Bucs Coaches Had Fun, “Unbelievable Vibes” With O-Line Changes
September 22nd, 2025
So what was going on behind the scenes at One Buc Palace last week when it was learned the Bucs lost their starting guards due to injury: Cody Mauch and backup-turned-starter Michael Jordan?
The challenge was embraced to the extreme, says Buccaneers Ring of Honor general manager Jason Licht.
“The staff, the vibes have been unbelievable this week. You know, they’re having fun with this,”Licht told the Buccaneers Radio Network before predicting a W.
“We were hit with some adversity, but it’s the old saying that [Bill] Belichick used to say, passed down from [Bill] Parcells, ‘They’re not going to cancel the season.’ We’re going to go out there and do what we do and this will be a great win.”
The offensive line whisperer was steaming with confidence.
“It is a shuffle,” Licht said of his offensive line. “But what we’ve been talking about all week is what an awesome opportunity it is for some guys to step up. And we have all the confidence in the world that they will. And we’re playing Elijah Klein at left guard; Luke Haggard, he’s been on our practice squad for a couple years and has just continued to get better, at right guard.
“Like I said, we have all the confidence in the world in them. And this is invaluable time for them and invaluable time for the team to know that the next-man-up philosophy lives on.”
It wasn’t pretty, but the Bucs offense scored 22 points, a total reached only three times in Tom Brady’s final Tampa Bay season. Joe found the effort by offensive line to be heroic. Klein and Haggard were first-time NFL starters and they weren’t exactly mauling the future Amazon drivers, furniture haulers and grad students in preseason.
Licht was right. The next-man-up philosophy lives on.
September 22nd, 2025 at 11:35 am
New thing! Every week Bucs linemen pick a number out of a hat….
September 22nd, 2025 at 11:35 am
They all know how to hold that’s for sure
September 22nd, 2025 at 11:36 am
Maybe we can put Vea on the OL to block Davis this week? Travis hunter 2.0
September 22nd, 2025 at 11:43 am
Thank God we have Carberry.
In Licht We Trust!!!!
September 22nd, 2025 at 11:49 am
Off subject, Mr. Light please get on the horn with the Giants or Bengals!!! we need some edge rushing immediately! Diaby keeps over running the QB, Reddick played better! still need more pressure!! Go Bucs
September 22nd, 2025 at 11:49 am
Any insight on the injury to “not that” Michael Jordan? He was playing surprisingly well at LG.
September 22nd, 2025 at 11:50 am
So Jason Licht and Joe have sung praises for Benjamin Chukwuma and yet he does not even get a single snap during Olinemageddon?????????????????
September 22nd, 2025 at 11:53 am
I guess different GMs have their own way of doing their job. I really like the way Licht does his. He’s a real people person. Positive energy. Looks like a coach on the sidelines. Loved by his players and coaches. His decision to draft on character is the Right one. But deep down he is a football player. Wonder if he could play a little right guard?
September 22nd, 2025 at 11:54 am
IMHO the big difference is the OC who adapted playcalling on the fly to adjust to the strengths of the players, and to minimize their weaknesses. Oh and the HC who took the ball away from Tom Brady in a critical 4th down call changed his approach too– 2 weeks in a row. All together impressed with how they worked with what they had and adapted instead of trying to force the same plays in that they would have run with an intact lineup. Good teams find a way to win, and bad teams (like the Jets) find a way to lose.
September 22nd, 2025 at 11:56 am
Think back to what Philly did to the Chief’s O-Line in the Super Bowl. Next week is not going to be pretty.
September 22nd, 2025 at 12:07 pm
We had #2 and #3 on the depth chart up against a fairly good Jets D-line. Holding penalties were to be expected but…in looking at the replays it seemed to me that the refs were calling things pretty tight.
September 22nd, 2025 at 12:17 pm
Bredeson looks absolutely cooked in that photo.
September 22nd, 2025 at 1:10 pm
THINK ABOUT THIS …
The Bucs have 8 starters out last game (and many since Game 1).
The Bucs are undefeated.
ATL, CAR, and NOLA don’t have this many injured starters combined.
They all have losing records.
Time to give Bowles a round of applause.
He and his crew are doing a great job.
September 22nd, 2025 at 1:12 pm
That’s nuts …
If you combine the win totals of all the other thems in the NFCS, they’d still be trailing the Bucs.
September 22nd, 2025 at 1:45 pm
SlyPirate, nice post. Did not realize that. Applause given…
September 22nd, 2025 at 2:32 pm
Licht must not have watched that game. Oh well if they have a good showing even in a loss this week then skies the limit
September 22nd, 2025 at 2:51 pm
All 3 of these teams we beat played hard. Texans have a great defense, but offense is suspect again, and the Jet’s have one of the best D-lines in football. Atlanta is not a slouch of a team and division games are always harder to play. Staff has done a great job so far this year with all the injuries that have hit us, nice to hear peeps shouting out to Carberry and staff. Licht was a o-lineman in college but it’s really uncanny how his staff have pulled in all sorts of players from the draft to FA’s from small schools and other teams practice squads.
September 22nd, 2025 at 3:10 pm
@SlyPirate
Amen brother I join you in the applause! I applaud their success but watching Eagles DL simply blast poor Luke right to his keyster, in effect drawing a holding call because poor Luke was forced to grab the guy from his backside to save Baker.
I have enormous respect for Luke and all the guys for what they accomplished. Not sure though I wish to brag about it or count on it for very long going forward.
At least our depth is improving!
September 22nd, 2025 at 8:41 pm
Hola stpete. Good to see you posting. I sure miss citrus county, but whatever. I really am not all hyped about next week. I’ve listened to my Bucs go to 3-0. I feel glad. Plus, l love the original colors and logo. They just feel more Floridian to me. All 3 of these teams our walking wounded have beaten are not cupcakes. They are NFL clubs. The players are the cream of the crop in terms of being super competitive football players. I’m not getting into it over the sports betting corruption. Educated fans know it and deal with it. I am looking forward to Sunday. Hopefully, the weather will cooperate. We’re still not done with storm season. Go Bucs!!
September 23rd, 2025 at 3:19 am
Gotta say this. It looked ugly but these dudes had no quit in them! Haggard in particular had his hands full. He battled. Klein looked a bit more steady and he too battled. Heck has been butt ugly. Again he battled! Hang in there dudes!
Go Bucs!