Analyzing Bucs OC Liam Coen’s Offensive Attack

Based on reporting, the Bucs have finally found their new offensive coordinator in Kentucky play-caller Liam Coen, who spent time with Sean McVay and the Rams offense.

After losing offensive coordinator Dave Canales to the in-division Panthers as the Panthers head coach, it took Tampa Bay just over a week to find their new play-caller.

To Bucs fans that felt like an eternity. Despite the timeline and the extensive list of names that were brought in for interviews, the Bucs found a great fit who should be able to build off of the solid foundation of success that Canales had left.

Looking into Liam Coen’s background and offense at Kentucky here are some things that Bucs fans can expect.

Liam Coen Loves Play-Action

During his two years of play-calling at the FBS level with Kentucky in 2021 and 2023, Coen utilized play-action at one of the highest rates. In 2021, former Kentucky quarterback Will Levis ranked 19th in the nation with a 35.7% play -action rate. He averaged 9.7 yards per attempt while throwing 14 touchdowns to just five interceptions on those throws while enjoying his best season as a collegiate athlete.

In 2023, Kentucky quarterback Devin Leary was 23rd in the nation in play-action rate at 37.0%. His numbers in those situations were almost as good as Levis’ as he averaged 9.2 yards per attempt with a 14:1 touchdown to interception ratio.

During the 2022 season when Coen was the offensive coordinator for the Rams, current Bucs quarterback Baker Mayfield ranked eighth in the NFL with a 30.8% play-action rate. Coen also was helpful in getting Mayfield prepared for one of the most bizarre and amazing quarterback performances of all-time. In that game Mayfield threw over 34% of his throws off of play-action while going 8-of-11 for 72 yards off the fakes.

Coen’s use of play-action helps to create space for his receivers. This in turn aides the offense as a whole by creating opportunities to use more players in pass protection.

2-man route combo gets open. lots going on here. Fake pitch off return motion sucks in underneath defenders.

Allows space for the 2-deep route combo to work in space. Post-Corner wins when C3 corner follows this inside stem fake. https://t.co/iNfq1IkFuc pic.twitter.com/iMdjHQi2Wm

— Joshua Queipo (@josh_queipo) February 2, 2024

Pre-Snap Motion Is A Staple In Liam Coen Offenses

Bucs OC Liam Coen – Photo by: USA Today

Much like his “ancestors” before him in the Kyle Shanahan and Sean McVay coaching tree, Liam Coen believes in the use of pre-snap motion. These motions aid the offense in two ways.

One, it can often tell the offense if defense is man or zone coverage. One of Coen’s favorite use of motions is to start his running back out wide as a receiver to see how the opposing defense matches up with him. If the defense matches with a linebacker, Coen will have the running back stay out wide and the offense will run a man-beater play.

However, if the defense aligns a corner on the running back Coen will have his back motion to the backfield and the offense will run a zone beater play.

Secondly, Coen will run pre-snap motion to try and force the defense to be on top of their communication and give his quarterback multiple options – or answers – for success. An example of that is this designed screen with a backside-slant based on how the defense clears it’s middle-of-the-field defenders.

Pre-snap move from extreme condensed look into spread. Motion at snap to set up screen. If DEF is late to widen the screen is there. If they widen too much the backside shallow cross comes open in MOF. https://t.co/v9RBJgWpCe pic.twitter.com/0RfpyAnpGx

— Joshua Queipo (@josh_queipo) February 2, 2024

Getting To Traditional Plays in Non-Traditional Ways

Many people will remember Rachaad White’s touchdown against Green Bay last year. It was a “four verts” concept that included the running back as a part of the concept. It was a unique way to get to a basic concept that would hopefully catch the defense off guard. And it worked.

Another example of that would be the play action screen to White in Atlanta in week 14.

Liam Coen will similarly try to find non-traditional ways of getting to fairly routine concepts. Much like Dave Canales, Coen is willing to run screens to his running backs off of play action boots to the opposite side of the field.

PA RB Screen? Chaad will approve. https://t.co/6JZahi4w5b pic.twitter.com/1mSmbKGggn

— Joshua Queipo (@josh_queipo) February 2, 2024

Liam Coen Offenses Attack Both Vertically AND Laterally

One of the best ways Dave Canales was able to get more out of the Bucs receivers than his predecessor was by creating a passing structure that featured a lot of in-breaking routes. This challenged defenses that wanted to play zone to have to pass off routes as receivers entered and exited different zones of the defense. And in man coverage it forced defenders to have to play with proper leverage and depth to keep up with receivers moving across multiple planes.

Coen uses these same principles in his own offensive structure.

UK vs. GA Flood vs. C3. Now Imagine Trey as the Z running the post. Godwin in the slot on the Intermediate Out and Cade to the flat pic.twitter.com/RydG0ORVI8

— Joshua Queipo (@josh_queipo) February 2, 2024

Liam Coen Will Find Lots Of Success With Bucs In His ‘Players, Not Plays’ Approach

Bucs OC Liam Coen and Rams QB Matthew Stafford – Photo by: USA Today

Liam Coen has a feature on Nike’s Coaches Insider that I highly recommend if you are so interested. In his 50-minute segment he breaks down how he designs his play sheet, structures his offense within a game and tries to create success.

One of his biggest tenants will be a welcome sight for Bucs fans. Philosophically, Coen likes to think about offense through the lens of “it’s about players, not plays.”

What he means by this is he wants to get the ball into his best players’ hands as much as possible. He believes in this tenant so much; he leaves a box on his call sheet specifically with his top playmakers listed so he can track how often he calls plays designed to get the ball into those players hands.

For many Bucs fans who have bemoaned both former offensive coordinators Byron Leftwich and Dave Canales for at times failing to find ways to get the ball to Mike Evans and Chris Godwin, this should come as a welcomed notice.