"He will have to wear it" - NFL insider explains Buccaneers' poor form not just down to Brady
Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers couldn't have imagined starting the 2022-2023 season at 3 - 4. Some fans point to the Buccaneers offense, especially the seven-time Super Bowl winner's performance in Week 7 versus the Carolina Panthers. He threw for 290 yards with zero touchdowns in the 21 - 3 loss to the Panthers.
One NFL insider commented that the struggles of the Buccaneers aren't all about the quarterback. Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times responded on Twitter about offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich and the fault for the offensive woes.
Stroud said:
Yes. And with Tom Brady, he never got credit for that. And when things aren’t going well…it’s not going to be Tom Brady’s fault. Leftwich knows he will have to wear it. twitter.com/PatsNuggets/st…
Leftwich is currently in his third season as Tampa Bay's offensive coordinator after being hired by former head coach Bruce Arians in 2019. Prior to the 2022-2023 season, the offense had finished in the top three in points per game under Leftwich. Tampa Bay's offense ranked in the top 10 in total yards, including second in the 2021-2022 season.
Thus far in the 2022-2023 season, the offense ranks 22nd in the league in total yards and 25th in points per game at 17.7 points. Overall, there has been a noticeable trend since Brady signed with Tampa Bay in March 2020 on the offensive side of the ball.
A noticeable offensive trend with Tom Brady at QB and Byron Leftwich as OC in Tampa Bay
The Buccaneers' offense under Brady and Leftwich since the 2020-2021 season has been one-sided. While they've thrived throwing the ball, Tampa Bay hasn't been able to run the ball. They currently rank last in the NFL in the 2022-2023 season in rushing touchdowns with just 2. Furthermore, Tampa Bay is last in rushing yards and 31st in rushing attempts so far this season.
The Buccaneers quarterback recently spoke to the media about improving the running game.
Brady said:
“If you improve the run game and then you gain more yards on first down and then you’re in a better situation,” “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."
Overall, the team is riding a two-game losing streak after losing in Week 6 to the Pittsburgh Steelers. Tampa Bay now have a short turnaround as they host the Baltimore Ravens on Thursday night to kickoff Week 8. Let's see if the offense can score more than 3 points versus the Ravens.
If you use any of the above quotes, please credit PewterReport.com and H/T Sportskeeda.