Where Does Dave Canales Think He Can Improve As An OC?

When the bye week rolls around, a lot of self-scouting goes on between coaches and players. There’s no opponent that week so it’s best to learn what you have in front of you. That becomes an even more important notion when a team has a first-time play caller as the Bucs do with Dave Canales.  Through four games the Bucs offense has been gritty and come up big in clutch moments. They’ve certainly had their struggles at times, but they are progressing in the right direction.

Dave Canales as a play-caller will only get better as he receive more reps. So what does he want to get better at? It’s an area of the game where he previously said he would be “stubborn” with continuing to call it.

Dave Canales Does Some Self-Scouting

“Just the run-game flow,” Dave Canales said. “Understanding what the defensive plan is, to try and take away some of our core runs and being able to make a transition in the run game better. That’s my biggest growth curve. I’ve watched coordinators get really good at that. I was with Brian Schottenheimer, Shane Waldron, Darrell Bevell before that – that’s something that they would kind of grow through in the first couple drives. By the second quarter, they’re like, ‘I see what they’re trying to do here.’ Then you see some chunk runs happen because of the adjustments. That’s a place where I haven’t quite wrapped my brain around yet.”

The Bucs are 25th in the league in rushing yards per game with 87. It’s been up and down to say the least through four games, as they were shut down by the Vikings and Eagles, had a stellar performance against the Bears, and fared pretty well against the Saints.

Dave Canales also mentioned that he wants to get better in the red zone as a unit. In terms of touchdown scoring efficiency in the red zone, the Bucs are hitting at a 50% rate, which is 20th in the league. Figuring out the best way to attack the defense should see those numbers bump up as the season goes on.

“Situationally, just learning in the red zone, the balance of run and pass there that can continue as you go through it,” Canales said. “I think we’ve done a better job in the last couple weeks, being more balanced down there. I get so excited to throw Chris [Godwin] and Mike [Evans] touchdowns when we get inside the 15 [-yard line] that you can’t forget the best red zone teams every year are the ones that run the ball for touchdowns in the red zone, as well. That opens things up for the whole offense, when you can be balanced all the way down.”

Bucs Offense Is Coming Up Clutch

There’s been an important part of football that the Bucs have excelled in so far during this season and that’s coming up big in crunch time. Already there’s been multiple examples of Tampa Bay stepping up and their most recent moment came against the Saints in a couple of situations.

Bucs WR Chris Godwin – Photo by: USA Today

One was a huge third down conversion to Chris Godwin in the fourth quarter that put the Bucs at the goal line with a chance to close the game out. A few plays later on a fantastic pass blocking display by the offensive line, which gave Baker Mayfield plenty of time to find Deven Thompkins for a touchdown.

Situational football is everything in the game of football and the Bucs have succeeded in getting the better of their opponent at it.

“It starts up front,” Dave Canales said. “What we’re learning about our offensive line is this is a really good pass protecting group. They got us a couple times – that happens to everybody – but they continue to show us their ability to do that. It starts there. Then, Baker [Mayfield] making great decisions.

“They got us on a penalty on one where the ball didn’t quite get to the line of scrimmage, but his decision-making process has been so good. The confidence is growing for the group, for me, with what we can do. And then, where’s Chris [Godwin] at? Game on the line, where is Chris Godwin? Teams know that, defenses know that, we know it. The line giving us a chance to find him and to work.”

Thompkins, who is essentially Tampa Bay’s fourth-string receiver,

“And then ‘D.T.’ and his energy, right?” Canales said. “One of the things I tell the group all the time is, ‘The ball finds energy, so if you break with a lot of juice [when] you make your break, it grabs the attention of the quarterback.’ It’s no different than basketball where everyone is kind of spreading out. If someone breaks to the hoop fast, you see them and you dish it. It’s kind of the same feel – the ball finds energy.”

Dave Canales has brought some undeniable energy to the Bucs offense through the first four games of the season.

Now Canales is focused on bringing more insight to his play-calling after doing some serious self-scouting and self reflection during the bye week.