Stabilized Offensive Line Helping Josh Grizzard Open Up Playbook
October 10th, 2025
Bucs OC Josh Grizzard.
Ever since the Bucs hired Josh Grizzard as offensive coordinator, it’s been said he wanted to take his predecessor Liam Coen’s offense, use it as a base offense and expand it.
Coen obviously had one of if not the best offenses in Bucs history. And despite Coen’s protests, it was a dink-and-dunk offense.
But it worked!
Rarely did Coen have Baker Mayfield throw farther than 20 yards from the line of scrimmage. Grizzard wanted to take that offense but take more shots downfield.
While Mayfield didn’t have a bunch of bombs at Seattle on Sunday, he threw for over 20 yards successfully several times. Yesterday at One Buc Palace, Grizzard said there was a reason.
The reason? The offensive line is returning to form, which allows Mayfield to set up in the pocket.
“I think it starts up front,” Grizzard said. “Being able to protect it up. Being able to have those guys hold up in protection, giving us a good dish to let it rip. …
“It was good to see last week.”
One reason Grizzard couldn’t chance having Mayfield set up more often in the pocket for long-developing plays in past weeks was the Bucs’ offensive line was a shambles with injuries.
The Bucs’ front line was so bad that by Week 3, none of the preseason projected starters on the line were at their expected positions. They were either sidelined with injuries (Tristan Wirfs, Cody Mauch, Luke Goedeke) or out of position (Graham Barton, Ben Bredeson).
The past two games, Wirfs (left tackle), Ben Bredeson (left guard) and Graham Barton (center) have been in their normal positions and getting their sea legs back.
That allowed Grizzard to open up the playbook and show how explosive this Bucs offense can be.
October 10th, 2025 at 9:07 am
Any idea when Luke can come back?
October 10th, 2025 at 9:15 am
Luke appears to be a way off from coming back.
October 10th, 2025 at 9:25 am
Hats off to Grizz, the O line coach, and the O line! Missing your starting RG and RT on the long road against the #2 defense – and putting up 38!! 👏
October 10th, 2025 at 9:30 am
But, it was His Geniusness’s idea to play the Curly Shuffle with the line and have everyone put of position instead of one guy. Shocking that it’s better now.
Shocking I tell you.
October 10th, 2025 at 9:41 am
been very i pressed with the right side of the oline!!!
lights arent too bright for them…
great work grizz!!!!
5-1!!!!!
GO BUCS!!!!!
October 10th, 2025 at 9:49 am
Let’s use exclamation marks for everything!!!!!
The defense gave up 35 points!!!!! Yay!!!!!! Darnold took it right down the field with less than a minute to go in the first half! YAY!!!!!! Bucs needed a fluke play to win the game because the defense was doing what it always does at the end of the game! YAY!!!!!
I love exclamation marks!!!!!!! YAY!!!
October 10th, 2025 at 10:01 am
That and Baker playing out of his mind really helps.
October 10th, 2025 at 10:11 am
Since we’ve got the left side of the OL back, I feel unexplainably more confident in the pocket for Baker. It may not last as long as full-strength (obviously) but it seems to have chilled out my concerns.
I’m not super knowledgeable about OLine play so I can’t claim whether or not they’ve actually been head and shoulders above the makeshift group, but something feels much different and I love it.
5-1!!!
GO BUCS!!!
October 10th, 2025 at 10:23 am
October 10th, 2025 at 10:27 am
Let’s use exclamation marks for everything!!!!!
BUCS ARE 4-1!!!!!
The defense gave up 35 points!!!!!…AND STILL WON!!!!!
The defense created 3 turnovers and 1 was called back!!!!!!….AND STILL WON!!!
Darnold took it right down the field with less than a minute to go in the first half!….AND STILL LOSS!!!!!
TODD outcoached mcdonald and saved a blitz for the best moment!!!!…AND WE WON!!!!!
man i love when TODD has to feed crow to jive turkeys lol!!!!!
5-1!!!!!
GO BUCS!!!!!
October 10th, 2025 at 10:52 am
“Open Up Playbook”
——————
Say what, Joe??! Are my eyes deceiving me? It’s about d##### time someone did!!! Thank you, Coach Grizzard! Wait until everyone gets back. We haven’t seen anything yet! Go Grizzard and Bucs, 5-1!!!!!
October 10th, 2025 at 10:53 am
The line will only get better with additional continuity! This is a winnable game! Of course it would help if the D played well too! Getting CI29 and JD35 back will help a lot!! One game at a time! Make it happen!
October 10th, 2025 at 11:39 am
What’s shocking is you have not changed your name lately Ironlung . Bowels still living rent free in your head don’t know how you sleep at night maybe change your name again.
October 10th, 2025 at 11:51 am
imagine this team after the bye if we don’t have any more major injuries
October 10th, 2025 at 12:12 pm
The offensive has been bailing out the defensive and poor special
Teams all year. They ll need to execute on both sides of the ball
Against the 49ers Sunday to have a chance.
October 10th, 2025 at 12:30 pm
The blitz from Bowles that he held in his back pocket the entire game was not a fluke play. It was designed for the disruption it created, which is why we won. No exclamation marks or ignorance is needed to understand that.
October 10th, 2025 at 1:57 pm
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Great job Todd !!!!!!!!!!!!!
October 10th, 2025 at 2:20 pm
Hilarious. Now we have The Threetards.
!!!!
Enjoying the dung that is shoveled at them every Sunday, masquerading as defense. For most, the taste of dung gets old after a while. A few, like The ThreeTs, enjoy the taste of dung.
Help is available.
October 10th, 2025 at 3:10 pm
TASTE BETTER THAN CROW!!!!
5-1!!!!!
GO BUCS!!!!!
October 10th, 2025 at 3:47 pm
What a miserable life you must live!!!!!!!!!!!
October 10th, 2025 at 8:13 pm
I thought it was my imagination.
Apparently not.
Grizz did open up the playbook last week.
And frankly, our O Line did a pretty good job considering the musical chairs we’ve been playing there all season.
Seeing Tez and Cade get some completions was a good thing. Cade in particular, in the sense that it meant we didn’t need him helping the O Line.
Seeing Baker unleash that cannon of an arm was great. There’s no question Baker can sling the ball 50 to 60 yards through the air.
I’m hoping Grizz opens up that part of the playbook a little more often… especially when Mike comes back.
October 11th, 2025 at 1:37 am
Agreed Joe. Not so sure stabilized is accurate though. Would love the right side to continue to improve.
Go Bucs!