After the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 23-20 loss to the Carolina Panthers the offense might be broken.
Honestly, I’m not sure the Tampa Bay Buccaneers offense is fixable at this point after a 23-20 loss to the Carolina Panthers. It’s not just one thing, it’s a combination of many things that are all going bad at different times. However, the one constant issue has been the interior offensive line.
Bucs offensive coordinator Josh Grizzard’s game plan going into Sunday's against the Panthers was definitely subpar. Spamming runs on first down and trying to play for third and manageable was not working for a team who has struggled to convert on third down all season. But he wasn’t given any help by an interior who has struggled to get consistent push in the run game, hasn’t been able to pick up short yardage situations, and has delivered horrendous pass protection.
Baker Mayfield was sacked twice, had one nullified by a penalty, and was under constant duress all day The Bucs' big runs came from Bucky Irving creating something out of nothing, or runs to the outside.
Unfortunately, Bucs former first-rounder, Graham Barton, has had his fair share of issues and accounted for a bad snap and a penalty on Sunday. The second-year center has struggled tremendously in his sophomore season and one has to wonder if playing left tackle to start the season has thrown off his game. Losing Ben Bredeson has definitely hurt, but Cody Mauch’s loss has been felt all season. Dan Feeney has taken over at right guard after a carousel of players, but is not a starting caliber offensive lineman. And while Michael Jordan has looked serviceable at times filling in for Bredeson, he has largely remained inconsistent.
The issues upfront seem to have affected Baker Mayfield’s psyche. Being under constant duress has made him develop happy feet even when pockets are relatively clean. The pressure has been consistently in his face leading him to hurry through his progressions, rush his throws, and play erratic football.
Unfortunately, at this point of the season, there is really nothing the Bucs can do. They have the players they have and it’s up to Josh Grizzard to create ways to mitigate the pressure coming from the interior. It’s easier said than done as it’s not like a tackle where you can stack a tight end. Throughout the last eight weeks the Bucs haven’t found an answer and it doesn’t look like one is on the horizon.