INTRO: I know, I know. It’s another totally offensive SR’s Fab 5 today. It’s weird because I’m a defensive-minded guy who really appreciates great defensive play, and as such, usually doesn’t like talking this much about offense. But hey, Liam Coen is winning me over.

And when Coen’s Bucs offense drops 40 on the No. 1 scoring defense in the league – and he’s emerging as a hot head coaching candidate – I’ve got to stick with the hot topics. Kudos to Todd Bowles and the sensational effort of his defense since the bye week. I promise they’ll get their flowers in next week’s SR’s Fab 5.

FAB 1. The NFL Is Coming For Bucs Play-Caller Liam Coen

Be careful what you wish for, Bucs fans.

What you love seeing the most this year – Bucky Irving running wild for 100 yards, Mike Evans going off for another 100-yard game, and Liam Coen’s offense churning out 400 yards and 30 points – could come back to bite you.

And the Bucs organization.

You see, our little secret in Tampa Bay – Coen’s wizardry as a play-caller – is out.

Bucs OC Liam Coen – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

You can only hide scoring just under 30 points for so long. Especially when you drop a 40-burger in Los Angeles against Jim Harbaugh and an eight-win Chargers squad who had the No. 1 scoring defense in the NFL, allowing just 15.9 points per game.

Coen was named the Coach of the Week by NFL Network’s Peter Schrager and the whole NFL community is beginning to notice. And if the NFL doesn’t know about Coen’s offensive brilliance just yet, there’s a good chance that happens when the Bucs travel to Dallas this weekend to play the 6-8 Cowboys on Sunday Night Football. It’s the only game on in primetime and everyone will be watching dynamic quarterback Baker Mayfield operate Coen’s scoring machine.

Tampa Bay is averaging 28.8 points per game, which ranks fourth in the NFL. Dallas’ defense is allowing an average of 27.1 points per game, which ranks 30th in the league.

The Bucs have scored 30 points in seven games this year and are 5-2 in those games. The Cowboys have surrendered 27 points or more in eight games and are 0-8 in those games.

A big Tampa Bay win would keep the team ahead of Atlanta in the NFC South division race, but also increase interest in Coen around the league. Such is the price of fame and success.

Bucs OC Liam Coen, QB Baker Mayfield and HC Todd Bowles – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

Coen should have plenty of interview requests in January for head-coaching vacancies around the league. There were eight head coach openings last year, and there have already been three head coaches fired this year – New Orleans, Chicago and the New York Jets. ESPN’s Adam Schefter predicts 7-9 total vacancies this offseason.

For the first time this year, Coen addressed any potential interest in becoming a head coaching during Thursday’s press conference. Coen was asked how hard it was to ignore all the media attention he’s getting with his name being mentioned on the hot list for head coaching positions.

“Not extremely difficult at the moment, to be honest,” Coen said. “There’s literally one goal, and that’s the only one. I hate to sound [politically correct], but it’s the truth. There’s just no time in the day. I’ve got a sick kid throwing up at home last night – I mean there’s just no time to truly think about these things.

“Is that a goal? A dream? Yeah, but that’s not at all what’s on my mind right now. The one thing is how are we going to try and score points and stop Micah Parsons in this game on Sunday Night Football. That’s truly where the focus is, that’s where it has to be. You don’t have enough time to think otherwise right now.”

I stand by my original statement. Somehow, some way I think the Bucs keep Liam Coen in Tampa Bay. I just cannot see the Glazers and general manager Jason Licht let the next Sean McVay or Kyle Shanahan walk out the door.

Not a 39-year old with this much play-calling talent.

Bucs OC Liam Coen and Co-Chair Joel Glazer – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

They have to devise a plan to keep him in Tampa Bay.

What Coen has done with an offense that has been without Evans for three and a half games this year and without Chris Godwin for seven games is just remarkable. To average 28.8 points per game relying on the likes of rookie receiver Jalen McMillan, aging veteran Sterling Shepard, Trey Palmer and former practice squad receivers like Ryan Miller and Rakim Jarrett in the passing game is beyond impressive and stacks up against some of the best seasons McVay and Shanahan have ever had.

McVay’s offense ranked first in the league in scoring in 2017, which was his first year as the Rams head coach, averaging 29.9 points per game. The next year, Los Angeles was in the Super Bowl with the league’s second-ranked scoring offense, averaging 32.9 points per game.

It took three years for Kyle Shanahan to rev up the 49ers offense, which ranked second in the NFL in 2019 – the year San Francisco went to the Super Bowl – averaging 29.9 points per game. Last year, the 49ers offense ranked third in scoring at 28.9 points per game and San Francisco made yet another Super Bowl appearance.

So enjoy watching Coen and Mayfield do their thing on Sunday night in Dallas, Pewter People.

And cross your fingers and say your prayers that you’ll be able to continue to watch Coen and Mayfield team up again in 2025.

FAB 2. Could Baker Mayfield Help Keep Liam Coen In Tampa Bay?

Nearly a year ago, the Bucs watched first-year offensive coordinator Dave Canales shockingly leave the franchise to become the head coach for the divisional rival Panthers. Despite some growing pains early in the 2023 season, Canales had been an upgrade over Byron Leftwich, who was fired after the 2022 season when the team’s scoring had dipped to just 18 points per game.

While fans were agonizing over losing the charismatic Canales for a short period of time, in walked Sean McVay disciple Liam Coen. I could tell right away from my research on Coen, who was a product of the Rams offensive system and called plays at the University of Kentucky for two years, and the buzz in the building after his hiring that Coen was legit.

Bucs OC Liam Coen and QB Baker Mayfield – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

Actually he was more than legit. Coen and his offense were going to be a huge upgrade over what Canales was able to do last year in Tampa Bay, and I said so before training camp started back in July in an SR’s Fab 5 column.

Thank you, Carolina.

Losing Canales turned out to be a blessing for the Bucs in landing Coen.

Having a star quarterback in Baker Mayfield also helped, as Coen and Mayfield worked together in Los Angeles for the final five games of the 2022 season when the Rams claimed Mayfield off waivers to fill in for the injured Matthew Stafford.

“It obviously had a lot to do with it, even though I wanted to be here regardless at that time,” Coen said when I asked him how much having Mayfield in Tampa Bay made him want the offensive coordinator job. “This was an opportunity I definitely couldn’t pass up, regardless of the quarterback situation, although that was a very nice cherry on top when it ended up working out that way.”

Mayfield played a role in Coen coming to Tampa Bay. Could he play a role in helping the Bucs keep him?

Back in October when the Bucs beat the Eagles, 33-16, Mayfield was asked about Coen started to generate some buzz as the team raced out to a 3-1 start with wins over Washington, Detroit and Philadelphia.

“Yeah, you would expect that,” Mayfield said. “Liam’s obviously done a great job of playing to our guy’s strengths and that’s a huge part of being a coordinator. We’ll take it one game at a time and hopefully make him stay around here, whether that’s… I don’t know … behind closed doors, beating him up or whatever it takes [laughs].”

Bucs QB Baker Mayfield and OC Liam Coen – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

While head coaching jobs in the NFL are tempting to take because there are only 32 of them, finding the right opportunity is the key to longevity in the coaching profession. The fact that there are typically at least five head coaching vacancies in the league is a reminder of how short the patience is among NFL owners, the media and fan bases.

Canales took the Panthers job, but that’s a really tough rebuild as he tries to salvage quarterback Bryce Young, who was the No. 1 overall pick in 2023. Carolina is 3-11 and if Canales doesn’t start to turn things around by next year, he’ll be on the hot seat.

Nothing matters more in the NFL than having a top-notch quarterback.

The Jets will be moving on from Aaron Rodgers and looking for another quarterback in the first round. The Bears have the mercurial Caleb Williams, who was this year’s first overall pick and has been sacked 58 times this year. The Saints have Derek Carr, who puts up good stats if you’re a fantasy football fan, but is not a winner, evidenced by his 77-92 record.

Coen has a Pro Bowl quarterback in Tampa Bay in Mayfield, who has already been thriving in his system.

“Over the last few weeks, even when there are mistakes or things happen, you don’t need to rip him during a game – he’s kind of ticked [off] enough,” Coen said of Mayfield. “You have enough communication where you let him cool off, talk to other people, and then come back together to collaborate on things. It’s been a great collaboration with him over the last few weeks, really over the whole year. When he plays like he did the other day, when his feet, timing, rhythm, and everything is calm – everything is good – there aren’t many people that can throw it as [well] as him.”

Mayfield loves playing for Coen and has already thrown a career-high 32 touchdown passes this season.

“Great offensive coordinators always dial things up to the strengths of their players, and that’s what Liam has done,” Mayfield said. “He’s had to adjust on the fly. We were looking at this thing being in a lot of ‘11’ personnel early in the year and then adjusting and seeing how this run game is growing…That package has just continued to grow. The great ones adjust, and Liam has done just that. But, like I said earlier, you’ve got to have thick skin to be around this building, so we’ll bring him back down to earth [laughs].”

Bucs QB Baker Mayfield and OC Liam Coen – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

Mayfield has two more years left on his contract and only turns 30 in the offseason. The Bucs are expected to re-sign Chris Godwin in the offseason, and even though Mike Evans is 31, he’s on the verge of an 11th straight 1,000-yard season, which would add to his NFL record.

Bucs general manager Jason Licht has built a Super Bowl-caliber offensive line that is surprisingly young and will only improve in years to come. And Licht and his scouting staff have drafted the league’s top rookie running back in Bucky Irving and have capable, talented reserve backs in Rachaad White and Sean Tucker – a running back stable that is the envy of the league.

There are a lot of reasons why Coen should want to stay in Tampa Bay and continue to build this offense into even more of a powerhouse than it already is. Jalen McMillan will only be better next year, and the Bucs could find another dynamic receiver and tight end in the draft to bolster the depth and increase the overall talent on offense.

Coen was asked if he believed the Bucs’ window for success is just beginning to open.

“Yeah, that’s the goal, right? That’s the goal, like you said, right now,” Coen said. “You look at some of the pieces in place that we have, and when you have an offensive line playing the way it is, with some of the youth that is still there existing, and then, okay, you’ve got a stable of backs you feel good about being able to run the football and a ton of good players and personnel around you.

“It’s absolutely a place that you’d want to be, for sure. I do think there’s success to be had. I think these guys still know it still hasn’t been up to where we’re truly trying to go, and I think that’s the beauty of it. You can go win games, have fun doing it, but come back to work and understand we still haven’t played our best for four quarters. What’s that going to look like?”

Beat him up, Baker. Make Liam stay.

FAB 3. Inside Liam Coen’s Coaching Staff Collaboration

General manager Jason Licht often gets the credit for the team’s tremendous draft success over the last decade, but he’ll be the first to tell you that it’s a collaborative effort with his personnel executives and area college scouts.

Offensive coordinator Liam Coen is generating a ton of buzz and accolades for his incredible success as a first-year NFL play-caller, but Coen is also quick to praise his offensive staff. On Thursday, Coen revealed the level of collaboration that goes on between he and his offensive assistants in formulating game plans.

Bucs pass game coordinator Josh Grizzard – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

“I think, first of all, shoutout to Josh [Grizzard] and really the staff in general have done a phenomenal job throughout the whole year,” Coen said when discussing the team’s success on third down, which ranks third in the NFL at 48.3%. “The guys in charge of those areas – Thad Lewis is in charge of the red zone, ‘B-Mac’ (Bryan McClendon) is in charge of two-minute, and ‘Grizz’ (Josh Grizzard) happens to be in charge of third downs. Their ideas, plays, and thoughts and schemes is what does come to life as what you see on Sunday.”

Coen was quick to praise his assistants for the success of the Bucs offense this year, as Tampa Bay has the league’s fourth-best scoring offense at 28.8 points per game.

“Definitely, not all of those plays come right from me – we have a full staff,” Coen said. “These guys put a lot of work into those areas. Being able to operate a little bit in terms of maybe one week we’re operating on man-zone cans, maybe one week we’re operating off of all-purpose call-it-and-run-it plays…Mixing in some of those criteria and putting our guys in the best position to be successful.

“Then, oh by the way, our guys going out and executing. Our offensive line, the way that they’ve been able to protect, especially on some of those shorter third-and-up-to-7 windows. We’ve been able to protect at a pretty high level and the ball is able to come out still. I think that’s probably the combination. I think when you have Mike Evans, that usually helps too.”

Coen said the secret to Tampa Bay’s offensive success is constant, continual meetings in a collaborative group effort.

Bucs WRs coach Bryan McClendon – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

“We’re in the offensive staff room for hours and hours on end,” Coen said. “We’re not in our own offices all that much, honestly. It’s full collaboration. Every coach is very involved in every sort of piece of the plan, so there’s no time where guys are [saying], ‘I didn’t know that,’ or ‘That wasn’t the case.’

“You try to have as much collaboration and communication [as possible]. Any coach at any time can make a play better, or say, ‘Hey, maybe that isn’t something that we should do at this point in the season. We have a play, it’s similar to that, let’s just do this.’ I think having that chemistry and cohesiveness on the staff have been incredibly helpful.”

After his press conferences, I asked Coen to give me some more details about the responsibilities for each position coach on the staff and how each assistant presents that information to Coen during the game plan formulation process.

“Each coach is responsible for a specific area,” Coen told me. “They do reports. So let’s call it Monday, those guys are doing reports – so let’s just say it’s third downs. Well, Grizz is breaking down third-and-2-3, 4-6, 7-10, 11-plus. He breaks those down. He gives me a sheet of paper basically, a breakdown of those windows and what they’re doing in those windows? What are the defenses they are running? What are people running against them in those windows? What are their coverage tendencies? Blitz tendencies?

Rams HC Sean McVay, Bucs OC Liam Coen and Rams QB Matthew Stafford – Photo by: USA Today

“That’s all on that report. So basically each coach in each area is responsible for a written report and a video report to demonstrate what we’re getting and also maybe some good ways to attack. It gives them ownership.”

Coen said the collaborative process he employs in Tampa Bay is something he learned from Sean McVay in Los Angeles. So what area was Coen responsible for with the Rams?

“My area was third downs,” Coen said. “Me and Zac Robinson had third downs together. We teamed up on that. So here, (pass game coordinator) JVD (John Van Dam), [offensive quality control coach Jeff]  Kastl, Grizz – they all do normal D&D (down and distance), play-actions, keepers, screes, dropback, empty. Grizz does the third downs, Thad does the red zone. BMac does two-minute. [Running backs coach] Skip [Peete] does four-minute backed up, [tight ends coach] Justin Peelle does short-yardage/goal line and the O-line guys do everything else. That’s how we break it up.”

It’s all broken up by position coach at the start of the week, but Coen puts it all together in masterful fashion by Sunday.

FAB 4. Sean Tucker Continues To Earn The Coaches’ Trust

In Sunday’s 40-17 blowout win in Los Angeles against the Chargers, Sean Tucker had the most carries – seven – that he’s had since Week 6 at New Orleans when he was the NFC Offensive Player of the Week, rushing for 136 yards and a touchdown on 14 carries (9.7 avg.).

Bucs RB Sean Tucker – Photo by: USA Today

Tucker only ran for 17 yards on those seven carries, averaging a measly 2.4 yards per carry. But the Bucs’ third-string back did what he needed to do in closing out the game with five straight carries for 10 yards, including a 4-yard run on third-and-4 to pick up a first down and put the team in field goal range for their final three points of the game.

Offensive coordinator Liam Coen could have turned to Bucky Irving, who had 117 yards on 15 carries, to pad his stats, or kept the ball in the hands in Rachaad White, who ran for 64 yards on 15 carries. Instead, he put Tucker in the role to close out the game with four minutes left.

With a 23-point lead, the Bucs were in no danger of losing to the Chargers at that point, but it was a sign of trust that the coaches put the ball in Tucker’s hands to plow ahead into loaded boxes and move the chains and run out the clock.

“I feel like whatever situation I am put in, to gain the trust of those coaches and my teammates is definitely important,” Tucker said. “It could go a long way into expanding my role or what I can do. So it was important. I was giving my best and showing them what I could do.”

With Chargers defenders going for the strip on each carry, Tucker didn’t fumble, either, as he did on the goal line at New York while trying to get his second touchdown of the Giants game back in Week 12.

While he has some work to do in pass protection, evidenced by getting blown up and allowing a sack against the Raiders in Week 14, Tucker has made some strides in that area this season as a whole. Learning how to pass protect as a young running back is hard. Even Irving gave up the Bucs’ lone sack against the Chargers in pass protection on Sunday.

Bucs RB Sean Tucker – Photo by: USA Today

“I’m definitely working on that and catching the ball out of the backfield,” Tucker said. “I’m always working on my cuts and my vision. I’m not perfect at anything yet. It’s a continuous effort to try to get better in all aspects of my game.”

It’s hard for Coen to find enough carries for two backs let alone three. But Tucker proving himself in a four-minute situation once again, as he did in New Orleans a couple of months ago, should continue to help build trust amongst the coaches. And it continued to add a few more yards to Tucker’s season, which is at 253 yards and two touchdowns on 40 carries (6.3 avg.).

Tucker is grateful that he has played a role in Tampa Bay’s fourth-ranked rushing attack, which has averaged 144.4 yards per game this year. And he’s ready for his next opportunity.

“It’s definitely cool to be a part of,” Tucker said. “We have three backs and I feel like we all have our own special abilities that can contribute to the team. Whenever we get in the game, no matter who it is, we all try to run hard and get our yards and root for each other.”

FAB 5. Chris Godwin Will Be Back With The Bucs Next Year

Bucs WR Chris Godwin – Photo by: USA Today

I believe the Bucs will make Chris Godwin a multi-year contract offer in the offseason.

And after some negotiation, I believe Godwin, who is expected to make a full recovery by training camp from his dislocated ankle, will ultimately agree to terms before he hits free agency.

Not sure if that number stays at $20 million per year or not, and if it will be a two-year deal or another three-year contract. But Godwin, who turns 29 on February 27, will re-sign with the Bucs next March.

Mark it down. There’s your gift, Bucs fans.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!