Former offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich wasn’t wrong to have the Bucs throw the ball with great regularity last year. After all, Tampa Bay had the greatest quarterback in NFL history, Tom Brady, under center, along with two Pro Bowl receivers in Mike Evans and Chris Godwin.

But where Leftwich and the Bucs offense faltered in 2022 was in a lack of commitment to running the ball, which would have achieved more balance and made Tampa Bay’s offense less predictable. When the Bucs did attempt some runs, it was predictably on first downs, and the end result was league’s worst running game and an offense that produced just 18 points per game. That was down from 30 points per game the two previous seasons.

At age 45, the last thing Brady wanted to do last year was set a new NFL record for pass attempts (733) and completions (490), but that’s what happened when the Bucs became too reliant on the passing game.

Bucs head coach Todd Bowles wants more balance on offense this year and a stronger commitment to running the ball, which will in turn help rest the defense and allow Tampa Bay to play more complementary football in 2023. That’s why he hired new offensive coordinator Dave Canales from Seattle where he worked with a defensive-minded head coach in Pete Carroll.

Dave Canales’ Offense Will Run The Ball More, But Bucs WRs Won’t Be Forgotten

Bucs RB Rachaad White and QB Kyle Trask – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

But don’t think the new Bucs offense will be three yards and a cloud of dust under Dave Canales and or a return to Dungyball that Tampa Bay played in the late 1990s.

Seattle’s offense was actually quite explosive last year with quarterback Geno Smith earning his first Pro Bowl berth and winning the NFL Comeback Player of the Year honors. Smith passed for 4,282 yards, and Seattle wound up with a pair of 1,000-yard receivers in D.K. Metcalf (1,048) and Tyler Lockett (1,033), in addition to rookie running back in Kenneth Walker III, who ran for 1,050 yards.

The Seahawks averaged 23.9 points per game last year, which ranked 10th in the NFL, and was up from 23.2 points per game in 2021, which ranked 16th.

Appearing on the No Off Days Podcast with Fox 13’s Scott Smith, Canales was asked about how Evans and Godwin feel about possibly having less opportunities with more called runs coming in the 2023 game plan.

“It’s been excitement,” Canales said. “I think when you look at what we’ve done in Seattle over the past 12 years really, you see a lot of production out of the receivers. You see a lot of production out of the tight ends and the backs in different ways. Just last year we had two 1,000-yard receivers and a 1,000-yard back. I would have loved to see what would have happened if Rashaad Penny was healthy the whole year. So the system does allow for balance.”

In fact, Seattle has had six 1,000-yard receiving seasons combined between Lockett and Metcalf over the past four seasons despite being one of the league’s most productive and efficient rushing attacks on a yearly basis.

“The cool part about it is while you may not be getting, you know, those 15 pass targets per game, the ones you get – they come off play-actions. They come in known pass situations,” Canales said. “The play-action world creates a whole other explosive element to the run-after-catch and the yards-per-catch.”

Bucs Will Use Play-Action More To Create Big Plays In The Passing Game

Bucs WRs Chris Godwin and Mike Evans – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

The Bucs didn’t use play-action enough under Leftwich, which frustrated fans and players alike. But when Tampa Bay did use play-action it proved to be quite effect. Canales’ offense calls for far more pre-snap motion and play-action, which excites the receivers.

“I like him, I really do,” said Bucs wide receiver Chris Godwin, who is coming off his third 1,000-yard season in his six seasons in Tampa Bay. “I think the first thing that really comes to mind is that he’s a very smart guy. You can tell that he, one, really loves ball, but he really knows what he wants to do in terms of installing the offense and attacking defenses. I think that that really comes off in meetings, it comes off in how he delivers the messaging to guys in the meeting room and on the field.

“I think the guys really respond well to that. He’s not really like a yeller. He’s not trying to cuss guys out. He’s not trying to berate guys. He’s a teacher and he wants to effectively communicate that. It’s been working so far. … Guys are flying around – the intensity is high.”

Canales has received great feedback from the receivers and the rest of the offense so far during the OTAs.

“So you know just showing the different wrinkles that we can put on there, the way that it all fits in, the attack and the approach, moving parts with simple concepts – the guys have been really excited,” Canales said. “And just employing different tempo packages and those things – they’ve been really supportive and they’re excited about what we’re doing. So we haven’t had any negative backlash at all about what we’re doing.”

As receivers, Evans and Godwin are on par with Metcalf and Lockett – if not better. So if that duo can combine for a pair of 1,000-yard seasons in Seattle, which they’ve done twice over the past four seasons, then there’s no reason why Evans and Godwin can’t find the same level of success this year.