Buccaneers' success a tough condemnation of one man
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are currently one of eight teams sitting at 2-0 after going through an entire offseason of hearing the national media talk about how bad this team was going to be. Who's laughing now? As the Bucs continue to succeed, many people ask themselves how such a roster could fly under the […]
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are currently one of eight teams sitting at 2-0 after going through an entire offseason of hearing the national media talk about how bad this team was going to be.
Who's laughing now?
As the Bucs continue to succeed, many people ask themselves how such a roster could fly under the radar over the past few months? Well, a big part of that comes down to the terrible job Byron Leftwich did over the past few years as the OC in Tampa.
No, the sole purpose of this is not to kick a man while he is down and not in the NFL, but it is hard to understate just how much better this offense has become (with a lesser quarterback and offensive line) with a simple change at offensive coordinator.
Leftwich had the keys to a Ferrari with Tom Brady playing some of the best football of his career, great offensive weapons, and one of the best lines in football.
The former OC for Tampa instead chose to drive this machine in the most conservative way possible, and that made one of the most high-profile units in the NFL stale in the worst kind of way.
That is why the Bucs had no choice but to move on from Leftwich. Little did they know, that would end up being one of the best moves of the offseason.
While two games is a very small sample size, Dave Canales has been a revelation for this team. Sure, the play-calling can get a little safe at times, but the willingness to throw the ball on early downs and to commit to things like motion and play-action has helped prop Baker Mayfield up for the first time in his career.
There are obviously going to be some lulls in offensive success, especially against some of the better defenses (like the Eagles), but it is fair to say this team has turned the corner in the best way.
Leftwich would've been wise to find a job before the Bucs started playing. It was a gamble, one that would've made him look very good if Tampa struggled, but the Buccaneers looking much better on offense now makes it obvious that Leftwich has no business coaching in that role in the NFL due to his reliance on outdated tendencies.
Biggest takeaways from Buccaneers’ statement Week 2 win
Here are the big points.
