Consistency On Offensive Line Destroyed
October 2nd, 2025
Health = playoffs.
One thing Joe has learned covering the NFL is that with an offensive line, it is so critical to have consistency and the longer a team can have the same five guys in the lineup, the better.
This is often preached by the Sage of Tampa Bay sports, JoeBucsFan.com columnist Ira Kaufman on his podcast.
It’s beaten into Joe’s head by NFL folks (suits and coaches) and even players: Consistency breeds success.
Well, given some intel Twittered by Rich Hribar of Sharp Football Analysis, having the same five guys on the line throughout the season is pretty much a requisite for a playoff team.
Hribar listed, by way of Tru Media, the number of snaps each team had last year with its starting five on the offensive line. The top 11 teams advanced to the playoffs. Folks, that doesn’t appear to be a trend. That appears to be a telltale sign.
The Bucs’ starting offensive line (Tristan Wirfs, Ben Bredeson, Graham Barton, Cody Mauch and Luke Goedeke) was together for 61.43 percent of the snaps last year. That was fifth-most in the league.
Of course, the Bucs won the NFC South.
It’s astonishing to Joe that of the 14 teams playoff teams, 11 were responsible were among the very best in offensive line continuity.
Naturally, this year with all the injuries, that goal for 2025 for the Bucs is shot.
Keeping an OL together through an NFL season is rough work.
Every team's most-used OL combination from 2024 per TruMedia and the snap% of that group. pic.twitter.com/mmRPSF03kr
— Rich Hribar (@LordReebs) March 18, 2025
October 2nd, 2025 at 12:06 am
The amount of injuries this early this season is insane. We’re going at like 3x the pace Detroit was at last season…
Teams who make it to the SB are almost always among the healthiest that year. Unfortunately the injury virus seems determined to stop us in 2025.
October 2nd, 2025 at 12:11 am
Isn’t Baltimore’s injuries really bad, especially the defense?
No doubt!
October 2nd, 2025 at 12:25 am
Making the decision to do the Curly Shuffle and have everyone out of position instead of one guy all the more Toddian.
October 2nd, 2025 at 12:33 am
For those wondering, the Bucs will play exactly 0 (ZERO) percent of the snaps this season with their projected starting 5 o linemen. Wonder what the historic stats say about that and playoff success.
October 2nd, 2025 at 12:35 am
Not to mention 30% of the 53 man roster being on the injury report. What are the records for that kind of thing?
October 2nd, 2025 at 1:00 am
Okay correct me if I’m wrong and it may be a little different, but we won it all with Stinnie at right guard during the playoffs. Technically speaking, we should have our line back to normal for over 50% of the season. Barring any shenanigans, setbacks or other injuries. Plus Godwin getting better, Mike hopefully being healed and McMillan. That’s gotta help, right?
October 2nd, 2025 at 1:32 am
There is a lot of truth about having five guys that “gel”. However if you have a bunch of goys who can’t get it done? Or even two who can’t? I is hard do hide them. Defensive guys talk. They tell coaches that this guy can’t do this or that. Hainsey when he took over for Jensen? He had no anchor. Teams figured it out fast. Why did brady throw so many dirt balls? There is your answer. Left guard and center were not getting it done. Hainsey got better. LG is still an issue. Although Bredeson is an upgrade. O line is doing better than I thought they would but Baker is saving their butts! Alot!
Go Bucs!
October 2nd, 2025 at 2:52 am
We’re fine…calm down a little bit. ST needs our starters out there blocking though.
October 2nd, 2025 at 3:56 am
Bowles knew going in to the season that he had to start a back up at LT and did nothing. Except the most convoluted thing he possibly could. What he did with that OL I have never seen in my life.
Last season 4 consecutive losses. The season before that 4 consecutive losses. The season before that 3 consecutive losses.
Get rid of that incompetent fool! How this man still has a job is beyond me. It is sickening. Such a waste of tremendous talent.
October 2nd, 2025 at 4:20 am
Durango 95 … ‘Bowles knew going in to the season that he had to start a back up at LT and did nothing. Except the most convoluted thing he possibly could. What he did with that OL I have never seen in my life.’
The best LT in the league was gonna miss 3-4 games at the front end of the season; we knew that and Todd Bowles gave the backup OLineman he’d been SUPPLIED (Heck) every opportunity in preseason to rise to the occasion. Heck apparently didn’t, and TB, Grizz & Carberry made the decision to flip flop some guys until Wirfs got back. It worked & we went 3-0. Call it ‘convoluted’ if that’s the word you want to pick to make your anti-Bowles case, but it worked.
Our defense kept us competitive during those first 3 games (and the 4th also BTW), and TB should get some credit for that also. Calling someone an ‘incompetent fool’ is rather demeaning, but it tells some of us more about you than it does about him Durango.
October 2nd, 2025 at 4:36 am
garro … ‘O line is doing better than I thought they would but Baker is saving their butts! Alot!’
Hallelujah to that Garro! Baker’s taken a real beating in our first 4 games, but he’s really come through. Producing THREE 4th qtr comebacks in the first 3 games is absolutely incredible IMO. His pass completion percentage (59.7%), with VERY depleted weapons & a makeshift OLine, is not what it was last season (71.4%), but he’s been on when it’s really counted.
And his running is of another dimension: 14 runs thus far for 129 yds producing NINE 1st downs. IF he kept up that pace (I can’t imagine that he will), that’d be 60 rushes over 17 games for 548 yards and 38 first downs. Same number of runs as last season, but 170 more yards & 14 more 1st downs. Unbelievable.
October 2nd, 2025 at 4:59 am
. Calling someone an ‘incompetent fool’ is rather demeaning, but it tells some of us more about you than it does about him Durango.
——
Make no mistake I’m not even slightly interested in your phony virtue signaling and morality argument. In fact it is humorous to me that I said what I said about Todd Bowles failings, which comes with the territory as a head coach in this league. But yet you somehow feel justified passing judgment on me personally. Check your mirror bro.
October 2nd, 2025 at 5:44 am
I am OK with DR’s take more than either of Durango’s take personally.
When someone calls a coach an “incompetent fool” and then casually says it goes with the territory — I personally don’t think that goes with the territory of someone that has especially done as well in life and especially his coaching profession as Bowles.
But I get it, Durango has had his opportunities to call Bucky Hurt or Tykee Smith horrible picks from last year’s draft.
He can make comments, and I can continue to believe his assessment of NFL football things related to the Bucs are bad takes.
October 2nd, 2025 at 6:06 am
“it tells some of us more about you than it does about him Durango”. WHAM!
October 2nd, 2025 at 6:42 am
“”We’re fine…calm down a little bit. ST needs our starters out there blocking though.”””
Bi-Polar much?
October 2nd, 2025 at 7:01 am
Sorry, Durango, DR is right.
Anti-Bowles troll showing your colors.
DR gave facts and you were the one passing judgment on Bowles… but his coaching hasn’t been the problem. The defense is much better. Time management is much better. He’s much more aggressive in certain situations.
We’re 3-1 … the sad waste of talent is the fact that so many of them are hurt, and despite a lot of injuries and ridiculous special teams blocking (which some of that is probably due to injuries as well), we are winning. We have 12 wins if we maintain that ratio. We have to weather the storms for the next 3 games.
October 2nd, 2025 at 7:02 am
“You don’t find good linemen in August ” (thereabouts)
THAT trigger would have had to have been pulled in March
October 2nd, 2025 at 7:49 am
The hate some of y’all have for Bowles has gotten to the point that it’s just pathetic to read your comments.
October 2nd, 2025 at 7:51 am
Our defense held the Eagles to -1 yards in the second half this past game. -1!!! Bowles is *ANYTHING BUT* an incompetent fool. And several players went down to injury during the game!
October 2nd, 2025 at 8:15 am
It never ends with the Bowles apologists it’s one excuse after another. Season after season. The injury excuse. Failing to get his team ready play. Loser in big games. Defense collapsing at the worst times. Now it’s the special teams. There’s many, many more.
However,
There’s only two of arguments attack the facts or attack the messenger.
October 2nd, 2025 at 8:20 am
I heard Gruden’s recent rant about all the injuries league-wide and implied many of the “injured” players should be practicing and playing. Remember how the NBA was a tough guy’s league for decades then got cushiony soft? It’s a product of the times.
October 2nd, 2025 at 10:43 am
Durango, I feel ya brother, however – I’ve put my well documented feelings about Todd on hold (for now) because of what we saw Sunday in the second half. They can play great defense. He can call great defense.
Now. Do that to start a game instead of giving up the obligatory first drive score, and play that way with a lead in the 4th quarter. But the fact we witnessed a choke out of Kiffian proportions demonstrates what is possible with the current regime.
(I’m ignoring the special teams fiasco because paying attention to it is too hard on my liver. He says he’s fixing it. We shall see. )
October 2nd, 2025 at 11:00 am
@Joe – you may be right about the Ravens.
Looking at the most recent league injury reports they have 14 names in there and we have 15. But those aren’t including guys on IR I don’t think.
October 2nd, 2025 at 1:31 pm
Aqualung Says:
October 2nd, 2025 at 10:43 am
Durango, I feel ya brother, however – I’ve put my well documented feelings about Todd on hold (for now) because of what we saw Sunday in the second half. They can play great defense. He can call great defense.
——
I don’t disagree my brother. In fact it’s been refreshing to see the D get off the field without getting raped on a regular basis. But that is a very small sample size and we have seen flashes of that kind of thing in the past. Of course that’s not factoring in all the other rancid things we have seen from CTB through the years. Despite what the Bowles apologists believe I have nothing bad to say about Bowels the man and want this team to win and prove me wrong at least as much as anyone else., Thanks for the kind words, Aqua.
October 2nd, 2025 at 1:41 pm
@Durango,
We get it. We’ve all questioned Todd for some suspect coaching in the past…. the Cooper Kupp catch, not using TO in Detroit, unaggressive play off & def, but come on man, it’s time to let go and move on. Imo, Bowles is addressing these beefs (clock mgmt, aggressive on 4th downs, recognizing pts win games and drafting E², and even calling out the ST unit). He continues to improve, win the division, and hold his team together during rough patches. You may call it apologist, I call it reality.
You might be rt, but I doubt Bowles has more input in the OL than Licht or Carberry, probably more than Grizz but who really knows. So to come out here and speak with authority on his OL tinkering is just fallacious. Remember, JL is the OL whisperer and Carberry the mastermind he would not let leave for Jax. They have some say in OL matters. So to keep beating your negative Bowles drum screams of an agenda.
Also, tbh, I much rather see virtue signaling than vitriol spewing
October 2nd, 2025 at 2:22 pm
ChiBuc Says:
October 2nd, 2025 at 1:41 pm
@Durango,
“We get it. We’ve all questioned Todd for some suspect coaching in the past….”
“Also, tbh, I much rather see virtue signaling than vitriol spewing”
——–
Fair enough. All good.
Most of what I have posted this season has really been on the positive side of the ledger. I also NEVER go after anyone on this message board unless someone comes after me personally. Which was the very simple point I was making in response to DR. DR got triggered by my remark about Bowels. Too bad. What’s he going to do threaten me with his slide ruler and go full nerd rage. This apparently was too much for the Bowles apologists to comprehend . Never known for their analytical minds they went off like a bunch of Taylor Swift fans after a bad first date
October 2nd, 2025 at 2:33 pm
Hey Aqua!
Thanks for your response. I did reply but I think Joe is calling balls and strikes pretty tight right now so that post must have been ordered back to the bullpen. You’ve been there yourself, I know.. Appreciate your thoughts.
October 2nd, 2025 at 5:43 pm
Durango – LOL to the balls and strikes metaphor! Perfect observation. Same for yours truly.
October 2nd, 2025 at 6:23 pm
Durango The Bucs are 3-1.Now sit down and zip it.