Given that it’s only the mini-camp phase of the offseason, the Bucs’ new-look offense is understandably still learning and adapting to new offensive coordinator Dave Canales and his system. But in the middle of that process, the unit is receiving a sort of baptism by fire from Todd Bowles’ aggressive defense.

Bowles’ defense is known to bring pressure – and bring it unpredictably. Look no further than Tampa Bay’s Super Bowl LV win over the Chiefs a few years ago, and you’ll see the type of blitzes and looks that Bowles loves to throw out there. But this isn’t the Super Bowl and this isn’t an opposing offense – it’s day one of mini-camp and it’s his own team. But what better way to prepare a new offense than by putting the pressure on? That’s what Bowles did on Tuesday morning.

Bucs QBs Kyle Trask and Baker Mayfield – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

“It doesn’t matter whether it’s day one install or what – he’s going to pressure you,” quarterback Baker Mayfield said. “So, it makes you think, it makes you have to prepare, that’s for sure. It makes you have to know where your hots and all your answers are. It’s great for us because we see a very exotic defense with a bunch of different looks and they’re capable of bringing pressure from anywhere. It really gets us ready to play everybody else.”

Mayfield is locked in a quarterback battle with third-year signal-caller Kyle Trask, and both quarterbacks are learning Canales’ offense. And while both quarterbacks are on the receiving end of that heavy pressure, it’s something that both guys are feeding off of because of how much it will prepare them for game days.

“I think Coach Bowles is doing a lot of things in practice to put us in a lot of game-like situations,” Trask said. “So, we’re getting a ton of reps at what the process is going to be like calling from the sideline, hearing it from the headset, just getting that muscle memory for us out there on the field.”

Could Pressure From Todd Bowles’ Defense Stunt The Growth Of The Offense?

Bucs OC Dave Canales – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

Dave Canales’ offense is starkly different from the system the Bucs ran under Bruce Arians and Byron Leftwich from 2019-2022. With a different scheme and new personnel to learn, it’s bound to be a process for everyone on offense to truly get situated within the system. So, shouldn’t Todd Bowles be slowing things down and allowing his offense to deal with the learning curve?

Not necessarily. The offense can go over the fine details in the meeting rooms. When they’re on the field, game situations are a great way to prepare and grow – even if there are going to be some hiccups. As Trask said Tuesday, not everything is going to be scripted and slowed down for them.

“Not everything’s just going to be scripted for offense and defense,” Trask said. “You go out there and put the ball down and you run plays. That’s not really how you get better in the end. [Scripting practice is] good if you want to get stuff on tape, but we’re doing a lot of things that translate to real football.”

What Todd Bowles is also doing is preparing his new offensive coordinator for real football, too. Canales is a first-time play-caller, and he’s getting that early experience by calling his offense in real time against Bowles’ defense on the practice field.

“I have all the confidence in the world. I think we’re both getting thrown into the fire against a Todd Bowles defense for the first time we’re running the system and the first time he’s calling it.” Mayfield said. “I think this is great work. We’re doing a lot of ‘call it’ periods where it’s unscripted, and he’s having to talk about formations, personnel, different things like that. It’s great for everybody, to get a feel for how he wants to call it. There’s also the learning curve, and that’s what this time of year is about. I have the utmost confidence in him.”

Unpredictability Of The New-Look Offense Will Complement Todd Bowles’ Style

Bucs OC Dave Canales and QB Baker Mayfield – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

Todd Bowles’ defense is known to throw multiple looks at opposing offenses. It can create confusion and chaos. And the more insight that’s being given about Dave Canales’ offense, the more it sounds like a system truly designed to complement that of the Bucs’ defensive-focused head coach. Because as unpredictable as Bowles may be as a play-caller on defense, it sounds like that may be an identity that Canales takes on himself.

“I think we obviously have a lot of potential to be explosive,” Mayfield said. “It’s just gonna have to be about taking care of the ball. I think we’re gonna be able to get in different personnels and get into similar formations and run very different stuff out of those things. To me, it’s about staying ahead of the chains and taking care of the ball and good things will happen. I think everybody here will see the difference in the run game that we’ll be able to do, and that truly is gonna establish what this offense is about. I’m excited about that and I know the guys up front are as well.”

Ball security and moving the chains is what Canales’ offense is about. Mayfield is spot-on with that, of course. But the key to the potential of this new Bucs system is the other part of what he said. Setting up in similar formations and running different plays out of those formations will keep the defense guessing, opening up more opportunities to exploit weaknesses and move the ball downfield.

Bucs QB Kyle Trask – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

“I would say it’s unpredictable,” Trask said. “You don’t know what you’re going to get – we can come at you a million different ways and then throw it over the top of your head. You just never know. You saw the success they had with Seattle with that philosophy, and I think you add our weapons into that [and] we can be very dangerous. So, I’m really excited to see how this plays out in the fall.”

That might be music to the ears of Bucs fans everywhere, as Byron Leftwich’s offense became all too stale and predictable in 2022. And while Trask wouldn’t come right out and say that, it’s the truth.

“I don’t want to make any comparisons like that, but this offense in itself, it can hit you from a lot of different angles,” Trask said. “I think the goal of this offense is to keep the defense on their heels and overthinking things. A lot of motions and shifts and things like that. I think [this offense] is more unpredictable in that sense.”

Now, the Bucs can work on keeping the defense off balance and attacking them in multiple different ways. Bowles is sure to identify with that strategy, and it’s perhaps good insight into why he was drawn to Canales to begin with. Soon enough, the learning curve for the offense should be lessened and the two sides of the ball should be on more even footing. And that’s where the battles throughout training camp could get really fun.