“Frustration” With Offense

December 12th, 2020

“Hey Tom, think we should fill in Byron why we don’t run play-actions?”

The way the Bucs offense seems stuck in second gear (especially in November) almost seems impossible to Joe when you look at the starting roster.

How can a team with a relatively healthy and good offensive line (sorry haters), the fourth-leading rusher in the NFL, a Hall of Fame quarterback, a Hall of Fame tight end, perhaps a Hall of Fame receiver, another receiver who has Hall of Fame skills (though a 10 cent head) and a third receiver who easily is a top-10 guy combine for such a mediocre offense?

Are coaches trying to hold the offense back on purpose? That’s the only thing that makes sense.

Well, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network stopped just short of saying Brady is frustrated with the Bucs offense while appearing on the weekend edition of “Good Morning Football.”

Upon rewinding his words a few times, who Pelissero labels frustrated is unclear.

Consider Pelissero’s very careful words in his report (unless you believe he misspoke).

“I would anticipate you are going to see some adjustments,” Pelissero began. “Simply because the Bucs have struggled so much despite having Tom Brady and all the weapons around him.

“I will tell you this: In having conversations recently with people who know Tom Brady, who have worked with him in the past, there is a lot of frustration about how this Tampa Bay offense has been running.

“Brady’s greatest strengths are he is incredibly accurate and he is incredibly intelligent. He is not a home run hitter and he has a coach in Bruce Arians who always wants to swing for the fences. “

Pelissero then rattled off several stats, including the bogus passer rating stats, and said they are the worst Brady has had in the last five years.

Pelissero is a print reporter by background who turned to the job security and cash upgrades that NFL Network affords. So he’s not just going to wing something like some loudmouth on sports radio.

Joe isn’t sure to whom Peliserro is referring when he said there is “frustration.”

He introduced the element saying he spoke with Brady’s former teammates (Patriots guys, obviously) but Pelissero did not specify if Brady is frustrated. Is it other Bucs players that are frustrated? Coaches? Or Brady’s former teammates?

Pelissero deftly did not cite any group or any person. Joe will take a stab and say it is Brady’s former teammates; those are the guys going on BSPN and calling for Arians’ head.

(Meanwhile, Arians’ ex-players are coming to his defense).

Joe is very wary of ex-Patriots screaming about this subject. For all Joe knows, they are trying to get Team Glazer to hire that fraud Josh McDaniels. In other words, those guys seem to have an agenda or two; defend Brady at all costs and get McDaniels or perhaps Bill O’Brien hired.

Joe thinks Arians needs to take control of all of this ish. Arians should tell Leftwich to step aside (if he hasn’t already, and the fact Leftwich doesn’t know why certain plays aren’t called suggests he’s on the outside looking in).

Mix up your first-down calls and, specifically, second-down calls. Don’t bail on the run after one series, and Joe has a hunch things will get better. Maybe even much better.

Right now this offense’s performance and how it’s organized seem like a cluster(ahem).

The results tend to reinforce that observation.

21 Responses to ““Frustration” With Offense”

  1. Chuckstutz Says:

    Can’t disagree with the cluster x. Something is big time amiss. BL has my vote for the problems that exist. Crappy offense. Blah blah. Any idea HOW to be creative just a little bit mr. BL ?

  2. Defense Rules Says:

    “Are coaches trying to hold the offense back on purpose? That’s the only thing that makes sense.”

    Wow, just wow! In what world would it make any sense at all for a HC to hold back his offense ON PURPOSE? Seems like that’s an invitation to get your tail end fired. Not that that’s a bad idea, but still.

    “Arians should tell Leftwich to step aside (if he hasn’t already, and the fact Leftwich doesn’t know why certain plays aren’t called suggests he’s on the outside looking in).”

    Wow, just wow again! Our OC is on the ‘outside looking in’ and our HC doesn’t want to run the offense? Meanwhile our QB is doing things he’s hardly ever done in his 20-year career? NONE of this make any sense Joe.

  3. El Buco Realisto Says:

    Ole stale biscuit only has one more playoff victory than so-called fraud Coach McDainels!!!!!!!!!! So the “real” fans ask who is really the fraud!!!!!!!!!! And the old cheating goat never complained about Coach McDaniels putting in enough time like Brady did with the bucs over-rated and over-hyped coaching staff!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    go bucs!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  4. unbelievable Says:

    Oh look everyone it’s Rhealist, the guy who ONLY shows up after a loss.

  5. JimmyJack Says:

    Just sounds like too many people thought a Championship Team would be built over night. Its really an unrealistic expectation………..So becoming an elite team takes a lot of hard work? Who knew.

    Im fine with were the Bucs are. We are not among the elites yet. We are in that next tier down and about to find out how serious we are about building a winning culture here. No shame in playing the Vikings tommorrow for a trip to the playoffs sitting at 7-5.

    I know yall dont wanna hear the offense needs time but it does. We dont need time to becone a good team, we are allready there. But we need time to reach the next level……….I dont know. Just seems like Bucs fans are acting stuck up. Like we been here before and 7-5 is completely unacceptable…….Newflash we been stuck in the dumpster for like 20 freaking years. We finally get a team thats worth a salt and it arent good enough for yall.

    Well Im gonna enjoy the game and am excited to see how much better we can get.

    GO BUCS!!!!

  6. Ed Says:

    Whatever is right or wrong with this offense, it is very predictable. The “wrong” is that there are too many vertical passing plays and nothing as far as slants and getting the routes crisper vs teams with good pass rushes.

    Yes the run game is underutilized and since Brady throws well to backs, Vaughn needs to be on the field. Fournette and Jones suck at catching screens and dump offs.

    Evans has to have better awareness of where he needs to be in the timing game. He has quit on some routes and a few times Brady threw balls to spots and Mike wasn’t in the right place.

    As far as the running game, get Jones 20 carries a game and use Vaughn as a 3rd down back. You’ll see a much better offense when the plays are crafted to what these players do well instead of forcing the ball downfield when the opponent knows that’s what you are going to do.

  7. Dewey Selmon Says:

    Brady has always relied on RB’s who can catch the ball on outlets. He doesn’t have that his year thus making him throw downfield more. This offense would look totally different if we had that.

  8. Beej Says:

    Defense Rules Says:
    December 12th, 2020 at 4:33 pm

    “Wow, just wow again! Our OC is on the ‘outside looking in’ and our HC doesn’t want to run the offense? Meanwhile our QB is doing things he’s hardly ever done in his 20-year career? NONE of this make any sense Joe.”

    yup

  9. Bill M Says:

    Sad to say but I now have low expectations. Opposing teams know what expect. Run off tackle on first. Pass on second and third. Brady getting creamed on second and third throwing off his back foot just before being smashed. One high safety leaving too many open receivers. Not enough sacks by our defense. Opponents picking us apart in their passing game. Sick and tired of seeing QBs like Goff completing pass after pass and still having a clean jersey after the game. Lets see our league 4th best runner get 30 plus carries every game. Pound the rock. Really establish the run! That will open up the passing game. Slants and quick outs. Take the pressure off Brady. Save the deep throws for after the ground game and short to medium passes get the defense leaning forward. Play solid fundamental football first and deep throws will be available. Tom is winding up smashed after a hurried throw way to often. He isn’t mobile and the pass rushers are zeroed in. I am sick of seeing Tom get mashed so often.

  10. Todd Says:

    WWBD

    “What would Brees do?”

    Assess, snap, get rid of the ball to a well-designed route tree.

    Biscuits are overrated on 2nd and 10 and 3rd and 12.

    Just sayin’.

  11. BucEmUp Says:

    yaaaaaawn, I called this BEFORE Brady was here. BEFORE Jameis threw 30 ints. BEFORE espn and you fools were calling leftwich a head coaching candidate.You people seeing the light yet?!!!! Leftwich is garbage always has been and always will be. PERIOD!!!

  12. BucEmUp Says:

    After a bye week for evaluation if this offense still takes 30 yard shots every second down the staff should be fired!

  13. lambeau Says:

    Sad that the fans here are way ahead ot the coaches–how is this accepted?
    Brady can’t say it but his thoughts are getting out through Romo, Lacanfora, Pelissero: the scheme stinks, it doesn’t utilize his skillset, and adjustments aren’t made. Stale, uncreative, inflexible coaching.

  14. HomerSimpsonRocks Says:

    I want BA and BL gone. They’re too old and stubborn and too dumb and incompetent to succeed. Tired of seeing stupidity. They players are there. The coaching is not.

  15. Greg Says:

    Basic observation that many have is how is it that our initial “scripted ” plays are so ineffective? Something doesn’t smell right…

  16. adam from ny Says:

    no way tom brady should be basically leading the league in most pass attempts at the tender age of 43…

    this is a huge screw up

  17. Bob in Valrico Says:

    BL has limited experience as OC and his play calling is predictable. BA offense has been successful at his other stops in the NFL. Brady has been hugely successful with an offense that evolved around his skillset. The way I see it, we don’t have all the players to mesh with Brady right now. So what are we to do?
    Brady can’t run all the plays he is used to because our receiver group for the most part is built for deep and intermediate routes. He also doesn’t currently

    have RB’s who are as proficient in the passing game as his former teammates.
    While its true Ba can’t rely on the deep threat as much partly because of
    Brady’s mobility and he has had his struggles when there is a lot of pressure up the middle.
    It is up to coaching staff to get more time for intermediate and deep routes
    to develop when they are called. But IMO ,Brady will also have to adapt to an offense that is a compromise between what he is used to, and our current
    offense built around the players we have.

  18. Señor Harry in Costa Rica Says:

    You people are a little hard on BL. His credentials scream out he is HC material:

    1) #3 in yards in 2019 to #18 via the addition of a HOF QB, TE and HOF WR

    2) Personally oversaw the successful development of Cardinals’ first round pick Josh Rosen is considered by many to be the most pro-ready QB of the 2018 draft

    3) Has the NFL’s #4 RB in Rojo and fed him the ball a whopping 4 times in a recent game.

    4) Has managed to contain the NFL’s BEST WR & TEs group to #9 in passing yards

  19. Jedleman Says:

    My biggest criticism of BA is the environment he has created where players just take practice off if they have a little ding. It’s great to be a players coach up to a point. Do u know how Belichek won all those championships. No days off ! Plus he had the Goat who bought in to it so everyone else did. BA could at least split the difference. There will never be consistency this year between Brady and the WRs because they never practice together.

  20. Jedleman Says:

    I would like to see an accurate count for all the receivers of how many practices participated in out of how many practices total. You play like you practice.

  21. buc15 Says:

    BL is the main issue