Jolt the Bucs offense needs?
Joe always likes to tell folks that other teams’ coaches get paid, too.
Like many Bucs fans, Joe is tired of seeing constant screens to the flat that go nowhere. And after listening to Mina Kimes’ podcast this week, Joe has a hunch the Bucs may throw more of them this weekend.
Why? A couple of reasons.
On Kimes’ podcast was NFL analyst Ben Solak. He claimed the biggest difference with the Bucs’ offense from last year to this year, aside from injuries, is that these screen passes that worked so well are not working at all this year.
“The efficacy of the screens,” Solak said, “it’s been the ability to throw the football, toss it behind the line of scrimmage in a designed fashion, and then be able to generate an explosive [play] out of that. It’s just not something you got from Rachaad White [this year]. You’ve got one or two reps from Sean Tucker. But it was formative to this offense under Liam Coen.
“It was like not just something they did well, it was part of their identity, was to be able to get you into screen looks and then throw them, because they like their offensive line was on the move so much.”
Well, the first thing Joe thought of hearing Solak’s explanation is defenses adjust, too. Defensive coordinators surely noticed how successful the Bucs were running screens last year.
What do defensive coordinators do all offseason? Try to find ways to stop opponents from succeeding at certain plays, hatching plans and schemes. So that may be one element Solak overlooked.
And, of course, the NFL is a copycat league. Once one defense has success stopping a team, you can be damned sure the next two or three opponents will try the exact same thing.
So why might the Bucs run more screens this weekend despite what Solak said about a lack of success with screens? Two reasons.
First, Solak noted the guy who did so well last year on these screens, Bucky Irving, may be back Sunday.
Then, Kimes stated, using intel from TruMedia, an industry-popular NFL stats outfit, Arizona is No. 31 in the league this year defending screen passes.
Hello, Bucky. Hello, screens.