The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are coming off a tough 27-24 loss on Monday which has the fanbase questioning their ability to contend in 2020.
I have one word.
RELAX.
The Buccaneers played poorly, and still only lost by three points. Once you get into the playoffs, the season resets, and all bets are off. But lets focus on the game this Sunday against the Kansas City Chiefs. Will it be possible to slow down Patrick Mahomes and company?
Keep It Simple Stupid
We all know how poorly Tom Brady has been throwing the deep ball since week eight, completing no passes for a ZERO quarterback rating.
Byron Leftwich, I beg you, keep it simple. You were shredding the Rams with short passes. Do what Brady does best, get ahead of the sticks, and get in a groove. There’s no need to take deep shot after deep shot, especially when it isn’t working.
Also, has anyone seen Ke’Shawn Vaughn? He seems to be in Bruce Arians’ dog house after the fumble against the Chicago Bears, but he is the only running back who can catch the football. Find a way to make him active.
This is fairly simple; use Ronald Jones, stick to short passes, and utilize the weapons you have more creatively.
Contain Patrick Mahomes
Okay, this point might be impossible, but by contain, I mean keep Mahomes in the pocket. We have all seen the magic Mahomes can create when going off script, and he’ll shred every zone if given the opportunity.
Todd Bowles needs to scheme his defense to keep Mahomes in the pocket, or it’s going to be a long day. Put Devin White on a QB spy, and blitz along the outside. If you take away Mahomes’ legs, he is much less efficient.
Make Adjustments
The Buccaneers have a history of lackluster halftime adjustments. While this coaching staff is an improvement over previous predecessors, it could still be improved.
When I say adjustments, I mean personnel changes. Why is Kenjon Barner returning punts when you have a weapon like Antonio Brown? Why is Leonard Fournette the third down back when he can’t hit an open hole or catch the football? Explain, why is Scotty Miller phased out of the offense after being incredibly efficient with Brady’s deep ball?
These are all questions that I have been scratching my head over for weeks. If making these moves gives you a better chance to win, what are you waiting for?
We get you just signed Brown, but you can manufacture more touches for Miller. Fournette has a solid history, but Vaughn has been a better pass catching back when put in the game. I agree you don’t want Brown to get hurt, but this team needs a special teams boost.
This isn’t complicated, if you want to beat the best, you have to play at your best. And in order to do that, you need to use your best players to their strengths.
This game will be a massive test for the Buccaneers, will they fail, or will they rise up to the challenge?
