Quick story. Week five Monday Night Football vs the Carolina Panthers. Bucs receive the opening kickoff an proceed to hand the ball off to Jacquizz Rodgers on 10 of the first 12 plays. Why? Game planning. The Buccaneers defensive line was, as they say, decimated by injuries. Gerald McCoy, Robert Ayres and Clinton McDonald were all not playing. So what does that have to do with Jameis Winston turning around and giving the ball to Rodgers time after time?
Head coach Dirk Koetter knew that his patchwork defensive line wouldn’t stand up for 4 quarters against the Panthers offense with players like John Hughes, Channing Ward and DaVonte Lambert logging significant minutes.