Bucs OC Josh Grizzard.
The Bucs stand at 6-2 as they enter the second half of the season, coming off their bye week. The Bucs are in first place in the division, 1 1/2 games ahead of the Stinking Panthers in the NFC South.
But are they a good team?
Joe asks this question of his readers because it seems Bucs offensive coordinator may wonder about that. In his weekly press conference Thursday, Grizzard was asked about the Bucs’ red zone offense and he spoke of the goal line offense.
In particular, Grizzard still seemed irked that on two separate possessions, one in the second quarter and one in the third, in their last game two weeks ago in New Orleans, the Bucs had first-and-goal from the slimy Saints-1.
In the second quarter possession, the Bucs failed to punch it in on four straight runs. In the third quarter possession, it took a third-effort by Sean Tucker on fourth down to squeeze the ball over the goal line for a touchdown.
Grizzard seemed to still be unnerved by that lousy goal line offense.
“When you get the ball on the half-yard line, you need to be able to score and generally [by] running it in,” Grizzard said. “The good teams run it in. They’re able to pound people.
“So, when it comes to that, it comes down to one, the fundamentals and techniques and pad level and how we’re hitting blocks, but then, also opening up a little bit where, if it’s not working, you might need to throw it.
“That way you can keep these guys honest. But it comes down to pad level and the want-to when it comes to that, because if you get it down there that low, you’ve got to be able to punch that thing in.”
Grizzard’s own words were “The good teams run it in.” The Bucs came within a cat’s whisker of failing twice in the same game to punch it in from the slimy Saints-1. And it was the slimy Saints’ rotten rush defense, not the 1976 Steel Curtain.
Just using Grizzard’s definition and how close the Bucs came to blowing it twice, it appears the Bucs offense needs work. Certainly with the goal line offense.