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Can a punter win team MVP?

Foreman is gonna end up with a hurt back from carrying PJ and this team week after week.

How many? One or two on this team. Mayfield has the longest recorded throw in NFL history (an incompletion) as well as like 2 or so top 5 of the longest completions. Darnold supposedly has a big arm, but he never throws deep so who knows. I don't know if PJ's air yards beat out Mayfield's record, but maybe? I seem to recall it was 70+. I get that people love Hail Mary's, but the only reason it even worked is because the Falcon's DB's stopped running allowing DJ to burst past them. And if he hadn't PJs throw would be late and possibly easily picked. This should have been an easy win over that secondary (especially with Foreman crushing it) and not needed a hail mary to begin with.

This made me LoL. It's not true, but it made me LoL the same.

haha. two safeties!

Horn is still out, correct? The Buccaneers game has really warped perceptions around here about the problems with this team. Defensive breakdowns in pass protection were still a problem on Sunday but the Buc's offense is dysfunctional (see last night) The Mike Evans drop changed the whole outlook of the game. Buc's also can't seem to stop the run, which inflated the appearance of a successful run game. Brady was good on 1st and 2nd down, but the 3rd down attack was very poor. They refuse to run, letting the D get pressure on a wrecked Buc's oline. The Bucs also cant run the ball (worst in league) which allowed the defense to get off the field faster than any prior game. Brady plays poorly when pressured, and his oline is broken and ragtag. Meanwhile, on offense, the WRs got separation on Sunday primarily because of the Buc's injured secondary running Zone defense on key downs, and the run game keeping the defense honest. This accounts for the improved separation on both TD plays and most of DJs receptions. PJ only had to pass 16 times, as the RBs carried the scoring drives. The offense was actually having most of the same problems, especially in the 2nd half with three and outs. I think we got lucky with bad defensive calls in/near the red zone. Going Zone coverage against 2minute offense played into our strength. It seemed like a game where everything went right, for the most part. I think it's a winnable game, but I don't know if after rewatching the game if I can credit this team with figuring it out so much as catching the Bucs at the perfect moment to be handed a game.

What is strange is that I've heard for years is that Mayfield was one of the better RPO quarterbacks in college. As I don't watch college football, I'd not know, but I heard that he or Tua were the best at that. And you are correct, RPO is run/pass option, as in optional running or passing play based on defense, and not an option to pass or run the ball by the QB. Cam ran that Zone read so damn well, but I think that scheme is QB destroyer in the long run in the NFL.

Ickys progress from week 1 through now is astounding. He looks like a different player from the game 1 film.

Batted balls have been a problem only in two games this season and that was addressed through coaching. In a West Coast offense, with quick timed throws, it falls on the Oline to clear passing lanes and restrict defenders from blocking passing lanes. If it's a 5 step drop or longer it's on the QB more to manipulate lanes and avoid tipping the pass to d-linemen. If you think this is a height or a decision making issue, please check season batted ball leaders in prior years - many are hall of fame or elite quality Qbs in 6'4" range.

I don't understand what PFF is looking at when they make some of these grades, but it's not game film.

In NFL+ condensed replay, it was hard to determine who was playing more half-assed for the Bucs, their offense or defense. Brady was erratic as poo.

I'd suggest rewatching it (as I will again when the ALL22 is available). DJ was very open, especially by this season's standards. It was a good throw by PJ for sure (but a better catch by DJ), and PJ reads the zone right away right away and locks on DJ. Same with Tremble's TD. He must have seen something in the presnap reads he liked. I'm not trying to debate Mayfield at the moment, but he has attempted far riskier throws throughout his career and while in Carolina. The difference today was DJ actually has better separation because the zone recovery was slow.

All good points. I would agree on scheme and route running. I would also seriously agree on putting too much value on numbers - which is why I've resorted to watching so much film and putting plays in context, as the numbers just haven't seemed to add up this season (or really ever). I wasn't able to do a close review of the trenches, but I didn't see anything to contradict that. Most of the big gains from the Bucs offense were in passing and Brady never seemed comfortable.

Different teams play more or less zone. The Saints played Man on a much higher rate against this offense earlier this season, and the receivers did not separate. I just watched the game, and the Bucs were in Zone a lot, and on most passing plays (so far as I could tell without All22) On both of the TD passes, which accounted for the bulk of pass production and both scores they are clearly in Zone. PJ reads this and is looking for DJ on the first play, and Tremble on the second. That's why they worked, correct play/read vs scheme, and it helped that the Bucs secondary played poorly. I would agree that PJ looks comfortable in this offense (even while it's a bad scheme) but I did not find him scanning the field, rather much more prone to locking onto reads, especially looking for Moore. He is seems well suited to the short pass game, but I think when we see him against a more functional defense, not relying on zone with third stringers, we might see the old PJ return. I did not see them opening up the offense much this week. I saw West Coast vs Zone. If you remove the two TDs against zone, there was not much actual down field passing. He played the short game well, but I'm dubious of what he'll do against a better secondary. The run game moved the sticks, and opened up the passing game as well. Feel free to rewatch and see what you see!

Just rewatched the game and the Bucs are playing Zone, which is why we see open receivers, and why poor handoffs leave DJ and Tommy Tremble are so open on their touchdowns. This is deflating as the WRs have shown little ability to get open against man, and this looks like bad D from the Bucs and if teams play Man coverage, we're back to the problem we've had all season.

Chiefs have recently had #1 run D (not sure what it is this week) Niners have better run scheme and blocking.

Well, that showed. When I saw Tremble that open on the second TD, I almost fell over.

Or, was it balanced. The Panther's receivers looked much more open today, and they've done better against Zone this season thus far.

If you win, you attract free agents and build a culture where people expect to win and it snowballs.

I should have put money on this game. I saw this coming. I thought PJ would have a pic, however, but play better against the Bucs this week.

It does help, but the bigger issue that's been getting overlooked all season is the defense letting long drives happen, often out of halftime or following offensive scores. Today, the Bucs are having quick 3 and outs and add to that the run game has been working better and the offense is staying on the field more.

This is the first game where the defense has held up into the 4th, and has not given up a score immediately after an offensive score. What a difference that makes.

Anyone notice on that last TD if the Bucs were playing man or zone? My stream is wonky.

Wow, receivers actually open this game going deep.

This ALL22 should be a lot more fun to analyze than last week... interested to see if Bozeman is making the difference in run game that it looks like live. (Also Foreman unleashed!) McAdoo is finally running to the edges as well.