It’s clear Liam can do either with this Oline and our backfield talent. Ball control allows the team to rest the defense and keep the Jefferson, Williams, Gibbs, Pukas, on the sidelines. It’s why the Dallas game drove me nuts. Run the ball and keep the Dallas O on the sidelines. When I look at the playoff potential, I like Tampa vs everyone but also could see us getting hammered by any and all of them. Do we want to trade punches with any of the playoff teams?
Great post and question
Ball control
Coen tried to downplay the need to start fast, but theres no doubt that starting fast and winning time of possession is the best formula for the Bucs. Not saying we could not trade punches BUT the best formula currently is ball control
In the Dallas game the Bucs offense starts slow so they are depending on the defense to get stops and then required to avoid the turnovers that killed them at the end. Not good.
In the Panthers game we jumped to a lead and that allowed us to withstand a surge before the end of the half and then to DEFEND by keeping the ball for 41 minutes of the game. Talk about tough for the opposition, the Bucs had four 5 minute drives and one 7 minute drive.
The strength of the team is the offensive line and running game. That equals ball control
That would be ideal, but more than not, our offense opens up the running game with the pass. Starting fast with play action passing early in games, and then settling into 50/50 run/pass has been our key to success for most of the year. I trust in Coen to move the ball however he sees fit, run or pass. On occasion, the defense needs to do their own part by getting off the field with 3 and outs.
our offense opens up the running game with the pass
Agreed, but its pretty tight.
For example, in the Carolina game we start with a run and then on 1st downs over the next 4 drives (too lazy to count past) we go 9 pass and 6 run. But, some of those passes are short yd TDs to Evans and two are extensions of the run game, like the behind the line pass to Irving for 43 yards.
So, Coen does a great job of keeping defenses off balance. In fact, it is also really hard to predict what kind of pass we might throw on 1st down. We have the short run game extensions I mentioned but all TEs down the seam and more.
Would be a blast to be inside a defense's film room as they prepare for Coen's offense
That would be ideal, but more than not, our offense opens up the running game with the pass. Starting fast with play action passing early in games, and then settling into 50/50 run/pass has been our key to success for most of the year. I trust in Coen to move the ball however he sees fit, run or pass. On occasion, the defense needs to do their own part by getting off the field with 3 and outs.
98% agreed.
Just think the defense doesn't even need to get 3-and-outs all the time. Hold the other team to mostly FGs will do it the way this offense scores when they're mostly healthy. I mean, you figure that the average playoff team will score at least 5 out of 10 drives on average. So make them kick FGs 3 of those times. That should be enough to give TB a better than even shot at winning any game, considering they average nearly 28 pts/gm or whatever it's been the last 4 or so games.
Hold the other team to mostly FGs will do it the way this offense scores when they're mostly healthy.
This is why I posted in another thread that IF the Bucs current offense was playing opposite of last year scoring defense they'd be 12 or 13 wins
