It’s safe to say that the Bucs’ offense has bought into offensive coordinator Liam Coen’s offense. It was a central theme at the team’s facility this past week, where Tampa Bay has been gearing up to host the Commanders on Sunday to kick off their regular season.

After finishing 32nd in the run game the past two seasons, one big concern heading into 2024 is how much the rushing attack will improve. To put quarterback Baker Mayfield in the best position to be successful, a consistent ground game is paramount.

This was the topic on the last Pewter Report Podcast and something nearly everyone has been talking about.

Bucs Have Bought Into OC Liam Coen’s Offense

Bucs RB Rachaad White and C Graham Barton – Photo by: USA Today

Liam Coen saw a glimpse of the success his Bucs’ offense could have this year when the starting unit played the first series together in the team’s preseason finale against the Dolphins.

It took just seven plays for the offense to go 70 yards and score an opening drive touchdown, capped by running back Rachaad White punching it in from four yards out. If that sounds new, that is because the team failed to begin a game with a touchdown last season. Being able to put points up early on will allow head coach Todd Bowles to be more creative and aggressive on defense.

When that happens, good things usually follow.

While Baker Mayfield enjoys playing with a chip on his shoulder, and he still may be a little “cocky” doing so, he can only shoulder so much of controlling the early-game tempo. The rest falls on the team’s running backs to hold possession of the football and tire opponents out, and Coen sees everyone buying in to get better results.

“I think the buy-in from the guys – of understanding that it truly takes all 11 in the run game, that it’s not just those guys blocking or just the runner, that the receiver is part in it, the quarterback is part in it, buying in and being disciplined on our tracks,” Coen said. “If you’re going to be good at anything, you have to be detailed at it. You look at the detail that they’ve had and played with in the pass game here for years, it was always at a high level, always.

“What we try to do is take some of that focus and put it into the run game and say, ‘Hey, guys, if we’re going to be good at this thing, we all have to buy in,’ and the guys did. The coaches did a great job of coaching it thus far and we’ve got to go see what the results look like in a real game.”

Bucs OC Liam Coen and QB Baker Mayfield – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

Mayfield has full faith that Coen, offensive line coach Kevin Carberry, and assistant offensive line coach Brian Picucci have instilled what it takes for the run game to be great.

“I’m extremely confident,” Mayfield said. “I’m extremely confident in the guys we have doing it, and then obviously, the new schemes and just the new stuff that they have brought in. I think Coach [Kevin] Carberry has done a great job of detailing all that work up for them. Brian Picucci in that room is also helping those guys out and then Liam [Coen] just brings that focus to it. He demands excellence on the tracks and everything that the [running] backs are doing too. He’s extremely critical of their footwork and what not but that’s what it takes to be a great running team.”

The Details Are Something Bucs OL Has Been Hammering Home

The details that Liam Coen has harped on while installing the Bucs’ offense throughout the offseason were something that each of the Bucs’ starting offensive linemen further discussed.

Left tackle Tristan Wirfs is the captain of said offensive line and one of the six team captains named on Wednesday. As a captain would, Wirfs remarked that they sink or swim together.

Bucs LT Tristan Wirfs and RT Luke Goedeke – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

“What were we, last [in rushing] last year in the league, so it had to be a point of emphasis,” Wirfs said. “I think we’ve done a great job of it, hammering every day. I think I’ve said it before too, it’s just five guys on the same page. If we mess up, we’re going to mess up together. You’ve just got to be moving fast, flying off the ball. It’s going to be fun, I’m really looking forward to it.”

Right guard Cody Mauch told Pewter Report that more reps have led to being better honed in.

“Guys just understand everything a lot better [and] understand the scheme we’re trying to do,” Mauch said. “Now you can really just hone in on – we all know what we’re supposed to be doing. Now let’s just get our steps right, our hand placement. When we’re hitting double teams, trusting the guys next to you, but knowing – like I’ll know where Luke [Goedeke]’s going to be. You just get more reps like that, so it’s been good. While you know what you’re doing, being able to hone in on more things.”

Mauch knows where Goedeke will be, and the team’s right tackle shared that the common denominator of being detailed should lead to better execution this season.

“I would say attention to detail and all the different looks we’re giving a defense,” Goedeke said of the improvements he has seen in the run game. “Whether it’s motions, we’re doing a good job with pad level as well, just communicating and executing to where we’re going and everything.”

How Will The Bucs’ RBs Be Utilized?

Bucs OC Liam Coen and RB Bucky Irving – Photo by: Corey Perrine/USA Today

The Bucs’ offensive line being on the same page when it comes to details will only help running backs Rachaad White, Bucky Irving, and Sean Tucker. While White will remain the starter, another variable to consider with the run game is how much each back will play. Head coach Todd Bowles was the first to respond.

“I think it’ll be a game-by-game basis,” Bowles said. “You normally go with the hot hand, but since nobody has played yet, obviously Rachaad [White] starts and then we’ll kind of go from there and see how the other guys are used.”

Liam Coen wants to get everyone involved, even if that means he has to reluctantly have a three-man rotation. The talent is there to justify it, even if it is a lot to manage.

“We want to obviously get guys involved, but Rachaad [White] is the guy – he’s going to start the game and he’s going to keep playing,” Coen said. “Bucky [Irving] will get his specific stuff and be able to play, and when Sean [Tucker] needs to go in there and give those guys a blow, he’ll do a great job, as well. We have full trust in all three of those guys. Ultimately, it’s a long season.

“I’ve done three-back rotations in the past and man, that gets exhausting – for a coach, for a play-caller, because now it’s like, ‘Okay, who’s in the game? What are they good at? What do we want to do with them?’ Ultimately, it’s Rachaad’s show and Bucky and Sean are going to get a lot of work and hopefully be efficient and do a great job when they’re in there.”

Bucs OC Liam Coen – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

Cody Mauch thinks that each of them has been hitting the holes more aggressively.

“It looks like they’re hitting it great,” Mauch said. “Sometimes I don’t even really see much [of] what they’re doing back there. Just focused on what we’re doing, but it seems like they’re hitting it hard. Bucky, Rachaad, any of the guys in there, Sean. It’s been really good so far with the backs.”

A famous line in the 1989 film Field of Dreams is “if you build it, he will come.”

The Bucs hope that with everyone locked in on building an excellent run game, the results will begin to come on Sunday.