Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Why won’t the coaching staff adapt?
By Rob Leeds
Running on first down?
We all need to just accept that the Buccaneers are always going to run the ball on first down, and any time they break this mold should be celebrated like a playoff appearance.
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Even though the Bucs have won games with some of their best offensive performances in years, offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich should be on the hot seat for his play-calling in these scenarios.
Every football fan in the world knows where the Buccaneers are going on first down; Ronald Jones right up the middle. How has a team with the offensive weapons that Tampa Bay possesses become so predictable? The Bucs have been known for their offensive prowess during the last ten years, and this season has seen a departure from that prior success.
While offense isn’t everything, and the Bucs are blessed with a great defense, it still confounds the mind that Leftwich would feature Jones so prominently on first down and in the early game. Jones has been one of the least-productive receivers in the league this season, yet Leftwich inexplicably scripts more than half of the plays on the first few drives directly to him.
Tampa Bay’s offense needs a breath of fresh air in a considerable way. Jones is having a career season, but the Bucs need to up their play-calling on early downs. A coach like Andy Reid with Eric Bieniemy at the helm for the Buccaneers would have this team consistently in the 30-40-point range, even against the best competition.
The Buccaneers continue to dominate the bad teams offensively, making it hard to honestly evaluate the play-calling. The team is winning, and they have won by several wide margins, which masks many of the significant shortcomings. Most NFL front offices wouldn’t make a change during a successful stint during a good year, but Leftwich has to step up his game if the Bucs hope to make some noise in the playoffs.