Bucs Brady Blames Execution For First Down Struggles

The Bucs offense hasn’t lived up to the lofty standards it set in previous seasons. Through six games the Bucs have only averaged 20.2 points per game. And those numbers are skewed with a blowout loss to Kansas City where Tampa Bay was trying to catch up. While most of the blame has been attributed to play-calling, especially on first down, one very important Bucs player points to another reason.

According to Bucs quarterback Tom Brady the majority of the offense’s struggles is due to a lack of execution.

“I think our problem is an execution problem.” Brady said. “I think every team has different things they like to do and do differently, and there’s scouting reports and so forth. In my opinion – we watch the film – we need to do a better job of executing. There’s plenty of plays out there for us to make that we haven’t made.”

Predictability in the run game has appeared to be an issue with the Bucs who’ve run the ball 54 times, averaging just over three yards per carry on first down.  Yet instead of taking issue with the play calling, Brady again doubled down on the team’s execution.

“If you improve the run game and then you gain more yards on first down and then you’re in a better situation,” Brady said. “Yeah, if you hand it off on first down and you don’t gain yards it’s difficult because you’re in second-and-long. But if you do gain yards, you’re in second-and-short and you have a great selection of plays.

“Again, I think it’s not as much play selection as, when you run it, you want to be efficient when you run it. When you throw it, you want to be efficient when you throw it. I think about it more, not necessarily what plays are called but are we executing the plays that are called in order to [succeed].”

First Down Has Been An Issue All Season For Bucs

It’s easy to just blame execution for the offense’s woes. Though when the same plays are being called and achieving the same results it should signal a change is necessary.

“If you want a positive run, did we gain five yards?” Brady said. “And if we didn’t, why did we not? Was it the wrong look, was it a bad look, was it a difficult alignment by the defense that didn’t allow us to do that? And then when we throw it, same thing. Are we throwing into a good look or a bad look. Every defense has strengths and weaknesses, and we just have to do a better job executing.”

Brady is one of the best in the game at reading defenses and predicting what they are going to do. So, his comments about running or throwing into a bad look are a bit alarming. Logic says if Brady is noticing he is receiving an unfavorable look at the line of scrimmage he should audible into a higher percentage play. However, when looking at the alignments they are running out of on first down his personnel groupings often don’t allow for him to do so. 

So, how long can the Bucs continue to align in sets that are a tell-tale giveaway that they intend to run on first down and are difficult to audible out of? And how long until Brady approaches Leftwich in regard to putting the offense in more advantageous positions to make plays, especially on first down? According to Brady it has more to do with execution than the plays being called.

Bucs OC Byron Leftwich and QB Tom Brady – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

“Again, I think it’s just a matter of [execution],” Brady said. “Yeah, I mean that’s the game. There’s no other thing other than that. I know it sounds [repetitive], but that’s the reality. Whatever play is called, whether it’s a goal-line run or whether it’s a pass or whether it’s third-and-long. Our ability to execute, whether we throw it 50 times or run it 50 times, it’s the same thing. Whatever is called we have to do a good job in our job to execute it in the best possible way.”

Brady seems to have a much more hands off approach this year. Letting Leftwich call the plays and doing the best he can to execute with the personnel on the field.

However, this offense has been at its peak in hurry up and two-minute situations where Brady is mostly calling the plays on the fly. If this Bucs offense is going to put up points at a clip they did in the past, maybe it’s time to let Brady do what he does best.