NFL
By: Jeff Barnes
Unfinished Business. That is what this season was supposed to be about. Getting back to the Super Bowl after falling short versus the eventual Super Bowl Champion Rams last season. Instead, this season’s rallying cry should have been Dazed and Confused. That is how the Bucs have looked this season in some big comeback wins and many baffling losses. After defeating Dallas convincingly to open the season, The Bucs offense has been unimpressive. The Bucs defense, which was once impregnable against the run, has been gashed at times on the ground and in the air. What has caused all of this? The Bucs are still trying to figure that out. My observation has been that the fall from grace was precipitated by the Bucs offense.
While the Bucs defense has had its share of problems, the offense has put them in a tough position. The Bucs offense is averaging just under 18 points per game this season, far below the 25.7 points per game. The running game has been largely inconsistent, the offensive line has struggled to secure the pocket up the middle, and even the Great Tom Brady has displayed signs of regression. Brady does have his 2nd highest completion (411) and completion percentage (66%) while at Tampa, his passing yards are the fewest since he arrived in the Bay (3897). With 3 games left, you can expect those yards to be closer to his super bowl season (4633) by the time the regular season ends. He passed for at least 40 touchdown passes in each of his first two seasons as a Buccaneer. Brady’s current total sits at 20 with 3 games left. Tom Brady isn’t producing as he did before, but his skills are not the only reason his production has declined.
Julio Jones and Russell Gage were added to the offense to increase the weapons for Tom after the release of Antonio Brown and the retirement of Rob Gronkowski. On paper, it seems intimidating to see the Bucs have Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, Julio Jones, Russell Gage, and Scottie Miller as their receiving corps. However, that group has not produced as much as they hoped. Gronkowski was a matchup nightmare for defenses that would create opportunities for other receivers as teams schemed to stop him. Without him, the Bucs have struggled to recreate that success. Defenses had to bracket Gronkowski allowing Evans and others to take advantage of 1-on-1 matchups. Now, Evans can be bracketed, or teams can take away the middle of the field forcing Brady to check down or hold the football. With different starters on the offensive line, teams are able to affect the pocket from the inside making Brady uncomfortable. The result is a Bucs offense that struggles in the redzone and on 3rd down.
The running game is the last factor. As a team, the Bucs average a mere 3.3 yards per rush. They only have 1040 rushing yards as a team and only 5 rushing touchdowns. Their ineffective running game is a major problem. It limits the effectiveness of the play-action passing attack. It also puts the Bucs in some dubious 3rd down situations. In the last two seasons, the Bucs could overcome 3rd and long situations. Now, those are rarely converted. Long drives rarely finish with touchdowns, and many drives never cross the 50-yard line. The Bucs are one-dimensional in the red zone. The running game has produced just 5 rushing touchdowns in 14 games. That is a lot of meat on the bone.
With 3 games left, the Bucs still lead the NFC South with a 6-8 record. They face an Arizona Cardinals team that will start Trace McSorley this Christmas Sunday. The offseason losses have not been addressed enough and it shows on the field. The only question left is can they figure out how to make a run with what they have, or will the same bewildered looks be the full story of their season?
