What Josh Grizzard Learned
October 24th, 2025
Thursday at One Buc Palace was the first day since the Bucs lost to the Lions that offensive coordinator Josh Grizzard spoke to the local pen and mic club.
After the game and later this week, Bucs coach Todd Bowles groused about how Grizzard, who is building his eighth NFL gameplan in his football coaching career, has to learn patience and lean more on the run.
Grizzard admitted that throwing the ball 50 times on Monday — which is the number of times Baker Mayfield put the ball in the air — is just too damn much.
“Yeah, 50 throws in a game cannot happen,” Grizzard said. “It’s got to be through leaning on the run, trusting the run, and sticking to that – especially in the first half – being able to establish it.
“Once you got into the fourth quarter and it was, what, 13–14 minutes left and it essentially turned into a two-minute drill, then you’re really forced to throw it. If we can handle [moving the ball on the ground] earlier on and keep that [game] closer, that way we can now turn the fourth quarter into having an opportunity to run some of them, I think it evens the game out a little bit.”
Grizzard either had a talking-to or he got the talking points down: run good, even though the Bucs were running to nowhere.
Joe doesn’t have a problem with Grizzard’s gameplan: Expose the mismatch even without Mike Evans by attacking the backups in the Lions’ secondary.
The problem was the line of scrimmage was dominated by Detroit. Joe would much rather Sterling Shepard take on some scrub than the Bucs run Rachaad White or Sean Tucker right into Alim McNeill or Aidan Hutchinson.
Throwing 50 times is fine, so long as it is working. And given how Mayfield was off all night, in part due to getting passes batted down, Joe doesn’t think anything the Bucs could have done Monday night would have helped, run or throw.
If an offense is owned at the line, the game is close to over before it gets started.
October 24th, 2025 at 5:26 am
I’ve thrown away the Detroit game. Nothing to see there but depressing stats. On to New Orleans and what should be a run dominant game. We’ll know that things are going well if Josh Williams gets eight carries in the game. Let’s see some White and Tucker action.
October 24th, 2025 at 6:19 am
Trade for Mark Andrews!
And get Gronk to come out of retirement. lol.
Imagine Mark Andrews and Gronk on the field together.
But dreams aside.
The Ravens are done.
We need Mark Andrews. Baker needs his best friend.
Otton is a great #2 TE. But an average #1 TE.
Andrews plus Otton would really help our offensive line and our offense.
Go Bucs!
October 24th, 2025 at 6:23 am
i watched that presser and he seemed to just be reiterating what todd said. hopefully he has a better game plan…there should be no excuses needed this week. the run game, if they choose to use it, hasnt been very good the last 3 weeks, it’s like something is missing….
October 24th, 2025 at 6:40 am
Lions defense >Bucs offense
That day!
October 24th, 2025 at 6:45 am
I’d really like to see what Josh Williams can do. Even Owen Wright might be an upgrade over Sean Tucker the way he is running indecisively right now.
October 24th, 2025 at 6:45 am
I kinda get it! What is the point of running with your #2 RB for 3 yards when your down 2 scores and they average over 30 a game? You had a MVP candidate QB, ROTY WR, HOF WR on the offense. It wasn’t working but I got my lawn mowed yesterday so I don’t have to do it this weekend. It’s been nice outside last few weeks.
October 24th, 2025 at 6:50 am
Hey, don’t you get it? It’s so obvious. That 50 passes Monday night was a tribute to the Buc’s 50th anniversary.
October 24th, 2025 at 6:57 am
They knew we would try and attack their secondary and had a plan for it. The Lions game plan worked; ours did not. Back to the drawing board!
October 24th, 2025 at 7:11 am
Maybe Bowles should’ve told Grizz to stick to the run during the game instead of at his day after presser?
October 24th, 2025 at 7:14 am
Got to get Mayfield some of those lift shoes. Then he might be able to get the ball past the linemen. Go Bowles!
October 24th, 2025 at 7:25 am
It looked like one of those Superbowls of the 70’s/80’s, where one team is always owned so hard at the LOS that they’re reduced to just throwing swing passes in the flat
October 24th, 2025 at 8:03 am
Nothing wrong with the game plan wrs were getting open Baker missed alot out there. Baker was just off that night it happens, now on to the destruction of the saints let’s go bucs.
October 24th, 2025 at 8:12 am
Teacherman Otton has proven time and time again he’s a tru #1 TE. Last Sean when both Godwin and Evans went down he carried the offense in the passing game. This year he got asked to block cause of the injuries to oline and did good. Take away the hosed call by the refs last game and again Otton stood up. He takes a beating and he still stands tall. Watch him take over against the aints
October 24th, 2025 at 8:23 am
Detroit’s defense just overwhelmed the Bucks offense. Baker was harassed all night long by Detroit’s defense. His receivers couldn’t get open and he was forced to hold on to the ball too long. Hopefully the offense can come up with a better scheme for the next game. Go bucks.
October 24th, 2025 at 8:29 am
If you followed Baker at Panthers then you know the one thing that can get into his head is batted passes. It was a MAJOR criticisms of Him in the Carolina media and fan base. That might also be why the longer ball was favored. By physics the ball will always be higher passing over the line than a short pass.
of course the answer to that is to move the pocket a bit but for some reason post Cleveland no OC rolls baker out much.
October 24th, 2025 at 8:34 am
Baker needs more rollout so he can have clearer passing lanes to avoid the batted passes. But he rushed himself at times and just overthrew WRs. It happens. On to the next
October 24th, 2025 at 9:04 am
Otton isn’t a number 1 , at all !! maybe an avg # 2
October 24th, 2025 at 9:30 am
Roll out worked fine but was only used a few times. Out coached all night. They played like wild men. Dan Campbell, after that loss to KC, had them boys fired up. I’m not sure anybody could have went in there and won on that night, they weren’t having it.
October 24th, 2025 at 9:48 am
“After the game and later this week, Bucs coach Todd Bowles groused about how Grizzard, who is building his eighth NFL gameplan in his football coaching career, has to learn patience and lean more on the run.“
Bowles needs to focus on being a better defensive coordinator. I mean let’s be real here. If grades were being given to both coordinators who would get the better grade?
How about a poll, Joe? A bye is coming up. Perfect time for it.
October 24th, 2025 at 9:55 am
Really didn’t like how Grizz called the game. Kept throwing into those mismatches instead of going to intermediate routes. How about getting Mike, EE on crossing routes. When we couldn’t beat the scrubs in the backfield, change it up, he never did. And needed to get Tucker more involved. He’s got great speed and better vision than White. But that’s the past. Let’s kick the snot out of the Saints Sunday. LFG!
October 24th, 2025 at 10:08 am
I’d rather us throw every single play than run the ball for zero yards and waste that play.
Scheme the run game better, Coach! And then let’s run more. Don’t run more if we’re not having success with it. Nobody wants to see more unsuccessful offensive plays.
October 24th, 2025 at 10:12 am
Running the ball more (unsuccessfully) = more punts.
Why the h*ll should we do more of that? That would be stupid.
If we’re hashing success on the ground, then yeah do more of it.
But only if we’re having success with it.
October 24th, 2025 at 10:13 am
*having
October 24th, 2025 at 10:15 am
Hodad Says:
October 24th, 2025 at 7:11 am
Maybe Bowles should’ve told Grizz to stick to the run during the game instead of at his day after presser?
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you have to trust your OC…and let him develop and take his lumps…
if bowles tells him to run the ball more than grizz will be looking over his shoulder and 2nd guessing himself the rest of the year….
but im not surprised its all todds fault lol
GO BUCS!!!!
October 24th, 2025 at 10:29 am
Sounds like a rookie OC being out-smarted by a veteran coaching staff (Grizzard vs. Campbell and krewe). Grizzard is also learning how to deal with injuries and refs. Detroit debacle was only his 7th regular season game. I’m patient and I believe he’s learning how to do his new job. Bowles has a good track record with these OCs. One thing is certain: Grizz isn’t going anywhere else after this season. Go Bucs and Grizz!! Getting out my obeah beads for the win.
October 24th, 2025 at 10:44 am
Haha Grizzard is now just now coming to that conclusion haha
October 24th, 2025 at 11:33 am
This should have been a private conversation between those two…but agree, I don’t want Grizz second guessing himself…
October 24th, 2025 at 12:40 pm
No he abandoned the run way too early!
Rachaad only had 10 carries. That’s nothing. And while 3.8 ypc isn’t great, by my math if you do that 3 times in a row, you’ve got a 1st down. Needed to stick with it. Not to mention it also helps negate the pass rush, which was a much bigger issue for the offense.
October 24th, 2025 at 1:12 pm
Couldn’t agree more Joe.
Deck was stacked against Grizz. Line getting owned, Baker having a rough game, Evans goes down, Egbuka less than 100, “bad” secondary… 2 long scores on the D.
Im sure he did learn and I’m not saying Grizz has no blame in the game but that game was a damned if you do and damned if you don’t kinda situation.
October 24th, 2025 at 1:51 pm
Last year, there was no mea culpa when Coen blew the Dallas game by giving up on the run.
Grizzared recognized and admitted his mistake. He seems to have really learned from it which should be vey good for the Bucs goin forward.
October 24th, 2025 at 2:24 pm
At least Grizz got the experience of running into a buzzsaw of a defense that had his # from the getgo…..
Learning how to successfully adjust in such difficult circumstances – in-game – series to series (not after halftime) – is what separates a great OC from a good one…..
Sometimes it gets lost/forgotten in the narrative of a season – but Coen had a few shaky play-calling games earlier in 2024 as well…
Grizzard is smart – he will learn and get better at in game adjustments – with help from Baker of course…
Mayfield had a very off game in what has otherwise been an MVP level season.
That more than anything else was what was ‘wrong’ with the Bucs offense vs the Lions on Monday Night.
Baker stayed in the pocket most of the night taking some hits – really makes me wonder what lower body injuries he might be dealing with…. because normally Baker would be running for 1st downs when needed and nothing else is working…. Especially in a big game like this was….
October 24th, 2025 at 2:41 pm
Even the best of teams get a surprise A..Whippin here and there. I think we thought, because their secondary was depleted, we would be OK. But them Lions jumped on us from the very beginning and kept the pressure up. They came to play. So hopefully, we go to New Orleans no nonsense and not take them lightly.
October 24th, 2025 at 4:16 pm
Where is everybody that was saying Grizz was going to be head coach some where next year? What are they saying now? Crickets? So he had a bad probably just helps us keep him next year that might be good thing.
October 24th, 2025 at 6:24 pm
He ran to much on first down in the first half and didn’t use screen passes. One of the worst coaching jobs ever.
October 25th, 2025 at 1:55 am
JAS, no worries, Grizz ain’t Coen. That was just Part 1 with more to come. Sad.