Bucs offense seems to be 'a step further' compared to where it was last year which means scary things for the rest of the NFL
In terms of straight-up production, the 2024 version of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers offense was one of the best versions we've ever seen. Only the 2020 and 2021 seasons can be argued as better.And it's easy to see why people are expecting an encore in 2025 when considering the offense returns all 11 starters. There's […]
In terms of straight-up production, the 2024 version of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers offense was one of the best versions we've ever seen. Only the 2020 and 2021 seasons can be argued as better.
And it's easy to see why people are expecting an encore in 2025 when considering the offense returns all 11 starters. There's also the fact the team has solid depth on that side of the ball and it selected standout wide receiver Emeka Egubka in the first round of the draft.
No one is taking anything for granted, however, per new offensive coordinator Josh Grizzard. The slate has been wiped clean and the Bucs are ready to write a new chapter.
"They've been hungry. Nobody's resting on any of the statistical success we had last year," Grizzard told reporters on Tuesday.
In fact, Grizzard is the only major change from last year. Liam Coen bolted for Jacksonville and the Bucs wanted to keep as much continuity as possible after losing their third offensive coordinator in as many years, so Todd Bowles promoted Grizzard from his pass game coordinator position to OC.
But even with Coen's offense still in place, no one knows how Grizzard will fair running the offense, as this is the first time he's ever done it at the NFL level.
As a matter of fact, it's his first running an offense at any level of football.
Still, he has the infrastructure to hit the ground running in 2025 and he even mentioned how the offense feels like it's ahead of where it was at this point last year, which is obviously very encouraging.
"You can tell [in] the meeting rooms, the questions they're asking [and] the stuff we're getting done on the field, has been, I wouldn't want to compare it exactly this point last year, but you feel like you're even a step further because we didn't change a lot in the system," said Grizzard.
"[Now we] can get into the nuances of route running and how we're hitting blocks and getting into the shape we need to get into."
The first-time playcaller and OC is also getting extended help on the field in the form of the incumbents. Their familiarity with the offense, as well as established fundamentals, allow them to help the new guys learn the ropes, which only accelerates the curve.
"[When] we show a slide up there of a run concept, or what we're doing in our drop back protection, or a route concept, unless we slightly change the name of it – they should know the fundamentals of what that is," said Grizzard. "It really just allows them to be coaches as well, to be able to now help 'Mek [Emeka Egbuka], help Tez [Johnson]… [and for] them to be the coaches as well, versus they're just trying to take care of their business last year."
The trick is Grizzard getting Coen's fingerprints off the playbook and his own on there without changing things up too much. That's exactly what's happening, though, and there should be enough wrinkles involved to where opposing defenses don't have a leg up, so to speak, and to where the offense is in fact, Grizzard's.
"There are," Grizzard said when asked about adding his own tweaks and changes to the offense. "I would say the players know that there are based on the installs and things we've done. If you just went out and watched what we just did, I don't think you would look at it as overly different. It's just more in the schematics and like, behind the closed doors of nuance changes and a couple of the way things are called. But in terms of how it would look, just watching it, I don't think you'd see a whole lot of difference."
So while there has only been one major change to the Bucs offense, it's one in which the impact can be absorbed and molded into a positive development when all things are said and done.
And if that ends up being the case, Baker Mayfield and Co. should easily take over the top spot in the history of Bucs offenses.
