“This Joe” believes that Bucs offensive coordinator Liam Coen may be seeking a new position in a couple of months—not due to the team’s struggles, but because of his success with the offense.
Although Joe has noted weekly that the Bucs’ offensive strategy has relied heavily on short passes, it’s proving effective. The offense isn’t the issue for this team.
In the recent loss to the 49ers, it became evident that the Bucs missed both Mike Evans and Chris Godwin, who were injured in the previous game against the Ravens. This was particularly apparent when the Bucs faced the 49ers, as quarterback Baker Mayfield barely attempted any throws beyond the line of scrimmage.
Statistics from Rich Hribar of Sharp Football Analysis reinforce this observation. During their four-game losing streak, the Bucs have averaged just 2.3 plays of 20 or more yards per game, ranking 31st in the league.
It’s challenging to achieve more than 20-yard plays when passes are rarely thrown that far downfield. Joe was somewhat surprised to find the Bucs near the bottom of this stat without Evans and Godwin, but the reduced aggression in their passing game with both star players out should have signaled a potential problem.
Even an 80 percent fit Mike Evans would be more effective than the wide receivers the Bucs are currently relying on to step up as WR1.
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