They can hear; they're simply not listening

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© St. Petersburg Times,
published October 23, 2001

TAMPA -- The critics have been tuned out. Their words, seemingly, dismissed.

If the Buccaneers reshape their philosophies on offense, it will have nothing to do with the yapping of hounds at their heels.

This is their right. It is their team, their season and, ultimately, their legacy. But before the Bucs travel much farther down this road, they might pause to digest these thoughts from nearby.

Specifically, the observations of the Steelers. A team that seems to believe the Bucs are predictable and not at all frightening on offense.

Observation No. 1:

"Ten-yard routes are not going to beat you," Pittsburgh safety Lee Flowers said. "At some point, you have to get the ball downfield."

Observation No. 2:

"A lot of teams throw underneath, but eventually the deep ball is going to come," cornerback DeWayne Washington said. "They never tried to go deep. It got to a point where we were stopping the short and intermediate stuff, too."

Observation No. 3:

"They're a possession-type offense," cornerback Chad Scott said. "One of the reasons they don't throw deep is their quarterback doesn't like to go deep, and neither does the coach. Speed is not the reason. Cris Carter is not the fastest guy in the league, but he gets deep.

"It's what the coach wants to do."

These are not missives from the press box, nor ramblings from talk radio. This is an opponent that did not allow Tampa Bay in the end zone for the first 59 minutes of Sunday's game.

What the Steelers said, essentially, is their only concern was keeping Keyshawn Johnson in front of them.

"It was only Keyshawn. You take him away, and who else did anything?" Flowers said. "If Keyshawn gets hurt, they got no offense."

It is not a question of running too much or passing too little. The Bucs actually have thrown more passes than half the league. They also have a better completion percentage and thrown for more yards than most teams.

The issue is keeping defenses off-balance. Making an opponent fear the pass and respect the run. The Steelers, like several opponents, did neither. Corners can play tighter and safeties can monitor the run because the Bucs have not shown the capacity to make a big play.

Sixty-eight players have had a reception of longer than 35 yards this season. None wears a Bucs uniform.

"They were squatting on the sticks," Bucs receiver Jacquez Green said. "They were 10-12 yards away, just waiting for us."

The Bucs are not built to be a big-play offense. They would prefer to run first and pass later. Brad Johnson is a master at the short-yardage passing game. Keyshawn Johnson is more of a possession receiver than a burner.

And there is nothing wrong with any of that. Except when it becomes too predictable. That is when a 100-yard field becomes a 20-yard field for a defense. And that is when the run gets easier and easier to defend.

Tampa Bay's philosophy on defense has been to avoid big plays and force opponents to drive the length of the field. The theory being that, more often than not, the offense will make a mistake before reaching the end zone.

This is what it wants to force its opponents to do, and yet the Bucs offense does it willingly. It moves the ball, but rarely scores.

Tampa Bay is 24th in the NFL in scoring average and it could be much, much worse. The Bucs have scored six of their eight offensive touchdowns in the fourth quarters of games when they were desperate. In other words, they are virtually punchless when they are in their normal offensive mode.

Offensive coordinator Clyde Christensen is aware of the numbers. More important, he is dismayed by the numbers.

But Christensen disputes the Steelers' assertions. He points out Keyshawn Johnson had a half-dozen receptions in the 15- to 20-yard range Sunday.

In Christensen's mind, the Bucs have gotten away from their strength by trying to throw too much. If they are lacking big plays, it is not because they have failed to throw deep. It is because they have not established the run before attempting to throw deep.

"We've been a running team that has taken what the defense has given us and maybe thrown the ball more than we wanted," Christensen said. "The good running teams keep running. It doesn't matter. That's what you do. That's what we've done in the past here and done it successfully."

So the Bucs will plod on, assigning their critics no voice.

And if they are wrong, assigning their season no resonance.

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