Bucs Fire Coaches: Was Grizzard the Main Issue?

ehinote · 2026-01-09T23:23:42Z

The Bucs have made significant changes over the past few days, announcing they will retain head coach Todd Bowles while shaking up the rest of the coaching staff. The most notable departure is OC Josh Grizzard, who served as the team’s offensive coordinator for just one year. While his performance didn’t meet expectations, opinions about his effectiveness may be more nuanced than they appear. Comparing Grizzard to Previous Coordinators When comparing Grizzard to the Bucs’ 2024 OC, Liam Coen, it’s clear there was a sharp drop-off. In 2024, the Bucs boasted the third-best total offense, averaging 399 yards per game. They also ranked third in passing yards, and fourth in both rushing offense and scoring offense. This success was largely attributed to Coen’s innovative offensive mind rather than just a few players exceeding their career averages. However, when you stack Grizzard’s 2025 performance against Dave Canales’ 2023 offense, the narrative shifts. Many fans may forget that Canales didn’t exactly light up the scoreboard. While he outperformed his predecessor, Byron Leftwich, I’ve seen high school coaches who could’ve managed that offense more effectively than Leftwich. Here’s a look at the rankings. Overall, Grizzard’s offense was better than Canales’, yet he was quickly shown the door. The key difference lies in Bowles’ defense in 2025, which was significantly weaker than in 2023. Thus, Grizzard faced more pressure to score, while Canales didn’t have to contend with the same expectations. Recently, I heard Tom Brady articulate something I’ve believed for a long time: “A good offensive coordinator gives his quarterback easy layups and creates easy opportunities for the running game through scheme and matchups.” The best offensive coordinators make the game simpler, regardless of the players on the field. Coen’s offense provided Baker Mayfield with those easy opportunities. He made the offensive line appear stronger than they ever were before or since he was here. He created space for Bucky Irving, allowing the running game to flow seamlessly with the game’s rhythm. Given the decision to keep Bowles as head coach and defensive coordinator, the Bucs now must rely on an offense to shoulder the team’s burdens. Unfortunately, that’s not something we’ve seen from either Canales or Grizzard. If the team is settling for mediocrity on one side of the ball, they must compensate on the other. I genuinely hope Grizzard finds an opportunity to thrive in the future, ideally in a setup where he can leverage a strong defense while imprinting his vision on a new offense. But those opportunities are hard to find in today’s NFL.

Page 3 / 3 Prev

The Red Board

Last Post by theknees 1 hour ago

32 Posts

12 Users

35 Reactions

432 Views

RSS

Kermit56

(@kermit56)

Posts: 850

First Mate

Posted by: @firebowles2026

↑

Bowles sees the defense as a weakness so he wants to chew clock on offense then play bend don't break on defense.

It's a recipe for failure when you have play calling that doesn't match the personnel... Square peg round hole

Very astute. I couldn't have said it better myself.

Posted : Jan. 13, 2026 11:54 am

theknees

(@theknees)

Posts: 638

Boatswain

Posted by: @firebowles2026

↑

I'd guess QB coach or college

My guess is he ends up in Jacsonville when one of their coaches gets plucked. Coen likes Grizzard a lot.

Posted : Jan. 13, 2026 12:17 pm

Page 3 / 3 Prev

8 Forums
37.7 K Topics
219.6 K Posts
1 Online
25.9 K Members

Forum Icons: Forum contains no unread posts Forum contains unread posts

Topic Icons: Not Replied Replied Active Hot Sticky Unapproved Solved Private Closed

Bucs Fire Coaches: Was Grizzard the Main Issue?

Follow Pewter Report