Improvement.
Joe remembers last year when Justin Skule took over for concussed Luke Goedeke at right tackle against Detroit. It was a brutal baptism.
Adian Hutchinson simply clowned Skule. Bucs fans may have revolted if not for the Bucs stealing a win.
Skule gradually got better each game before he was no longer a liability.
Later, when he had to go against Nick Bosa when Tristan Wirfs was hurt, Bosa didn’t exactly go nuts.
Joe heard from someone with the Bucs that Skule likely wasn’t a natural at right tackle, but duty called. He got better with more snaps.
Charlie Heck believes the same is happening with him. He’s been starting for for Goedeke ever since the Bucs’ starting right tackle left the Houston game with a mysterious foot injury. At times, Goedeke is seen wearing a boot. Other times, he’s walking around in sandals. His (possible?) return is shrouded by vague pronouncements from the Bucs.
So for the time being, Heck is your Bucs right tackle. Joe spoke with him last week and asked him if he’s a better player than he was when he stepped onto the field in Houston.
“Absolutely,” Heck said about feeling comfortable after five starts. “[More starts] “definitely being able to get all of those reps and work together as an offensive line.”
Heck passed when Joe asked him some areas where he has grown. Like most offensive linemen, they believe if a line as a unit improves, everyone improves. To do that, they need snaps as a group.
“I think it comes down to more [improvement] as a team,” Heck said. “When we’re running the ball well it makes passing the ball easier and it gives the defense something to think about.”
It is that element, Heck said, where he is focused on, the offense improved with an improved line, not so much his personal improvement. Heck told Joe you will see both him and the Bucs front line as a whole play better if the game doesn’t turn into “a passing festival.”
How much has Heck improved? Well, last year when Hutchinson squared off against Skule, Hutchinson racked up 4.5 sacks in Week 2 last season. Last week against Detroit while going up against Heck? Well, Hutchinson moved around but Hutchinson had a grand total of zero sacks last week.
Goose egg.
Heck wouldn’t take credit for any of that.
“We were sending a lot of attention to him the whole time with chips and backs coming out of the backfield.”
Joe is pretty confident Bucs fans would like to have Goedeke back in there. Why not? He’s one of the better right tackles in the game.
But with Heck improving, that’s all you can ask for, that a backup comes in and gets better.