Bruce Arians & The Silly Season
December 31st, 2019
Silly season is underway at One Buc Palace and across the nation.
Who could forget last year’s silly time, highlighted by Bruce Arians’ eagerness to work in Tampa with Ryan Fitzpatrick and DeSean Jackson.
Chattering yesterday with local reporters, Arians was asked if the Bucs are good enough to win with another quarterback, you know, a guy not named Jameis Winston. The question seemed to surprise Arians.
“With another quarterback? Oh yeah. We can win with this one. We can definitely win with another one too because we’re going to have a defense,” Arians replied.
And right on cue, national media and other outlets ran with the one-liner that Arians said the Bucs can win with another QB. Big headlines! Sound the alarms! Arians is running Jameis out of town!
Joe has to caution fans that this is the time of year coaches, even candid ones like Arians, turn into politicians, contract-leverage-makers and chief perception-builders.
Soon, Joe suspects we’ll hear the annual Tampa Bay song. You know the chorus, “We lost a lot of one-score games, so we’re oh so close. Oh yeah.”
Just yesterday, Arians was dropping gems, like talking about how Matt Gay has to spend all spring kicking in the end zone of the Den of Depression where there’s “crazy wind on the back side of that stadium.” Joe had to laugh. Is there a reason Gay couldn’t have spent, say, all week there in August or November and December instead of next spring? Last Joe checked, the Bucs have a dedicated kicking coach and the keys to the stadium.
Joe’s not knocking Arians, just noting this is the time of year when it’s harder to inhale the smoke.
Of course the Bucs are good enough to win with a quarterback not named Jameis. As Arians said, with a defense.
There are plenty of QBs around the NFL who can throw effectively to a stellar receiving corps behind a good pass-blocking line, and probably be a more effective leader than Jameis is. Everybody knows that.
But would one of those guys be on the market? That’s a totally different question.
December 31st, 2019 at 11:06 am
The “be scared of the replacement” statement is so stupid. MOST available QB’s can do better than Mr.Turnover… Plug in anybody next year and sign the defensive guys… and voila! PLAYOFFS!
December 31st, 2019 at 11:07 am
Now that John Elway has stated Drew Lock is The Man in 2020, would Joe Flacco be available?
He has two years left on his deal for $24 & $27mil.
December 31st, 2019 at 11:07 am
Bruce Arians on mental errors: ‘You’re showing me you’re not smart enough to be a Buc’ (Aug. 18, 2019)
December 31st, 2019 at 11:08 am
Bruce Arians on mental errors: ‘You’re showing me you’re not smart enough to be a Buc’ (Aug. 18, 2019)
December 31st, 2019 at 11:08 am
I’d much rather keep the DL together and extend Perriman that have Winston return.
December 31st, 2019 at 11:10 am
Right Joe, but you say it every year leading up to free agency when it comes to these kinds of stories: Where’s there’s smoke there’s fire.
December 31st, 2019 at 11:11 am
Bruce Arians on mental errors: ‘You’re showing me you’re not smart enough to be a Buc’ (Aug. 18, 2019)
December 31st, 2019 at 11:12 am
Lol no other kickers have problem in that “crazy wind” in that endzone. And if its such a crazy wind why did he move him back 5 yards lol. Bruce Arians is the most full of you know what coach we have ever had. Bring Raheem back
December 31st, 2019 at 11:17 am
I think it’s important we acknowledge jenna laine twisted this comment and added “IF we can win with this guy….” when he said “we can win with this guy….”. Completely different context.
I’m not for going in on reporters but she annoys me. Now look at the national media, they are all reporting bruce essentially insulted jameis when he didn’t.
December 31st, 2019 at 11:17 am
We’ve heard plenty of coaches do coachspeak when answering that question and say “We have our quarterback, next question.” It’s therefore what he didn’t say that is speaking volumes to people.
December 31st, 2019 at 11:20 am
Arians sounded to me like a guy that had fulfilled an obligation to give it the “old college” try with Winston, it didn’t work out, and now it was time to get down to real business.
To think that they haven’t been evaluating this situation from the get go this season is crazy. I know he said yesterday that they still have to sit down and evaluate what Winston did this year and come to some conclusions, and I was in favor of that, but the more I thought about it, the more ridiculous it sounded to me.
The book was already out on Winston, this coaching staff just had to have a chance to read it for themselves up close. The conclusion that I believe they came to is that they have a defense that progressed enough to make them a contender, a recieving core and most of an offensive line that’s good enough to put up lots of points, and a QB that at any moment can blow it all up in everyone’s faces.
Everyone likes to say that Arians is too old to want to start over with a new QB, I think Arians is probably old enough to know when enough is enough and not waste time with lost causes.
December 31st, 2019 at 11:20 am
I think the off-season will be interesting because now BA has had a full year to evaluate the entire roster. I wouldn’t be shocked to see some players moved out, and help brought in for positions but believed to be an issue. There is more to evaluate than numbers.
December 31st, 2019 at 11:20 am
The decision to bring jameis back was made when ian rappaport put his name on it. Just wait, you’ll see
December 31st, 2019 at 11:22 am
The wind stuff is excuses. The others team kicker don’t miss. But I do believe some crazy stuff happening. Jameis and kickers struggle at home and play way better on the road.
But as far as jameis.
Arians might just be trying to drive Winston’s price down. The Las Vegas raiders are going to look into jameis. Gruden will try to get jameis watch. Gruden work with favre. He loves qb that push ball down the field.
December 31st, 2019 at 11:23 am
Gruden as been around Tampa. Around jameis.
December 31st, 2019 at 11:23 am
Is it wrong to wonder how the season would have gone if Gabbert hadn’t been lost for the season? Would Bruce have pulled the 30/30 man to see what his guy could do with this offence?
December 31st, 2019 at 11:27 am
Cobraboy, no disprespect but………
Joe Flacco… YUKK!!!!!!!
December 31st, 2019 at 11:30 am
on a serious note, maybe espn should do a 30 for 30 show on jameis and the 2019 tampa bay buccaneers…
it really was a legit rollercoaster…
worthy of dissection
December 31st, 2019 at 11:37 am
adam from ny Says:
December 31st, 2019 at 11:30 am
on a serious note, maybe espn should do a 30 for 30 show
.
.
a new thrill ride for Busch Gardens…
December 31st, 2019 at 11:38 am
941bucsfan Says:
“Lol no other kickers have problem in that “crazy wind” in that endzone.
Bruce Arians is the most full of you know what coach we have ever had.”
~~~~~~
If you are basing that final statement on your first one, then you should do a little more research. It is WELL documented (and can be looked up) that that side of RayJay has a considerable amount of more missed kicks that the other side…. and not just by BUCS Kickers. — So he was not blowing smoke.
December 31st, 2019 at 11:56 am
Bridgewater will be available and would do well in this system.
December 31st, 2019 at 11:58 am
Always thought that kickers and punters should practice in the actual stadium. It’s not like they are going to destroy the field.
December 31st, 2019 at 12:00 pm
JW contract is not expired until march…
Maybe Arians is planning to persuade Luck to come out of retirement or Palmer..
Maybe he is thinking of starting Gabbert to transition a rookie qb…
People are saying that in the 1st year under Arians, qbs throw more picks..
one of these 3 can run it with much less turnovers and still avoid keeping JW who has turnover seasons long before Arians system came along!
December 31st, 2019 at 12:01 pm
^^ Agreed, Tackleblockwin. I have a feeling that is going to change, next year, based on what Bruce said, lol
December 31st, 2019 at 12:02 pm
Yes it is the Silly Season.
However, Arians is speaking out of disgust.
Sounds like he has seen enough of Winston giving away games that the team has played well enough to win.
December 31st, 2019 at 12:04 pm
Not a bad thought, Tye, but Carson Palmer through 7 interceptions in his final playoff game under Bruce Arians.
Can you imagine that, if it happened here after we let Jameis walk?
The next guy comes in and throws 7?
Can you even imagine?????? LOL
December 31st, 2019 at 12:05 pm
(threw, not through)
obviously, lol. — That was my OWN interception.
December 31st, 2019 at 12:06 pm
@tampabaydemon. Ive been a bucs fan for a longg time…. and im sure you have as well as other folks on this site also…but come on man… when have we ever heard ANYTHING about some damn wind on that end of the endzone. Come on man. Bruce moved the guy back 5 yards on that end of the endzone cause he said its an easier kick, and u wanna tell me about some wind… well if thats the case lets see how many picks jameis has thrown going into that side of the field. BA will tell u guys anything and u will run with it
December 31st, 2019 at 12:16 pm
“Oh yeah, If we can win with this quarterback we can Definitely win with another one” Bruce Arians
“Jamies is near sided he can’t read the scoreboard but he can see the players in front of him” Bruce Arians
Haha
December 31st, 2019 at 12:22 pm
Typical Joe: defend JayMiss at all costs.
I have very little faith in Ba, but even less faith in JayMiss.
Given BA’s track record as a OC and HC, I tend to gravitate to his opinion and ability to lead.
Can’t say the same about JayMiss .
Peace, out
December 31st, 2019 at 12:23 pm
941bucsfan, I swear to you that I watched Jon Gruden talk about it in a Press Conference while he was here, and he gave stats to prove it. Maybe they are not as easy to find now as I thought they would still be, but Arians is definitely not the first one to mention it. — I am sort of a gym rat when it comes to watching the coach press conferences, going back quite awhile, and so I was not surprised when Bruce brought it up.
December 31st, 2019 at 12:24 pm
By the way, I did not say that I would “run with anything Bruce says”. — I just said that this is not the first coach to bring up the differing end zones on FG’s.
December 31st, 2019 at 12:29 pm
941, one thing I did not consider…. they could BOTH be blowing smoke, lmao. Gruden & Arians. I guess that is always a possibility, haha.
December 31st, 2019 at 12:34 pm
You guys are as click-baity as the rest, no need to throw stones. And if Bruce was so “leverage/spin” right now, why did he just give the agents for Barrett, Suh, and JPP the keys to the castle by essentially announcing they need to be back? Also, the south end zone became a problem when Gay missed three more kicks there, solidifying the narrative (that wasn’t there in Sept).
All I know is you guys after “silly season” (the even sillier realm of predictions) were going on about how bad the D was gonna be before the season, droning on about a scheme/collection of talent that hadn’t even happened yet.
December 31st, 2019 at 12:35 pm
I think Arians saw enough Ima huge JW3 guy but 30 ints is a lot I mean come on, I let Jameis walk draft a guy(Jordan Love) Invest heavy in the defense and let the qb manage the game I mean its a good situation 2 pro bowl Wr’s is a good situation to have
December 31st, 2019 at 1:05 pm
I liked BA’s comment about our kicker also Joe. Everyone knows that the wind in RayJay is treacherous this time of year. That’s why the Falcon’s almost-rookie kicker (4 career FG attempts prior to this year) hit on 5 of 5 FGs attempted, while our rookie kicker missed on all 3 FG attempts. No question about it … it’s the wind.
December 31st, 2019 at 1:07 pm
I can’t imagine Mariota throwing more if he was the Bucs choice in 2015
December 31st, 2019 at 1:14 pm
Be very careful what you wish for because the last time I looked most teams have a quarterback carousel
December 31st, 2019 at 1:18 pm
Is Joe finally catching on to Bullchit Bruce and his non-stop coach speak?
Stay tuned to find out…
December 31st, 2019 at 1:20 pm
A lot of b.s..
December 31st, 2019 at 1:37 pm
What BA or Licht say is not really relevant right now for the reasons Joe and BA himself have elucidated.
What IS relevant is what flies out of JW’s piehole. He’s off to a horrid start with that press conference…Edward Encina wrote a great piece on how all the way up to Sunday JW has been nothing but remorseful and accountable…
Sunday he revealed what I feared might be possible all along. A spoiled rotten athlete who has been coddled since the 8th grade, face very little accountability in his life until the suspension and benching.
If you let ANY QB in this league take all the chances he wants with no repercussions about the ints they too can make risky low % throws. As Wayne Gretzky said you do not make any of the shots you don’t take…you don’t complete any of the passes you don’t throw and if there is absolutely no accountability then you can let er fly and run up impressive stats.
JW’s threaded needles are LOW % throws as opposed to NO % throws. Any QB can makes SOME of them…and any QB can get picked off on a higher % of those throws.
December 31st, 2019 at 1:49 pm
Rest easy fans as every clue thus far indicates Winston returns as Bucs QB. The rest of the squawk is wishful thinking. Happy New Year!
December 31st, 2019 at 3:38 pm
Bucs can win with ANYBODY including a rookie. The 33 touchdowns isn’t all that impressive when Daniel jones had 24 with half the interceptions. Said to highlight the fact that if you invest in the run game, you will realize your not going to have that many touchdowns because of it so the most important stats becomes amount of turnovers.
December 31st, 2019 at 3:50 pm
The thought of a new q.b. is exciting and gives some optimism going into next season.
December 31st, 2019 at 4:58 pm
The thought of a new QB means going thru 2-3 QB’s before we find one and another coaching change with a purge of personnel to suit new offense and defenses. All the while watching another player we drafted excel playing somewhere else. Having been a longtime Bucs fan that is what I expect.
December 31st, 2019 at 5:23 pm
“The thought of a new QB means going thru 2-3 QB’s before we find one and another coaching change with a purge of personnel to suit new offense and defenses.”
Really? Based on what? The Bucs experience which has always sucked in many areas and should never be a benchmark.
Meanwhile Kansas City didn’t miss a beat when they changed QB’s. Andy Reid is great but BA is considered in Reid’s class.
Oh and it didn’t take a year to learn the offense.
And let’s not forget Baltimore…changing from a veteran SB winning QB to a rookie and creating an offense for just that rookie. No year wait. And no new coach.
That’s just off the top of my head.
If you look at QB’s I admire…SB winners…but do not consider great…Brad Johnson…Trent Dilfer…Flacco…the common denominator was a dominant defense.
At this point if you follow trend lines…our D is much closer to becoming dominant than JW is to becoming a savior QB.
Fear of failure is not conducive to success. Why fear something that has been done successfully on more than one occasion.
December 31st, 2019 at 5:29 pm
BA is ready to move on! He’s said enough already….
14th pick, Jordan Love.
December 31st, 2019 at 8:53 pm
This sounds like the reasonable Joe. The other one sounds like
A nut hugging homer that none of us takes serious
December 31st, 2019 at 9:05 pm
Happy new year to all!
And to you too, Coach Arians. Hope you ordered the salmon.
December 31st, 2019 at 9:58 pm
Like this Joe is a great evaluator of QB. Where would we be with Johnny Football?
January 1st, 2020 at 12:00 am
Silly season indeed….no one at One Buc gives a rats arse what we think. Esp. st pete and adam from ny