Biggest danger for the Buccaneers offense in 2021

The Buccaneers don’t have many holes to worry about in 2021.

For a team like the Buccaneers, going into the 2021 season with no glaring weaknesses on the offensive or defensive side of the ball is a blessing. Most teams would lose out on plenty of talent after winning the Super Bowl, but the Bucs didn’t let that slow them down.

With all of the key pieces coming back, Tampa doesn’t have much to worry about from a personnel standpoint, but it is still important to remain vigilant of any weakness that could slow the team.
For the Bucs, that weakness could be the offensive play-calling.

Byron Leftwich is a hard coach to figure out. In some games, the Buccaneer offense looks like the best in the NFL, and a huge part of that stems from the decisions he makes. On the other hand, the offense hits snags in other games when the play calling grows stale.

With depth at running back, wide receiver, and tight end mixed with a great quarterback and line, offensive stagnation is never due to a lack of talent on that side of the ball. Leftwich has a shocking amount of control over how one of the most talented offensive units in NFL history performs, and he has to stay on top of this in 2021.

Bucs fans saw supreme offensive efficiency on full display in their most recent preseason game, but they also saw hilariously bad moments, and the play calls were a huge part of this.

The drives that only threw the ball were flawless. The ones that started with the run were less than stellar.

The Buccaneer offense has to throw the ball. Plain and simple. Throw the ball on first down. Throw the ball in obvious throwing situations. Heck, the Bucs even do better when they pass in obvious running situations.

This Tampa Bay team, at least in the regular season, is at its best offensively when they throw the ball. First down runs and second and long runs do nothing to help efficiency; passing does.

There will still be running opportunities in 2021, especially with Ronald Jones looking primed for the best season of his career, but the pass still needs to be the focus.

The Buccaneers did a much better job passing more during the second half of last season, and it made sense to see their team success skyrocket then as well. There can be moments when the players do slip up with the calls, but as long as the Bucs continue to implement analytics into their offense and Byron Leftwich stays on top of his game, there isn’t a team in the NFL that can slow this offense down. Tampa just can’t help the opposing defenses.

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