NFL Penalties Down; Bucs Flags Up
September 17th, 2020
An encouraging stat has surfaced that is very good for the NFL game and not-so-good for your beloved Bucs.
Last year in Week 1, each NFL game averaged 19.3 penalties. This year in Week 1? That average dropped to 12.5.
So for the people who hollered how important those worthless preseason games are and it would lead to sloppy football with an abbreviated training camp and no intrasquad scrimmages and no preseason, the NFL games to open the season were crisper and well-played.
That lack of penalties, however, didn’t extend to the Bucs.
In Week 1 against the Saints, both teams combined for 15 penalties. Of those 15 the Bucs had nine (up from eight in last season’s opener). The Bucs lead the NFL in penalties currently, tied with the Cardinals and Jets.
Last year the Bucs led the NFL with 133 penalties. If the Bucs stay on their current pace to finish the season, they will end with 144.
As Joe has written before, his research shows that this is more a Bucs thing than a Bucco Bruce Arians thing. Arians’ teams in Arizona were some of the least penalized each season. In 2015 the Bucs had the second-most penalties while Arians’ Cardinals had the third-least amount of penalties.
There are still a handful of players from the 2015 squad still on the Bucs’ roster. It could be as simple as the Bucs just have players who are naturally prone to committing penalties.
September 17th, 2020 at 11:23 am
And if Brady continues on his current pace, hell actually surpass Winston in the 30/30 club
🤣
But yea, this team is still undisciplined. Going on 10 or 11 years straight now.
September 17th, 2020 at 11:31 am
Joe do you know if the worst offenders were also habitual penalty takers in college?
September 17th, 2020 at 11:31 am
Looks like the excuses continue for ole stale biscuit!!!!!!!!! Funny how 2016 and 2017 Bucs were actually pretty good penalties despite being a very young and untalented team!!!!!!!!!!!! 2018 had massive injuries with too many backups playing!!!!!!! 2019 was just sloppy coaching that has not developed and looks to continue in 2020!!!!!!!!!!! That is why this regime has done so much “player replacement” and no “player development”!!!!!!!!!!! And in some players we saw regression!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Sad that this was a “one year window” that is going no where!!!!!!!!!!!!
go bucs!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
September 17th, 2020 at 11:34 am
The Bucs have gotten the short end of the stick regarding penalties since their inception in ’76 (with rare exception).
Just one of the reasons I am a Bucs fan, but no fan of the NFL.
September 17th, 2020 at 11:39 am
Start checking the offensive coordinator guys, there’s a lot of weapons there that Brady can use, start spreading the offense it might work
September 17th, 2020 at 11:56 am
That might take some time to find out. Not sure if colleges document individual penalties. Interesting thought.
September 17th, 2020 at 12:03 pm
If Tom Brady keeps up his current pace he will have 16 rushing TDs by the end of the season… point being, it is way too early to make predictions from one week of games.
September 17th, 2020 at 12:22 pm
i dont think this has anything to do with the players from 2015. many of the penalties we got were from players on the team after 2015 aside from the holding penalty mike evans got which was more unlucky in how the play unfolded than not.
September 17th, 2020 at 12:36 pm
gp,
You ain’t wrong!
September 17th, 2020 at 1:28 pm
If they can’t stop getting penalties, bench them. I don’t care who it is.
September 17th, 2020 at 1:37 pm
If Suckop keeps his current pace he will have 16 kicks blocked this year…….And the Bucs will have 197 penalties. And Cappa will completely whiff on 80 blocks…….No use in counting D.Smiths whiffs he wont make it all season at his rate.
September 17th, 2020 at 1:58 pm
Jerry Markbriet has a hot line to the NFL ref command center and awards bonus points for the end of the year party he throws for active and alumni NFL refs