The Tampa Bay Buccaneers haven't been particularly aggressive downfield with rookie quarterback Jalon Daniels, and head coach Todd Bowles acknowledged Wednesday that some of that approach was intentional.
Speaking to reporters at the Buccaneers' October 21 media session, Bowles was asked whether Tampa Bay's limited downfield passing attempts were meant to protect Daniels, who has started three straight games in place of the injured Baker Mayfield.
"Definitely some of it [is designed] to protect him and minimize that. You know, every time we were going downfield in the past couple weeks, we've either gotten a holding penalty or a sack. So, it hasn't been favorable for us, but we've still got to be able to get the ball down the field," Bowles said.
The explanation points to a larger issue with Tampa Bay's offense. Daniels is still developing as an NFL quarterback, but the Buccaneers haven't consistently protected him enough to attack defenses vertically. When longer-developing plays result in sacks or holding penalties, the offense loses opportunities to stretch the field and becomes easier to defend.
Bowles also acknowledged that the team's preference for throwing toward the sidelines instead of attacking the middle of the field comes from a combination of defensive coverage and offensive design.
"It's a little bit of both. Sometimes they take it away in the middle [and] we've got to throw outside and check it down and do some things, and then sometimes it's by design," Bowles said.
Protecting a rookie quarterback is huge for an offense, particularly behind an offensive line that has struggled somewhat this season. However, Tampa Bay also needs to create opportunities beyond short throws and checkdowns. Defenses have less ground to cover when they don't have to consistently respect the deep passing game.
As the Buccaneers prepare to face Carolina in Week 7, the challenge is balancing keeping Daniels comfortable with giving the offense enough flexibility to move the football. Bowles' comments suggest the coaching staff recognizes the problem, but fixing it will require more than simply asking its rookie quarterback to take additional chances.
This article originally appeared on Bucs Wire: Bucs admit they're holding back Jalon Daniels in passing game
