I’m getting this Bucs vs. Falcons All-22 Tape Notes article out a little late, but Thursday Night Football throws off my schedule just as much as it does NFL teams, just on the backend. This will be a bit more of a quick hit grouped by players.

Bucs QB Baker Mayfield

• Phenomenal in an abbreviated role.
• The Bucs had so many short fields and the offense had an 11.5% explosive play rate he only attempted 24 passes.
• The touchdown to Sterling Shepard was fantastic ball placement.
• He had answers for most of the pressures he faced in the second half.
• He made quick decisions and kept the ball out of harm’s way.
• Could have torn up the Falcons defense for more if offensive coordinator Liam Coen had been a bit more aggressive in the second half.
• Made smart decisions on when to scramble and when to hang in the pocket.
  • Four of his scrambles went for five yards or more and one went for 18 and two went for first downs.
• 

  Bucs QB Baker Mayfield – Photo by: USA Today

  Manipulated Falcons’ defenders with his eyes to get his receivers open.

• Two out routes that didn’t convert in the game had large implications throughout the game.
  • Second drive of game on third-and-3 at ATL 35 puts a catchable ball on Chris Godwin on quick flat/out
    • Ideally ball is frontside of Godwin and he threw it backside, but still that’s a catch you expect Godwin to make.
    • Leads to FG instead of continues drive for possible TD.
  • Eighth drive of game on second-and-9 at ATL 38 leads Cade Otton too far on quick out.
    • Could have created first down or third-and-short.
    • Bucs settle for FG.
• Had Shepard deep early for would-be TD and just led him a bit too far.

Bucs Running Backs

• Bucky Irving had his worst game of season.
  • Late fumble led to comedy of errors that finished game.
  • Multiple runs where his vision led to less yards than he could have gotten.
  • Last drive of game and just outside FG range. If he follows the path of the run as it is blocked up, he puts them at the edge of Chase McLaughlin’s range.

Got lost in the shuffle of everything else, but on third-and-25 from the 43 on the Bucs final offensive play, Irving trying to bounce this run was brutal.

Has a chance to get them back in field goal range if he trusts the blocking, but hesitates, tried to do hero stuff, goes nowhere. Punt.

pic.twitter.com/ZSGrzbp21T

— Jon Ledyard (@LedyardNFLDraft) October 5, 2024

• • Drive prior gets a play-action screen and has loads of daylight to his left.
    • Cuts back inside instead of outside where he picks up a block from Cody Mauch to spring for first down.
• 

  Bucs RB Bucky Irving – Photo by: USA Today

  Rachaad White had key block on Arnold Ebikitie to keep Baker Mayfield clean for his TD pass to Sterling Shepard.

  • Showed improved willingness to press frontside of runs and push through holes.
  • Three catches went for negative yards.
    • Two were snuffed out designs by ATL who really did good job of feeling out for these.
    • One White slips on.
  • Was consistently good in pass protection throughout game.
• Run game by scheme:
  • Gap
    • 9 carries, 83 yards, 9.2 avg, 44.44% success rate, 0.26 EPA/play
  • Zone
    • 9 carries, 33 yards, 3.7 avg, 44.44% success rate, -0.60 EPA/play

Bucs Offensive Line

• 

  Bucs RB Rachaad White – Photo by: USA Today

  Stellar first half all around.

  • Per NextGenStats did not allow a single pressure.
• Best game of the season for Tristan Wirfs
  • Charted zero pressures allowed and was very good as a run blocker.
• Ben Bredeson executed well as puller on Rachaad White’s 56-yarder.
  • Still had most trouble in pass pro out of entire line with some slow losses that don’t get charted as pressures.
  • Had some struggles targeting as puller.
• Graham Barton had worst game of his career.
  • Most of the issues came in second half.
  • Most trouble came in run game where he struggled against Grady Jarrett’s speed/power combo.
  • Holding penalty at end of fourth quarter was a dagger to the offense.
  • Had a loss to David Onyemata one-on-one as well.
  • Had a couple of good doubles and best rep was in space on a screen to Bucky Irving.
• Cody Mauch had good game overall.
  • Worked well in space.
    • Made an athletic play to get back to a backside defender on Irving’s final screen and would have been in position to create a big hole to the outside but Irving cut back inside into trouble.
  • Executed doubles well.
  • Excellent seal on White’s big run.
  • Still had a couple of bad reps.
    • Screen to White on first drive of second half where he and Barton both peel off of a double team to get to the second level.
      • Had the net effect of leaving Onyemata unblocked to drive down on White for 2-yard loss.
    • He and Justin Skule failed to wall off the front side of a counter run that would have otherwise popped.
    • Still needs to work on not letting shorter defender explode into his chest and get leverage.
• Skule’s holding penalty was ticky-tack
  • Still working through communication with Mauch and getting on same page with depth/sets.
    • Matthew Judon took advantage of this once on stunt/twist to split the two for a pressure.
  • Overall, very good as run blocker, especially on doubles.
  • Also walled off inside well on White’s 56-yard run.

Bucs Receivers and Tight Ends

Bucs TE Cade Otton – Photo by: USA Today

• Mike Evans had a good game consistently getting open.
  • Great swim move on corner route for TD.
• Besides the out route on third down Chris Godwin caught everything else thrown his way and was open on plays where he was not the target.
• All of the receivers were competitive blockers
• Both tight ends had good blocking games overall, but had one big miss.
  • On Bucs’ last drive they run mid zone in 12 personnel to TE side.
    • Cade Otton and Payne Durham are doubling Smith-Williams at the edge of the front side of the play.
    • Jessie Bates III comes into the box pre-snap to give ATL the numbers advantage pre snap and change Tristan Wirfs’ second level assignment.
      • Wirfs now has to account for Bates on his climb instead of the nickel.
    • Otton and Durham get a good double on defensive end Smith-Williams off the snap.
      • Because Wirfs cannot account for nickel he is able to drive into the C gap.
      • Otton makes an athletic play to peel off the double and get a piece of Hamilton.
        • In doing so he gives up the inside leverage on Smith-Williams who is then able to make the tackle for loss.
    • If White is a bit more explosive, he probably gets around Smith-Williams and has daylight for an explosive run.
• Otton had a good day as a receiver posting a ton of yards after the catch.