Squeezing Lemonade From A Rock
November 11th, 2019
Win a good or bad example?
In the eyes of one respected NFL observer, Bucs coach Bucco Bruce Arians is getting the most out of his offensive players.
Joe doesn’t agree, but let’s take a trip down a short memory lane.
Albert Breer does a fantastic job of running theMMQB.com (Breer doesn’t willfully ignore college football as his predecessor did as he knows how directly college ball influences the NFL). And in his Monday Morning Quarterback column, Breer notes how Arians is getting production from just about everyone on offense.
Jameis Winston’s turnover issues remain, but one thing you can say about the Buccaneers’ offense with Bruce Arians pulling the levers is that he’s getting more out of everyone. Chris Godwin’s in the midst of a breakout year at receiver. Ronald Jones is no longer a bust at tailback. And on Sunday, O.J. Howard, the forgotten man in the offense, lost in the shuffle of the 2019 coaching change, came to life as you’d expect from a former top-10 pick. He finished with four catches for 47 yards and a touchdown in the win over Arizona.
Joe sees where Breer is coming from here. And yes, yesterday may have been the first time Arians got production from just about the whole offense this season, with the exception of Cam Brate.
Hell, even Peyton Barber did something — once offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich had an epiphany and decided to try to use “Up the Middle” Barber outside the tackles.
The fact you have a talent like O.J. Howard on the roster and yesterday was the ninth game of the year and he finally had a significant contribution isn’t something to be lauded (yes, Joe knows Howard was hurt for two games). More like, what the hell took so long?
(Joe also knows the Bucs have used Howard primarily as a blocker, which should tell you something. That doesn’t mean the guy should be sentenced to offensive line purgatory for a whole game.)
And what about fellow tight end Brate? The man had put up Pro Bowl scoring numbers the past three seasons barely makes an impact on games. Sure, he’s been dinged up but it is almost like Brate has been sealed into a glass case, only to be used in emergencies.
Burying a touchdown machine like Brate on the bench isn’t exactly what Joe would call using all resources.
Yesterday, the Bucs used just about every weapon they had on the team. Joe is starting to wonder if that was more because the Cardinals are a lousy team rather than some grand design by the coaching staff.
Only time will tell.
November 11th, 2019 at 11:09 am
Coaching staff is still a joke. Grnadpa Bucco Bruce doesn’t coach a thing. He manages the coaches So lets hold up on any praise for this outdated, overrated dumba$$ hat wearing clown. Jason Gump needs to be held accountable also.
November 11th, 2019 at 11:12 am
We can’t go to the playoffs when we turn the ball over this much. I’d rather score less points per game and have over a full turnover less a game. Jameis’ turnover rate is astronomical. Other worldly. We are fools to condone turning the ball over this much. Can’t win a championship with giveaways.
November 11th, 2019 at 11:13 am
Wonder if Brate is hurt and this is the end for him.
November 11th, 2019 at 11:20 am
So BA turns OJ into a third tackle for most of the season, and Breer wants to give him credit for actually throwing to him now?
The play calling in the first half was actually pretty good, the second half…meh.
November 11th, 2019 at 11:27 am
He wasn’t a top ten pick why do people who get paid for writing these always mess up , get your facts straight breer
November 11th, 2019 at 11:30 am
Don’t look now but we are #4 in the NFL in scoring and are the only one of the top 10 not looking at the playoffs. Wonder why? Oh I know it must be the QB.
November 11th, 2019 at 11:35 am
Doing more this year?????? The offense has scored ONE LESS TD this year thru 9 games than it did last year thru 9 Games
November 11th, 2019 at 11:36 am
Cool to read how OJ was a top ten pick at number 19. Who woulda thought.
November 11th, 2019 at 11:43 am
BA is full of BS ANY coach who challenges when he has NO MORE challenges is a joke! Especially when he has 1 coach for every 1 player!
November 11th, 2019 at 11:45 am
I do believe its time to cut ties with Brate, Hargreaves, Perriman, Suh, Dotson for sure. Possibly D. Smith, Allen, Gholston, Jensen & possibly JW. Need to go all out to sign Nassib, Barrett & JPP the heart of the defense.
November 11th, 2019 at 11:46 am
Still wonder, because they said “we are gonna see what the player does best”, Jameis is at his best on the move, but haven’t seen that out of the offense.
November 11th, 2019 at 11:49 am
stevek
i rather score less points… say that too yourself again lol wow dude… you never ever want to score less….. how about having a defense that can hold a team to under 30 or 40 most weeks…. wow score less spoken like a true fan of dungy the clowns coach scared and not to win philosophy…. turnovers are a problem but to wish for less points is pretty damn funny
November 11th, 2019 at 11:50 am
Parole Jameis from this minor league franchise he has suffered through incompetence long enough.
November 11th, 2019 at 11:52 am
Tom
every week barrett plays well makes it less likely bucs have a chance at him returning. unless bucs can over pay barrett he wont stay…. he will have much better options in team / city combinations.
November 11th, 2019 at 11:55 am
Ndog – interesting initial stat. I wonder how many INTs and short fields those other teams were given by their prolific Qbacks, screwing their own defense. Not to mention Int for touchdowns and fumbles.
I wish it were different, and until he stops leading the league in turnovers…
JW = Fools Gold.
In BA I Trust!
November 11th, 2019 at 11:57 am
oh and BA essentially traded a4th round pick for 8 games of perriman… are you kidding me!!!!!
November 11th, 2019 at 12:05 pm
Miken – understand your frustration there. On the third WR front, wth happened to Justin Watson. I thought he might turn out to be a decent 3rd. Can’t beat out Scotty Miller or Bobo ‘I got cut again’ Wilson. Daaaayyuuum…
In BA I Trust!
November 11th, 2019 at 12:09 pm
“Its 10 weeks and still waiting
most NFL teams with athletic TEs are lining up at the slot to be used in the short passing game…immediate open field
OJ has to be in lineman blocking stance and get thru all the traffic
very frustrating
Kobe thought Jameis will be out of this incompetence and into a west coast short passing game offense
JW3 has 2 more years here in Tampa with this 80s offense BA
Terrible luck
November 11th, 2019 at 12:28 pm
Buddy, you are so stupid. Ignorant ankle biter who has never played a down of football in your life.
November 11th, 2019 at 12:40 pm
IMO not much has changed…..The offense has always shown ability, that wasnt an issue under Koetter. Winston is still turning the ball over at unimaginable rates and the defense is still handicapped by the secondary. We’re 3-6….get to 6-6….go on a 4 game winning streak like the Steelers who have a rookie QB and no running game, then we’ll be in the conversation of actual improvement. Draft talk started last month….nothing has changed.
November 11th, 2019 at 12:40 pm
SteveK Says: “Can’t win a championship with giveaways.”
You also cant win a championship giving up 31 ppg. One QB isnt going to improve the 375 yards a game and 290 passing yards a game. And before you say its JW fault because he turns it over. That would actually help the defense yards per game because they would defend a shorter field. Like against Tennessee, Tampa only gave up 246 yards and 174 passing yards. well under the averages they normally give up.
November 11th, 2019 at 1:13 pm
Todd
I just took a dungy in your honor…. it was just like dungy the clowns offensive units stinky!!!! a double flusher….
November 11th, 2019 at 1:34 pm
I thin thr fact some gamec mike evans was hardly targeted takes some wind out of his argument.. especially thag game recently where they couldn’t stop him and in 4th q they go to perriman and miller… like why are they even getting targets when until now brate and oj weren’t?
November 11th, 2019 at 1:47 pm
Watson was also showing some promise in very limited action… certainly seems like we should have expected him to take another step
November 11th, 2019 at 1:49 pm
horay we are 3 and 6 …. the SAME winning percentage 33% under or awesome GM LICKED …. licht tenure is win 33% of time lose 66% of time …. sounds great… the definition of insanity is to keep doing the same thing and expect differant results……. forest gump says dont change a thing…….
November 11th, 2019 at 3:36 pm
Winston willed us a WIN!!!! Take that Jamies haters!!! Ha!!!
November 11th, 2019 at 7:49 pm
I don’t blame BA I think he’s an above average HC (unlike all recent Buc coaches). It’s pretty obvious the long term problem is glaser. However it seems to be taboo to point out that fact.