Buccaneers Observer

The NFL new year has started and we discuss all of the moves happening with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the NFC South, and touch on a few things of interest in the league.

Dan Canales joins the Buccaneers as offensive coordinator. Canales was the quarterback coach at Seattle this year, assisting Geno Smith in the rehab of his career. It's a promotion for Canales, and as such we have no clue what the Buccaneers offense will look like. The Buccaneers will also cut Leonard Fournette and Donovan Smith, adding to the uncertainty. Unfortunately, it's just the start of cuts to the Bucs roster as the front office pays the bill for the last three years of cap finangling.  Many Bucs fans will agree with Smith's ouster after his performance in 2022 where he regressed markedly, particularly with penalties. Media is reporting he experienced personal 'tragedy', which perhaps explains the regression.  A number of players experienced tragedy last year, and we posit it may have had an impact on the field.

Both of us agree that this Super Bowl was pretty boring. The penalty that basically gave the Chiefs the win really summed up this season as a whole. What could have been an exciting game fizzled out in a bad way. Ralph discusses his thoughts on the Damar Hamlin situation and how it is incentivizing injuries. And what is going on with the Bucs offensive coordinator search? It seems like a mess, as though they did not have any plan in place for after they fired Leftwich.

Tom Brady announced his retirement this week, sending the Buccaneers back to the basement. QB coach Clyde Christiansen revealed Brady received news of his divorce during training camp and subsequently lost 15 pounds, which explains a lot about the season. It's disappointing Brady couldn't go out on top with a Super Bowl win, but the retirement was probably came at the right time.   It does not bode well for the Buccaneers offensive coordinator search, however. The prospect of Tom Brady at quarterback would be enough to lure a cream of the crop coordinator. Without Brady, the appeal drops significantly. The candidates we've interviewed reflect that reality, which mostly comprise of assistant coaches.  The Championship games were nearly unwatchable with the number of flags thrown, some of which changed the trajectory of the games. The officiating has been so atrocious it raises questions about the impact of legalized gambling on the game. The NFL has never had a referee scandal. What is it doing to safeguard against refs throwing games now that gambling on NFL games has been legalized in a number of states?

The Buccaneers offense certainly took a step back this season, but was Byron Leftwich to blame? We know Todd Bowles wanted more of an emphasis on the run game. Leftwich's offense is a vertical offense, proficient at long shots down the field as we saw in 2020 and 2021. It was never a running offense. Was Bowles asking too much? The result, as we saw, was a neutered passing game and a running game that was worse than years past.   Further, the team took a step back in other areas, including the defense and special teams. That was not on Leftwich. So, while we aren't devastated or surprised by Leftwich's firing, we don't think it will solve the Buccaneers' problems.  The Buccaneers also fired Specialists coach Chris Boniol, WRs coach Kevin Garver, OQC Jeff Kastl, assistant DL coach Lori Locust and RBs coach Todd McNair. QBs coach Clyde Christensen, senior offensive assistant Rick Christophel and OLBs coach Bob Sanders have decided to retire.

For the third year in a row, the Buccaneers are playoff bound, and division champs for the second year in a row. The team that showed up against Carolina is a team we can proudly ride to the playoffs (and Super Bowl). The Bucs week 17 matchup against the Panthers was hard fought by both teams. Both looked like they wanted a win. The Buccaneers defense showed up when it mattered, as did punter Jake Camarda during the botched punt.  There's been debate whether the Bucs should even play their starters Week 18 against the Atlanta Falcons, as Bucs clinched the division already and the Falcons are playing for draft position at this point. Is it worth the risk of injuries to our starters? The point will certainly be raised should a key player actually suffer injury during the game, but Todd Bowles does not seem concerned, and Ralph agrees. Bowles said in his press conference that injuries happen at all times during the season - practice, the preseason, the first game. You can't play scared of injury because it's part of the game. Some have argued this game is meaningless and not worth the risk. This game is not meaningless to the Bucs - we can earn a winning record with a win. Further, we've seen teams rest starters and come into the playoffs flat. It doesn't guarantee an advantage come playoff time.  Speaking of playoffs - the Buccaneers will play either the Dallas Cowboys or the Philadelphia Eagles at home in the wildcard round. Who would you rather play? Comment below.