Tag: liam coen

Bucs OC Liam Coen addresses head coaching rumors

If Coen takes a head coaching job with another team, the Bucs will need to find their third new offensive coordinator in as many years.

As the NFL’s 2024 regular season winds down, so does the shortlist of head coaching candidates for teams opting to move on from their current coaching staff on the infamous “Black Monday” following the last game of the regular season. Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive coordinator Liam Coen’s name has been a mainstay on that list as the mastermind behind the Bucs high-powered offense, which ranks third overall.

If Coen takes a head coaching job with another team, the Bucs will need to find their third new offensive coordinator in as many years. However, addressing the rumors during yesterday’s press conference, the Buccaneers fans and organization may find solace in learning that Coen isn’t currently looking to move on from Tampa Bay anytime soon.

“There’s literally only one goal,” Coen said as the Bucs eye their fourth-straight NFC South division title. “There’s just no time in the day. I’ve got a kid at home, sick, throwing up last night. There’s just no time to even truly think about these things,” Coen told reporters when asked about the head coaching rumors. “Is that a goal? Is that a dream? Yeah, but that’s not at all what’s on my mind right now.”

The Buccaneers head into Dallas for a Week 16 bout with the Cowboys on Sunday Night Football, which is the one thing on Coen’s mind regarding football. “How are we going to try and score points and stop Micah Parsons in this game on Sunday Night Football? That’s truly one of the focuses and where it has to be, and you really don’t have enough time to think otherwise right now,” Coen stated.

While the Buccaneers have not secured a spot in the postseason yet, they do hold an 86% chance of doing so, along with 78% odds of winning the NFC South, per The Athletic’s Playoff Projections. With the battle for the NFC South as tight as ever with the Atlanta Falcons, the Bucs control their own destiny if they win out; however, the waters get muddied because the Falcons hold the head-to-head tiebreaker- should they finish with the same record. The good news for the Bucs is that they are favored in all three remaining games. The bad news is that two of three are division games, which are always tough.

Baseball fans saw what happens when a team gets hot at the right time with the Detroit Tigers just a few months ago. The same remains true in the NFL, as Coen is laser-focused on having his offense be the catalyst behind a potential seven-game winning streak to end the regular season.

Halftime adjustments by the Bucs is fueling their success late in games

Todd Bowles spoke to the media on Monday and shared one key to their success in 2024: halftime adjustments.

Games can be won and lost in the NFL based on one simple thing: coaching. There have been questions surrounding Todd Bowles at points during the 2024 season, but here we are as the Bucs ride a four-game winning streak into Christmas week.

Todd Bowles spoke to the media on Monday and shared one key to their success in 2024: halftime adjustments.

“The halftime adjustments are great. I think it starts in practice, because we practice situational football and end of half and end of game so much, it’s starting to register with a lot more guys. As a group, they’re talking more on the field and they’re executing a lot better in the second half.”

The defense has made big strides in closing out games. That credit goes to Todd Bowles, but on offense, Baker Mayfield and the skill players around him have found great success, in part due to Liam Coen.

This staff is among the best in the NFL, and in the case of Liam Coen, he may be another coordinator to leave this staff in back-to-back seasons for the Bucs for a head coaching opportunity.

Jalen McMillan emerging as a trusted target for Bucs QB Baker Mayfield

Several Bucs players have stepped up to help Baker Mayfield, and no one has done more in recent weeks than rookie Jalen McMillan.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers offense has remained reliable in 2024 despite the time missed by both Mike Evans and Chris Godwin. While Evans has returned from his hamstring injury, Chris Godwin remains out for the year, but you wouldn’t know it.

Several Bucs players have stepped up to help Baker Mayfield, and no one has done more in recent weeks than rookie Jalen McMillan.

McMillan is one of six Washington Husky players on the roster and is on pace to be a playmaker like the rest of them. It took a while for McMillan to get a connection going after some tough drops to start the year, but as we get into December, the connection is there.

More important than the connection, the trust Mayfield has in McMillan to make plays is paramount to their success.

In Week 14 against the Raiders, McMillan found the endzone twice. On Sunday against the Chargers, McMillan was back there for the third time in two weeks with a catch and score on the team’s opening drive.

You can watch the play below courtesy of the Bucs social media team.

Bucs OC Liam Coen explains recent turnovers for Bucs QB Baker Mayfield

When speaking to the media on Thursday, Bucs offensive coordinator Liam Coen discussed how they as coaches can help quell the turnvovers.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have had some up and down weeks from Baker Mayfield this season. The turnovers have been hurting this team, but the touchdowns have far exceeded those.

When speaking to the media on Thursday, Bucs offensive coordinator Liam Coen discussed how they, as coaches, can help quell the turnovers.

“We were probably waiting for stuff to occur in that Raiders game that sometimes wasn’t happening, and then when it did happen, it caught us a few times. We were really waiting for [Cover-] Zero to happen and they weren’t doing it. I think we started seeing it a little bit when we weren’t. That’s preparation, too. That’s on us as coaches, to help put him in the best possible position to be successful, while also him understanding that he can do a better job of being on time and in rhythm with some of his decisions. . .”

The answer is pretty revealing and refreshing to see from a coach. So often, we see them say the players have to execute the plays better. Coen admits that he and his fellow coaches have to do better for Mayfield, which speaks to what they think about the former Heisman Trophy Winner.

It also paints a clear picture that this Bucs team isn’t shying away from Mayfield as its leader despite the ups and downs.

5 key takeaways from the Bucs 28-13 win over the Raiders

The Bucs are 7-6, there are some things that fans should keep their eyes on as we are closing in on the home stretch of the regular season.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers walked into Sunday’s game against the Las Vegas Raiders needing a huge win. This is not because the Raiders are in the midst of a mid-season rebuild but because a win would put this Buccaneers team over .500 for the first time since they fell to 4-4 following their second loss to the Atlanta Falcons.

While the boxscore displays what appears to be a lopsided 28-13 victory, pushing the Bucs to 7-6, there are some things that fans should keep their eyes on as we are closing in on the home stretch of the regular season. Here are five key takeaways from the Buccaneers Week 14 win.

Live and Die by Baker Mayfield

For all of the great things that Bucs QB Baker Mayfield brings to the table, there is also an erratic counterpart, ala a modern-day Brett Favre. Mayfield’s 3329 passing yards and 28 TDs are each, respectively, the third-most in the NFL. His 13 interceptions put him right behind the leader in interceptions, the Falcons’ Kirk Cousin- who has 15. You can argue that a lot of this has to do with Chris Godwin not being available, as Mayfield and Godwin had a top-tier connection.

To put into context just how good that connection was, Godwin had only played in seven games this season and was the team’s leader in receiving yards until Week 14. Godwin’s 50 receptions are currently still the second-most on the team behind TE Cade Otton’s 57. Both sides of the coin, mixed in with his personality, make Mayfield one of the most polarizing players in the league. He is both fun and frustrating to watch, oftentimes within the same game.

With a defense that is still trying to find its way and navigating injuries, the Buccaneers are a lot more reliant on its quarterback play than some other teams in the NFL.

Increased defensive-line snaps

It’s been observed week in and week out that Todd Bowles plays his defensive line with some odd rotations, namely keeping Yaya Diaby, Vita Vea, and Calijah Kancey on what appears to be snap count restrictions. Sunday’s contest saw upticks to 79% for Diaby and 70% for Vea, and a 66% snap count for Kancey. The Bucs are now a Top 10 team in total sacks with 35 on the year, and Diaby’s 52 pressures have him with the eighth-most in the NFL.

As the Buccaneers’ defense battles injuries in its secondary, it’s imperative for Bowles to continue to increase the snap counts for his best defensive linemen into pressuring quarterbacks to make quicker decisions to help his younger and less experienced set of defensive backs.

 Liam Coen’s unconventional passing offensive success

Piggy-backing off of Mayfield, the carousel in the backfield, and one true, reliable target at wide receiver, the Buccaneers offense is Among the top three in yards per game at 379.2 and fifth in points per game, averaging 27.9. For all of the questions surrounding this Bucs offense, offensive coordinator Liam Coen has displayed an innate ability to generate a lot of yards and a lot of points on a regular basis. Against the Raiders, Mayfield had seven different targets, with five of those seven having more than three targets each.

Evans is always going to draw attention from opposing defenses, and Otton is toeing the line between a mid-tier and top-tier tight end. Outside of that, which receivers are stepping up? This is where Coen’s playcalling is standing out. With such a youthful and unproven wide receiver room outside of Evans, no single player needs to play with the weight on their shoulders of needing to step up and have a huge game. Jalen McMillian saw seven targets for the second time this season and logged two touchdowns against the Raiders, however he had just five total targets in the previous two games combined.

Playing in rotational roles is clearly proving successful as the Buccaneers offense continues rolling.

The defense is tightening up

Yes, they played the 25th-ranked offense, but you play who you are scheduled to play. Bowles’s defense held the Raiders to under 100 rushing yards and under 200 passing yards with a depleted linebacking group, losing Antoine Winfield without Jordan Whitehead and Mike Edwards, just to name a few.

Just a week prior, they gave up a lot more to the Carolina Panthers, but divisional games are meant to be closer and more difficult; that should not be a tell-tale sign- unless you’re allowing a quarterback to have a career day in his 13th year. Despite having three turnovers on offense, holding the Raiders offense to under 300 total yards and only 13 points is noteworthy.

Anyone can get an “A”; it’s keeping it that’s the hard part

“It’s one thing getting to first place. It’s a whole other thing staying there,” coach Bowles said after Sunday’s game, as the Buccaneers took over first place in the NFC South. It was a tale of two halves for the Buccaneers offense, but the defense, which has been a liability at times this season, remained grounded and held up their end of the deal.

With four tough games remaining on their schedule, including two division games, the Buccaneers are eyeing their fourth-straight division title, but it won’t be easy, especially not having a tiebreaker over the Falcons. The Bucs’ remaining opponents have a combined record over 21-30, while the Falcons are 15-37, with only the Washington Commanders, the only team remaining that has more than four wins through Week 14 of the season.

Liam Coen credits the Bucs RB room’s selflessness for success

On Thursday, Bucs offensive coordinator Liam Coen discussed the selflessness this position group has this season. 

The Bucs running back room is a three-headed monster that is finally hitting it’s stride late into the 2024 season. Rachaad White, Bucky Irving, and Sean Tucker have all had games where they are “the guy” and having that skillset is vital to this team’s success.

On Thursday, Bucs offensive coordinator Liam Coen discussed the selflessness this position group has this season.

“I think that’s a great point that you’re making, that maybe goes a little unnoticed. It’s not easy for anybody to share. My three-year-old has a hard time sharing. It’s hard, right? It comes from our being, as we’re kids. For that room to be as selfless as you mentioned and the next man up and just keep going, whoever has got the ball…We’re not going to just stop calling runs because somebody is not in there. It’s next-man-up [mentality] and they’ve done a nice job.”

Not only is this group sharing the workload but they are also sharing awards. In Week 6, we saw Sean Tucker win the NFC Offensive Player of the Week Award. In Week 13, it was Bucky Irving’s turn to win the award, so now they are eager to see when Rachaad White could win his.

Todd Bowles likes what the Bucs have in Rachaad White and Bucky Irving

Bucs head coach Todd Bowles was asked about the development of rookie Bucky Irving on Monday when speaking to the media.

The Bucs’ running game has developed better than anyone could have hoped when they lost Dave Canales in 2024. New offensive coordinator Liam Coen has ushered in a rushing attack that rookie Bucky Irving is finally headlining, with Rachaad White also playing a role.

Bucs head coach Todd Bowles was asked about the development of rookie Bucky Irving on Monday when speaking to the media.

“He’s getting more comfortable with the offense. The more comfortable he gets, the more you can give him, the more he can do. . .Bucky has a skill you can’t teach – he can make people miss in the hole. He’s tough on the inside. Rachaad [White] had a big run at the end of the game, as well. Using them both together seems to be working out for us.”

Irving is coming off his best game of his career, in which he ran for 152 yards, but it was White who got the Bucs in field goal position in overtime. The team has finally found a formula that works in 2024, and with a soft schedule to finish the season, they have a chance to win the division.

Not many people would have that was a reality a few weeks ago, but despite losing four in a row, they remain in the hunt after a win over the Panthers.

5 key takeaways from the Bucs lopsided 30-7 win over the Giants

The Bucs came to East Rutherford, New Jersey, desperate for a win, as they had lost their previous four games before last week’s bye.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers came to East Rutherford, New Jersey, desperate for a win, as they had lost their previous four games before last week’s bye.

Not only did the Todd Bowles team come out of the bye week looking refreshed, they made a statement on all sides of the ball, improving to 5-6 on the year and keeping their playoff hopes alive. Here are five key takeaways from today’s 30-7 win over the Giants.

Bucky Irving is RB1

The Buccaneers are known around the league as a team that struggles to run the football. Part of the issue is the running back by committee approach that Liam Coen runs. It’s impossible for any of the Bucs RBs to become “the hot hand” and get something going on the ground when they are constantly being rotated out (this is also covered later on the defensive side). Bucky Irving has been the clear-cut RB1 for the Buccaneers for the last handful of games, and it seems like the only ones that cannot see that are on the Bucs sideline. Totaling only 12 of the team’s 28 designed carries, Irving led the backfield with 87 yards- an average of 7.3 yards per carry. Irving tied Mike Evans with six receptions for the team lead, not only effective on the ground, netting 64 receiving yards. It was understood how dangerous Rachaad White was catching passes out the back. However, Irving has proven to be just as, if not better, at being a pass-catching back than White.

Keep your best players on the field

Throughout the season, namely the four-game losing streak, Bowles was rarely keeping his best defensive line players on the field at the same time. All too often, Vita Vea, Calijah Kancey, and Yaya Diaby were around the mid-60 % of defensive snaps played, which is unacceptable for your star players, who are healthy, to see snap counts that low. This game proved to be different, and while the official snap counts are not out, it was a noticeable effort to keep their best players on the field, and it made a distinct difference, registering four sacks of Tommy DeVito.

Mike Evans opens up the offense

Needless to say, one of the best Buccaneers players in the history of the franchise is a good player. However, it was extremely apparent as Mayfield was able to effectively spread the ball around. Mayfield connected with 11 different players, completing 24 of 30 for 294 yards on the day. The Giants have the best-passing defense that they have faced in the last five games in terms of yards allowed, which begs the question, was it a mistake not to try and trade for another well-established wide receiver when Evans went down?

Playing with urgency

The Buccaneers never let up off the gas throughout the game, no matter what the score was, which is proving to be the recipe for success. Against the Falcons in their Week 5 OT loss, it was a winnable game had the playcalling been more urgent rather than designed screen passes. The controversy of not going for two and not attempting to win against the Kansas City Chiefs in regulation. Not having anyone to catch passes that were not a running back or Cade Otton over that four-game stretch showed that this team has the talent to play with and beat the best that the NFL has to offer. However, they just seem to go on cruise control at the wrong time. Today was not the case and should be the blueprint for the Bucs for the remainder of the season, as they are on the bubble of making the playoffs.

Outcoaching bad coaches

Bowles is not a bad coach. He may be too conservative and make calls that those of us who are not on the sidelines question, but he is not a bad coach. Brian Daboll is not a good coach, and Bowles stepped up and outcoached the Giants. Mistakes are going to happen, as no team, player, or coach is perfect, but continuing to play with urgency and Bowles stepping up and outcoaching the remaining six coaches that the team plays against to close out the regular season is something that needs to happen.

Where is Sean Tucker and where has his usage gone?

In recent weeks, Liam Coen and the offense abandoned the run game and have since lost three straight games. 

Early on in the season, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers were a run-heavy team that controlled time of possession and helped out the passing game. In recent weeks, Liam Coen and the offense abandoned the run game and have since lost three straight games.

Although two of the three losses came to the teams in the Super Bowl last year, that is where the moral victories start and stop.

One major question in the abandoning of the run game is where Sean Tucker has gone. Tucker was the NFC Player of the Week after his performance against the Saints, where he ran for 136 rushing yards, had three receptions for 56 yards, and had two total touchdowns. It seems insane that a player could do that and have just ten carries since then.

In week 10 against the 49ers, Tucker had no snaps played at all, let alone touches. It will be interesting to see how things stand coming out of the Bye Week if he can work his way back into the fold.

5 key takeways from the Bucs 23-20 loss to the 49ers

In a game that was not nearly as close as the scoreboard would indicate, here are 5 key takeaways as the Bucs continue to look for answers.

In what was sort of a midseason battle of attrition of under-performing teams between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and San Francisco 49ers, the Buccaneers once again fell short, this time in regulation as Jake Moody hit a game-winning FG as the clock expired.

In a game that was not nearly as close as the scoreboard would indicate, here are 5 key takeaways as the Buccaneers continue to look for answers following their fourth-straight loss.

The Buccaneers are not built for close games

Close games are traditionally won by out-coaching your opposition. Todd Bowles is unable to do that and has proven it time and time again. Whether it is poor clock management or just simply playing without a killer instinct and playing to win, Bowles is overstaying his welcome among fans. Offensive coordinator Liam Coen, who would be the front-runner to take over the team should the Buccaneers make the unlikely midseason move at head coach, has continued to show flashes of great calling, followed by headscratchers. On the season, the Buccaneers

Bucky Irvin should be RB1 from now on

Of that headscratcher, as mentioned above, decisions would be why the Buccaneers have not named rookie RB Bucky Irving the clear-cut RB1 after routinely out-gaining Rachaad White on running plays. White is dynamic in the passing game; however, splitting nearly 50% of carries every week is less than ideal as Irving is not only the team leader in rushing yards but out-gains White by over a yard per carry, which is a lot considering how close the Buccaneers games have been as of late.

Defense is poorly indescribable

Injuries be damned. Players get hurt weekly, and there is no excuse for how poor this Buccaneers defense is, especially with the number of self-inflicted wounds we see weekly. That falls back on coaching. Bowles continued odd-man substitutions rarely allow for his best players to be on the field at the same time, namely on the defensive line. In last week’s loss to the Kansas City Chiefs, Yaya Diaby, Vita Vea, and Calijah Kancey all saw more than 55% of defensive snaps, which was the highest for all three players all season. Antoine Winfield Jr. has to put 120% effort into every play, not to account for a lack of talent but for a lack of effort from his teammates, which is a recipe for disaster as the season progresses.

The lack of depth at WR should’ve been addressed

The NFL trade deadline came and went, and all the while, the Buccaneers were missing superstar WRs Mike Evans and Chris Godwin. This left Mayfield solely to rely on a young and unproven wide receiver corps, as Jason Licht and the Bucs front office chose to stand pat and not make a move. TE Cade Otton has emerged as Mayfield’s favorite–and most reliable– target over the last several weeks; outside of Otton and the Bucs running backs being utilized in the passing game, it’s become a total crapshoot if and when someone else will step up. Luckily for the Buccaneers, Mayfield continues to toe the line as an outlier in the MVP conversation. Evans will likely return following the bye, which should help open up the offense more.

Bucs playoff hopes dwindling

Per The Athletic, the Buccaneers entered Week 10 with only a 21% chance of making the playoffs, and with another NFC loss to a team in the Wild Card picture, that only makes things harder. Five of the remaining seven games are against fellow NFC teams, making each a must-win bout. As the Bucs enter the bye week, they will look to address some of the problems in hopes of shoring up the defense. In Week 12, the Buccaneers will play against the New York Giants, who have been a mess all season, with the caveat that Bowles has never won a game following a Bye Week.