| If Buccaneers head coach Tony
Dungy was looking for a Mike Shula type to be Tampa Bay’s new offensive coordinator,
he found him. Former Titans coordinator Les Steckel was hired by Dungy on Sunday to
breathe some life into a Bucs offense that never finished higher than 22nd in
the league under Shula.
But just how much more life the Bucs’ offense will have is another question.
Simply put, the overall talent isn’t there for a Super Bowl winner. This past
season, Tampa Bay ranked 28th in total offense (15th rushing, 30th passing) and
failed to score a touchdown in five games, including the postseason. The Buccaneers’
lack of a passing game has been well-documented, but don’t overlook the fact that the
team’s running game dropped from fourth in the league in the 1998 regular season to
15th in the ’99 campaign.
But Steckel knows how to operate a ground attack. How do you think the Titans rallied
from a 16-0 deficit in Super Bowl XXXIV vs. St. Louis? They plowed their way down the
field and maintained possession for practically the entire second half – and that was
with just one running back, Eddie George. Imagine what Steckel could do with two, Mike
Alstott and Warrick Dunn.
Tampa Bay’s problem rests with its aerial attack. Jacquez Green turned out to be
the Bucs’ only reliable WR threat, and he didn’t take off until the second half
of the season. Bert Emanuel has been a huge disappointment since signing a four-year, $16
million contract before the ’98 season, and Reidel Anthony hasn’t come close to
living up to expectations. And with a rookie quarterback running the show, the passing
game could take awhile to get on track.
Which leads to my point. Like Shula, Steckel has been criticized for limiting
Tennessee’s passing game and not developing the team’s quarterback to his
potential.
While the Titans did open things up more this past season, QB Steve McNair has still
taken heat for not being a consistent-enough passer, particularly in the deep game, the
burden of which lies partly with Steckel. In past seasons, Titans observers often spoke of
the team’s needling and prodding of McNair not to make mistakes. Though Tennessee
wanted him to take more chances this past season, McNair often showed how far away he was
from being a top NFL passer, which he had appeared destined to be during his college days
at Alcorn State.
Now Steckel will work extensively with Buccaneers QB Shaun King, who has some of
McNair’s qualities. Although he lacks McNair’s size, King can make plays with
his feet, and he displays a fearlessness of which few young quarterbacks can boast.
The question is: Will Steckel be able to take King further than he took McNair?
Granted, McNair led his team to a Super Bowl, but I’m not talking about team goals
here. I’m talking about individual development.
If you think McNair has gone as far as he can, then you’re not watching closely
enough.
Shula never squeezed all he could out of Trent Dilfer and the Bucs’ passing game,
which eventually led to his dismissal. Now, with the Bucs’ window of opportunity wide
open to make a Super Bowl run, it’s up to Steckel to squeeze all he can out of King.
But given the coordinator’s history, in addition to the personnel he has to use,
Steckel may be left wringing his hands. |
