It seems as though the sky is falling if you’re a fan of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. After starting the season 7-3, Tampa Bay dropped two straight games and the national media is running wild with stories. One of those stories centers around Bruce Arians and who controls the play calls.
Most of it is fluff and junk, but this quote by Bruce Arians is rather interesting…
Bruce Arians, to me last night, on Tom Brady: “He picks all the plays now. We call what he picks. We just have to get better. He’s getting more comfortable every week. We’re getting close.” (Note: Arians was upbeat about Brady’s skillset. This is a process.) More on The Aftermath
— Michael Silver (@MikeSilver) November 30, 2020
Last week we heard a rumor that Tom Brady had been picking plays from the sideline, and this quote only confirms it.
There are plenty of issues with this offense, but one of the biggest is the scheme and system. Brady isn’t picking just any play, he has to choose from Bruce Arians’ playbook, which is outdated in today’s NFL.
But Brady doesn’t simply get a pass, his performance over the past couple of weeks needs to improve, especially on the deep ball. In the end, he decides whether to pull the trigger, and when it’s not there, you just have to take the check down.
Blame doesn’t even stop there, however. With how talented this skill position unit is, they make plenty of mistakes when running option routes and ready coverages incorrectly. Hell, even last week there were at least three drops in the first three drives. Simply put, the offense needs to get better.
With all of these negatives, the Buccaneers are still 7-5 for the first time since 2016, where the team would ultimately finish 9-7. The Buccaneers’ remaining schedule is also a bit easier down the stretch where opponents are a combined 17-27.
This team needs more time to gel. Unlike the NBA, you can’t assemble a super team and just expect it to click day one. Football is a complicated sport and it takes thousands of reps between players before it begins to come together.
Let’s hope that day comes within the next month.
