Bucs offense finds its identity in successful run game
Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Doug Martin (22) gains yards during the 1st quarter against the Jacksonville Jaguars Sunday at Raymond James Stadium. JASON BEHNKEN / STAFF By Roy Cummings | Tribune Staff Published: October 12, 2015 at 08:56 PMTAMPA — There’s a little bit of Vince Lombardi in Buccaneers coach Lovie Smith in that Smith doesn’t much care if the opposition knows what he’s up to on the football field.Certainly, it’s that way on defense. But it’s that way on offense a lot of times, too. Take the Bucs 38-31 victory Sunday against the Jaguars for example.The Bucs really didn’t try to disguise their intentions. They spent most of the day lining up in two-back sets that screamed run to an opponent using mostly eight-man defensive fronts designed to stop the run.And, yet, the Bucs succeeded in moving the ball on the ground, their running backs carrying 36 times for 174 yards and two touchdowns against a Jaguars defense that entered the game ranked fourth in the 32-team league against the run.The key: execution.“It’s the guys up front doing their job in one-on-one blocking situations and (thinking), ‘I have to get some push against you in run situations,’” Smith said at Monday’s news conference. “It’s as simple as that.’’Simply put, nothing defines the offensive identity the Bucs are trying to develop more than the approach they took against the Jaguars. It’s simple and old-fashioned, but it’s also effective. It’s especially effective when the quarterback cooperates by not turning the ball over. And that’s what happened Sunday, when rookie Jameis Winston, had his first turnover-free day.The absence of giveaways allowed the Bucs to maintain their chosen offensive identity and stick to their game plan, which calls for the offensive line to do most of the heavy lifting.“It’s the old Oklahoma drill,’’ Smith said, referring to the one-on-one training camp drill that pits an offensive lineman against a defensive counterpart. “It’s one-on-one, and you have a winner on each play. And we’ve won a majority of the time this year.’’The Bucs walked away from their victory ranked 11th in the NFL in rushing, averaging 122.4 yards per game. They also rank 13th in yards per rush with a 4.1-yard average, which is precisely how Smith wants it.He’s made no secret of his desire to build the offense around a sound running attack, saying that’s the safest way to move the ball and the easiest way to help any quarterback, rookie or otherwise.“Once you have that running game going ...it sets up everything else,” Smith said. “A running game is a quarterback’s best friend. That and the check down.’’And the offensive line.Of course, the line is also a running back’s best friend, and it seems runners Doug Martin and Charles Sims have suddenly found a good friend in their offensive line. And that might be the biggest surprise of the season so far.The line on Sunday consisted of two rookies and three players who were not projected to start when the Bucs went to training camp. Second-year left tackle, Kevin Pamphile, moved to left guard to fill in for the injured Logan Mankins.Despite all the changes, though, the unit has at least met expectations, Smith said.“This is what their talent says they should do,’’ Smith said of Sunday’s results. “They did a great job. Individually and across the board, they all played well.“And Doug Martin looked as good (on film) as he did (Sunday), making people miss and all the things I talked about, like Charles Sims and Jameis Winston made great decisions. Exactly what you wanted from the offense, we were able to do.’’[email protected]Twitter: @RCummingsTBO
