Dave Canales: “Super-Exciting” Calling Plays vs. Steelers

It’s not just preseason for the players, it’s also preseason for the Bucs coaches, too.

A total of 27 rookies played their first game in an NFL uniform in Friday’s 27-17 loss to the visiting Pittsburgh Steelers in the Bucs’ preseason opener. Tampa Bay’s new offensive coordinator Dave Canales also called his first game, and had a blast doing it.

After being a wide receivers coach, a quarterbacks coach and a passing game coordinator in Seattle for 13 years, Canales was hired by Bucs head coach Todd Bowles to replace Byron Leftwich as Tampa Bay’s new play-caller – despite not having any experience in that role in either college or the NFL.

After engaging in plenty of live “call it” periods during the Bucs OTAs, mini-camp and three weeks of training camp, Canales finally got a chance to leave the press box, don the headset, hold the play sheet and call the plays from the sidelines in an NFL game.

Bucs OC Dave Canales – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

“It was super-exciting, and the thing I was looking forward to the most was who was going to make plays for us,” Canales said. “We had a guess on who was going to make the first touchdown and [rookie wide receiver] Trey [Palmer] won that one. I felt really comfortable. Who gets to spend 13 years, learning from four coordinators in one place? So I really felt all that – I felt everybody that I’ve learned from. I felt that support, the way they would set things up, and communicate on the headsets.”

Canales spent over a dozen years in Seattle helping the likes of Jeremy Bates, Darrell Bevell, Brian Schottenheimer and Shane Waldron call plays by being an “eye in the sky” from the press box, relaying vital information to the Seahawks’ offensive coordinators. Now it was his turn to get fed the info that led to 322 yards and 17 points from a Bucs team that only played four starters on offense against the Steelers.

“The staff was fantastic and they made it easy on me,” Canales said. “The personnel [groupings], all that stuff – Jeff Kastl, Jordan Somerville, Joe Gilbert talking to me from upstairs. David Raih talking to me in between series. They fed me information and I really felt covered. It felt great. Now we’ll just clean up the penalty stuff and all that and we’ll really have something.”

Bucs head coach Todd Bowles was impressed with Canales’ play-calling debut.

“I thought he did a good job playcalling,” Bowles said. “I felt we had some things we wanted to work on that we got accomplished. It’s different in preseason, calling the games and [having] things you’re trying to work on. Once the season starts is when you really have to call the game. I thought he did a good job with each quarterback, playing to their strengths, so I thought that was good.”

Dave Canales Looking Forward To Doing It Again vs. Jets

If there was a disappointing aspect to Friday’s loss, it was that the Bucs were flagged 12 times for 127 yards, including 10 penalties on offense. Three penalties negated 44 yards rushing that would have given Tampa Bay 110 yards rushing on the night, rather than the 66 yards the team finished with.

Bucs OC Dave Canales and QB Baker Mayfield – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

Coaches always talk about the preparation process and building throughout the week during practice. But after speaking to Canales on Monday, it was clear he was already looking forward to his second opportunity to call plays on Saturday night at New York against the Jets.

“Oh yeah, absolutely,” Canales said. “For me it’s the excitement of getting a new opponent and seeing a defense that we haven’t practiced against a bunch, so I’m really looking forward to the Jets week and prepping for that game as well. I’m having a blast.”

Before Canales and the Bucs face the Jets on Saturday night at 7:30 p.m. ET, the two teams will square off for a joint practice together on Wednesday before practicing separately on Thursday. The Bucs will have a walk-through at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey prior to Saturday’s preseason game.

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