bucks heading out on sunday afternoon They want to right their mistakes and get back on track against the Saints, but the team has positive momentum on the offensive side of the football and needs to continue building.
In Week 4, Tampa Bay had 33 points and 445 yards of total offense against the Eagles. Although they suffered a blowout loss against the Falcons in Week 5, they were unable to stop quarterback Baker Mayfield’s offense. Completed 79.2% of passes And he threw three touchdowns.
Offensive coordinator Liam Cohen has been getting the most out of Mayfield this season, and it’s paying off. Both leaders of the Bucs offense discussed the challenge of creating a game plan to keep the ball moving, as the team’s next test will always be against the tough Saints defense.
Baker Mayfield: Saints are ‘just an offensive team’
Bucks QB Baker Mayfield – Photo courtesy of USA Today
Speaking to the media this week, Baker Mayfield talked about the challenges of playing with the Saints’ defense, starting with leveraging all of the talent the Saints have on that side of the ball.
“Obviously, Demario Davis [just] He has a lot of experience, so he can recognize things very quickly. [is] “He’s obviously a very physical player in the run game, and in play-action he’s quick to apply force and try to get the ball out,” Mayfield said. “He might not be exactly blitzing on some of these plays, but he recognizes that and forces the ball out.
“I think Pete Werner is a very good player as well. When you put those two together, it’s a very good linebacker duo. They’re like playoffs with each other… from the middle onwards. it gets really difficult [field] When they can play their way. And obviously, Tyrann Mathieu has seen a lot of ball as well. It’s just pattern recognition and expanding from there. We also have Marshon Lattimore, who is very physical. ”
Remarkably, Mayfield didn’t even mention the team’s top pass rusher. Second-year defensive tackle Brian Brisee had four sacks, nickel cornerback Alonte Taylor had 3.5 sacks and defensive end Carl Granderson had three sacks.
With so much talent at every level, it’s no surprise that New Orleans has been successful in stopping opposing teams from scoring. they rank 8th in the league in scoring defenseThey are allowing just 19.2 points per game.
“[It’s] Just an aggressive team,” Mayfield added. “They have some important leaders in tight spots who are always aggressive and physical. [They have] People who understand the concept. They can quickly react and close some of those windows in the passing game. [be] Because of the emphasis on physicality up front, they can’t get off the ball and establish the line of scrimmage. So for us, it’s really all about the details when it comes to red zone offense. It’s going to be a tough ballgame when it comes to that area of the field, but we’ve got to find a way to do it. ”
Liam Cohen: “It’s really important for us to have a fresh start”
Once the Bucs get off to a fast start, the game is wide open. This creates an early advantage that helps on both sides of the ball, but especially helps head coach Todd Bowles get more creative on the defensive side of the ball. Watching the Saints’ defense, Liam Cohen knows they have to expect the unexpected.
Bucks QB Baker Mayfield and OC Liam Cohen – Photo by Cliff Welch/PR
“They have playmakers,” Cohen said. “When they get the ball and they hit it, they’ve done a great job of creating turnovers and making plays over the years. We’ve got to keep trying to get Mike. not be [Evans] We get involved early and as the game goes on, we see that matchup and the success of our offense over and over again. They have a very specific game plan for each team whether they play with many man or not [coverage] There are a lot of three deeps this week. [coverage]or their [Tampa-2] Looks – We need to have a great plan to be able to adjust in-game to how they play us.
“They also play different front structures: under, over, jam. You don’t really know what they’re going to do. So it’s about continuing to have early success and getting the players into a rhythm. , give everyone touches early and think, “Once we get into the game, what’s the best way to attack them, especially in the run game and the pass game?” ”
The Bucks are playing a lot this week.
Not only did they overcome a tough loss in the division, they also play in the city of Tampa, which was recently hit hard by Hurricane Milton. A key offensive day will go a long way in getting back on track and back to mid-season form before tough battles against playoff-contending teams.
