Bad Tackling And Bar Tabs
April 13th, 2019
Bucs angle in Pittsburgh.
Joe has decided to document highlights of Bucs coach Bucco Bruce Arians captured when he coached Arizona during the inaugural season of “All or Nothing,” a “Hard Knocks”-like miniseries by NFL Films that follows a pro or college team throughout a season and is exclusive to Amazon Prime. Joe hopes these highlights will help Bucs fans learn what to expect from the 12th coach in franchise history. This series of posts will appear periodically until the days leading up to the draft later this month.
Last year the Bucs defense was a football atrocity. The pass defense was just horrid beyond words. The rush defense was just plain bad.
The Bucs allowed 4.7 yards a carry in 2018, tied for 20th in the NFL.
Based on how Bruce Arians freaked out on his Cardinals defense for being soft on the run in the third installment of “All or Nothing,” Joe sure hopes for Arians’ heart the Bucs defense improves or he’s going to need extra prescriptions of Metoprolol and Flecainide.
After losing to the Rams at home, a game in which Arians was surprisingly chill, that patience ran out while his Cardinals lacked discipline and fundamentals in their tackling in a practice prior to facing their next opponent, the Lions.
In practice, Arians is hounding the defense. “We’re giving up eight yards a snap!” After a bad play he yelps, “There’s another bad tackle. No f*cking tackle! There’s another 8-to-10 yard gain.” After yet another bad play, Arians’ yelling gets louder and sharper. “Make the tackle! That’s horsesh!t! They will run for 200 f*cking yards if we keep practicing like this!”
Following the win over Detroit, the Cardinals decided to go to “The Greenbriar” hotel and resort in West Virginia for a week rather than return to Arizona. In West Virginia, the Cardinals would prepare for the Steelers, Arizona’s Week 6 matchup.
At the first team meeting at “The Greenbriar,” Arians reminds his players that there is a team function in the hotel bar that night to watch Monday Night Footbal,l which featured the Chargers hosting the Steelers (Arizona’s next opponent).
But Arians bluntly told his players he’s not springing for drinks.
“Pick up your own f*cking tab.”
A Bucs connection popped up in a scene, as well.
As the Cardinals were warming up prior to the Steelers game, Arians, the former Steelers offensive coordinator, was chatting with Ben Roethlisberger, who did not dress for the game because of an injury. Roethlisberger asked about his former teammate, Larry Foote, who Arians hired as a linebackers coach.
“How is Foote?” Roethlisberger asks.
Arians replied, “Him and [Brentson] Buckner are turning into hellacious coaches.”
This interested Joe for obvious reasons. Last year, Buckner was the Bucs’ defensive line coach. Just four years ago, Arians raved about Buckner, who Arians did not retain when he came to Tampa, despite hiring an army of assistants.
What changed?
April 13th, 2019 at 8:04 am
Joe
What is this from again ? Football life ?
Is it on Netflix s?
April 13th, 2019 at 8:05 am
Whoops
Never mind. I skipped the italics. Awesome. Need to check it out.
April 13th, 2019 at 8:24 am
Too bad BA will not have much other than film evaluating the roster before the draft…
April 13th, 2019 at 8:47 am
What changed?……BA wanted nothing to do with the Bucs coaching staff….even a coach who he knew…..clean slate….
April 13th, 2019 at 9:05 am
Good question! I wondered the same and not keeping monkin was a bit of a mystery as well.
April 13th, 2019 at 9:13 am
Tbbf
Bruckner was younger and a former play therefore BA had other coaches in need of the glazer retirement plan… plus Buckner may have wanted a chance to win 4 or 5 games a year which most likely will not happen with bucs. Bucs will be in the 3 to 5 win range until ba gets frustrated and bails
April 13th, 2019 at 9:14 am
Bird Says:
“What is this from again ? Football life ?”
((
🙂
April 13th, 2019 at 9:27 am
What changed? NOTHING on your side. Same old search for the Black Lining that every cloud must have. Where is the dirt? Find the dirt? It is a sad way to look at life. Tabloid sports at its finest. Hang in there 2 more weeks. Then you’ll have seven draft picks to slam as only you can. Bet you can’t wait.
April 13th, 2019 at 9:33 am
phattitudes
Why are you so frightened of reality???? they make pills, rubber rooms and Neuticles for extreme cases where new balls are implanted to achieve the ability to deal with real world and real life…. 2 good years in 42 what is joe supposed to do make things up so you can handle it…
April 13th, 2019 at 9:36 am
Mornin, T-max. I see you have had your morning coffee, haha.
I am stuck at work…. in bad need of a couple of Red Bulls.
April 13th, 2019 at 9:38 am
Altered,
Great sense of humor, man.
You completely cracked me up this morning with the manual addition of “Your comment is awaiting moderation” to your name.
LMAO
April 13th, 2019 at 9:41 am
I feel you demon shoveling snow before breakfast has me considering a nice Irish cofee 50/50 Jameson mix for the soul
April 13th, 2019 at 9:55 am
Buckner didn’t believe in Vea as a pass rusher. Didn’t know how to develop him. Facts
April 13th, 2019 at 10:56 am
What Changed? Easy all that “STINK” of accepting losing had to go! I liked the hire last year but those coaches had their chance to produce a winner, they failed PERIOD!
Go Bucs!
April 13th, 2019 at 12:38 pm
“Arians raved about Buckner, who Arians did not retain when he came to Tampa, despite hiring an army of assistants.
What changed?”
Simple answer Joe:
BA deferred to Todd Bowles in this case. Bowles obviously preferred Kacy Rodgers over Buckner for this position.
Hard to argue when you consider that Buckner has 6 years total of DLine coaching experience – while Rodgers has been coaching DLine since 1994 – coaching DLine in the NFL since 2003 – and has been an NFL DC for the last 4 years…
One candidate was slightly more qualified than the other…
Plus Bowles has been working directly with Rodgers as his DC since 2015. Rodgers knowledge and understanding of the Defense Bowles is implementing here in Tampa Bay could not be more complete considering Rodgers has been calling the plays within it for the last 4 years.
Its certainly possible that the Bucs offered Buckner an assistant type position and he turned them down – having been a primary position coach in the NFL for 6 years and not wanting to take a “demotion” at this point in his young career.
Many of these other coaches here have taken “demotions” to be here coaching with BA. Not really because they were all “between jobs” when the “stars aligned” and they got the call from BA with a job offer.
But when you think about it – a # of these coaches are “over qualified” for the title beside their name on the Buccaneers coaching roster.
Todd Bowles – DC (Former NFL HC)
Kyle Rodgers – DL (Former NFL DC)
Mike Caldwell – ILB (Former NFL Asst HC)
Harold Goodwin – OL (Former NFL OC)
Clyde Christensen – QB (NFL coach since 1996 – former NFL OC)
And most of the other position coaches save for 1 or 2 has at least 4 or 5 years experience of NFL experience at the position they are coaching.
Solid Staff for Sure!
April 13th, 2019 at 3:32 pm
My interpretation of Buckner is that he wants to be a HC sooner than later. He realises that won’t be happening under this group. At best he would be third in the succession line. No hard feelings from me, I liked Buck as a coach. Probably hamstrung under Smith.