Critical First Half For Charlie Heck, Josh Grizzard
September 1st, 2025
Week 1 starting Bucs left tackle Charlie Heck. A Hall of Fame QB weighs in.
A hearty handful of NFL teams, including the Bucs, will enter their Week 1 game with an issue or a major question mark at offensive tackle.
New tackle? Hall of Fame quarterback Kurt Warner lectured on this subject yesterday on SiriusXM NFL Radio.
“The quarterback, I always say, you gotta trust the guys up front whether they give you a reason to trust them or not,” Warner said.
“You can’t go into a game, or you can’t even in a course of a game start thinking about the guys up front. Because then it’s over at that point. You know, defense has won when that’s the case. First thing, that’s just mentality playing the quarterback position.”
Joe had two thoughts after hearing that comment from Warner. First, Tom Brady played scared of his offensive line through too much of the 2022 season. Joe gets being in preservation mode at 45 years old with Robert Hainsey at center and shaky play at left guard, but it was devastating for the Bucs offense, which averaged an embarrassing 18 points per game.
Joe’s second thought was Baker Mayfield would never play scared.
Even if Charlie Heck implodes at left tackle early this season in place of healing (knee) Tristan Wirfs, that’s just not Mayfield’s DNA.
However, Joe could see first-time playcaller Josh Grizzard getting rattled if Heck has major issues early against Atlanta on Sunday. (Sunday!!) And Joe also could see Todd Bowles wanting to get a little too cozy with his beloved punter if Heck is a glaring weak spot.
A solid first half from Heck would go a long way toward letting the Bucs offense settle in — and keeping coaches heads’ clear.
Speaking on WDAE radio last week, Buccaneers Ring of Honor general manager Jason Licht talked about how much the Bucs have planned for a handful of games without Wirfs, and that the extra time has been a huge advantage for Heck and the team. It’s no short-notice situation like what the Falcons are dealing with.
Joe’s not worried in Week 1. Week 2 against Houston’s savage edge rushers could be another story.
September 1st, 2025 at 10:37 am
Atlanta is starting two rookies in the secondary
Xavier Watts – FS
Billy Bowman – NB
And they are playing two rookie edge rushers
The Bucs will have a new OC
Atlanta will have a new DC
Atlanta will be starting a QB with 4 starts
Rah, love to play the young guys
September 1st, 2025 at 10:40 am
First play of the season? Run up the middle. Let’s see. Go Bowles!
September 1st, 2025 at 10:44 am
Great point by Warner. If you are thinking about it, you’ve already lost. A QB cannot concentrate on a play if he is worried about getting drilled. Right Tom?
September 1st, 2025 at 10:54 am
Good points re Baker, the coach and the OC.
I can see each one taking the positions you outlined.
Our best bet is that the coaching staff is proactive about getting Charlie some help sooner rather than later, if he needs it in any of these games.
September 1st, 2025 at 10:56 am
Heck’s gonna be just fine. Just look at that mustache.
September 1st, 2025 at 11:17 am
If you have a glaring weakness on your OLine at 1 position, you give him help, at least until he figures it out. Grizz & Baker will be able to tell after just a handful of plays if Charlie is able to hold is own or if he needs help. Bucs can’t take the chance of Baker being blind-sided & knocked out of the game.
Unfortunately dedicating an additional OLineman or a TE to help our LT obviously comes at a cost. Outstanding play-calling IMO can go a long way towards mitigating that cost. Grizz is starting out a bit behind the 8-ball in that regard (missing Wirfs as well as Godwin & McMillan), but it’ll give us all a good opportunity to see how he handles it. Personally I think he’ll be fine.
September 1st, 2025 at 11:25 am
You beat me to it, DR. Give him some help in the form of additional sets with Ko Kieft, Payne Durham or hell, even big #70 as an eligible TE. Rolling Baker right on designed plays wouldn’t hurt, either.
September 1st, 2025 at 11:25 am
Once is an accident, twice is a coincidence and three times or more is a pattern. We had the Skule vs Hutchinson last year and Baker got sacked 5 times. Baker ran 4 times. Let’s hope Heck is better than Skule.
September 1st, 2025 at 11:27 am
first play of the season: bucky off right tackle for a gain of 8
September 1st, 2025 at 11:34 am
Run. The. Football.
Heck can be an issue if you go up 10 and grind them down. Atlantas defensive line is soft
September 1st, 2025 at 11:40 am
Paratrooper Buc, we won the game! Starting Sunday it’s “next man up” and anything else is excuses. Licht, Bowles, and Mayfield aren’t rookies. They know the fans don’t want excuses. And one thing this team doesn’t do is make excuses. That’s the correct attitude. These guys won’t worry long about what they can’t change. This team has prepared right. I’m going to Kansas to place a couple more modest bets this week. Might as well take advantage of the opportunity. We’ll lose a few games this year. But very few. Seriously.
September 1st, 2025 at 11:57 am
Grizz & the Bucs will employ death by a million paper cuts. Screen to the right. Screen to left. Bubble & tunnel screens. Don’t look now, it’s jailbreak screen outbreak! And then when Atl tries to adjust at halftime, ME & EE will be roaming free. Are you ready for some football!
September 1st, 2025 at 12:03 pm
First play of the season?! Deep post to Evans for a TD
September 1st, 2025 at 12:22 pm
Four deep at RB makes me think we’ll be running the ball more, especially early. And at least the top three RB’s can catch. Open up throwing lanes with play action and screens. EE gets good yards after the catch on short, intermediate throws. Draw the defense in, then deep to Mike.
September 1st, 2025 at 12:36 pm
Making waay to big a deal out of this. Changing your whole offense because Heck might get beat once, or twice is playing scared. Like Warner said, if it’s in your head, you’ve lost already. Heck will be going against a friggin rookie, not an all pro. Atlanta should be more worried starting a third string RT, and a 2nd string LT. If we don’t whip these birds, season’s over as sure as it begins.
September 1st, 2025 at 12:37 pm
A real head coach would be in charge, and already have contingencies mapped out and agreed to with his OC, who of course reports to the head coach. Unfortunately, we don’t have a real one.
September 1st, 2025 at 12:50 pm
No way Bucs win the first two games. Think about it.
September 1st, 2025 at 12:51 pm
if he doesn’t do the job he can stay busy as an”actor’with that pornstash!!!
September 1st, 2025 at 1:03 pm
Drafting a stud swing tackle in round 2-3 (who can also play Guard) would be a good investment.
September 1st, 2025 at 1:09 pm
Rah, wanted speedy Edge Rushers, and that’s exactly what he got. He said they had to get faster on defense, as a unit. They drafted speedy players for their defense
James Pearse Jr -4.47
Jalon Walker – 4.50
Arnold Ebiketie- 4.6
Leonard Floyd -4.6
They’re starting a 2nd year player at NT
Rookie at FS, NB, this is a totally different team from last season
They have a new DC, new QB, new RT
They didn’t play any starters during preseason
We really don’t know what they have, we have no idea
But they have speed, on both sides of the ball
That we do know
September 1st, 2025 at 1:16 pm
They won’t try to overpower the Bucs O-Line. They will try to use their speed to get pressure off the ball. It will not be limited to Heck, they will try to speed rush Godeke also.
But l think our biggest threat is Jesse Bates in the box
September 1st, 2025 at 1:24 pm
I remember the Detroit game last year when Aiden Hutchinson blew past our substitute tackle time after time. I wondered then, why not give him some help? A tight end or running back in the backfield to help block?
So I’ll ask it before Sunday’s game…why not give Mr. Heck some help? He may do fine on his own but you can bet the Falcons have him on their radar. So I’ll ask again…why not give him some help?
September 1st, 2025 at 1:27 pm
Falcons have been raving about their guy James Pierce. Heck will be tested by a speed guy.
September 1st, 2025 at 2:12 pm
Think Heck will do fine especially if he has help from a TE or RB. More worried about the defense and Todd as DC.
September 1st, 2025 at 2:48 pm
Big game for Grizz. As Coen did last year, Grizz must come up with a balance attack to keep them off balance. Using UDF Benjamin Chukwuma #70 as an extra linemen/TE would be wise.
Their rookies DEs are not guarantee an easy game. Remember they are rookies. Plus they are also playing rookie corners.
LFG!!!!
September 1st, 2025 at 2:57 pm
Last year’s offense played well against Atlanta. It was the masturmind who gave them two wins.
September 1st, 2025 at 3:05 pm
I love the off-season moves by Rah
They got rid of veterans on that defense that wasn’t producing
And he replaced them with Youngry players
And he fired the D-Line coach, and HC
I don’t believe in holding onto unproductive players
September 1st, 2025 at 3:31 pm
Hey Jack mehoff
Do what you do and stay off of this site.
September 1st, 2025 at 6:25 pm
Heck won’t play LT. Barton will.
September 1st, 2025 at 6:57 pm
Payne Durham will be lined up right next to Heck providing plenty of help. Quick, inside slants will neutralize ATL pass rush. Wouldn’t mind seeing 2 back formations with motion. Have a feeling that Mayfield and Grizz will know how to compensate for TW being out.
September 1st, 2025 at 7:25 pm
@Gipper. Read the comment right above yours.
September 2nd, 2025 at 4:39 am
Heemy is all but telling us what to do. He bragged all off season about the speed he is bringing to the defense. Then he proceeds to stick rookies along the DL, at Safety, and Nickle.
RUN THE DAMN BALL!!!! Batter them down all game then throw it over their heads when they get gassed.