The approach to the run game for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers has been the subject of much scorn. There is another unrelated stat for the Buccaneers offense that is more concerning.
It’s no secret that with new head coach Todd Bowles and offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich wanting to lean on the run game more, it’s lead to, shall we say, “mixed“ results. That is also putting it as kindly as humanly possible. Naturally, fans of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have not been shy about voicing their frustration thanks to this nifty tool we call social media. However, with all the concerns of the Buccaneers offense, this stat may be the most concerning of them all, and it has nothing to do with their rushing attack.
The struggles have had Bucs fans calling for the heads of both Bowles and Leftwich, longing for the days of when Bruce Arians was the head honcho. His pass-happy approach that fit right in with today’s NFL, and even dwarfed the approaches of some of the leagues best offenses, is being looked at quite fondly in hindsight. This of course is despite the fact that the win/loss record wasn’t that great save for the debut season of Tom Brady during COVID in 2020.
A lot of people are criticizing the Bucs leaning on their ineffective run game too much and missing Bruce Arians “chuck and duck” sorry *“no risk it no biscuit” approach. Well, at a 67.40% pass play rate they throw the ball more often than anyone else. So…yeah…
— Brandon Thornton (@BThornton_33) October 25, 2022
Now granted, there is a lot that goes into this. The Buccaneers have been playing from behind in pretty much every second half they’ve been in up to this point, if not longer. A lot of that results in running the rock early on to no avail. While that point is certainly valid, some of the sting comes off a bit when you consider that even with that the Buccaneers are still FIRST in the NFL with their pass play calling. It’s not even like playing from behind has spiked their pass play calling to the top-ten, or even top-five. It’s literally first in all of football.
So yes, the Buccaneers offense has a lot of problems, and it’s not just the running game. They have a 45-year-old, let’s just call him what he is, semi-retired man throwing the ball more than anyone in the NFL percentage wise, and it is lead to a sub .500 record.
Of course, this record and offensive struggles are still good enough to lead far and away the worst division in football, but that’s a discussion for another day.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have a ton of problems right now, but are still somehow, someway, still treading water. It really is a shame their by week does not come until week 11, because they need some time to look in the mirror and reevaluate their approach. We also haven’t even gotten into the defense yet, but one thing at a time. If they got blown out by the Carolina Panthers, and that doesn’t lead to changes, then we may be right back to where we were before the Tom Brady era.