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About the Author: Scott Reynolds

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Scott Reynolds is in his 30th year of covering the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as the vice president, publisher and senior Bucs beat writer for PewterReport.com. Author of the popular SR's Fab 5 column on Fridays, Reynolds oversees web development and forges marketing partnerships for PewterReport.com in addition to his editorial duties. A graduate of Kansas State University in 1995, Reynolds spent six years giving back to the community as the defensive coordinator/defensive line coach for his sons' Pop Warner team, the South Pasco Predators. Reynolds can be reached at: [email protected]
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Pewter Report’s Scott Reynolds answers your questions from the @PewterReport Twitter account each week in the Bucs Monday Mailbag. Submit your question to the Bucs Monday Mailbag each week via Twitter using the hashtag #PRMailbag.  Here are the questions we chose to answer for this week’s edition.

QUESTION: Although it’s easy to label Byron Leftwich or Todd Bowles as bad, I can’t help but wonder why these guys would refuse to make adjustments and keep doing what has been shown not to work every week. Is there something going on with the team or the players we are not aware of?

ANSWER: For the most part, Todd Bowles’ defense hasn’t played bad this year. At least that side of the ball isn’t considered to be the problem in Tampa Bay. The Bucs defense hasn’t played well against Kansas City, San Francisco and for a half against Carolina and a half against Baltimore. Otherwise, the defense has played well enough to win with for most of the season. If there is a concern with Bowles’ unit, it’s the disturbing lack of takeaways this season.
The Bucs defense had 17 interceptions last year and it has just seven this season with four games left. Tampa Bay forced 17 fumbles last year and recovered 12 of them. This year, the Bucs have only forced eight and recovered five fumbles. But the Bucs’ biggest issue has been on offense, where the team’s point production has dropped from around 30 points per game in 2020-21 to just 17.2 points per game this year, which ranks 28th in the NFL. That’s nearly two fewer touchdowns per game for the 2022 Bucs.
Bucs Oc Byron Leftwich And Qb Tom Brady

Bucs OC Byron Leftwich and QB Tom Brady – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

The truth about offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich is that he’s been exposed this year as a sub-par play-caller. During the 2020 and 2021 seasons, the Bucs simply out-talented teams offensively. With future Hall of Famers in Rob Gronkowski and Mike Evans, a Hall of Fame-caliber receiver in Antonio Brown and a Pro Bowl receiver in Chris Godwin, opposing defenses couldn’t double cover everyone. One of those four elite weapons was bound to exploit a talent mismatch in coverage. Future Hall of Fame quarterback Tom Brady is the best in the business at finding the mismatch before the snap and knowing where he wants to go with the football based on coverage looks from his pre-snap read.

Factor in elite pass protection from three Pro Bowl linemen in Ali Marpet, Ryan Jensen and Tristan Wirfs, a right guard who got paid handsomely in Alex Cappa and a left tackle who was playing much better last year in Donovan Smith, and the Bucs offense operated and succeeded on sheer talent – and in an offense that was suited to those players’ talents. But the problem this year is that Marpet and Gronkowski retired, Brown is out of football and Cappa is in Cincinnati. Factor in Jensen’s season-ending knee injury and Wirfs’ ankle injury and Brady and the Bucs are missing six of the 11 starters that suited up for most of 2020 and 2021.
That’s over half of the offense. And the ones who have remained – Evans, Smith and Brady – haven’t played that well. Godwin is trying to come back from the torn ACL he suffered last year and hasn’t been able to separate like he did prior to his knee injury. So, that’s what Leftwich has to work with this year. At the same time, he’s doing this team no favors by not showing any creativity or outside-the-box thinking to help this offense succeed.
Leftwich is simply calling plays from an antiquated offense that has been in the league for decades without scheming his receivers to get open or calling plays that are designed to get yards after the catch with regularity. He has tunnel vision on Bruce Arians’ playbook because that’s all he’s been exposed to for the last decade or so as a former backup QB and an NFL coach. The predictability of the playbook was the reason why Pittsburgh’s defense was able to shut down Tampa Bay’s offense without many key defenders, including nearly the entire secondary. Mike Tomlin had seen the Arians system in training camp and in practice for years and just game planned for those plays – and held the Bucs to only 18 points.
It is difficult to imagine Leftwich surviving this season’s dreadful performance, which has featured little to no adjustments. He has to be replaced in 2023, and I suspect that is what Bowles will do at the end of the season.

QUESTION: Todd Bowles said it is too late for major coaching changes. How about assigning play-calling to someone else?

ANSWER: Todd Bowles has had the ability to fire offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich. He’s not been blocked from doing so, as he has complete control over the coaching staff he inherited from Bruce Arians on March 30. But Bowles has been reluctant to do so because he probably doesn’t feel like he has any good options on his staff to take over.

Quarterbacks coach Clyde Christensen might be the most logical person to turn to because of his prior experience as a play-caller and his relationship with Tom Brady. But Christensen might be viewed by Bowles the same way he might view Leftwich – having tunnel vision on the Bruce Arians offensive system that has become dated and predictable.

Bucs Oc Byron Leftwich And Qbs Coach Clyde Christensen

Bucs OC Byron Leftwich and QBs coach Clyde Christensen – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

At the other end of the spectrum is a younger coach like assistant receivers coach Thad Lewis, who is considered to be a bright offensive mind, but has absolutely no play-calling experience. Lewis, a former NFL backup QB, doesn’t have a rapport with Tom Brady and if he would have been tabbed to replace Leftwich, it would’ve either been after the Ravens Thursday night game or during the bye week.

Even if he brought in some fresh concepts, they would just be tweaks as it’s too late to install an entirely new offense during the season. That type of heavy lifting has to occur in OTAs and in training camp.

I think what Bowles has done is make a calculated gamble early this season after Leftwich was exposed as a fraudulent play-caller. I think Bowles surveyed the landscape in the weak NFC South and thought to himself, “We can win this division with Brady and my defense and get a home playoff game.” Bowles probably has one realistic chance to make an offensive coordinator change during his tenure as the Bucs head coach and didn’t want to play that card in-season because of the lack of good, viable options.

Instead, I think he’ll clean house on offense and bring in a new offensive coordinator with fresh ideas for 2023. My choice would be Georgia’s play-caller Todd Monken, who coached wide receivers in Tampa Bay and also called plays for a time under Dirk Koetter from 2016-18. Monken’s Georgia offense is dynamic and he knows how to effectively merge the passing game and the ground game. Plus, he’s a no-nonsense coach, who would demand accountability from the players.

QUESTION: We all know this season ends with a first round playoff loss, so let’s focus on next season. Can you give us any hope that this franchise comes to its senses and we have a new head coach? Or will a playoff qualification get Bowles a second year?

ANSWER: If the Bucs win the NFC South and keep the division title in 2022, there is no chance Todd Bowles gets fired. He will return in 2023. The Glazers have given every coach they’ve hired at least two seasons to prove they can win. The Bucs believe the problem this year lies on the offensive side of the ball, and that will keep Bowles from taking the brunt of the blame for an underwhelming 2022 campaign.
Not playing with a lead this year as opposed to last season is making Bowles’ defense less effective and contributing mightily to the team’s 6-7 record. The Bucs outscored opponents 107-70 in first quarter last year, then 155-119 in the second quarter. That was a plus-71 point differential by halftime over the course of the season in 2021. This year, the Bucs have gotten outscored 54-38 in the first quarter and 69-59 in the second quarter. That’s a minus-26 point differential this year at halftime. And it’s a 97-point swing the wrong way over the last two years.

QUESTION: We get that Todd Bowles didn’t get a chance to put his staff together, but can’t you also make the case that if Bruce Arians retired right after the Rams loss the Bucs would have had a full coaching search?

Bucs Hc Todd Bowles

Bucs HC Todd Bowles – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

ANSWER: Not necessarily. The succession plan for Bruce Arians for some time has been to promote defensive coordinator Todd Bowles. The Glazers and general manager Jason Licht were all in favor of Bowles eventually taking over for Arians whenever that happened. Remember, the Glazers made Bowles the highest-paid defensive coordinator in football after his unit helped the Bucs win Super Bowl LV.

While Bowles’ bad call helped the Bucs lose to the Rams, 30-27, in the NFC Divisional playoffs, the offense only scored three points in the first half of that game. For the most part, Tampa Bay’s defense played pretty well in helping the team post its best-ever regular season record at 13-4. And Bowles had to deal with a rash of injuries in the secondary, particularly at cornerback, last year.
Bowles likely would have been the choice at head coach even if Arians had retired right after the loss to the Rams game. And unless the Bucs lose all four remaining games and finish 6-11, Bowles will likely be retained for the 2023 season.

QUESTION: Isn’t it possible that the person hurting the offense the most right now is Tom Brady?

ANSWER: No, Tom Brady is not the biggest problem on offense in Tampa Bay, as Pewter Report’s Josh Queipo pointed out in a recent article. Brady has not had a great season by any means, but he hasn’t had a lot of help around him. Offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich hasn’t done Brady or the offense any favors, and this year’s Bucs squad isn’t as talented as the 2020 and 2021 squads.

Brady has been out of sync with Mike Evans this year for some strange reason, but if you’re looking for one player who is really hurting the offense, its left tackle Donovan Smith. The eight-year veteran is having an awful season and his 11 penalties – including two at San Francisco – are the most in the league by any player. Smith has also surrendered six sacks after allowing just one last year, which was his best season with the Bucs.

Smith’s holding penalty in the first quarter wiped out a 68-yard touchdown pass to Mike Evans. In last week’s 17-16 win over the Saints, Smith also had a penalty that negated a Chris Godwin touchdown in the final seconds. The Bucs may have to look at moving Tristan Wirfs to left tackle next year if Smith’s play doesn’t improve. Smith is entering a contract year in 2023 where he’s scheduled to make $15.250 million. Cutting or trading Smith, who will be 30 next year, would leave the Bucs with $7.95 million in dead money, though.

QUESTION: Is there anyone on the roster who can step in at left tackle?

Bucs Qb Tom Brady And Browns De Myles Garrett

Bucs QB Tom Brady and Browns DE Myles Garrett – Photo by: USA Today

ANSWER: As Todd Bowles said after the 35-7 loss to the 49ers, the Bucs are kind of bare at the tackle position right now with Tristan Wirfs being out with a high ankle sprain. Top reserve Josh Wells is filling in at right tackle for Wirfs. The only other option is Brandon Walton, who has limited playing experience, especially at left tackle in the NFL.

I don’t see the Bucs removing Donovan Smith from the lineup right now due to Walton’s inexperience. But there’s no doubt that Smith’s poor play this year – attributed to a myriad of off-field personal issues – is negatively affecting the offense.

QUESTION: Who is running out of the tunnel Week 1 next year to play QB, and who is his head coach?

ANSWER: If I had to guess right now, I would say quarterback Tom Brady and head coach Todd Bowles. Yes, I have changed my thinking about where Brady plays if he returns for a 24th season in the NFL. I think Brady plays in Tampa Bay next year – under a new offensive coordinator – or he retires. I don’t think Brady plays anywhere else in 2023 at age 46.
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