Bruce Arians Isn’t Backing Down
September 6th, 2019
Digging in
BY IRA KAUFMAN
JoeBucsFan.com columnist
Presented By
Click through and shop now online at Bill Currie Ford, just north of Raymond James Stadium on Dale Mabry Highway.
Bruce Arians isn’t backing down.
Despite the talent pool overflowing San Francisco’s defensive front and concerns about his own offensive line, Arians still believes the more the merrier works when it comes to flooding the field with targets.
Don’t expect max protection when the Bucs hit the field for Sunday’s season opener. If that places more of a burden on Jameis Winston, so be it.
“I learned when I was in Cleveland, going against Kevin Carter and Jevon Kearse and that (Tennessee) crew – if you kept them all in to help, nobody was open,” Arians said this week. “There wasn’t anybody to throw the damn ball to. The next time we played them, we were four wide’s empty and we beat them. The quarterback got hit, but we beat ’em.”
Even a veteran like Carson Palmer went through an adjustment period when he started playing for Arians with the 2013 Cardinals. In his first year in the desert, Palmer threw 22 interceptions and was sacked 41 times.
Lesson learned.
“Get the ball out of your hands,” Arians says. “Don’t hold onto the damn thing – they’re coming.”
Yes, they are.
In the offseason, 49ers GM John Lynch was guilty of tunnel vision. Improving the team’s pass rush was Job 1 and it’s easy to see why.
Lynch looked at the 35 TD passes allowed and the NFL-low 2 interceptions registered by San Francisco’s defense and decided the surest path to victory was depositing opposing quarterbacks on their rumps. He already had a cornerstone up front in 6-foot-7, 300-pound DeForest Buckner, who would likely be considered the second-best defensive tackle in the league behind Aaron Donald if he played for a winner.
Buckner posted 12 sacks last season and should be an interior terror with the additions of Dee Ford and Nick Bosa off the edges.
“Just put some respect on my name,” says Buckner, who will test the agility and physicality of Ali Marpet and Alex Cappa. “I go out there and I bust my ass. I put stuff on tape. The numbers are there. Everything is there.”
But wins have been hard to come by for the 49ers, 12-36 during Buckner’s tenure. Help is on the way. Lynch traded for Ford, who had 13 sacks and 7 forced fumbles in Kansas City. Bosa, the No. 2 overall pick in the draft, is expected to start after overcoming a pesky ankle sprain.
“I want them to wreak havoc on the league,” Lynch says. “That group, they need to be dominant.”
Winston welcomes the challenge.
Testing Trust
“Every year, my role is to get the ball out quick,” he says. “That is just part of being decisive and making good decisions with the ball.”
Buc fans still haven’t erased the memory of that first-half debacle against Cleveland last month, when the offensive line was overwhelmed by a dynamic front.
A better ground game would surely help to keep San Francisco’s hounds at bay.
“Coach Arians trusts us,” says reserve lineman Earl Watford. “We get paid to do a job and if you don’t do it, someone else will. They’ve got a lot of good guys up front coming in here. Second-and-4 is a lot better than second-and-long.”
The longest-tenured Buccaneer realizes all those dangerous weapons surrounding Winston won’t matter much if protection breaks down repeatedly.
“That’s a good front up there, no doubt about it,” Dotson says. “We’ve got to battle. We’ve got to hold up, compete and fight through the whistle. It’ll show what we’re made of. As an athlete, this is what you live for.”
Arians still believes in making defenses cover every blade of grass. That plan will work … if time is on your side.
Buckner has other ideas.
“You saw it in OTAs and training camp,” he says. “When they (Bosa and Ford) were healthy, it’s very exciting to see. It gets everybody riled up when you have everyone on the line that can win their one-on-ones. It’s going to be hard to pick and choose who to double.”
Great fun, food and Bucs passion at Buffalo Wild Wings all season long. Watch every road game with Ira Kaufman and JoeBucsFan.com readers. Great giveaways, too. The preseason opener was a blast.
BE THERE NEXT THURSDAY ON BIG BEND ROAD IN RIVERVIEW!!!! Kickoff at 8:20. The fun kicks off at 7:30 p.m.
September 6th, 2019 at 12:49 pm
Dotson is going to get someone seriously injured. He shouldn’t be allowed in the stadium much less the field. You guys seen the film right?
September 6th, 2019 at 12:50 pm
Jameis is going to get killed
September 6th, 2019 at 12:53 pm
O-LINE SUCKS!!!!!!
…………like a burning bag of poo left on Jameis doorsteps
September 6th, 2019 at 1:04 pm
Run Jameis run!
September 6th, 2019 at 1:05 pm
Giving Dot a pass on preseason since he could give 2 sh**s about those games.
If he sucks week 1 then yeah we need to look for potential trading partners or something.
Or just could have drafted Dalton Risner in R2 who can start all over the line.
So much for the #trenchwarfare cry from the fans being answered by this dumb4ss regime the last few years
September 6th, 2019 at 1:07 pm
The Bucs are favored to win, so the question here is how well will Winston read the field and how quickly will he launch the throw. Looking forward to the game and Longboards BBQ, Playa Tamarindo…
September 6th, 2019 at 1:07 pm
Run Jameis Run
Lmao
#FACTS
September 6th, 2019 at 1:09 pm
Assimilation is real huh Jim?
September 6th, 2019 at 1:09 pm
The Packers showed last night how to beat a nasty pass rush. Gotta get that ball out quick
September 6th, 2019 at 1:10 pm
“LOL
Palmer had 2k runningback David Johnson to dump to
We have the worst 2 pass catching runningbacks in the NFL
WE WILL MISS HUMP
Kobe likes Godwin but is he durable? We are talking about slot. catching the ball in front of 250lb linebackers. Hump was a tough SOB
going to get ugly
34-17 Niners
2019 Brieda comingout party”
Kobe Faker
September 6th, 2019 at 1:15 pm
I trust Jameis to do the right thing. He hasn’t made a mistake since last year.
September 6th, 2019 at 1:17 pm
backup qb ryan amazingly gets ball out super quick …. he deserves a chance
September 6th, 2019 at 1:18 pm
Cool so the Kobe faker opposite George take is in. Go out and place the mortgage check on the bucs to win this Sunday.
September 6th, 2019 at 1:24 pm
Our offense better be good at screens…
September 6th, 2019 at 1:29 pm
backup qb ryan amazingly gets ball out super quick …. he deserves a chance
That’s a good one. Please stop the Griffin talk. Have you seen his weak arm? There’s a reason why hes been a number 2 or 3 QB.
September 6th, 2019 at 1:30 pm
We’re about to surprise the heck out of some people! I ain’t a-scared!
September 6th, 2019 at 1:31 pm
I trust Arians as a play caller just not his unqualified protege
September 6th, 2019 at 1:45 pm
Slants and screen passes will neutralize their front 4/5. Draw plays also if we can establish some sort of running game.
September 6th, 2019 at 1:48 pm
Put Suh on the O-line for a few plays. He will step on Bosa’s ankle and kick in the ribs of Buckner and Ford–probably spit in their face in the process. After they all get carted off remove Suh and our OL will be fine … maybe …
September 6th, 2019 at 1:52 pm
“LOL
Palmer had 2k runningback David Johnson to dump to”
Not in 2013 (year being referenced). Wasn’t on the team yet.
September 6th, 2019 at 2:09 pm
NOT BUYING Bucco Bruce’s Bullsh!t on not max protecting. We were the #1 offense in the league last season. Koetter had to max protect because we couldn’t run the ball among other issues, yet according to all knowing Bucco BS Bruce, everybody is covered and theres no one to throw to when u max protect….TELL THAT TO LAST SEASON’S #1 OFFENSE BRUCE!!!! Meanwhile Andrew Luck and Carson Palmer have all dropped Jameis a line to advise him that he better have his life insurance paid up and that it better include a disability clause.
September 6th, 2019 at 2:26 pm
JA Says:
September 6th, 2019 at 1:48 pm
Put Suh on the O-line for a few plays. He will step on Bosa’s ankle and kick in the ribs of Buckner and Ford–probably spit in their face in the process. After they all get carted off remove Suh and our OL will be fine … maybe …
You write that like it would be a bad thing when in reality that is actually what bucs need a bad arse man to step on some throats and kick some ribs while finish a weak opponent … no mercy…. we already know how it turns out with a bunch of choirboy pansy arse basement title brothers like cancer93 and lvd attempting to impersonate football players…
September 6th, 2019 at 2:27 pm
No doubt about one thing, we have the sorriest excuse for “fans” in the entire NFL on this site. Troll City right here. Been a fan of this franchise since before there was even a roster. Screw the trolls…….GO BUCS
September 6th, 2019 at 2:32 pm
BS aka BA makes a buy here pay here car salesman look like the only one with integrity on earth. At least he’s entertaining while on his Tampa bay working vacation
September 6th, 2019 at 2:37 pm
Football really isn’t rocket science. It’s fundamentally about 11 players doing their job, and doing it well on each and every play. If your opponent smells a weakness, they exploit it. Duh.
Bucs problem is that we’ve had too many weaknesses over a long period of time. Our Secondary was a weakness last year … it got burned repeatedly. Duh. Our OLine has been a weakness in terms of run-blocking … our running game sucked. Duh. They’ve also had trouble in pass protection against some of the better DLines in the league … so did a lot of other teams. Koetter tried to cover up those OLine weaknesses with a fair share of max protect.
Personally don’t think that was such a bad strategy. Neither Jameis nor Fitz got injured & we had a very effective passing attack … between the 20’s. Major problem that I saw was that it can take your RB & TE out of the picture as potential receivers. Reality IMO is that there’s no substitute for a quality OLine. Right now ours is quite circumspect. Only time will tell though.
September 6th, 2019 at 2:38 pm
Any bucfans in Austin Texas should check out Rusty Cannon on Stassney…. owner puts on bucs games. Good food. Cheap booze and relatively decent eye candy at times. Make sure you ask renee for fantasy roster advice.
September 6th, 2019 at 2:38 pm
“Who is going to replace Hump when they blitz?
Godwin does his Fred Sanford impersonation everytime he gets up from a tackle
OJ is on the line next to Crappas 100lb a$$ to help him block
Hippy Brate is slow as molasses
Dare Ogundbowale is going to help but the coaches is going to realize he is the best back in week 8
SO WHAT ARE YOU SAYING KOBE?
WITHOUT A COMPETENT OFFENSIVE LINE, EVERYTHING WILL BREAK DOWN”
Kobe Faker
September 6th, 2019 at 2:49 pm
Joe – the click through part of the ad above isn’t linked to anything. Not giving you a hard time or anything, just letting you know it’s missing.
September 6th, 2019 at 3:14 pm
JW: “I need to get the ball out quick … be decisive.”
I still remember Winston’s first NFL throw. 5 step drop, looking left, quick and decisive throw = Pick 6.
There was so much JW hype going into that game. That moment was hilarious.
September 6th, 2019 at 3:22 pm
Let Suh and Vea play both ways that might work. Put Nunez out there too
September 6th, 2019 at 3:32 pm
Five words for that feared, I almost got there (on paper) pass rush…
Evans, Godwin, Howard, Brate, Perriman
Do we not think that B. Leftwich, Harold Goodwin and Bruce Arians are not aware of that potential pass rush of the Niners. This isn’t Sapp, Simeon and company. Why do we act like there is no game plan. Why do we act like Jameis hasn’t studied the film, the only one there is no film on is Bosa, he hasn’t suited up in a year.
I have seen Donovan handle really good pass rushers before, it’s the no name ones that worry me. The Bucs won a Superbowl with Kenyatta walker playing tackle – there is hope.
I have more confidence in our game plan, players and coaches than the coaches on the other side. It was the 49ers at home when the Bucs fortunes changed when Rice and Young came to town. Time for change
September 6th, 2019 at 3:36 pm
Yes…..the Packers showed how to beat a great pass rush….
Limit the other team to 3 points.
September 6th, 2019 at 3:37 pm
It’s all about game planning and hopefully Winston won’t be taking 5 step drops. I don’t see how we neutralize the 49ers defense without max protect or west coast offense. Without a two tight end set our O-line is going to be destroyed.
September 6th, 2019 at 4:53 pm
Just look for the 4 yard completion, instead of going for the 40 yard completion. If you’re a Q.B. and no receiver looks open after you say 1000, 1, dump it off to a back. Belichick, and Brady have been winning super bowls for years doing that. I can’t even tell you who their #1 receiver is. They’ve never given a #1 receiver the kind of money teams have spent on names like our Evans.
September 6th, 2019 at 5:50 pm
Really good reporting Ira, Thanks!
I’m honestly worried about this 9ers pass rush, but I do trust in our coaching to get the most out of what our players can do. I hope we run and throw straight through Bosa and Kwon early and often and really test those suckers out. I want to see a running game that we stay with through four quarters too.
I think Jameis is going to kind of suck but I think our running game is going to surprise some people and Matt Gay is going to save our butts. We win either at the last second or in overtime.
GO BUCS!!!
September 6th, 2019 at 5:51 pm
Tim couch his career was cut short due to excessive injuries and getting the crap kicked out of him. The number one pick never having a good o line. Ba was his coach I believe 3 of those . Tim couch was not the boss the organization ownership and GM were the busT
September 6th, 2019 at 5:57 pm
Bruce is about 72 hours away from realizing how awful Jason lichts drafts have been. You can talk talk and talk some more but then you have to play the game
September 6th, 2019 at 7:02 pm
Everybody is speculating but that’s all it is. I happen to think our defense is pretty damn good too. I don’t see them lighting us up for a bunch of TD’s. Everybody remembers how Cleveland’s D-line abused us but they forget Baker Mayfield’s struggles that night against our D. I don’t want to hear about how he didn’t have all his weapons. We had heat on him all the time he was in. I think we have far more weapons on offense and I think we match up on defense with Suh and Vea in. I see us winning by 10.
September 6th, 2019 at 7:53 pm
Sounds to me like Griffin might finally get to start a game this year! We should have kept 6 QBs with that plan!!!
September 6th, 2019 at 8:50 pm
It’s simply a mindset BA is trying to instill in Jameis.
Do you actually think he is gonna let his QB get beat to hell the whole game.
If they were to all beat their 1 on 1s you throw a RB screen.
Maybe not even a call but a dump off.
Koetter never had dumpoffs because he was infatuated with a RB who could help max protect so Evans could get his 1500 yds.
Stupid really.
WR screens make the big boys run.
Then you come back with a run up the gut.
There is a plan trust me.
It’s really not rocket science.
Will Jameis take hits? YES
Can Jameis scramble? YES
Will Jameis get sacked? YES
Will Jameis throw for 300? YES
Will the Bucs win easily? YES
September 6th, 2019 at 11:46 pm
Had this team drafted correctly the past 6 years it would be the most talented team in the League. So, that leads to the obvious question, why is Licht still here?
September 6th, 2019 at 11:56 pm
BRING IT ON! Keep it close like the Brown’s game them when they wear down and they will, light them up. Jameis isn’t a cupcake he can take a hit if he doesn’t turn it over BA will make them pay.
This game is perfect setup for a bucs win.
September 7th, 2019 at 7:56 am
San Fran has only one good CB, Richard Sherman, who is a descent starter but not a shutdown corner. Kwon and company are not good in pass defense for LBs. If BA can put 3 or more receiving targets on the field most of the time, we’ll put point on the board, even if their rush is overwhelming.
Matt Gray is going to have enough opportunities make several field goal.
September 7th, 2019 at 8:26 am
The three guys I was impressed with in preseason all made the team: Griffin, Ogunwale and Hudson. They’re offense. The other was the radically improved play of the DBs. Looking forward to Sunday.
September 7th, 2019 at 9:38 am
Hey Jim, you are in Tamarindo? I am in Jaco.