Arroyo Seeking Answers For Slow Starts

October 14th, 2014
arroyo

A coaching change is suggested

Yes, the Tampa Bay offense averages a little more than four points in the first halves of games. It’s reprehensible.

Joe might recommend a witch doctor or a team of strippers massaging players in the pregame locker room. But de facto offensive coordinator, Marcus Arroyo, wants answers.

He told Joe and Tampa Bay media this afternoon that he’ll be seeking answers during the extended time of the bye week. One search method will be to ask players what they think.

“What is it? Let’s really get into it and find out what it is. Is it mental?,” Arroyo said. “Is it in our guys, what’s in our guys? Ask our guys, ‘what is the second half, when we come out of the locker room, what is it mentally or physically or schematically?’

“Because we’re not changing the game plan. The game plan doesn’t change in the second half. Whatever it is, we need to find out what it is that can give us a little more spark. Because the second half has been manic. We gotta get off. We gotta stay on the field. We can’t drop third downs.  We can’t have execution errors. You can’t have some of the things that are setting us back.”

Joe delivered Arroyo a follow-up question to see if he had found any answers at all yet. Arroyo said he hadn’t dived fully into the issue but suggested a coaching change could be a fix.

“Maybe we change the way we practice offensively the first little bit of practice or something,” Arroyo said. “But that’s what we’re going to [study] this week.”

Arroyo also suggested changing up “the first few plays.”

40 Responses to “Arroyo Seeking Answers For Slow Starts”

  1. lightningbuc Says:

    This Arroyo clown sounds like he isn’t the sharpest knife in the drawer, if you know what i mean.

  2. iamkingsu Says:

    How about receiving the damn ball to start the game without being down 7-0 with less thanw2 minutes in the game.

  3. RastaMon Says:

    I can’t help but to root for this guy…34 years old ..he should be young and bold….fearless…taking full advantage of this opportunity….go for IT !! be aggressive when you sense there is something to be taken advantage of !

  4. flmike Says:

    @RastaMon
    All things that he won’t do because his boss is totally antithetical to those traits…
    which is why our team plays like it’s 2006 and not 2014…

  5. Jim Says:

    The game plan must be the defense must score at least 21 points per game.

  6. Andrew 1 Says:

    A coaching change? Who? If your suggesting a new offensive coordinator, which one walking the streets right now would be in their right mind to accept the job without having any time to install their offense? Truth is we’re stuck with Arroyo until Tedford gets back, if ever.

  7. Bannor Says:

    yeah if they don’t defer they can go 3 and out before the other team has their first scoring drive. I think the problem is a total lack of talent spread between the O-coordinator, O-line, and QB. I suggest Arroyo tries seppuku.

  8. jfp84cmu Says:

    Hire an experienced offensive mind and try to work with system in place. We can’t change the system mid-season but we can have a more experienced mind come in and make adjustments. Arroyo is simply over his head right now and could use someone with experience to come up with some possible solutions.

  9. RealityCheck Says:

    @Andrew – Did you read the article? A coaching change =/= a new coach in the context of this discussion.

  10. csidedave Says:

    The second half was much better against the Falcons and Ravens because the other teams were bored out of their minds. In those two games the other teams scored 94 points before you even go a field goal. 94 points!

  11. OB Says:

    Joe

    The way we have been playing in the first half, if we receive the ball first, it would only take a minute or two for us to go three and out and then the other team scores, this is not the answer.

    We have the same result at home or away so it isn’t where they are sleeping or eating, maybe it is when they are eating, maybe it is too soon to the start of the game and they are sluggish and want to nap until they have their bell rung for about 30 minutes.

    It could also be the 30 minutes of Gatorade or the snacks and bathroom break at halftime, they could be full of crap until then.

    Of course it could be the other team tires out scoring and sacking so much in the first half they are just pooped in the second half.

    In any case the changes in the practice squad should help immensely in all future games.

  12. buctebow Says:

    How about just pretending the first half is the second half. As good an idea as any with this team….and I am sure he meant how they coached the team, not getting a new coach, although likely prescient.

  13. Skyline Crew Says:

    “Because we’re not changing the game plan. The game plan doesn’t change in the second half.”

    This is the problem. Not changing the game plan at all.

  14. Andrew 1 Says:

    @ RealtyCheck

    And new head coach?! Are you kidding me?! If that’s the case, I think I need to take a break form this site. That notion is completely ridiculous.

  15. meh Says:

    I’m think the only problem with this team right now is our coin flip strategy. If we’d take the ball instead of deferring I’m sure we’d be on our way to the super bowl.

  16. RCH Says:

    Arroyo also suggested changing up “the first few plays.”

    Well that’s the smartest thing I heard all day. Its a shame it took him this long to figure it out while everyone else has been saying it for the last month.

  17. Warren Says:

    @skyline in context he means the second half we’ve found more success especially right out of the gates in the 3rd Q despite not making any adjustments.

  18. biff barker Says:

    I’m not so sure how much latitude Arroyo really has.

  19. Warren Says:

    After some early quibbles, I have to say I can’t blame Arroyo as he’s basically called a good game. Not sure how much can be done from an OC’s perspective when your line gets blown up 15 times in a game. When you start getting into 2nd and 3rd and forever you’ve just thrown 3/4’s of your playbook out the window. O-line and tight end/RB/FB protection needs to improve for any offensive production to happen.

    Doug Martin can’t run without a lead FB. So use Rainey. Then if we’re two dimensional on offense again, you see positive things happening as it keeps the opposing defense honest. Let’s be honest though….our problem isn’t our offense. Our D stinks. I think fixing that starts with re installing Lavonte David as the “defensive QB” and CB’s being set free to jam their guys up at the line and disrupt routes earlier.

  20. Zam Says:

    Come on. You’re blown out by the second half that’s why your offense is clicking then.

    If he’s that dense no wonder we have no offensive capability.

    And any coach who goes asking the players what to do is going to lose all credibility.

    Jeff Carlson on the Brighthouse post-game show said it was the worst offensive playcalling he’s ever seen in any game he’s seen in his life.

    Yikes, just when I thought the team couldn’t get much worse. This guy sounds like a turkey.

  21. RealityCheck Says:

    Dude Andrew that is not at all what I was saying. He’s simply talking about changing the way he coaches up his players, NOT changing coaches.

  22. Andrew 1 Says:

    @ RealityCheck

    gotcha.

  23. CB Buc Says:

    Give the kid a break. He didn’t sign up to be the OC and is doing the best he can – with Lovie handcuffed him and looking over his shoulder.

    He won’t be the OC next year but neither will Tedford (probably retire). No sense in getting worked up about him.

  24. DB55 Says:

    Lovie was asked yesterday if tedford is coming back and he basically said no. He’s never coming back.

  25. jo mama Says:

    This team should be 4-2 if it was not for lovie and his poor decisions.

  26. Luther Says:

    How about calling some 3 step drops for starters and letting Glennon jump into the hurry-up offense a little more. Move the pocket more. Tired of defenses just teeing off on the guy.

  27. DickBig Says:

    maybe because were constantly getting blown out and defenses arent trying in the second half.. fire this idiot. His resume speaks for itself.

  28. billy buckaroo Says:

    If they are going to stick with Arroyo then I would immediately move him upstairs where he can see what the defense is doing
    because
    he isn’t seeing it now from the sidelines

  29. Skyline Crew Says:

    Warren,

    I understand that, but when we never change the game plan that is why the 1st half is the way it is. No adjustments are being made.

  30. biggun Says:

    Real simple the opposing defense are up so much by second half they back off and it LOOKS like we’re making improvment lol….

  31. Bucnjim Says:

    If we can’t stop anyone what the hell difference does it make. Even Manning would struggle to keep up with teams scoring 40-50 points a game.

  32. pick6 Says:

    wouldn’t it be nice if it were just a simple fix? i’m not sure that it is. this offense has the uncanny ability to make the biggest mistakes at the perfect time to sabotage our biggest plays. how many first downs, explosive plays, and do-or-die drives have evaporated this year due to penalties and drops?

  33. ddneast Says:

    This is like asking a vigrin how it feels to make love. Seriously, he might be a super smart terrific human being like Clyde Christenson, but he has no NFlL experience as an OC.
    I mean he was thrust into this position under duress in an emergency situation, but why does it mean he has to stay in it.
    What we are doing in business terms is crazy. We are putting a multi million dollar investment in the hands of a person with no experience.
    This is just crazy.

  34. kevin Says:

    Hey Moron!!!!!!The reason our offense scores points in the second half is because or defense allows the opponent to have a very comftorable lead and the other teams d feels bad for our guys. Bottom line our entire team sucks. Knew this would be how our season turned out when tedford left….wasnt expectinog our d to be this bad though…

  35. sho-nuff Says:

    I have one…step up to your IDIOT boss in front of everybody and point out how much of a failure his decision NOTR to receive when we win the toss…

  36. Buc1987 Says:

    What is it about the 2nd half?

    Any moron can see the Ravens let up on defense. The staff on this team INSULTS our intelligence when they say such stupid things.

  37. Buc1987 Says:

    Arroyo is Lovie’s scapegoat for the season…that’s why he’s still here. Won’t be in the end though..he needs a scapegoat and we’re all a bunch morons to him. Lovie thinks will buy it. That’s why he’s going to pin all this on not having Tedford to start the season.

    It’s like peering through cellophane people. I can see it crystal clear.

  38. 1bucfan88 Says:

    Can’t really fault this cat for the situation he got put in. His mentor was supposed to be the one calling the plays. He’s tryin to make chicken salad.

  39. Fort Myers Dave Says:

    Buc1987 is right, the Tedford/Arroyo thing is the perfect shield to protect Lovie and anyone else on this coaching staff. Arroyo is in a situation he should not bein, he is over his head. He was a 1-11 OC at Southern Miss for God’s sake! The only reason the stats looked semi-decent on paper vs B’More is because B’more let up in the second half and MG was able to pass for a lot of garbage yards. The first half is more indicative of what this offense is capable of and besides the spurts in NO and Pittsburgh against 2 bad defenses they have come up with nada and that will be Lovie’s excuse! The fact that the defense is in even far worse shape than this offense is apparent but you can bet that the offensive woes will be highlighted when Lovie breaks down what went wrong when the Bucs finally finish this forgetable season….

  40. Lovie's Basement Says:

    He’ll go down in history as one of the biggest buffoons in the game.