Throw out the second half of the Bucs’ 30-17 loss to the Falcons in Week 18. When the snap counts come out today, the majority of the game will have been played by players who shouldn’t see a single rep next week barring catastrophic injury.

The offense was littered with backups, including quarterback Kyle Trask making the first regular season appearance of his career. The offensive line was manned by John Molchon, Nick Leverett out of position at center and Luke Goedeke out of position (or in better position) at right tackle. Yes, the Bucs offense was held scoreless in the second half, but that in no way has any bearing on their potential fortunes next week against the Cowboys in the playoffs.

The first half however featured an offensive juggernaut that nearly matched their season-long points-per-game average in half the time. Could that be fortuitous sign of things to come in the playoffs? Let’s examine the bones of this scoring output that was the Bucs’ first half offense.

Bucs’ First Drive – An Opening Game Touchdown

The Bucs have generally had success moving the ball on their opening drive of the game. Entering this game since their bye week, the Bucs have driven into scoring range on their opening drive six out of six times. Those six drives had yielded just 16 points though. Against New Orleans, Cincinnati, and Carolina the Tampa Bay offense stalled in plus territory, settling for field goals in each game.

Against the 49ers the offense stalled as well while kicker Ryan Succop missed his field goal attempt. And against Carolina, wide receiver Chris Godwin fumbled on the Panthers’ 29-yard line resulting in a turnover. The opening drive against the Browns in week 12 was the lone time the offense was able to finish the job with a touchdown.

Bucs QB Tom Brady and OL Nick Leverett – Photo by: USA Today

After an opening salvo Rachaad White run for two yards, quarterback Tom Brady hit Godwin on a play-action comeback route on the right sideline for 17 yards, giving the Bucs a new set of downs at their own 49-yard line. A patented screen to Godwin followed putting the Bucs in a second-and-2 situation, in plus territory. With a run game that has been abysmal all season, these are the situations where they can build some momentum with easy wins in the form of converting first downs. And that’s just what the offense did with the next play an inside zone run from shotgun for White that yielded three yards and another new set of downs.

Offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich added some razzle-dazzle on the following play with an end around for rookie wide receiver Deven Thompkins that netted 17 yards, and set the offense up with first and 10 at the Falcons 23. The play was very reminiscent of last week’s end around for Julio Jones in that the Bucs ran it off of a fake counter run to White. The following play was a play-action pass to Godwin over the middle on a slot post/seam.

Some good from the play calling was a) play-action, which Brady is one of the best in the league at this year, b) running the play-action from gun, where they are one of the run heaviest teams in the league. This keeps the defense off guard and serves as a counter to a tendency the team has built over the course of the season. In my opinion, Godwin should have secured the catch. It was by no means easy, but one he has made before and one you would expect of a player of his caliber.

On second-and-10 Leftwich had the offense come out in gun and ran the ball, yielding four yards and setting up third-and-6 from the Atlanta 22. This is normally where the Bucs’ opening drive offense story ends. A missed third down conversion deep in the opponent’s territory resulting in three points and large helping of disappointment.

But the execution of the offense on this play overcame the obstacle (and then some). Despite immediate interior pressure from the Falcons blitz up the “A” gap, Brady was able to identify tight end Cade Otton coming across the middle on a dig route in single coverage with inside leverage. Brady delivered a low ball that allowed Otton to go to the ground to secure the catch with minimal contest from his trailing defender. First down in the red zone.

Bucs TE Kyle Rudolph – Photo by: USA Today

After a White run for four yards, the Bucs offense was able to counter another Falcons blitz as Brady found little-used tight end Kyle Rudolph in the back of the end zone on a corner route for six points.

The drive spanned 10 plays and 70 yards. There were several things to like about the drive from a conceptual standpoint. Two of the five pass plays were play-action in nature. Brady continued his mastery of those plays going one of two for 17 yards and had a good ball on a good read to Godwin on the incompletion.

The running game looked competent on the drive as well with White recording 15 yards on four carries plus the Thompkins end around ballooning the overall rushing numbers to 32 yards on five carries. Speaking of that end around it was inspired, building off the only successful part of the Bucs run game currently (counter) and going back to a successful well from the week prior while showing the defense something they have little tape on.

The drive wasn’t without it’s question marks though, with Leftwich opting to call run plays on three of the five first downs overall. This was the lone drive where the yards per play disparity was in the running game’s favor on the half, with the three runs creating 23 yards of offense (7.7 yards per play) to the eight yards generated on the two pass plays (4.0 average).

Bucs’ Second Drive: Passing Game Stalls

On the second drive of the game the Bucs offense started in advantageous position near midfield at their own 45-yard line. Opening the drive, Leftwich went play-action again on a designed screen to running back Leonard Fournette. The play netted four yards. I like the play-action element, but overall, these play-action screens have not been the most successful. Where offenses want to gain half the yards needed to convert a new set of downs or a touchdown, this play was unsuccessful.

The offense followed up that play with a speed out to wide receiver Russell Gage that Brady threw high and behind him for an incompletion. On third and six Brady opted to try and hit Gage again on a slot fade that he overthrew for another incompletion. The play design allowed tight end Cameron Brate to come open underneath Gage on an out route where both Falcons defenders broke initially on Gage.

From a scripting standpoint, overall, I liked the calls for the most part. Again, didn’t love the screen off of play-action but the drive featured a first down pass call and 33% play-action usage. Additionally, the speed out to Gage was a good use of his skill set in quick sudden breaks and he was open on the play. Lastly, the third down call got Gage one-on-one plus had Brate open on the Ohio concept variant.

Bucs’ Third Drive: A Turnover Kills What Could Have Been

Not much to analyze here, although what there is, isn’t very positive. The Bucs ran two plays. The first was a first down run that yielded two yards. I don’t love the process. The second play was a bubble screen to Godwin that he fumbled after picking up about eight yards. The Bucs have built an entire offense this year around second and medium-to-long screen passes, and defenses have figured it out.

Bucs’ Fourth Drive: A Long Drive With A Familiar Result

Bucs QB Tom Brady – Photo by: USA Today

The Bucs’ fourth drive began at their own 25 and with a familiar process. A shotgun run for running back Gio Bernard netted three yards. This set up a second-and-long – and tell me if you’ve heard this one before – a play-action screen to Godwin for five yards. On third-and-2 Brady faded to his left as pressure crept up on him and delivered a pass to the other side of the field as he fell away from the throw.

Godwin was there to catch the pass and get the Bucs a new set of downs. It looked like (from the television copy) Brady was looking for wide receiver Deven Thompkins on the boundary side of the filed, but Thompkins couldn’t create separation from Falcons cornerback A.J. Terrell. By the time Brady came back to the concept side of the play to find Godwin he was in trouble but stood in long enough to get the pass off.

Another first down run, and the Bucs were right back in second and medium-to-long. Bucs running back Gio Bernard followed his three-yard gain on first down with some tough running on second down to put the Bucs in another third down situation (3rd and two). Leftwich went back to the Gage speed out well and this time Brady hit him for five yards and a new set of downs.

Since the first down runs were “working” Leftwich called another one. This time a pitch to the outside with Bernard finding a hole and getting up field for eight yards. Second and two after a good gain on first down. This would be a good opportunity for a shot play right? Especially with the high volume of runs the Bucs were already racking up this could have been an awesome opportunity to go back to a play-action pass to Thompkins, Scotty Miller, or Breshaud Perriman deep, or Godwin or Otton on an intermediate crossing route.

If you don’t hit it, no worries, you still have third and short. Leftwich opted for the security of a shotgun run to Ke’Shawn Vaughn. Vaughn was tackled for a gain of just one yard setting up the third and short anyways.

The offense was able to pick up the first down by replicating the outside toss from two plays earlier and Vaughn was able to pick up an explosive play of 12 yards. With the running game rolling Leftwich called Vaughn’s number from the shotgun again and Falcons defensive tackle Grady Jarrett blew the play up for a five-yard loss.

Now faced with their first real adversity of the drive (2nd and 15) the Bucs went back to their most productive form of offense. Brady from an empty shotgun formation found Thompkins on a screen and Thompkins was able to shift, juke, and jive ahead for five yards. On third and 10, Brady read the Falcons slot blitz and found Godwin on a short out that allowed him to catch, turn up field and almost pick up the first down.

Bucs QB Tom Brady and OC Byron Leftwich – Photo by: USA Today

The Bucs would miss converting on fourth down after going for it due to a Luke Goedeke holding penalty on a well-executed otherwise pitch to Bernard. Faced with now fourth-and-11, Bowles wisely opted for the field goal.

Despite the yards racked up and the fact they scored points, this drive was a result of execution covering for bad decisions. The offense failed to create a single new first down before third down, forcing themselves to have to convert three of four third downs just to get into field goal range. They ran on first down four times for a total of nine yards.

By the time they tried it the fourth time Jarrett was ready to burst off the line, get past the trap the Bucs tried to pull on him and set the offense back five yards. Despite the success of the play action game up to that point, Leftwich didn’t call a single such play on this 15-play drive. He neglected to try a shot play on second-and-short.

The only thing the Bucs offense could potentially say from a schematic standpoint that went well on this drive was a) Brady and the passing game were very good despite having to work from almost exclusively pass-obvious situations and b) they may have found something in the outside toss runs (including the penalty-called back play they had three such carries for 27 yards).

Bucs’ Fifth Drive: Three And Out

The Bucs started their fifth offensive drive with a “pass.” Brady gave a pop-pass to the motioning Thompkins for two yards. You can call this a pass play by definition, as Brady technically through the ball ahead of him, but really this was an extension of the Bucs run game. The following play featured Brady trying to get the ball to Gage in the flat out with a depth of target of a single yard. Brady put the ball too far behind Gage and it fell incomplete.

The final play of the drive was a dump off to Vaughn because Brady’s protection fell apart almost immediately on his blind side. Vaughn was unable to gain any yards as he had a defender drop him almost immediately.

Yes, this drive featured exclusively passing, but there was zero conceptually behind them. A pop pass which is really just a run, a quick flat and a dump-off to the running back that looked almost planned. It was as if, with backups in at almost every offensive line position Leftwich didn’t trust the offense to hold up for even Brady’s normally lightning-quick 2.3 second release time and he called plays that would all but ensure his 45-year-old quarterback was not hit.

Bucs’ Sixth Drive: New QB, Actual Throws Beyond The LOS And A TD

To finish out the first half the Bucs finally made a change at quarterback, bringing in backup Blaine Gabbert following a turnover by the Falcons. On a short field (the Bucs started the drive at the Falcons 22), Leftwich loaded up play one with a deep shot from Gabbert to Thompkins on a three-step drop, click-and-rip, go route. The result was an incomplete pass, but the process was sound pushing the ball downfield and forcing the Falcons to respect more verticality from the Bucs offense.

The next play featured a return to the play-action game out of shotgun. Gabbert hit Thompkins on a short out, and the rookie created yards after catch using his suddenness to make a couple of defenders miss their tackles. First down Bucs.

Bucs QB Blaine Gabbert – Photo by: USA Today

On first-and-goal from the Falcons 9-yard line, Bernard ran for four yards and set up second-and-goal from the Atlanta 5. An illegal shift penalty set the Bucs back five yards on the ensuing play. Now faced with second-and-long Leftwich returned to his wide receiver screen “bread and butter.” Gage rewarded him fighting through several tackles and turning what should have been a play for no gain into a 7-yard advancement. The Bucs would score on the next play when Gabbert found Gage again in the back left corner of the end zone on a back shoulder fade.

On the positive side this drive featured a 50/50 split of first down runs to passes (which is a step in the right direction for the Bucs even if it is still less than my liking), a return to play-action on 25% of their passes, and at least one play where they attacked downfield. On the downside there was yet again the reliance on a 2nd and long screen. If Leftwich keeps falling back on this habit, it’s going to bite him in the you know what in the playoffs.

The Bucs would have an end-of-half drive where they ran the clock out so I’ll spare you that analysis. Overall, there were some things to like on the two touchdown drives. Namely play action and some creative wrinkles with counters to things they have already put on tape. But for the rest of the half a reliance on early down running and running-adjacent play calls forced the offense to either execute at an unsustainably high level or fizzle.

I would argue this will be the tale of the tape next week in the playoffs as well. If the offense can go pass heavy on first down with counters to their staples and a good dose of play action (say 30% or higher) look for this offense to roar back to life. They have shown they are capable of that. It will give the run game the opportunity to convert on second- and third-and-shorts to allow it to be the most effective version of itself anyone can hope for. But if the play-calling returns to the first down run, second down screen, third down pray version of drives two through five today.

Well … let’s hope the Bucs defense comes to play.