A brand new Pewter Report Roundtable debuts each Tuesday on PewterReport.com. Every week, the Pewter Reporters sort out one other robust query. This week’s immediate: What’s the Bucs’ predominant supply of hope down the ultimate stretch of the season?
Scott Reynolds: Liam Coen’s Creativity And Adaptability Is A Massive Optimistic
Bucs OC Liam Coen – Photograph by: Cliff Welch/PR
Earlier than the season began I wrote that Liam Coen’s offense was going to be an enormous improve for the Bucs in a earlier SR’s Fab 5 column. And it has confirmed to be a significant enchancment over Dave Canales’ offense from a yr in the past. In truth, Coen’s offense has helped carry the crew this season. Regardless of head coach Todd Bowles working the protection, it’s Coen’s aspect of the ball that’s Tampa Bay’s power. Regardless of taking part in the final three video games with out Mike Evans and Chris Godwin, the Bucs are nonetheless averaging 27.9 factors per recreation, which ranks fifth within the NFL, and are averaging 361.5 yards per recreation, which ranks eighth within the league.
That’s a testomony to Coen’s creativity and adaptableness as a play-caller. He’s a wise coach who holds himself accountable and has put himself in place to get a head teaching job within the league sooner reasonably than later. Maybe in Tampa Bay as Bowles’ alternative in 2025, relying on how this season performs out. Oh, and Coen additionally found out how the Bucs can run the ball successfully, which actually hasn’t occurred since Doug Martin was on the crew within the Dirk Koetter years.
The truth that the Bucs have a man that’s displaying indicators of changing into an offensive wizard is encouraging transferring ahead. Tampa Bay will face a number of groups with horrible defenses down the stretch. Carolina, whom the crew will face twice, has the worst-ranked scoring protection, permitting 31 factors per recreation. Dallas has the Thirty first-ranked scoring protection, surrendering 28.8 factors per recreation. Las Vegas is permitting 27.9 factors per recreation, which ranks thirtieth within the league. And New Orleans is giving up 24.6 factors per recreation, which ranks twenty fourth within the NFL. Coen and his offense have to maintain delivering round 27 factors per recreation or extra and maintain donning the Superman cape in Tampa Bay.
Matt Matera: Bucs’ O-Line Is A Power Of The Staff
Bucs C Graham Barton – Photograph by: Cliff Welch/PR
Star left sort out Tristan Wirfs getting injured in Sunday’s recreation places a little bit of a damper on this, however contemplating it’s not season-ending and Wirfs will solely miss a few weeks, everybody can exhale. It’s considerably miraculous how the Bucs offensive line has been utterly capable of flip round its fortunes this season. After being useless final in dashing yards during the last two seasons, Tampa Bay has revamped the bottom recreation, averaging 125.3 yards per recreation, placing them at eleventh finest within the league.
A lot credit score ought to go to offensive coordinator Liam Coen and working backs Rachaad White, Bucky Irving and Sean Tucker, however the offensive line deserves its reward, too. Wirfs is without doubt one of the finest within the league and proper sort out Luke Goedeke continues to ascend. Proper guard Cody Mauch took a giant step ahead this yr and rookie middle Graham Barton, the Bucs’ 2024 first spherical choose, is trying just like the crew made the appropriate alternative on him. Even the free agent signing of beginning left guard Ben Bredeson has labored out.
It’s not simply the working the ball effectively, both. The Bucs have additionally been nice in cross safety. They’ve stored Baker Mayfield upright for probably the most half this season, and the crew’s passer ranking of 103.6 is fourth finest within the NFL. With the accidents at receiver, the offensive line giving Mayfield additional time has led to the group nonetheless discovering success. Regardless of who’s in and who’s out on the talent positions, an important offensive line can maintain a crew in each recreation and that’s what Tampa Bay has. That is additionally a bunch that may keep collectively for some time. Wirfs signed a long-term extension whereas Goedeke, Mauch and Barton are nonetheless on their rookie offers. Solely Bredeson could be the one who could be changed after the season. So the Bucs are arrange effectively for his or her brief time period and long run plans.
Bailey Adams: Bucs’ Ultimate Seven Video games Are Far Extra Manageable
Bucs DT Calijah Kancey and OLB Joe Tryon-Shoyinka and Panthers QB Bryce Younger – Photograph by: USA Right this moment
There’s a case to be made that the Bucs being 5-5 or 4-6 at their bye week was all the time a powerful risk given the truth that they’d a stretch of video games in opposition to the Eagles, Falcons, Saints, Ravens, Falcons, Chiefs and 49ers between Weeks 4 and 10. Tampa Bay ended up going 2-5 in that stretch, so it’s a bit not on time proper now as a result of a 3-4 mark doubtless would’ve been what was anticipated. However regardless, that was all the time going to be a brutal stretch – the hardest of the season.
However the supply of hope when the schedule was launch and particularly now’s that after the bye, every thing will get a lot lighter for the Bucs. They play the 2-8 Giants, the 3-7 Panthers, the 2-7 Raiders, the 6-3 Chargers, the 3-6 Cowboys, the 3-7 Panthers and the 3-7 Saints. So, over the ultimate seven video games, there’s only one opponent – the Chargers in Week 15 – over .500. The opposite six video games are in opposition to 4 three-win groups and two two-win groups. Shoring some issues up defensively and getting more healthy on each side of the ball may very effectively set the Bucs up for one more sturdy run to shut the season, possibly one thing nearly as good as a 6-1 mark.
I’ll hear your arguments that this Tampa Bay crew (particularly the protection) isn’t value trusting even in opposition to the worst of opponents. Nevertheless it’s value reintroducing the context that it is a squad that very effectively may’ve and possibly ought to’ve overwhelmed the 6-4 Falcons, the 9-0 Chiefs and the 5-4 49ers. The Bucs had been proper there, and whereas it was irritating for them to come back up brief and sink to 4-6, replicating these efforts from video games in opposition to playoff-bound groups once they play groups within the backside half of the league down the stretch may have them proper again within the combine come Weeks 17 and 18.
Josh Queipo: The Components Are Better Than Their Sum
Bucs DTs Calijah Kancey and Vita Vea – Photograph by: Cliff Welch/PR
It is a proficient roster. And there may be expertise inside the teaching workers. Ask 32 head coaches if they might win with the expertise the Bucs have together with their present offensive coordinator, and I might lay you odds to evens that every one 32 would join in a heartbeat. The offense is proving to be a scorching commodity. Whereas offense throughout the league is barely down, the Bucs are nonetheless scoring factors. Tampa Bay has failed to attain 20 factors solely as soon as this season, and that got here again in 26-7 loss to Denver in Week 3.
The offensive line is without doubt one of the finest models within the NFL. The playmakers when wholesome, once you embody receivers, backs and tight ends, is an effective group able to unimaginable issues. The Bucs have one of many higher quarterbacks within the league in Baker Mayfield, who’s main the league with 24 landing passes.
And on protection? Eight of their beginning 11 could be greater than able to success on most groups. It’s tough to maintain this a lot expertise down for too lengthy. And with an extremely favorable schedule forward with a while to get wholesome, effectively, hope springs everlasting. The locker room is aware of the way to come again from this type of report deficit. And with extra expertise this yr than final, nobody must be counting them out…but.
The laborious a part of the Bears schedule is barely arising… pic.twitter.com/uBe4OAlsjZ
— Timo Riske (@PFF_Moo) November 12, 2024
Adam Slivon: Mike Evans’ Return Will Be Enormous Increase For Bucs Offense
Bucs WR Mike Evans – Photograph by: Cliff Welch/PR
Tampa Bay’s offense may have positive used Mike Evans over the crew’s previous three video games. Whereas Baker Mayfield had success throwing the soccer in opposition to the Falcons, his passing yards regressed to 200 and simply 116 in opposition to the Chiefs and 49ers. Mayfield is just not absolved from a number of the blame, however his skeleton large receiver corps was not capable of make a distinction and assist issues a lot on Sunday.
Ryan Miller was the crew’s main wideout — with one catch for 11 yards. Sterling Shepard, Rakim Jarrett, and Trey Palmer had been non-factors, whereas Jalen McMillan didn’t play. With Evans aiming to return after the bye week from his hamstring damage, will probably be a giant increase for the passing recreation and the general success of the offense. The star wideout has six touchdowns in seven video games this season, and with out Chris Godwin, could possibly be featured in a extra distinguished function. One that might nonetheless get him to 1,000 receiving yards this yr.
Greater than that, it offers offensive coordinator Liam Coen a prime playmaker to cater the offense to, one that may be relied on to hold the load if absolutely wholesome. Going through the simplest schedule within the league the remainder of the way in which ought to give the offense extra probabilities to have success and get again to being a Prime 5 scoring unit. Mike Evans solely provides to that optimism — and provides hope that the crew can flip round its season and go on a run.
