Bucs Offense Improved Since Week 1, Too
January 12th, 2025
Details growth of Bucs offense.
Joe has mentioned this on the “Ira Kaufman Podcast” and a couple of times on this here website.
Joe’s worn out hearing about how Commandos quarterback Jayden Daniels is so much better now than when he faced the Bucs in Week 1 and as a result, Daniels is going to roast the Bucs like a Thanksgiving turkey.
Hey, Joe agrees Daniels is a better quarterback. But guess who else is better? The Bucs offense.
Like Washington, the Bucs, too, had a brand new offensive coordinator. And, like Washington, the Bucs were also breaking in a rookie. That would be Bucky Irving. He had only nine carries in Week 1. He should double that tonight.
So the suggestion that Daniels will be unstoppable because he’s improved since Week 1 is just a one-way outlook.
“The offense has come together as the season has come along,” Bucs right tackle Luke Goedeke told Joe last week. “I think our offense has developed.”
Yes, the whole offense.
Everyone is now good with Bucs offensive coordinator Liam Coen’s offense. And receiver Jalen McMillan and Bucky are two of the best rookies in the NFL now. Yeah, along with Daniels.
“Numbers speak for themselves,” Goedeke said of the Bucs’ run game, No. 4 in the NFL. “We have communication up front [on the line which has improved]. Just all 11 guys are trusting the process and doing their job.
“Bucky, Rachaad [White] and Tuck [Sean Tucker] are really running hard. We knew what we were capable of [with the run game]. It was just a matter of [Coen] setting us up and putting us in the right position.”
Two new starters, left guard Ben Bredeson and center Graham Barton, have had their rough patches smoothed out and as a result, the offensive line is a solid unit.
“You have bumps and bruises but we are healthy,” Goedeke said of the line. “You develop more continuity along the whole offensive line [over time]. That only helps.
“You get more confidence. You’ve seen everything that someone could possibly throw at you [by Week 18]. That just helps.”
How good does Goedeke think the Bucs’ offensive line is?
“I would put it up against any line in the NFL,” he said.
So when you hear all the pregame shows today rattle off the tired and copied lines that the Bucs defense will struggle because Daniels has grown as a quarterback since facing the Bucs in September, remember the Bucs also have an offense that has grown and matured in that same time frame.
The Bucs, with a running attack that was finding its footing back in Week 1 ran for 112 yards against the Commandos that day. And Baker Mayfield threw for 289 yards and four touchdowns.
January 12th, 2025 at 1:37 am
Hey Joe any chance you could run a story on how Bucky got his nickname. I learned his real name is Mar Keise and a friend told me he left U of Min bc during their games the loud speaker refused to call him Bucky even though he asked him too. So he left and went to Oregon who wisely referred to him Bucky. Any truth to that?
Either way love the dude. One of my favorite Bucs. It’s GameDay! LFG Men. Show the world what we Bucs fans all know!!!!
January 12th, 2025 at 2:35 am
Thankfully the defense has carried the team.
January 12th, 2025 at 2:50 am
Thankfully we have KJ Britt?
What?
January 12th, 2025 at 2:55 am
Excellent points Joe. Haven’t heard much about the Bucs offense evolving as the season has gone on. I looked at the Commanders roster and it looks like they’ve got two other rookies making solid contributions to their games this year. Nothing like the Bucs rookie class. Of course Daniels is a QB which is huge but TB’s offense has had three rookies make significant contributions this year. Way more so than they did in game one.
January 12th, 2025 at 4:26 am
It’s like they said, Baker Mayfield is a gammer and he’s bringing a bunch of studs with him!!!!!!!
January 12th, 2025 at 5:42 am
Well said, Joe.
The Bucs rookies have really strengthened along with our team and we have had a lot of injuries. We had two hurricanes on top of it all. Godwin out, Mike out a few games. And the Bucs got through it all and here we are. Sports media forgets about the Bucs every single time. Look where the over-hyping of Cousins got them…
January 12th, 2025 at 6:02 am
Joe, (she said with exasperation in her voice)
I was initially tempted to rake you over the coals on this.
But, you’re right.
Our offense was good when it started the season and is even better now. One of the best in the league. Our O as a whole does not get the credit it deserves in the national media, although individual players have gotten some serious props as situations have warranted.
And yes, we’ve spent all week hearing about how Jayden Daniels is going to eat our lunch tonight. And undoubtedly, that’ll be the vast majority of the narrative we’ll have to suffer through when we watch the game tonight.
But, rather than rake you over the coals…
I’ll just respectfully submit that if our defense was playing at the level our offense is, it’s possible the narrative wouldn’t be so one-sided.
“possible”
We can absolutely win tonight.
And it’ll be a lot of fun watching all the talking heads tomorrow as they stammer and sputter and make excuses for why Washington didn’t win.
But, our defense is going to have to show up tonight with it’s A-game.
Nothing less.
And that’s been the issue this year.
I’m not worried about our offense.
Our defense is why the narrative has been so one-sided this week.
But, you’re right and I agree with you. We have an awesome offense that hasn’t gotten nearly the attention or credit it deserves this week.
We can absolutely win this one tonight! GO BUCS!!
January 12th, 2025 at 7:15 am
“So when you hear all the pregame shows today…” I stopped watching pregame shows years ago. Fake laughter at nonsensical comments, just plain old nonsensical comments. Bradshaw, Jimmy Johnson and that whole crew are particularly annoying.
January 12th, 2025 at 7:22 am
Bucs 37 commanders 27
January 12th, 2025 at 7:26 am
Right on Joe! Our offense starting with our o-line and through to our skill guys are a very potent unit now. Coen & Mayfield will have these guys dialed in. Score and score some more! Eat the clock and physically wear them down. I also have a feeling that Bowles & Lavonte will not allow our defense to be a ‘no show’ tonight. Swarm to the ball and pressure Daniels into making bad decisions. Tonight is the night to start a run. Go Bucs!!!!
January 12th, 2025 at 7:38 am
Irving’s father called him “Bucky” because he had “buck teeth” as a young child. Since then, Bucky has corrected the buck teeth but still prefers this name over Mar Keise.
January 12th, 2025 at 7:39 am
This has been my argument all week long any commanders fan will say jd is definitely better…my clap back bucky ran 9 times he’s definitely getting 20 carries tonight and McMillan is more dangerous than week 1 1 catch for 32yds and a score…then they wanna say you have no godwin which is true but we have a way to win this game
January 12th, 2025 at 8:00 am
The first week of the season, the Bucs Oline and run game was 2023. No way the Bucs don’t win this game.
January 12th, 2025 at 8:06 am
When Bowles fails tonight, he’ll be fired on Monday. Coen to HC is the only move that makes sense here. Do you want 10 + years of great offense or another 2-3 years with an average D coordinator with a terrible defensive coaching staff?
January 12th, 2025 at 8:11 am
Not worried about the offense. Is the defense any better? Looked better down the stretch, but we’re not playing Rattler, or Tommy Devito this week. If Todd’s D can’t get off the field, won’t matter how much better our offense is.
January 12th, 2025 at 8:20 am
At first i thought the name was the Commanders not Commandos. For sure we are not playing the Vanderbilt Commodores. I would like to suggest a sarcastic name: the Commodes as in toilet bowl
January 12th, 2025 at 8:25 am
This season, the Bucs became the first team in NFL history to complete 70% of their passes and average over five yards per carry throughout the course of an entire season. Tampa Bay also became the second team in NFL history to throw for 40-plus passing touchdowns and average over five yards per carry in the same season, joining the 1998 San Francisco 49ers.
Special group.
January 12th, 2025 at 9:00 am
Vanessa Anne
Agree with your post and would add to JJJoe’s theme of “growth”.
I think the D has grown as well. McCollum is now playing with complete confidence, and perhaps most importantly YaYa and Calijah are starting to live up to their promise when they were drafted. Those two guys have also “grown” over the season.
If BOTH Yaya and Calijah have “statement” games the Bucs are golden!
January 12th, 2025 at 9:29 am
The playoffs are about running the ball!!! Run Bucky ,,, Run White , Run Baker ,,,
Over 150 yards rushing and we win ,,,, just look at these number from yesterday ,, imagine you don’t know who won ,,, and take a guess from this ….
Rushing Yards…..
Ravens 299
Steelers 29
Houston 168
Chargers 50
Its simple ,, in the playoffs you rush , you win
January 12th, 2025 at 10:07 am
Offensive Line has really developed nicely but it is still developing. Not close the where Detroit and Baltimore OL’s are. Mayfield still gets pressured and hit too much.
January 12th, 2025 at 10:23 am
And the score was with Rashad White getting more carries this game. Imagine what Bucky Irving is gonna do today guaranteed 120 yards for Bucky. I see five touchdowns one from Bucky one or two from J Mac one from Evans one from one of the tight ends and a field goal leaning the score 37-21 Bucs