‘Nobody wanted to say it’ – Todd Bowles reveals how he stepped up and made a crucial choice that helped the Bucs get out of a bad spot
When a team is without not just one of its best players, but one of the best players at his position as a whole, the backup plan can get a little dicey depending on what kind of depth is available on the roster.The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have been without star left tackle Tristan Wirfs since […]
When a team is without not just one of its best players, but one of the best players at his position as a whole, the backup plan can get a little dicey depending on what kind of depth is available on the roster.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have been without star left tackle Tristan Wirfs since May, which has left the Bucs with a big hole at left tackle. Fortunately for the Bucs, Wirfs’ extended absence gave Todd Bowles and Co. plenty of time to figure out a plan until he returns to the lineup: Veteran Charlie Heck took just about all of the starting reps throughout the summer and it looked like he was a shoe-in to replace Wirfs.
Little did we know, the Bucs had an ace (or aces) up their sleeve and would trot out a completely unexpected starting five against the Atlanta Falcons in Week 1. One that did not include Heck at left tackle like everyone thought.
Instead of the assumed quintet from right tackle to left tackle of Luke Goedeke, Cody Mauch, Graham Barton, Ben Bredeson, and Charlie Heck, Bucs fans were given a lineup featuring Goedeke, Mauch, Bredeson, Mike Jordan, and then Barton. Apparently, Barton took some reps at left tackle in training camp and immediately caught his coaches’ attention. What started as a plan for an emergency situation grew from there and eventually evolved into what we saw Sunday.
“He’s (Barton’s) been practicing there for a couple weeks now,” Bowles told reporters after the game. “No one ever asked a question, so it never came up. He was going to start. He gave us our best chance to win because he’s a hellacious run blocker… He looked so damn good out there that it became part of what we were going to do, and that’s what we went with.
“I’m taking nothing away from Charlie [Heck], but Graham was a tackle in college. He did a hell of a job out there. He was probably quicker-footed, so to speak, in the run game. That’s some of things we were trying to do, and it worked out for us.”
Todd Bowles reveals he’s the one that made the final call to go with the Bucs’ starting offensive line configuration against the Falcons
Bowles went into deal on Monday regarding how this all came to be. The Bucs initially assembled the offensive line this way for emergency purposes. It took just a few reps for Barton to really turn heads at left tackle and the rest is history.
Everyone knew having Barton start at left tackle gave the Buccaneers the best shot at beating the Falcons, but no one would speak up, initially. So naturally, Bowles displayed his leadership and made the call.
“Well when we gave him a couple reps out there, first, we were doing it out of emergency,” said Bowles. “[We were] like, ‘Hey, he looks pretty good out there.’ Then Ben looked pretty good at center and then we just started messing with it a little bit. And the more we saw it, the more it started coming into focus…
“… Me, [offensive line coach Kevin Carberry] ‘Carbs’, and [offensive coordinator Josh Grizzard] ‘Grizz’, we all talked about it. We all saw the same thing, but nobody wanted to say it. So I was the bad guy to say it. But they were like, ‘Yeah, he does. He does look very good out there.’ This is pretty good. And then we went with it.”
The decision worked and it helped the Bucs win the game. It wasn’t perfect by any means as Mayfield was pressured on 40.5% of his throws and running backs averaged just 3.1 yards per carry, but he was only sacked once and the front five was able to hold it together long enough to where the Bucs currently sit in 10th in points scored ahead of Monday night’s matchup between the Chicago Bears and Minnesota Vikings.
“We weren’t trying to do it,” said Bowles. “It started out as an emergency, but it started looking better and better, and then it just came like, ‘We probably need to roll with this. It gives us our best chance to win.’”
Bowles wouldn’t commit to whether or not this will be the starting five against what’s going to be a fierce Houston Texans pass rush, but it sure looks like the Bucs have found their answer while they await Wirfs’ return.
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