After being one of the worst teams in the National Football League in 2014, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers will be looking to make improvements in a mediocre NFC South division. The team was putrid on both sides of the ball, ranking in the bottom half of the National Football League in Head Coach Lovie Smith’s first year.
The Buccaneers’ offense labored for yards in both the passing game and the running game. They were one of the worst rushing teams, ranking 29th overall with 85.9 yards per game. Doug Martin had a poor season running the ball, averaging 3.7 yards per carry. He finished the year with 134 carries for 494 yards and two touchdowns. Teammates Bobby Rainey and rookie Charles Sims weren’t very effective either. Rainey carried the ball 94 times for 406 yards and one touchdown and Sims carried the ball 66 times for 185 yards and one touchdown. While Rainey averaged 4.3 yards per carry, he just didn’t score.
The Buccaneers have a very young running back corps with a tremendous upside, but the lack of production in the backfield has left Bucs fans wondering if they even have the answer at the position on this roster. It’s understandable. None of the three backs were very impressive and the numbers show this. In order to have a strong running game, the offensive attack must be balanced and the passing game must pose a legitimate threat to the defense.
The Bucs’ air attack wasn’t much of a threat due to inconsistencies in one vital area… the offensive line. The signing of quarterback Josh McCown was viewed as a terrible decision by many. He may not be the answer in terms of being a franchise player but he is a serviceable option. Despite having a 70.5 percent passer rating he was sacked an overwhelming 36 times in 11 starts. Third-year quarterback Mike Glennon was sacked 16 times in the six games that he started for McCown.
There is a trend here.
The offensive line gave up 52 sacks last year; those numbers are unacceptable for any team. The lack of a clean pocket can force the NFL’s best quarterbacks to make mistakes. It is obvious that this affected McCown when noting that he threw 14 interceptions last season.
The offense wasn’t the only problem however. The defense had its share of major issues.
Injuries and ineffectiveness plagued Tampa Bay’s defense for much of 2014. Defensive Coordinator Leslie Frazier’s Tampa 2 scheme saw plenty of growing pains throughout the unit. During the NFL’s free agency period, they looked to bolster this unit by signing linebacker Larry Dean from the Buffalo Bills as well as three former Dallas Cowboys: outside linebacker Bruce Carter, defensive tackle Henry Melton and cornerback Sterling Moore. While not big splashy signings, all of the players brought in will help this team play better as a unit.
That said, it is imperative that this team establish a consistent offensive attack. The Buccaneers’ offense ranked 37.4 in third down conversions in 2014 and averaged only 17.3 points per game. If a team doesn’t convert and keep the ball out of an opponent’s hands, its defense spends a lot of time on the field… not a good combination for a winning recipe.
Bucs fans should have hope however. There are intangibles that will help this team work toward being competitive again.
New Offensive Coordinator Dirk Koetter will look to bring his history of fast starts to Tampa Bay. In his first season as the offensive coordinator for the Jacksonville Jaguars (2007), the unit finished sixth in the league in points scored and seventh in total yards. Koetter had similar success when he took over as the offensive coordinator for the Atlanta Falcons in 2012. The Falcons ranked seventh in yardage and eighth in points.
Critics have made the argument that Koetter’s history with rookie quarterbacks isn’t very good. Recall the 2011 NFL draft when the Jaguars selected quarterback Blaine Gabbert in the first round out of the University of Missouri. The youngster struggled mightily and completed only 50.8 percent of his passes for 2,214 yards with 12 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. Koetter and Gabbert had only one season together though… not nearly enough time to make an accurate judgment on Koetter’s abilities to develop a rookie signal-caller.
Tampa Bay fans should expect Koetter’s offense to be a hybrid scheme that will feature some of what he did in Jacksonville and Atlanta. There’s one thing at which Dirk Koetter is exceptional and that is assessing his team’s strengths and creating a plan of attack that will take full advantage of them. The Bucs have two excellent receivers in Vincent Jackson and Mike Evans. The offensive coordinator will use them to the unit’s benefit, no matter who his quarterback is. Koetter is also inheriting decent running backs in Rainey, Martin and Sims.
The Bucs are in dire need of a franchise quarterback and will likely to use their No. 1 pick in the draft one of the top two quarterbacks, either Jameis Winston or Marcus Mariota. But no matter which man they choose, they need to have a solid offensive line along with a balanced offensive attack. When Koetter was hired, Lovie Smith said he wanted a balanced offense. That shouldn’t be a problem for Koetter. Improving talent in the trenches could mean dedicating an early pick to the offensive line; particularly at the tackle position, where the Bucs need more strength to help in all facets of their game.
On defense, Tampa Bay should be improved with the aforementioned additions made in free agency. If the team can improve on the offensive side of the ball, it will have the right ingredients to have a successful 2015 season.