It’s time for Scott Reynolds’ post-game 2-Level Conversion column, which options two huge statements, two probing questions and two daring predictions. The Bucs opened up the season as a highway underdog, however got here away with a hard-fought, 20-17 win in opposition to the Vikings at Minnesota.
Baker Mayfield and the Bucs offense overcame a sluggish begin, Chase McLaughlin nailed a 57-yard game-winner and Todd Bowles made all the precise calls on protection – and took some huge possibilities that paid off in a 1-0 begin to the 2023 season.
2 BIG STATEMENTS
STATEMENT 1. Todd Bowles Known as A Masterful Recreation
Bucs head coach Todd Bowles set free a giant “YEAHHHHHHHHHH” within the locker room to rejoice his crew’s 20-17 opening day win at Minnesota. And that was a well-deserved primal scream.
Not solely did Bowles coach his ass off as a defensive coordinator together with his unit profitable the turnover battle 3-0 in opposition to the Vikings, however he switched up his zone coverages within the second half and shut down Minnesota’s Professional Bowl receiver Justin Jefferson.
Bucs head coach Todd Bowles – Buccaneers.com
Whether or not it was benefiting from catching the Bucs in a double-corner blitz on the good time with an enormous achieve or profitable on a route in opposition to Cowl 3 with simply Antoine Winfield Jr. because the single-high security, Jefferson was a menace within the first half. He led the Vikings with seven catches for 138 yards at halftime.
However Bowles made changes and went away from the single-high security look, choosing deeper coverages, resembling Quarters (Cowl 4) once in a while that was designed to offer assist excessive and hold all passing performs in entrance of the protection to restrict yards after catch. It labored, as Jefferson was held to 2 catches for 12 yards within the second half and the Vikings have been outscored consequently, 10-7, over the past two quarters.
However past his position as defensive play-caller, Bowles excelled as a sport supervisor, too. He took the precise dangers and his situational gambles paid off.
Within the second half, Bowles went for it on a fourth-and-1 scenario on the Bucs’ 32-yard line, and Baker Mayfield’s QB sneak proved to achieve success. Bowles additionally eschewed going for it on fourth-and-3 on the Vikings 40-yard line, and trotted out Chase McLaughlin for a 57-yard area aim with 4:46 left. This backed up one other Bowles’ gamble – chopping 36-year previous kicker Ryan Succop, who was dependable within 45 yards however struggled past 50 yards, for McLaughlin’s greater leg.
Bucs WR Chris Godwin – Picture by: USA At this time
Bowles had a ton of confidence in his protection to carry a three-point lead with lower than 5 minutes left within the sport. That gamble paid off too in a fast three-and-out, with a wonderful go breakup by cornerback Carlton Davis III on a key third down.
After his protection acquired the ball again for the offense, Bowles accredited a go play on third-and-10 to select up a primary down with two minutes left and finish the sport, versus operating the ball and draining the clock a bit, however in the end punting the ball again to Minnesota. Chris Godwin’s 11-yard catch sealed the win for the Bucs, so one more Bowles gamble paid off.
“If you wish to beat a crew like that at their place within the first of the sport, you possibly can’t play conservative,” Bowles stated. “We wished to go for the win. We knew that getting in. Dave [Canales] made an excellent name. Chris could be very dependable. He made an excellent catch. Baker was enjoying ball sport within the second half.”
In an interview within the Tampa Bay Instances with Rick Stroud, Bowles admitted to feeling handcuffed final season whereas taking up for a suddenly-retired Bruce Arians in late March and having to inherit his employees – lots of whom on the offensive facet of the ball he disagreed with and in the end fired. Now Bowles has the employees he needs enjoying the complementary model of soccer he needs and he’s teaching freer – and higher – consequently.
It was an excellent begin for the Bucs – and for his or her head coach – on Sunday.
STATEMENT 2. Baker Mayfield Is The Gritty QB The Bucs Want
As one member of the Bucs brass texted me after Sunday’s 20-17 opening day win, “It was not fairly, however it was gritty!”
That phrase completely summed up not solely the play of the Bucs as a crew on Sunday, but in addition of latest quarterback Baker Mayfield.
Bucs QB Baker Mayfield – Picture by: USA At this time
Like the remainder of the offense, Mayfield began off the sport dreadfully, passing for simply 11 yards because the offense went 0-of-5 on third downs till lastly stepping into rhythm with a two-minute drill that led to a 28-yard landing go to Mike Evans proper earlier than halftime. That tied the sport at 10-10. After finishing simply 6-of-15 passes for 63 yards within the first half, Mayfield accomplished 15-for-19 passes for 110 yards and one other landing within the second half.
However Mayfield did extra than simply grow to be an environment friendly passer within the second half.
He threw a clutch, sidearm landing to rookie Trey Palmer within the second half. Mayfield dove headfirst into the pile for a profitable QB sneak on a dangerous fourth-and-1 on the Tampa Bay 32-yard. He stiff-armed a Vikings defender on one run, after which dashed for a daring first down on one other run down the sidelines. Then he made a cash throw to Chris Godwin for 11 yards on third-and-10 to seal the opening-day win for the Bucs.
“Baker is gutsy,” Bowles stated. “He’s robust. The blokes stayed behind him. The nice factor is, when he was having issues, he wasn’t turning it over. He was giving our protection [a rest], stored them within the sport. He stored getting out, however he wasn’t turning the ball over. He caught with it. He made some gutsy runs on the finish, and the offensive line got here by for him. The receivers confirmed up, and it was an excellent crew win.”
Victories are robust to return by within the NFL. Gamers and coaches ought to by no means apologize for profitable – irrespective of the way it appears to be like.
Mayfield and Bowles definitely received’t.
“Not the prettiest begin by any means,” Mayfield stated. “Nice surroundings, like we anticipated, actually loud. Like we talked about being prepared for his or her blitz bundle, we have been, however each time we’d verify, they might. That’s type of the story of what you noticed within the first half proper there. Simply a type of issues that’s type of a chess match at that time, however fortunately we have been in a position to drive the ball a bit bit in type of a two-minute, hurry up scenario earlier than the half. Bought Mike a landing and capitalized from there.”
Bucs QB Baker Mayfield – Picture by: USA At this time
Mayfield stated that the effectiveness of the offense will solely get higher because the season goes alongside and the unit grows collectively. Bear in mind, the beginning offense solely performed three sequence collectively within the preseason finale.
“Completely, it is going to positively develop,” Mayfield stated. Taking part in in opposition to Brian Flores, it’s fairly the problem. He’s a defensive mastermind, so it was check for us for our first match. Yeah, we’re going to develop. We’re going to get higher. Offensively we now have a protracted option to go, however we’ll take all of the wins we will get. It’s extraordinarily exhausting on this league.”
That is how the Bucs will win in 2023 as they proceed to be taught a brand new offense and get in sync with a brand new offensive line, a brand new play-caller and a brand new QB in Mayfield.
Play nice protection, play turnover-free soccer (or near it) and grind out wins with a extra balanced offense below Dave Canales.
“It was win, it was a gritty win,” Bowles stated.
Certainly it was – with a gritty Baker Mayfield main the way in which.
2 PROBING QUESTIONS
QUESTION 1: Who Was The Bucs’ Greatest Defender vs. Vikings?
Rookie nickelback Christian Izien and had an excellent NFL debut with a pleasant open-field deal with and a sensational, game-changing interception on the aim line with 16 seconds left earlier than halftime to stop Minnesota from taking a 17-10 lead into halftime. That was most likely the play of the sport.
Bucs ILB Devin White – Picture courtesy of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Free security Antoine Winfield Jr. additionally had an enormous strip-sack and fumble restoration, in addition to two touchdown-saving tackles on Justin Jefferson.
However don’t overlook the play of inside linebacker Devin White, who’s enjoying in his fifth-year choice season.
White was assignment-sound, centered and was a sure-tackler on Sunday, main Tampa Bay with 12 stops. White and Lavonte David, who completed with eight tackles in opposition to the Vikings, have been distinctive at sniffing out screens on the line of scrimmage. For a participant who needs $20 million a 12 months when he hits free company subsequent 12 months, White definitely made a robust opening assertion in direction of that aim.
“He performed quick,” Bowles stated of White. “Him and Lavonte – they each performed all around the area. If it wasn’t one it was the opposite one. They did job of discovering the hider in bootlegs. They did job cleansing up performs that the defensive position arrange for them. And so they did job of flying round, interval. Each of them had double-digit tackles. Each of them have been far and wide I assumed they actually confirmed their management.”
QUESTION 2: Why Couldn’t The Bucs Run The Ball?
There have been a myriad of the reason why Tampa Bay struggled to run the ball successfully in opposition to Minnesota. The Bucs rushed for 73 yards on 33 carries (2.2 avg.) within the season opener after averaging simply 75 yards per sport final 12 months with the league’s worst-ranked dashing assault.
Bucs RB Rachaad White – Picture by USA At this time
So what has to occur for the Bucs’ floor sport to achieve success? Tampa Bay’s offensive line wants extra time collectively to gel, as your complete unit solely performed collectively for 3 drives within the preseason finale. The tight ends have to make their blocks at line of scrimmage, too. The operating backs have to hit the open holes, and when the holes are there they should speed up by them sooner with a larger sense of urgency.
But head coach Todd Bowles was glad with the quantity of carries the Bucs had, particularly within the second, because it stored his protection off the sector and brisker for the fourth quarter.
“I assumed they have been robust runs, contemplating the fronts they have been enjoying, they usually have been taking it away, they usually type of had an additional man each time,” Bowles stated. “The run doesn’t all the time must be fairly. If you may get 33 runs in, it retains the protection off the sector some, it retains [the opponent defense] on the market longer, and it retains them sincere. It retains them off Baker some.
“It has a double-fold [effect]. The quantity of carries are simply as vital because the yardage, if no more vital. If we will stick with that and type of keep steadiness it type of retains everyone within the sport.”
When the Bucs went 0-of-5 on third downs to start out the sport, Bowles’ protection was getting gassed earlier than halftime. They clearly had extra time to relaxation within the second half because the offense went on a few lengthy, sustained drives that resulted in 10 factors – sufficient to beat Minnesota.
Understand that Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores was introduced in to repair the porous Minnesota run protection and deployed some very efficient run blitzes, too. That definitely performed a task within the lackluster dashing manufacturing.
Bucs QB Baker Mayfield – Picture by: USA At this time
However when it got here to the crew’s go safety, Bowles was pleased with the trouble and the execution. Baker Mayfield was solely hit twice and sacked as soon as on Sunday.
“I assumed they performed robust,” Bowles stated of the offensive linemen. “I assumed they did a heck of a job contemplating all of the appears to be like they acquired. They have been sending a variety of stress on a regular basis. They have been virtually blitzing each different play – if not each play virtually. At the least it seemed that method.”
Usually talking, the go safety from the offensive line was fairly good. The sack on Mayfield got here on third-and-5 contained in the Vikings purple zone when Minnesota dropped eight defenders into protection and solely rushed three. That brought on Mayfield to carry onto the ball whereas looking for an open receiver.
Edge rusher Danielle Hunter was efficiently blocked by proper deal with Luke Goedeke initially, and Mayfield truly had two escape routes from the pocket, however noticed linebackers beneath simply previous the road of scrimmage. As a substitute of fleeing the pocket to both scramble for yardage or throw the ball away, Mayfield truly backed up into Hunter for the sack as an alternative of stepping up into the pocket and escaping. So the lone sack surrendered was extra on the QB than it was on Goedeke.
2 BOLD PREDICTIONS
PREDICTION 1: JTS Will Lose Beginning Job With Extra Video games Like He Had In Week 1
Bucs OLB Anthony Nelson and Vikings QB Kirk Cousins – Picture courtesy of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Sunday’s season opener was a disappointing sport for Joe Tryon-Shoyinka. He had one deal with and one fumble restoration, and on this case, the field rating scouting turned out to be fairly correct. Tampa Bay’s former first-round decide was not very efficient as a go rusher, and nonetheless has an excessive amount of finesse in his sport.
Anthony Nelson performed the fewest snaps (25) of any of the highest 4 outdoors linebackers, and had three tackles and one sack. He was extra impactful and performed 14 fewer snaps than JTS performed. Until his play dramatically improves – and shortly – I may see Tryon-Shoyinka being changed within the beginning lineup by both Nelson or YaYa Diaby sooner quite than later. Maybe by midseason.
PREDICTION 2: Bucs Enhance To 2-0 By Beating Bears
The Bears seemed terrible of their opening-day, 38-20 loss at dwelling to the Aaron Rodgers-less Packers. Justin Fields continues to be lightyears away from being NFL quarterback, as he lags behind different passers in studying defenses, going by his progressions, his accuracy and discovering open receivers. Fields is a good runner, however the Bucs have the athletes and the pace on protection to corral, include, and chase after him this Sunday.
The final time the Bears visited Raymond James Stadium, they misplaced 38-3 in Fields’ rookie season in 2021. This sport might be nearer, however nonetheless a Tampa Bay victory, because the Bucs transfer to 2-0 on season forward of a giant Monday Evening Soccer sport in opposition to the visiting Philadelphia Eagles.
