This is hardly a new phenomenon but dang if it doesnt drive Joe wild. He posted a record of 91 wins and 33 losses with the San Francisco 49ers from 1987 to 1999 after two unsuccessful seasons with the Buccaneers. SDAA. 1 rushing . Super Bowl-winning offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich has been fired after four seasons with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window). He returned against the New England Patriots in the AFC Wild Card round of the playoffs. Its the two interior guys. When the PLAYOFFS start, hell start running on first down to the RIGHT. Brady is set to become an unrestricted free agent this offseason, but the Bucs will keep him abreast of their plans, and making the right choice at offensive coordinator could go a long way toward luring him back for another season. Hurt up. They should be using their time wisely and if the offense isnt firing on all cylinders in December, Leftwich is the fall guy. Yes.the right side is the strong side.do not be stupid..use it, Bruce Arians Responsibilities Will Change In 2023. Yes, Leftwich has to be blamed for some of this but clearly Bowels is the culprit to this. I get they seen bradybwas open 1st time but it was missed n we was driving hard. Joes point about running to the weak side is proof that Leftwich isnt running the best plays to be successful. Byron Leftwich should begin to get looks for NFL head coaching jobs, as he continues to impress as offensive coordinator for the Buccaneers. A good coordinator would use tipping plays to his advantage. Ls vr integritetspolicy och cookiepolicy fr att f mer information om hur vi anvnder dina personuppgifter. In addition, quarterbacks coach Clyde Christensen, senior offensive assistant Rick Christophel and outside linebackers coach Bob Sanders have decided to retire, the team said. It is his team, and it is clearly showing on gameday. Lefty playing the long game here, lulling the enemy asleep. [20][21], During Week 10 of the 2012 season, Ben Roethlisberger was knocked out of the game against the Kansas City Chiefs at Heinz Field, injuring his SC joint and rib on the only sack of the game. He was also first-team All-DCIAA East in basketball his senior year. However, the Jaguars lost the three final games of the season, preventing the team from making the playoffs, and Garrard struggled in each game. Its about survival for him at this point. Defensive coordinator Todd Bowles was named his successor. A team badly underachieving dude to awful coaching that is borderline criminal! I am one of those hollering for more PA and more hurry-up both of which negate pass rush. Leftwich was one of the top offensive coordinator candidates for the 2023 NFL head coaching cycle despite the decision to pass on Jacksonvilles offer last year. It was with Byron Leftwich, the team's offensive coordinator and then a rising star as a potential head coach. And from the perspective of playing . Chris Godwin missed two with a hamstring injury and Mike Evans missed one because of a suspension. The final score was 419 and he completed 5 passes out of 7 attempts for a total of 42 yards with no touchdowns or interceptions. Hell, AZ QB moved around and even Sam Darnold scored on a QB designed run last week. According to Spotrac, Bryon Leftwich earned a total of $27,212,000 during his career in the NFL as a player. Most fans will be surprised if these two idiots can coach up the team to win the next game!!!! The Bucs' scoring dropped from 29.29 offensive points per game in 2021 -- first in the league -- to 18.06 in 2022, 23rd in the league. When asked, Leftwich often pulls out his stock answer of how he calls plays that he thinks best give the Bucs a chance to win. November 3, 2022 7:17 pm ET. In red zone efficiency, they've gone from 66.2% last season -- second in the league -- to 51.1%, 25th in the league in 2022. That said, Byron and Tom are out there having to use quick game and screen game to counter for an OL that truly cannot handle any NFL teams 4 man pass rush. Its too simple! Zorn, a native of Whittier, California, completed 1669 passes in 3149 attempts for 21115 yards and 111 touchdowns in his career. Leftwich starred at Marshall University in Huntington, West Virginia. Change the play up out of the same sets. While with the 49ers, Young was selected to seven straight Pro Bowls (1992 to 1998), led the NFL in quarterback rating six times, touchdown passes four times (including a career-high 36 touchdown passes in 1998), completion percentage five times and yards per game twice. Now, with no Wells, a hurt Wirfs, a Smith who is a big WTFand even rookie TEs who are being asked to chip and help in pass pro, and youve got a recipe for an itchy-trigger fingered Tom. Leftwich led the Jaguars to victories on national television in consecutive weeks against the favored Dallas Cowboys and Pittsburgh Steelers to begin the 2006 season. Hmmmm. Two years later, Leftwich is now left unemployed following a disastrous 8-10 campaign for Tampa Bay during the 2022 NFL season. Leftwich also played four non-consecutive seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers as the backup to Ben Roethlisberger, where he was part of the Super Bowl-winning team in Super Bowl XLIII. Leftwich missed the remaining five games of the regular season. Leftwich entered his fourth NFL season as the Jaguars' starting quarterback, but without veteran wide receiver Jimmy Smith, who suddenly retired in May 2006. Buy Buccaneers Tickets. Leftwich suffered an ankle injury in a week 4 loss to the Washington Redskins. On face value, it makes no sense. After the 2020 regular season, Arians stated that he had delegated the offense to Leftwich, and expressed frustration that the coordinator was not interviewed by other NFL teams for a head coaching position. Hes a free agent at the end of this season. and hes supposed to resurrect their offense and fix russell wilson? He remained with the team for one season as interim offensive coordinator in 2018 after Arians retired.. And you cant tell Joe defenses have stacked so many players on the Bucs right side for nearly 75 percent of the plays during each game. Power running teams usually just run straight at you, matchups be darned. Getty Pittsburgh Steelers offensive coordinator Matt Canada has one year left on his contract. Brady knows it. "I think this group is learning how to play the moments that we've got to make plays, understanding what we've got to do to really win football games. 1) Steve YoungSan Francisco 49ersConcussions plagued Young for a period of time in his NFL career, however when he was on the football field, Young won games frequently. Leftwich isnt changing to the Bucs will need to change and jettison him after the season. A four-time Pro Bowler, Stabler was the NFLs most valuable player in 1974. Bowles was previously the franchises defensive coordinator a role he thrived in, leading the club to a 31-9 Super Bowl LV victory over the Kansas City Chiefs. A Super Bowl champion in 1977, Stabler guided the Raiders to a 32-14 win over the Minnesota Vikings. He got to hold the clipboard and go rah rah with Brady but Arians was the man. [12] Leftwich started the 2008 season as the backup to quarterback Ben Roethlisberger. They were without All-Pro left tackle Tristan Wirfs for three games because of a high ankle sprain. Quarterbacks coach Clyde Christensen, senior offensive assistant Rick Christophel and outside linebackers coach Bob Sanders have decided to retire. Running right, TB12 would have to switch to his left hand. These were very difficult decisions, but something that I felt was necessary for our football team going forward., The best insights from the ultimate insiders, 2023 NYP Holdings, Inc. All Rights Reserved, Buccaneers GM keeping flashlight on in case Tom Brady returns, Ex-Bucs coach admits QBs personal life played into teams struggles, Buccaneers appear to have their Tom Brady heir, NFL star claims Tom Brady was a lock to join his team, ended Monday in a 31-14 loss to the Cowboys, Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times reported. That stupid trick play last Sunday couldve cost us dearly. Who knows, perhaps the direction of the run is being changed at the LOS based on defensive alignment which is dictating a left-handed Bucs run O. February 3, 2022 6:40 pm CT. Why in the world does Bucs failing offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich insist on running Playoff Lenny to the left? It's so hard to get that done when you're switching so many bodies in and out the huddle during the season. His ability to relate to players, having spent 10 seasons in the NFL as a starting quarterback and a backup, is considered his greatest asset. The Bucs went 8-9 this season, winning the NFC South, but fell well short of their expectations, finishing with a 31-14 loss to the Dallas Cowboys in the wild-card round of the playoffs. I feel like the the wasted runs up the gut can really he linked to the center who typically gets off wrong n looks lost most the time. Thank you @KyleBrandt & @gmfb! Before the 2022 season, Leftwich turned down the Jaguars head coaching opening to stay with Tom Brady in Tampa Bay. The Byron Leftwich situation magnifies this further. To Leftwich's point, the Bucs have gone from converting on 47.1% of their third downs last season -- second-best in the league -- to 36.9% in 2022, 22nd in the league. However I can certainly tell when something is not working. I dont care what Leftwurst does, he has not utilized the right offense all season, doesnt play to our strengths in light of all the injuries, and doesnt make adjustments until the final minutes of each game. As Joe pointed out Smith isnt necessarily the issue in the run game. Byron Leftwich clarifies he'll continue to handle offensive game plan: I'm 'no risk it, no biscuit, too' Published: May 10, 2022 at 08:55 PM Grant Gordon Digital Content Editor There's a new. He needs to change it to Rightwich. All the D has to do to disrupt it is penetrate, and thats why we have so many runs blown up for TFLs penetration. TAMPA, Fla. Byron Leftwich is out as offensive coordinator of the . What will the Buffalo Bills do without defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier? For the first 11 games of the 2005 regular season, Leftwich was developing into the quarterback the Jaguars believed he would become when they picked him in the first round. Hes a stubborn buffoon who cant be fired soon enough. By the way, no more failing BL moniker? During the 2008 season, he completed 21 of 36 attempts for 303 yards and two touchdowns with no interceptions for a 104.3 passer rating, in addition to rushing for one touchdown. Its often the same with Rachaad White, too. [9] On September 18, Leftwich signed a two-year deal with the Falcons with incentives attached that could make the deal worth up to $7 million. He couldnt contain Watts last week because he couldnt turn fast enough. Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) February 7, 2022. I cant take another year of this crao. PS Thats also why Lenny is playing more than White (who is clearly fresher and provides opportunities for chunk runs). It seems BA He only sees more lines going to the left and more means better right? He amassed 12,090 yards of total offense on 1,632 plays, ranking second on the school's all-time list behind Pennington. Hes been exposed this year and for BA to call out Brady as the early season offensive culprit is outrageous. Runs the whole drive solo, gets the W. He is the Offensive Coordinator! 9 NFL teams currently have an offensive coordinator vacancy:- Buccaneers- Cardinals- Chargers- Colts- Commanders- Jets- Patriots- Rams- Titans. The lack of a run game troubled Tampa Bay from the jump this season. That included Buccaneers outside linebackers coach . He finished his career completing 2270 passes for 27938 yards and 194 touchdowns. 78 Responses to "Byron Leftwich And Todd Bowles Clash Fails Smell Test For Network Analyst" . December 28th, 2022 at 8:15 am Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady (left) sits with offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich (right) during the NFC Wild Card Playoff game between the Dallas Cowboys and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Jan. 16, 2023, at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Fla. Cliff Welch/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images. The fact that he continues to be allowed to run the offense is the bigger crime. He previously played in the NFL for ten seasons. Josh Johnson was named the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' new starting QB, while Leftwich moved down to third string behind Josh Freeman. [Archive] - SpursTalk.com Forums", "How the Rise of MACtion Forever Changed MAC Fandom", "Byron Leftwich, Marshall, QB, 2003 NFL Draft Scout, NCAA College Football", "Byron Leftwich, Combine Results, QB - Marshall (WV)", "Watch Jacksonville Jaguars vs. Tennessee Titans", "Steelers sign Leftwich, Culpepper as QB fill-ins", "Leftwich embraces new role as Steelers' No. Leftwich is a puppet, and a bad one at that. He took over as the starting quarterback in game four of his rookie season . It looks like the Tampa Bay Buccaneers may be ready to move on from Byron Leftwich. In 2016, Leftwich officially started coaching for a team. Leftwich attended Howard D. Woodson High School in Washington, DC, and was a letterman in football, basketball, and baseball. https://t.co/FcLHT7CS4R. David Garrard replaced Leftwich for the remainder of the season. He was a member of the Jaguars for four seasons before having one season stints with the Buccaneers and Atlanta Falcons. What is the real story on Ryan Jensen and why havent the Bucs ever confirmed exactly what the injury is? He has to be in a left alignment for pass protection, thats why all the runs are to the left. Who knows. Bowles may be a bad HC but he wouldn't not have sat them down in . As more and more innovative ways of analyzing football data became readily available, this myth was clearly debunked. Byron Leftwich (left) was Tom Brady's offensive coordinator for three seasons in Tampa Bay. So who knows? It means run left on first down 9 off 10 times. He got his second chance and last chance to be a head coach in the NFL and he is going to do it his way. Leftwich, 39, played nine seasons in the NFL, including his first four with the Jacksonville Jaguars, posting a 24-20 record as a starter there. "I think there's been moments where we really haven't been that bad," Leftwich said. Rookie running back Rachaad White had a helluva game Sunday in Munich. Byron Leftwich was a NFL QB between 2003 and 2012While in the NFL, Leftwich threw for 10,532 yards and 58 touchdowns Fun Fact: Byron Leftwich is currently th. Go Bucs! Bowles also announced Chris Boniol (specialists), Kevin Garver (wide receivers), Jeff Kastl (offensive quality control), Lori Locust (assistant defensive line) and Todd McNair (running backs) will not return next season. Brady was wide open the first time..but the Seattle defense covered him up the second time..Lenny should have never thrown it. What ever happened to accountability? Desperate times require desperate measures. Leftwich was largely credited with merging the "No Risk It, No Biscuit" offense of former coach Bruce Arians with quarterback Tom Brady's preferred elements of the New England Patriots' system. Nobody was within 15-20 yards of him. From 2007-2012 he bounced around from the Falcons, Steelers, and Buccaneers before retiring in 2012. Surprisingly, I believe our two longest runs (both by R. White) were to the left this year, right? So what does Moyron Leftwich do? S Leftwich, 43, who also won a Super Bowl as a backup QB with the Pittsburgh Steelers, helped lead Tampa Bay to its second title in franchise history in 2021. But we're not ready for people to throw dirt on us.". He rejoined Arians in 2019 as the Buccaneers' offensive coordinator and helped the team win Super Bowl LV. Hurry up again. That's not really people watching us, watching us get better every week. His firing comes after a season in which the Bucs scored 198 points fewer than they did . Vi, Yahoo, r en del av Yahoos varumrkesfamilj. The Bucs have fired offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich. Over the 2020 and 2021 seasons, the Bucs averaged 30.39 points per game during the regular season -- the most in the NFL. I think its political. You make alota great pointsas I for one is sick of all the bubble screens and running on 1st downs up the gut!!!! People are wondering about Byron Leftwich's personal life and the topic of his parents is the one about which people are most curious. The current Buccaneers offensive coordinator was also a first-round pick quarterback for the Jags, who he played for from 2003-06, including Jones-Drew's rookie year. Following his retirement, Leftwich began a coaching career under Bruce Arians with the Arizona Cardinals. On Christmas Night, Playoff Lenny had an ok game rushing, 20 carries for 72 yards. The Patriots won 283. This x1000!!!! Its in his name, and maybe DNA Joe. Thats the strength, no? Hes a free agent at the end of this season. In February 2007, Del Rio publicly reaffirmed his commitment to Leftwich, formally naming him as the team's starter over Garrard and Gray. I can only guess its been the Offensive Line Coach basically is seeing more consistent play on the left side and maybe because Brady is more comfortable with it too????? Also, Ko Kieft is a nasty dude and we seem to run better when he is in the game. "If something were to happen, I have to go out there. Just more proof that Leftwich is either stubborn or stupid. But look at the NextGen chart below. One question Joe. 7 overall pick in the 2003 NFL Draft finished with 10,532 passing yards and 58 touchdowns over 50 career starts. Running left makes sense because thats where were significantly outmatched vs pass rushersteams know it, put their best over there and try to beat us with mismatches. This is important when fractions of a second count. After observing Leftwich's and Garrard's performances throughout the 2007 preseason, in the week preceding the first regular season game of 2007, Del Rio named Garrard the team's starter and declared that Leftwich would be either cut or traded. Leftwich and the Bucs offense could only engineer 386 yards in that contest, and failed to run the ball effectively in either half. At right guard is long-time veteran Shaq Mason. What about how opponents fared in previous games? Prove me wrong coach! What NFL teams did Byron Leftwich play for? Brady will go to more of the hurry up sooner rather than later vs The Panthersloser basically goes home/Bradys Buccaneer career comes to a close ( anywhere but New Orleans, Tom ). Still, maybe a reason. Byron Leftwich was fired as the Buccaneers' offensive coordinator on Thursday Leftwich's dismissal came three days after their playoff defeat to the Cowboys Tampa Bay were outclassed on the. The 1992 and 1994 NFL MVP, Young was the Super Bowl MVP of 1995. Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times first. Johnson will be the Eagles' first African-American offensive coordinator ever and the fourth in the NFL, along with Washington's Eric Bieniemy, the Bucs' Byron Leftwich, the Panthers . uper Bowl-winning offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich has been fired after four seasons with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Luke Easterling. This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. They are illegible and thats why the offense is having a hard time. The arm chair GMs and Coaches who probably couldnt even coach their way through Madden on rookie mode are so funny. Sadly the picture is BL. Leftwich was traded to the Pittsburgh Steelers in exchange for a 2010 seventh-round draft pick on April 20, 2010. It is not so much that the runs go left as the hand off the ball and hope a hole happens mentality. "As a collective group, we did not meet the high standards that had been set for this past year and my focus now is on doing what is needed to ensure a successful 2023 season. But Lenny is the veteran pass pro back, and right now thats more urgent. It is his team, and it is clearly showing on gameday. video. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Marshall quarterback Byron Leftwich (7) is carried from the field by teammate J.T. The offense should put him on their shoulders and carry him out of OBF Good God, Todd. If youre a coach, how can you NOT look at stats to gauge how youre doing or what youre doing? Or, run to the left, run to the left, run to the left. The team is making sweeping changes to their coaching staff following an 8-9 regular season and wildcard loss to Dallas. Dec 16, 2021. Well see!!! Byron Antron Leftwich (born January 14, 1980) is an American football coach and former quarterback. One thing for consideration: Defender responsibility. He previously played in the National Football League (NFL) for ten seasons. That has to be the lie running through that thick skull of his. Jameis Winston put up an extremely high 8.2 YPA in 2019 during Leftwich's first full season as OC, that's more than all but 2 of Mahomes seasons. He was hoping that some of that would rub off on Lefty but it didnt. Of course, if you ask Leftwich about this, he will either get mad and refuse to answer or just mock your question as fantasy football.. "To be honest, Byron Leftwich is a guy that when I was there was a quarterback drafted in the first round, he . src="https://www.facebook.com/tr?id=674090812743125&ev=PageView&noscript=1"/>. The hand-picked part is important: ESPN reports that was the predominant reason why Arians decided to give the nod to Bowles rather than offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich. Bowles has told Leftwich to be a power-running team. XFL Week 3 preview: Can AJ McCarron, Battlehawks continue their fourth-quarter heroics? So sad to see this offense crippled and what made the 2020-2021 team so special was the team chemistry. When PLAYoffs start, hell start running RIGHT on first down. So why not run right? Brutal. We need a fresh start especially if Brady is rolling to SF LV Miami NE or the slimy saints. We are playing dominant DLines w/ super sub-par/inexperienced Olinemen. Those numbers, however, fell off significantly in 2022, with the Bucs averaging 18.41 points per game -- 25th in the NFL. Its been like this most of the year. And that was only the beginning. With quarterback Tom Brady eyeing alternative options this offseason, many football pundits speculated the Buccaneers would likely shake things up on their coaching staff. I also want to see the list of the first play call of the game and the second half. The numbers say that we're not that far off. "I'm the guy sitting in the bullpen," he stated prior to the first game of the 2008 season. Its not so much we should only be running right but we should at least run some right and probable due to personal mostly to the right side. And that is the gravest of sins for a play caller. Leftwich took over as the Jaguars starting quarterback in game four of his rookie year after Mark Brunell was injured in the previous week's matchup against the Indianapolis Colts. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are set to fire offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich after a 31-14 drubbing at the hands of the Dallas Cowboys, according to Pewter Report.. A year after Leftwich was set to become the Jaguars head coach due to the terrific performance of the Buccaneers' offense in 2021, he is now on the chopping block. Jaguars won't spend big, but here are five players they could target in free agency, The most memorable pre-NFL draft workouts ever: Coaches, scouts, execs make their picks, 2023 NFL franchise tag tracker: Raiders tag Josh Jacobs, the NFL's rushing leader. Hes bad. This dudes at most 3 weeks from D2 college ball. Left guard Nick Leverett was a backup when the season started. I expect more of the same this weekend. Leftwich has been asked more than once why he loves to run to the left. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have fired offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich after their 31-14 playoff loss to the Dallas Cowboys, the team announced. The banged up OLine is the weakness of the offense and no amount of blaming the coaches is going to fix that. Jensens injury, then Stinnies, coupled with Donovan Smith playing poorly really threw out of wack any chance for a dominant downfield offense to emerge. when it comes to his playing he can at time play above average. Brady did. Byron Leftwich has been fired by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers after four seasons as the teams offensive coordinator. What will the Buffalo Bills do without defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier? [29] On January 27, 2017, Leftwich was hired by the Cardinals as their quarterbacks coach under head coach Bruce Arians, who had been his offensive coordinator on the Pittsburgh Steelers. After replacing Harrington late in Week 5, Leftwich got the start in Week 7 and played very well, before having to leave the game with an ankle sprain. The bye week is the perfect time to mess with some D-coordinators heads. With Arians and Leftwich, Winston has a blank slate. Never looked up once. Byron is the only play caller in the league that doesnt even care about matchups, Look back thru the season, as soon as Delaney goes in on D, the other team immediately attacks him with their best player, Byron ignores all and runs right at Bosa, refuses to throw when the other team is on their fifth team CB, rarely games anyone open, and relies on the bubble screen 9 times a game because he has no idea how to slow down the rush, Criminal is putting it lightly he is a complete and total waste of time and I bet Brady cant wait to get away from him. This has been happening since Week 1 and Joe just does not understand it. The Jacksonville Jaguars Were Finalizing a Deal to Make Bryon Leftwich Their Head CoachUntil They Weren't Contract talks between the Jaguars and its former franchise quarterback have reportedly . Predictability is the nemesis of success in football. There are times when they run left Mason pulls, so one of your best run blockers is being used. May be its in his name . The Sporting Base is not responsible for the content of external sites. He got the start again in Week 11 after returning from his injury. Following the team's 31-14 loss to the Dallas Cowboys in their opening game of the playoffs, . So here's some more intrigue for the New Orleans Saints head coach search. I loved watching ROJO run cause he had that explosivenessbut Lenny doesnt. [17] Leftwich made one appearance during the regular season finale, in relief of Roethlisberger, once the game was out of reach for the opposing Cleveland. He needs to go retire TODAY. He was also the first left-handed quarterback to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2005. Tampa Bay offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich says talk of his team's offensive demise is greatly exaggerated despite the Bucs scoring average dropping more than 11 points per game from last season. On October 19, 2018, after the Cardinals fired offensive coordinator Mike McCoy, Leftwich was promoted to take over his role as interim offensive coordinator. Byron Leftwich And Running Left November 17th, 2022 Bucs OC Byron Leftwich. Naw, that would be intelligent, and planned out. Byron is the only play caller in the league that doesnt even care about matchups, _____________________________________________________. Matt Canada remains employeed as the offensive coordinator of the Pittsburgh Steelers. During the 2020 season, Leftwichs first working with new Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady, the team reached the Super Bowl and defeated the Chiefs, 31-9. Kind of hard to tell from your spaghetti graph but it sure looks like the ONLY times Fournette was stopped for a loss is when he ran right. Brady knows where the pressure is going to come from and he isnt about to take a kill shot this year. Vicks 6109 rushing yards are the most for a quarterback in NFL history, and five times he led the entire NFL in yards per attempt during a single season. Thats whats happening here, but it shouldnt be. Within two seasons, Leftwich was named interim offensive coordinator, then joined the Buccaneers in 2019. These were very difficult decisions but something that I felt was necessary for our football team going forward.". But guess where Leftwich had Playoff Lenny running most of the time? TAMPA, Fla. -- The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have fired offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich as part of an overhaul that includes eight other coaches leaving the staff, it was announced Thursday. Could we get someone to explain to Byron that Green is good, Yellow is not so good, and Red is bad? Tried to run the ball on a team that eats running backs alive for lunch. Its not the coaches fault. However, in the 12th game of the regular season against the Arizona Cardinals, Leftwich suffered a broken ankle after being sacked by Cardinals' safety Adrian Wilson on the first play of the game. If only Lefty was left out. This also sets up the play action by keeping the ball in his throwing hand. On the right side of the ball is right guard Shaq Mason, a Pro Bowl alternate who is having a really solid year, and All-Pro right tackle Tristan Wirfs. Off the field first thing they do race to bench and sit. By Mike Jones and The Athletic Staff. His father abandoned the family when he was a baby. Leftwich gained recognition after quarterbacking a 6461 overtime victory over East Carolina in the 2001 GMAC Bowl, in which he competed against future teammate David Garrard.