Josh Grizzard made his highly anticipated debut calling plays in an NFL regular-season game last Sunday against the Falcons. Now that Grizzard has a game under his belt, he is getting set for his next test, facing the Texans under the lights at NRG Stadium on Monday night.
Speaking to reporters at the end of last week, the young offensive coordinator discussed the lessons he learned from starting slow and how Tampa Bay is approaching its next game.
Josh Grizzard Looks To Spark Bucs’ Offense With Faster Start vs. Texans
The first quarter of the Bucs season-opener did not go as planned, to say the least. The offense mustered just 40 total yards, converting just one out of four third-down attempts. Quarterback Baker Mayfield completed just two of seven passes for 16 yards, with wide receivers Mike Evans and Emeka Egbuka having just one catch for six yards combined.
Bucs OC Josh Grizzard – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR
Putting his playmakers in positions to make plays and an immediate impact is something Josh Grizzard is emphasizing in Week 2.
“Yeah, really starting fast,” Grizzard said about what he wants to improve on. “Starting fast, trying to get easier completions, that way we can get the guys going. We had a couple we missed early to Mike [Evans] on some of the targets, either shorter ones or down the field, but anytime that he can get the ball and get the thing rolling, it puts pressure on the defense, which opens up the run game as well.”
It was always going to be a tough challenge facing a division rival on the road without left tackle Tristan Wirfs and wide receiver Chris Godwin Jr. Despite the adversity, Grizzard helped the unit overcome it as the game went on, with Mayfield providing a needed spark and game-winning drive at the end of the game. Both the offense and defense cleaned up their acts as the contest went on, with the offense finishing with 260 total yards and converting 7 out of 14 third-down attempts.
Bucs OC Josh Grizzard – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR
Tampa Bay does not just want to scrape by to win games, though. Grizzard is hoping the first game is just an anomaly.
“Yeah, [we] definitely did not start how we intended,” Grizzard added. “It was good to see the resiliency of being able to put together some drives in the second quarter and then especially the way we finished it, but that’s what it is. You want to start fast; you want to put the pressure on them from the jump.
“Just seeing everybody come together…What’s not hitting? What’s hitting? How can we adjust that? Whether it’s in the second quarter, at halftime, [we want] to go out there and try to put some drives together and score points.”
Josh Grizzard Appreciates The Game Calling Reps Heading Into Houston
Josh Grizzard’s meteoric rise as a young offensive mind leaves reason to be excited about what he can become. Still, it also leaves room to learn and grow into his role as an offensive coordinator. Growing pains are to be expected for anyone new on the job, but the sooner he settles in to being a play-calling “Wizzard,” the better.
Bucs OC Josh Grizzard and HC Todd Bowles – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR
Grizzard has been taking it in stride since the preseason, when he was treating exhibition games like the real deal.
“It’s huge because you just get more reps at it [and] hope to get better with it every week,” Grizzard said about what he took away from the first game. “Just using those preseason games to be able to do that was treating those games… like it’s the first game of the season. That way everything is as serious as it needs to be. Trying to get the guys in the right spots to get them the ball and just keep adding to that.”
Next up for the Bucs’ offense?
A national primetime stage in Houston against one of the NFL’s most physical defenses led by defensive-minded head coach DeMeco Ryans. Although Ryans spoke highly of Tampa Bay’s offensive talent leading up to the game, it’s up to Grizzard to coax the most out of the players from the get-go. Doing so will allow head coach Todd Bowles to get into his own defensive bag of tricks and continue making the schematic adjustments that were on display in Atlanta.
It might be another week of gutting out a win while the team waits for reinforcements, and Josh Grizzard recognizes the talent on the other side that’s going to be doing everything to put a wrench in his plans.
Texans CB Derek Stingley Jr. and DE Danielle Hunter – Photo by: USA Today
“It’s a big challenge,” Grizzard said. “It’s a really good unit. You see it from all three levels of the defense, starting with the D-line and those edge rushers – very good. They just play so hard. They’re so well-coached from Coach [Demeco] Ryans. You can see that stick out on tape all the way back to his time with the [San Francisco] 49ers – very similar scheme. Starting up front, you see what those guys can do as pass rushers and in the run game. Then from the stack linebacker positions with Azeez [Al-Shaair] really running the show in there as the middle [linebacker], does a great job.
“As well as having [Jalen] Pitre – he’s a safety on paper, but he plays a lot of nickel [cornerback] for them. He’s very physical, likes to mix it up in the run game. Then once you get to the perimeter of the defense, those guys are really good in [Derek] Stingley, and then last year on the outside with both the safeties, we have a little bit of history with Chauncey Gardner-Johnson from last year in [Philadelphia]. So, really all three levels are a stout unit. They play hard, very fundamentally sound.”
Whether the Bucs’ offense can flip the script early will go a long way in deciding if Josh Grizzard’s second act ends with another win — or another uphill climb.