Bucs offensive coordinator Dave Canales has said numerous times since joining the team he wants to scheme up and call plays that get receivers open and help leverage their skills, rather than relying on his talented players to have to win one-on-one versus coverage all the time. One of the concepts that is a tenant to the system he runs is the “speed out.”

The speed out consists of a three-to five step vertical push, followed by a quick horizontal stem to the sidelines. The receiver must get his head around quickly at the stem because this is a timing route with little margin for error due to several factors.

One, because of the trajectory of the route the sideline quickly stops the receiver, and two, the cornerback covering the concept has an opportunity to undercut the pass to either break it up or house it. It also requires a quarterback that can put some heat on the pass to ensure it gets to the receiver before the defender can make that break. It is often run from a condensed positioning from the receiver which requires the cornerback to account for a two-way go where the receiver can break either in or out. This often gives the receiver outside leverage to execute the speed out.

Bucs QB Baker Mayfield – Photo by: USA Today

On an otherwise tough day for the Bucs passing offense in Sunday’s 20-17 win over the Vikings at Minnesota, Tampa Bay was able to find success with this particular passing concept. By my count they called it twice. Both calls were successful for quick six-yard gains. And the success of those plays likely influenced the play call that ultimately sealed the victory for the Bucs.

As a matter of fact, Baker Mayfield’s first completion in the regular season as a Bucs quarterback came on this very route. On second-and-6 during the Bucs’ second drive Mayfield noticed Vikings safety Josh Metellus sneaking into the box in order to get a quick jump on Bucs right tackle Luke Goedeke on a blitz.

Looking at that right side, he quickly discerns with single-high coverage and Metellus likely blitzing, he will need to get rid of the ball quickly. He also knows that Chris Godwin is now going to be singled up on the same side Metellus is coming from.

With Godwin in a condensed position closer to tight end Cade Otton, he has plenty of room to execute the speed out. You can see Mayfield checks to a new call with this new information. Post-snap things play out just as Mayfield expected.

Mettellus blitzes as a part of a six-man pass rush. Vikings cornerback Byron Murphy Jr. playing six yards off and starting the play in a backpedal is unable to break on the route quick enough. Mayfield fires a rocket and Godwin makes a nice final stretch to ensure the Bucs get the first down. Easy yards.

Bucs Go Back To The Well

We don’t see the speed out again until the fourth quarter when the Bucs are tied 17-17 and driving for an eventual 57-yard field goal to take the lead. Now, before we get to the highlighted play it’s important to note the context for why this was called.

This was the seventh play of the drive. Mike Evans lined up as the left outside receiver on all six of the previous plays on the drive. The Vikings matched cornerback Akayleb Evans on him all six plays. The Vikings’ Evans gave the Bucs’ Evans seven-to-nine yards of cushion on four of the five non-fourth-down plays. The Bucs had already exploited this on the first play of the drive with a quick hitch to Mike Evans for six yards. Dave Canales had a reasonable expectation he could steal some more yards with another speed out call.

He was right. A. Evans was once again playing eight-to-nine yards off the line of scrimmage, giving the Bucs another efficient first down play call and setting up a second-and-4 situation. Having given up two easy plays on a now seven play drive, the Vikings brought Akayleb Evans up to the line of scrimmage on the next play in hopes that the Bucs would have to go elsewhere if they wanted to be successful. This is when Canales, Mayfield, and Mike Evans had their opportunity to win deep.

With Akayleb Evans now playing in a press look, a single high free safety and strong safety Harrison Smith walking up to the line of scrimmage from the box, Baker had all the perfect recipe to try and hit Mike Evans deep on a go-ball. Mayfield attempts to place the ball on Evans’ back shoulder, but some contact between the two players left the pass incomplete.

Still the process was sound in terms of setting up the haymaker after a couple of jabs. With a player like Mike Evans the hope as an offensive coordinator is to get him three-to-four good deep shots per game. Mayfield had already successfully connected with Evans for a 28-yard touchdown on a corner-post in the second quarter and just missed on a deep vertical in the first quarter. This was now their third shot. Goal achieved.

Gotta Have That Last First Down

With two minutes left in the game on third-and-10 the Bucs were desperately clinging to a three-point lead. If the Vikings could get a stop, they would have plenty of time to potentially tie or win the game. The Bucs needed a play to seal the game. Baker Mayfield again sees a safety approaching the line of scrimmage, and again makes a line check. Then the play that iced the game.

Now, full disclosure: This isn’t technically a speed out. Godwin has to get an extra five yards of depth from a typical speed out. But the elements are all still there.

A quick vertical release followed by an even quicker out-break. Mayfield fielded the shotgun snap and had the ball out by the time his foot completed its fifth step. There was no second option. This was a single-read timing out route to Godwin for 11 yards to win the game. Mission accomplished. The Bucs got out of Minnesota with a win, in part, due to the speed out, which will continue to be a staple in Dave Canales’ offense.