Buccaneers Not Making Changes on Offensive Line

Despite recent and consistent struggles, Tampa Bay Buccaneers coach Todd Bowles says the unit protecting Tom Brady will stay the same.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have a problem. 

At 3-3, the team considered to be a Super Bowl contender has losses against other would-be challengers like the Kansas City Chiefs and Green Bay Packers, but also the Pittsburgh Steelers who are more likely to compete for a top 10 NFL Draft pick than a trip to the title fight.

And many of them, even the play-calling, point to concerns about the offensive line, and their ability to protect quarterback Tom Brady. 

READ MORE: NFL Veteran Bothered by Brady

"We've got the guys we've got and we're happy with them," coach Todd Bowles said when asked about making changes to the offensive line after the Bucs' loss to the Steelers. "We just have to be better play-wise. We've got to execute better. It's always a guy here and a guy there – whether it's Luke [Goedeke] or somebody else on the offensive line, or a ball outside and we miss a block here and there, or somebody swims us and gets by and makes it look worse than it is. It's a different guy every play."

Tampa Bay's starting five offensive linemen (Donovan Smith, Luke Goedeke, Robert Hainsey, Shaq Mason, Tristan Wirfs) have all played at least 238 blocking snaps this season. 

Only 112 total NFL offensive linemen are in that same group. 

Of those, no Buccaneers lineman is in the top 25 in run blocking or top 35 in pass blocking. 

In fact, they have two linemen (Smith and Goedeke) in the bottom half of pass-blocking grades, and two (Mason and Goedek) in the same group of run blockers. 

Goedeke has the second-worst overall grade of all qualifying linemen. 

Only offensive tackle Greg Little of the Miami Dolphins is worse.

Meanwhile, Goedeke has allowed the eighth-most pressures and is tied for 12th with four penalties through six games. 

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To Bowles' point, his rookie guard isn't the only one ranked highly in penalties this season. 

Three Buccaneers linemen (Goedeke, Mason, Wirfs) have two or more so far this season.

Hainsey and Smith are the only two without a flag this year, according to PFF.

Are the line issues isolated to just Goedeke? 

No. But he may be the biggest leak in the ship.

And if it can't be plugged then the best option may be to remove the faulty plank and replace it with a new one.

Stick with BucsGameday for more coverage on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers throughout the season.

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