The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are in need of players to step up on offense. Injuries have hit the unit hard as they are down two running backs and a big wide receiver. Mike Williams is on the bench for the remainder of the season after a hamstring injury, leaving Vincent Jackson to pick up the slack. So why is Tampa Bay not throwing him the ball?
Jackson may lead the team in catches, but without Williams in the lineup the past two games, he has struggled to make an impact when the Buccaneers need him most. Jackson was targeted just 12 times in those two games, catching only five balls for 39 yards. With very few offensive stars left, those numbers must change, no matter what the defense is showing. Greg Schiano is noting that the team must feed their stars the ball as much as possible now.
"We need to make sure he gets his touches because he's a dynamic player," Schiano said, via the Tampa Bay Tribune. "You're talking about a Pro Bowl player. And, certainly, with the loss of some (of our) weapons offensively, defenses are really going to key on him now. That's a fact of life. But get over it and find a way to get him the ball. That's what we have to do.''
Jackson already spends time working in multiple areas of the field. Because of his size and decent speed, the wide receiver will be used as both a wideout and a slot receiver, depending on the play call. He could be moving even more considering how short the unit is on players. Offensive coordinator continues to experiment with the playbook regarding Jackson and hopes to find the right balance to make him as productive as possible.
"It's a matter of finding the right mixture, because you can move him around but then you say, 'Wait a minute, if we're putting him in this spot then it's 100-percent pass if you check the run-pass ratio,' '' Sullivan said. "So, maybe you better run out of that. But the bottom line is, there is no question we have to continue to do that to be effective. We're focused on that because that is a guy we are counting on.''
Jackson is already a must-start on fantasy, but the increased role could make him very valuable for a team owner. He will likely gain even more attention from the opposing defense, but Schiano is not concerned with double-coverage, having confidence the Pro Bowler can make the catches.
