This Is When You Have A Good Coach
July 19th, 2025
Crossing fingers.
Now Joe doesn’t know who was responsible for this, former Bucs offensive coordinator Liam Coen or former passing game coordinator and now current offensive coordinator Josh Grizzard.
If it was Coen, well, Joe sure hopes Grizzard learned from Coen. If it was Grizzard, Joe sure hopes he keeps this up.
Joe is a big — no, huge — believer in not repairing something that isn’t broken. Take that to the football field. If an offense is doing something right, keep pounding that same play until a defense demonstrates it can stop it.
That’s sort of what Coen (Grizzard?) did last year with screen passes, specifically to running backs. This play worked, documents Mike Tanier typing for Aaron Schatz’s FTN Football Almanac 2025.
And the Bucs called that play a lot.
The Buccaneers were second in the league behind Seattle in how often they used running back screens, and these plays were insanely positive: 9.3 yards per pass.
Of course, you can’t run the same play all the time. Even a rotten defense coached by lousy Lovie Smith would be able to sniff it out — though with Lovie it might not be until the final possession of the game.
But dang, if something works, don’t be timid. Use it when you need it. And maybe a time or two when you don’t.
Ira Kaufman Talks Haason Reddick Leash, Another Camp Cupcake, Secondary Competition, Calijah Kancey Vs. Gerald McCoy, And Much More
July 19th, 2025 at 12:31 am
I agree. Our screen game should be lethal (at LEAST as good as last year).
Our backs and O-line excel at them.
July 19th, 2025 at 6:35 am
Check….Got it….Wrote it down ….OK …Screen Pass!
Well blocked helped a ton. We got some dudes who can block it. When my teammates and I practiced the screen pass it was one of the easiest plays to screw up. Lots of ways to not get it right. Took a bit to get it right the first time not to mention get it right every time. Hats off to our dudes!
Go Bucs!
July 19th, 2025 at 7:45 am
An extension of the run game that blends in with the pass game. Helps keep the box light. Gets our blockers and skill players out in space. Should help with Wirf being out as well.
Instead of having to worry about a particular 1v1 matchup make those edge rushers guess. Hard to pin your ears back with the threat of the ball going over your head and into the hands of our RB for a first down or chunk play.
July 19th, 2025 at 8:04 am
The screen pass was potent but not obvious. White always blocked then if he saw the play collapse he went for a catch. I think our RBs were trained to always keep the play alive.
July 19th, 2025 at 8:36 am
^^^keep the play alive – totally agree. Looked like many plays were designed downfield throws that were well covered. Check down to RB and off they go. The true screen calls had blockers headed downfield quickly as soon as it left Baker’s hands. Dink and dunk on their a$$ all day!
July 19th, 2025 at 8:47 am
It seems that Licht likes to draft really mobile OL guys and that shows up in the screen game. These OL guys are flying 🙂 down the field and making big blocks that Bucky and White set up.
July 19th, 2025 at 8:47 am
Griz has a pick your poison offense handed to him.
I’ll be curious as to how he does with halftime adjustments.
July 19th, 2025 at 8:58 am
It helps that the Bucs have WRs who like to get down and dirty and block.
July 19th, 2025 at 9:32 am
Screen game petered out in the playoffs. Gotta switch it up. Copying Liam is risky.
July 19th, 2025 at 11:02 am
One of the terrific things about Licht targeting small school athletic but strong olineman is that he’s getting guys that played tackle in college and moving them to guard and center. Both mauch and Barton can pull. Obviously if Barton’s covered you don’t want to pull him a ton.
Those guys can get outside and move.
July 19th, 2025 at 11:44 am
Considering our LT situation, I’d expect to see more 2 and 3 TE sets to bolster the run game, screen game, and help out the new matador. If Culp could improve his blocking, imagine him aiding the matador and then releasing for TE screens.
Licking chops.
July 19th, 2025 at 1:24 pm
“Of course, you can’t run the same play all the time. Even a rotten defense coached by lousy Lovie Smith would be able to sniff it out.”
Not sure about that. I think they’ll be running slants on Lovie in the old folks home.
July 19th, 2025 at 1:24 pm
The screen pass is usually used against an aggressive pass rush. Not something you are gonna use randomly.
July 19th, 2025 at 1:57 pm
Just not on 1st down. That’s is exclusively reserved for run up the middle.
July 19th, 2025 at 3:05 pm
Of course, you can’t run the same play all the time. Even a rotten defense coached by lousy Lovie Smith would be able to sniff it out — though with Lovie it might not be until the final possession of the game.
________
Ha ha, nice burn Joe!
July 19th, 2025 at 3:56 pm
Helps slow the pass rush down also when you throw it at them often and with variety