. Whether it’s 3 or 6 could cost you the game. It has happened too many times to count over the years. If you’re lucky enough to not get scored on after a turnover, then good for you!
December 21st, 2024 at 4:09 pm
First post ever, Kick the Cowgirls ars GO BUCS!!!!!
Fan Since 75, I expect them to win unlike many years of hopeing
December 21st, 2024 at 4:22 pm
With you fish 1948, let’s go Bucs, time to plunder Dallas!!!
December 21st, 2024 at 6:10 pm
Three and outs gives the ball back to the offense for any team, a turnover is a loss of those offenses ability to score points… So if we get a turnover, and we score 3 or 7 we are doing well.. If we throw three incompletions, and punt we give the other teams their chance to score..
Like we all watched “Americas QB” do all 5 seasons…An interception or a fumble is very difficult to over come for the defense, and many of his Ints were pick 6’s, which put our team in a bad situation to have to come back from…
Crazy how this is such a unbelievable thing to the Joe’s… SMH…
December 21st, 2024 at 9:01 pm
Bucs’ walking wounded defense is slowly getting a few guys back. I want to see/hear a pick6. Crap, if the Bucs can beat the heck out of the Chargers in LA, what’s stopping them from doing it in Dallas? A Dallas fan told me point-blank Cowjerks stink this year. I mentioned the Sunday night game in Dallas, and he bluntly said Dallas will get whipped. I replied—man, It’s the Bucs. He was like, so what? Dallas sucks. Sure hope he’s right. Goooo Bucs!!
December 22nd, 2024 at 5:55 am
Joe, this is why blanket statements are usually not a wise move. Especaially when talking about a complicated game like football. Turnovers win games? they sure help. They are not the end all be all. Our Buc defense does not win that way. The Old days of Brooks, Barber, Sapp and Simeon we could seemingly dial up a turnover. And win that way.
Made no difference with Jaymiss for instance… he was gonna put up a pick six or two of his own.
Go Bucs!
December 22nd, 2024 at 11:50 am
Score points. Don’t give points up. Go Bucs.