While there are a lot of familiar faces on the Bucs’ offense heading into the 2024 season, the system that each of these players will be operating in is somewhat new. The biggest question that lies ahead for Tampa Bay’s offense outside of individual performances is what will be different in new offensive coordinator Liam Coen’s scheme?

This gives a great opportunity to compare and contrast last year’s Dave Canales offense to this year’s playbook from Bucs players and coaches alike. Wide receiver Chris Godwin is moving back into the slot is one major change and he offered up some insight into the changes that are in store for Tampa Bay’s offense with Coen at the helm.

Chris Godwin Gives Insight On New Offense

Bucs WR Chris Godwin – Photo by: Adam Slivon/PR

“I think it’s a lot of diversity,” Bucs wide receiver Chris Godwin said recently following last week’s OTA practice. “I think that there’s going to be a lot of moving parts for defenses to have to figure out. I think how they’re teaching it is going to allow for us to have a lot of cohesiveness in the offense. We have a bunch of different terms and phrases that can get us into one formation or one play that looks like a different play, so I think how it all marries up will be really beneficial for us.”

A big adjustment that many will see for Tampa Bay is going with a 3×1 set featuring three wide receivers and one tight end. In turn, we’ll also see a lot of bunch formations with the receivers all lining up next to each other on one side of the line of scrimmage. This will help not just one position, but the offense as a whole.

“It helps with free releases but it also helps with the run game, so I’m sure it helps the offensive line,” Godwin said. “I think it’ll help the quarterback as well in terms of being able to ID what the defense is doing. There’s clearly a lot of thought that goes into what we do and I appreciate how passionate Liam is about what he does. He’s really juiced up about this, so I think it’s going to be fun.”

Thad Lewis Points Out One Big Adjustment

Bucs QBs coach Thad Lewis and QBs Kyle Trask, Baker Mayfield and John Wolford – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

There are also many new assistant coaches on the offensive staff this season for the Bucs. Quarterbacks coach Thad Lewis is one of the few holdovers from a year ago, and he quickly identified what stands out about Liam Coen’s scheme.

“I would say the motions and the shifts and things like that,” Lewis said. “We didn’t do much of it, we did some of it. Right now I would say you will see a lot of it (is) just trying to dictate the defense, getting man-zone intel, things like that.

“The motions and the shifts for sure I would say is the biggest thing you can count on that being done. You can probably count how many times during the game and tally it, but it’ll definitely be more than last year for sure.”

Bucs Have To Increase Their Football IQ On Offense

Of course everyone wants to know how Tampa Bay’s woeful running game will improve this season. Liam Coen weighed in on how the line is being taught to block efficiently with a variety of formations. But it goes much further than that.

Bucs RB Rachaad White – Photo by: USA Today

The Bucs can simplify their offense to be successful with a numbers game as Coen explains.

The Bucs won’t go in a huddle with just one play. The 11 players on offense will have several plays called and quarterback Baker Mayfield will go with the best one that gives he and his teammates ideal matchups. It’s asking a little bit more from the offensive players mentally, but it can lead to a huge dividend with Mayfield making the right call at the line of scrimmage once he surveys the defensive alignment.

“Some diversity in terms of giving these guys different ways of hitting blocks,” Coen said about the run game. “Whether it’s the mid zone, the wide zone, the tight zone, duo, gap with pullers, perimeter runs. Defenses are too good to say that we’re just going to line up and run a few runs. We have to give these guys a toolbox and also that goes along with giving them multiple plays in the huddle and that might be two, it might be three options to be able to get to in terms of what the defense is presenting.

“Well, let’s change the math and run away from numbers or gain the numbers back in our favor. If we get man coverage, well let’s get to a man-beater, those are things that it ultimately puts a lot more on the guys, but I think they are ready for it.”