Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers offense have been reminded once again that there is a simple recipe for success, one Tampa needs to use more.
Before the worst second-half meltdown Tom Brady was party to, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers offense was on the brink of collapse in Week 15.
In fact, it was some of the best football the Bucs had all year. An incoherent unit plagued by sudden injuries, the Bucs looked pulled together for the first two quarters against the Cincinnati Bengals. Then, he collapsed spectacularly, thanks to classic Tampa Bay penalties, misunderstandings, and a fateful fake-out.
But before all of that, the Bucs got one thing right: relying on action plays. ESPN Bucs reporter Gina Lynn noted how successful the play business was in the first half, with Brady completing eight of 12 of those passes for 115 yards.
Still running in the second half, Brady completed two of three work-play calls for 21 yards. But the Bucs paid less for him, leading offense critics to question that decision.
The key to the Bucs, Tom Brady’s success remains running back
The fact that the Bucs need to run more frequently is the loud note for 2022, especially with the emergence of Rachaad White and the durability of Leonard Fournette. The Bucs have two great running backs, and the offense has seen increased success when the team uses them, as evidenced by their win in Munich over the Seattle Seahawks.
Running is necessary to trigger play action calls, and understandably not something players did after throwing a failed fake. It essentially led to a breakup that allowed Joe Burrow to return to the lead. the Next four drives For the Bucs, that led to turnovers, while changing the game situation—although the team was still leading on several of these drives, on three of them, the Bucs turned the ball over before they could even get a first down.
In other words, drives were much shorter (the longest was five plays), and quick turnovers limited the chances of trying to play passes or runs. Basically, once the Bucs attempt a play, they’re already run on those drives.
Tom Brady and the Bucs only found success on this half of their last drive, a nine-play drive that went 75 yards for a touchdown. This was revenge for their efficiency in the first half, something they could not do in their crippled and over-spinned drives.
Yes, players need to run and use play passes, and it would be nice if there were no team slams in the first half to get an early lead. But the Bucs outdid themselves with turnovers, limiting their picks to almost nothing in the second half.
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