The 44 points scored by the Bucs’ offense means there were plenty of good notes from this week’s All-22 review.

Bucs at Saints Notes: Offense

• Bucs opening drive was lights out.
  • Quick slant to Mike Evans followed by an out-fade to Chris Godwin after a false start by Tristan Wirfs. Baker Mayfield did a good job of finding Godwin after having to scramble to avoid pressure.
  • On third-and-5 Liam Coen calls a choice route by Godwin out of a 3×1 bunch to pick up the first down. They would go back to this play on another third-and-medium later in the game while flipping the concept side. This seems like a multiple answer winner for the Bucs on third-and-medium. Look for it in the future.
  • Coen took advantage of Saints wanting to keep the top on the offense with multiple concepts using two deep clear routes to open an underneath for easy wins. Second one was a play-action sail underneath a fade/post to Evans for 22 yards.
  • Ryan Miller gave a great block to pin the boundary corner on an outside pitch to Bucky Irving that helped spring him for an explosive.
    • Got another good crack block in on last offensive play of the game to spring Sean Tucker for a TD.
  • Offensive line played well throughout game.
    • Wirfs was dominant.

Wirfs putting clamps on everyone he faces per the usual pic.twitter.com/C0wkRCi5lC

— Brandon Thorn (@BrandonThornNFL) October 14, 2024

• • • Ben Bredeson continues to struggle with anchor and allows defenders to cross face in pass pro but was really solid as a run blocker – especially as a puller on lead/power/counter.
    • Luke Goedeke was obviously knocking the rust off. Wasn’t a strong game for him as he allowed a couple of pressures, overset a few times and didn’t have a dominant drive as a run blocker. He wasn’t bad per se, but not the level of play he established in 2023.
    • 

      Bucs RB Sean Tucker and C Robert Hainsey – Photo by: USA Today

      Robert Hainsey had a fantastic game at center. Fluid and natural as a center. Doubled with Mauch well. Found work. Set the pivot well.

    • Cody Mauch had a third consecutive fantastic game. Perhaps no player on the line ascends as much as he does moving from mid zone to a gap blocking system. He is a phenomenal wrapper/puller. His pass pro was great as well, showing a stronger anchor, better footwork and outstanding hand usage. He is now two consecutive games w/o allowing a pressure.
• Bucs play-action game was popping throughout the game. Some varied concepts to keep the New Orleans defense off balance.
  • First was play-action off a gap concept which was exciting to see the offense offer another layer from gap.
  • Opened second drive with back-to-back play-action plays for nine and 10 yards, respectively.
    • First play was flood, second was cross over curl.
• Coen pulled back on 21 personnel volume, with just one play from that personnel package.
  • One play was a doozy with a double-pass trick play that New Orleans covered up well. Mayfield still found Tucker (his third or fourth option) in the flat for 15.
• Cade Otton continued to show he’s become a much better blocker in year three.
  • Awesome backside seal on a mid-zone run.
  • Still dropped a pass.
• Second quarter was a comedy of errors for the Bucs.
  • Three interceptions obviously highlight the way.
    • His first INT was bad decision, as he saw Evans winning on digs earlier in the game and thought he could hit it but didn’t realize Paulson Adebo was undercutting the route.
    • The second pick was fully on Jalen McMillan – ball placement wasn’t perfect, but something you have to expect a receiver to catch, especially a receiver with as much promise as McMillan has.
    • Third was a tip, and not a bad pass. But Mayfield passed up an easy out to Godwin coming back across the field for read three.
  • Mayfield earned some of the INT’s that weren’t on him with other bad throws.
    • Led Godwin too far on two different throws including a play-action where he turns the wrong way off the snap.
    • Led Otton too far on another throw.
    • Two almost INTs on final drive of 1st half.
  • Two penalties led off first drive of second quarter.
• Unsportsmanlike conduct penalties on Sterling Shepard were complete phantom calls.
  • One was a perfect crack block and a high-effort play.
• Bucs took the ball out of Mayfield’s hands in second half.
  • Run game took over.
• Bucs O-line wasn’t dominant as run blockers outside of the pulls and space blocks on trick plays. Most duo runs were a stalemate at LOS rather than a strong vertical push, but they did create larger holes so backs did not have to fight through close quarters and reduce surface area.

Godwin-Otton-Miller-Hainsey LFG pic.twitter.com/YQm2f8uUtW

— Joshua Queipo (@josh_queipo) October 14, 2024

• 

  Bucs QB Baker Mayfield – Photo by: USA Today

  Mayfield didn’t have a great game overall. Started off great in the first quarter. Terrible in the second quarter. Fine in 2nd half. Net of the entire performance was average w/high variance.

• Both Bucs backs were excellent and the biggest driver of their run success.
  • Tucker was electric showing power, burst, and decisiveness plus cutting ability.

1. New Orleans decided edge contain was not important and Tucker makes them pay.

2. Hell of a job getting Marshon Lattimore flat-footed, then just cutting past his angle. pic.twitter.com/L02F4lz5W6

— Joshua Queipo (@josh_queipo) October 14, 2024

• • Irving’s 31-yarder featured a casual deadly stiff-arm.

one of the most casually violent stiff arms you’ll ever see from Bucky Irving pic.twitter.com/VHpXSZ4IQD

— Mike Renner (@mikerenner_) October 14, 2024

• • • Both Bucs backs show great juice in space.
    • Scheme changes are still the single biggest reason Bucs run game is improved. Rachaad White would have had a very good day behind this line running these concepts just as he did the week prior.
    • Tucker’s average yards before contact was 6.6. He had huge gaps and easy access to the perimeter giving him a great starting point for success.
      • He took full advantage of the opportunity by consistently eliminating angles and getting the edge with his game-changing speed.
• Godwin was electric again. Consistently got open and showed YAC (yards after catch) ability that makes him a difference-maker. His catch rate for the season is now an absurd 84.3%
• McMillan needs to revert back to WR5 when Trey Palmer gets healthy. He’s just not a net positive right now. Both Shepard and Palmer offer benefits over McMillan right now.