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“I Wonder Why He Was Hired in the First Place”: Buccaneers Coaching Decision Makes NFL World Go Gaga

Published 01/19/2023, 8:00 AM EST

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USA Today via Reuters

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers lost in harrowing fashion in Tom Brady‘s first playoff loss against the Cowboys on Monday night. Understandably, the franchise was bound to make organizational and strategic changes. And the first sword to fall has landed on offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich.

According to Pewter Report and Dov Kleiman’s tweet, the Bucs have planned Byron’s axing as the first step towards the supposed rebuild. And this is not the first time the franchise has tried to cut ties with the former NFL quarterback. Tom Brady and Co have suffered offensively throughout the season, and fans feel the changes were required.

The Bucs had one of the worst offenses in the league this year

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Head coach Todd Bowles will keep his job for the 2023 season as the Tampa defense was the only thing to brag about for the season. The offense was a mess and the Glazer family simply had enough. Leftwich has been in charge of offensive play-calling since 2019. However, after two seasons of housing the second-best scoring offense in the league and a Super Bowl championship, his dismal show this season raised some alarms.

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The Bucs finished this season with the 25th-ranked scoring offense and a run offense that ranked not only at the bottom of the league but can also rank as one of the worst rushing offenses of all time. With only 75.9 yards of average rushing yards per game, Fournette and White left Byron Leftwich in a huge pickle and fans get it.

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However, fans also want HC Bowles to leave along with Byron. After an 8-10 season with G.O.A.T. Brady, they want to settle for nothing less.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers had their problems irrespective of Byron’s doings

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It’s not all Byron’s fault, as the Buccaneers have been wounded since before the season started. Future Hall of Famer and 4x Super Bowl champion Rob Gronkowski left Brady and football after their 2021 Lombardi Trophy. And Ali Marpet’s retirement added on as an extra injury. Also, center Ryan Jensen suffered a season-ending injury in only the second week of pre-season practice. The remaining O-line had tons of injury problems as well. However, despite the shortcomings, Byron could not devise a way out for his team around 7x champion Brady.

USA Today via Reuters

The Buccaneers were already contemplating letting Byron go during the mid-season bye week after a dismal three-game losing streak. Brady’s comeback win against the Rams and the Seahawks convinced Todd Bowles to put off the decision until now.

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WATCH THIS STORY: Tom Brady’s teammate cum best friend Rob Gronkowski would be surprised if NFL GOAT rejoins New England Patriots

Possible replacement options in the OC role include Georgia coordinator Todd Monken, former Houston Texans HC Bill O’Brien, and former Colts HC Frank Reich.

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Written by:

Soumyapriyo Ganguly

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Soumyapriyo Ganguly is an NFL writer at Essentially Sports. He holds a degree in Economics and Statistics from the Indian School of Business and Finance. Rivu is a sports nerd with his favorites being Soccer, American Football, Basketball, UFC, and Formula 1.
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Edited by:

Hitesh Nigam