Three games into the season, the Bucs are still finding their way on the offensive side of the ball. Sometimes, it takes an artist many canvases and bands many practices before they can find their brushstroke or tune. For Tampa Bay’s own offensive composer, Dave Canales, he wants the group to find its rhythm.

Bye Week Will Be Time Dave Canales Can Further Develop Offensive Identity

The Bucs have one more game before an early bye week. While Dave Canales spoke on the advantages of having it halfway through the year, perhaps there is a silver lining that it comes after four games. For an offense with new faces and a new scheme, it will be a time to assess what is and is not working. What plays and personnel groupings have the most success, as well as how to get the ball in the hands of the most trusted playmakers. Canales does not know when exactly the offense will fully gel, but very soon an opportunity presents itself to analyze the production a quarter of the season in.

Bucs OC Dave Canales – Photo by: Adam Slivon/PR

“I don’t really have a timeline, I just know that normally you’d like your bye week to be like halfway through the season or even later to rest yourself up for the run,” Canales said. “This year it’s kind of a gift it’s happening early where we can really look at four games and say — ‘What are our best runs averaged, what are our best pass concepts where our quarterback looks rhythmic and we’re putting Mike [Evans] and Chris [Godwin] in the best possible situations?’

“We got another opportunity to put some more things on film to really start to hone in on that identity. I don’t want to rush anything and I don’t want to make any wholesale changes, you know, schematically or from a personnel standpoint at this point when we’re still gathering information and really trying to learn the offense.”

At 2-1, the Bucs’ offense has done well in the aspect of limiting turnovers and having more balance than last season. Baker Mayfield has completed 66.7% of his passes, which would be by far a career-high pace. He has only been sacked three times despite a completely overhauled offensive line.

But some issues have arisen, with the biggest being some questionable play-calling, the running game struggling to gain consistent yardage (2.8 yards per carry), and the lack of Chris Godwin within the offense (13 receptions, 141 yards, zero touchdowns). How does Canales see these issues being resolved? At Thursday’s press conference, he offered some answers.

Dave Canales Still Focused On Feeding Mike Evans And Chris Godwin

Discussing Chris Godwin’s lack of production, especially against the Eagles where he had only three catches for 32 yards, Dave Canales acknowledged that the offense did not run many plays and that there is still a plan to get the ball in his hands.

Bucs WR Chris Godwin – Photo By: Cliff Welch P/R

“Again, 40-something odd plays,” Canales added about the few plays the offense had Monday night. “Mike [Evans] really got a lot of his targets at the end, otherwise, we’re looking at two guys that really didn’t produce. So again, that’s on me building a plan that puts those guys with opportunities. I think it’s honestly just learning guys. We had some near misses on Chris for the first two weeks that really could have been bigger days for him.

“Just making sure we capitalize on those opportunities down the field, especially in the Bears game, we just missed him a couple of times. That would have been a huge day for him. We’re designing it to go to Mike and Chris, that’s not a surprise and I can say that here. We’re designing our plays to do that, and then Baker just has to be true to his reads and where his best matchups end up coming from.”

When Evans and Godwin start clicking, that will allow for other guys to get more open and make plays. Besides the duo, no other receiver on the team is averaging more than 10 yards a catch. They will surely be doing the heavy lifting, and it starts with them and will then trickle down the pecking order. “It’s more really focusing on Mike and Chris, the ball will go to everybody else as the coverage allows.”

Dave Canales Will Be Stubborn “Running That Ball”

Bucs RB Rachaad White – Photo by: USA Today

How about getting the Bucs’ running game going?

While the results have not been where the Bucs have wanted, it’s not to say they have not tried to run the ball. Tampa Bay has a total of 84 carries through three games, an average of 28 a game. Rachaad White, the lead back, has averaged 16 carries a game. While Dave Canales has stuck with it, it has been hampered by a combination of factors and he addressed them.

“I think it’s just rhythmic, you know?” Canales said. “Not that every run has been blocked perfect, but I’m excited about getting the guys covered up and then at this point now, it’s just about building the right mentality in the run game and then for them just reps. Seeing the mid-zone, seeing the downhill stuff, seeing the gun runs. Feeling where those voids are going to be. I think that will help to really boost Rachaad’s confidence in being decisive in some of the runs.

“Again, that’s just a rep thing at this point with three games. We have to continue to stay with it, and one thing you’ll learn is that I will be stubborn running that ball and having that balance. It’s not that we’re just going to run it every time, but in our self-scout up to this point it’s been a good balance, and I think we’ll continue to improve as they get more reps and more rhythm with the runs.”

More reps together hopefully will lead to a better feeling of where the openings will be and allow White to start exploding through them. It’s early, but there is plenty of time for Dave Canales to help the offense get into a rhythm.