“… Kinda Broke Bruce Arians”
March 13th, 2020
Just one play?
The last memory is the freshest.
And sometimes, it is that last memory which tips the scales for a person to make a decision.
In a recent episode of the “Pick Six Podcast” on CBS Sports, Sean Wagner-McGough — a longtime, outspoken critic of Mr. Entertainment, America’s Quarterback, Pro Bowler Jameis Winston — is thinking like the Sage of Tampa Bay sports, internationally popular JoeBucsFan.com columnist Ira Kaufman.
Uncle Ira has often said this offseason that Jameis’ last two games likely sunk his days with the Bucs. Wagner-McGough agrees with Uncle Ira but goes one step further: It was Jameis’ final pass of the 2019 season that possibly did him in.
Wagner-McGough, in a very objective description of Jameis, noted he has a “golden arm” and most teams are dumb to let a 26-year old quarterback who is so productive go. But he noted, most of those quarterbacks are not interceptions machines and Arians reached a point that he could no longer swallow the picks.
“I think if you look how that season ended, that 30th interception, that seventh pick-six, both of which set records, kind of broke Bruce Arians,” Wagner-McGough said.
Joe thinks Wagner-McGough is on to something. We all remember what happened last. And what happened last was the team walking off the field dejected by another loss, which was handed to them by Jameis.
(Joe happens to wonder if some Bucs defenders went to Arians after the season and told him they could no longer play for a guy who tosses 30 picks?)
That final pick is what pushed several NFL analysts over the edge to go from defenders of Jameis to critics.
Jim Miller, former NFL quarterback and now co-host of “Movin’ the Chains” heard exclusively on SiriusXM NFL Radio, was one such person. He called that final pass/pick-six one of the laziest throws he’s ever seen and he said it looked like a floating pass you would see in the third practice of training camp.
And please, spare Joe the thumb injury. It’s wonderful that Jameis fought through the injury but if that thumb was the reason he threw that lazy pass (and others), then he shouldn’t have been on the field.
Joe also firmly believes if the Bucs had a friggin’ reliable kicker who could hit one of three field goal attempts — just one! — half the hollering about Jameis wouldn’t be going on — and Jameis may have already signed an extension with the Bucs.
Bucs legend DERRICK BROOKS addresses this last-play phenomenon in the new TAMPA TWO episode below, presented by Caldeco Air Conditioning & Heating. Another great production from The Identity Tampa Bay and JoeBucsFan.com.
March 13th, 2020 at 2:04 pm
Glad Matt Gay’s miss, could provide a platform to demonstrate that Jameis is not worth big money. It would’ve been terrible to resign him and be stuck with all the turnovers/losing/lack of playoffs. I am excited about what we do in FA and at the QB position.
March 13th, 2020 at 2:05 pm
Exactly, thumb and kicker.
Playing with the lead is different. Puts the defense in the spotlight. Oh that’s right we don’t have one just like we don’t have dline men signed right now.
March 13th, 2020 at 2:09 pm
That is the laziest excuse in the world I have seen as to why he has no contract extension. Again. Everyone is to blame even the fans. But not Blameless!!
March 13th, 2020 at 2:13 pm
Saw Dion Lewis cut today.
His best year was 2017 with Tom Brady where he caught 32 of 35 targets and also converted 28% of his targets and rushes into 1st downs which is very high.
His target catch percentage for his career is 82%. He knows how to pass protect.
Other running back catch percentage in their careers:
Gordon 75%
Johnson 67%
Howard 67%
Drake 72%
If you go after Brady, then sign Lewis to a cheap 1.5 million per year contract and see if qb with 42 TD’s, 12 Ints and only 4200 yards can win in Tampa.
March 13th, 2020 at 2:15 pm
So Gay missed for the greater good, huh? Bucs will get what they deserve come QB Musical Chair Time. Hopefully Teddy Bear will wear # 5 to reignite that memory of QB’s gone bye…
March 13th, 2020 at 2:20 pm
It certainly could be looked at differently…….Matt Gay’s misses may have actually exposed Winston’s weakness to the fullest.
Thanks Matt…..but no thanks…..
March 13th, 2020 at 2:21 pm
Good Grief….The 3 missed FGs didn’t break him. Give me a break. I am so sick of Bruce Arians. Let him go. Get noodle arm and lets see when he checks down to a running back instead of attempting to throw to Godwin or Evans.
March 13th, 2020 at 2:21 pm
If one play made a decision for someone heck anyone then they are not very good at evaluation.
Also if this is true tell Bruce not to watch the last from Brady this year either cause he might not like what he sees and that was with the best defense in football, 8th best running game in football and elite kicker.
But as we all know there is a double standard when it comes to Jameis. Cause we all know 88 picks in the first 5 years is unacceptable, but over 100 in your first 5 years is just fine if your name is Peyton Manning.
March 13th, 2020 at 2:25 pm
(Joe happens to wonder if some Bucs defenders went to Arians after the season and told him they could no longer play for a guy who tosses 30 picks?)
I think this is one of the most logical sentences I have read in a while. It makes perfect sense, if correct.
March 13th, 2020 at 2:27 pm
Agreed Joe. I mean, it’s the same “injured” thumb he had to use when throwing to Brashard Perriman when he was playing great down the stretch. The play that reminded you (or Uncle Ira) of Montana to Clark in the end zone was thrown with an “injured” thumb. No excuses.
I was done with Jay-Miss after the Bengals game in 2018. I was a firm defender and supporter but after that game, I knew he would never become what we all hoped he would become. He’s a bottom tier starter in the NFL that will likely be a backup with another team if he isn’t re-signed.
March 13th, 2020 at 2:30 pm
No, no, no. That pick-6 was the defense’s fault!
The season ended the same way it started. It was no fluke!
March 13th, 2020 at 2:30 pm
Jecir I wonder if Jameis went to Arains after the Giants, Rams, Seahawks and Cardinals games saying I can’t play with this trash defense anymore. Or heck how about after every game saying I can win carrying this crap running game. See it goes both ways but yeah we know it’s all up to one player to win games by themselves.
March 13th, 2020 at 2:31 pm
I have to totally agree that our last impression of jameis left the deepest impression…. I think most of us would maybe agree that the stats that James has produced are phenomenal yet we all have to know in our hearts that if he did get us to the playoffs and to the promised land would it give away Super bowl after Super bowl after Super bowl????
I don’t blame Jim Kelly for all those Buffalo losses and not getting that Golden Ring what I believe the chamber’s wild quarterback he would just continually give away the big ones….. We have a good team are the foundation of a very good team… Godwin Evans Vita on and on and on we have good talent…we don’t need a quarterback to win the games for us we just need a quarterback to do his job and not lose the games for us….
Joe has given me a hard time in the past forgiving Jameson heart time but I think this particular analysis is on point… Thanks
March 13th, 2020 at 2:34 pm
I just can’t to wait to see you same posters after Jameis goes elsewhere and has a great career while we are stuck with Mr. Glass or a second year scrub playing QB for us after some old bum we get retires. You people just don’t get it, if they let Jameis walk we are getting so screwed for the long run.
March 13th, 2020 at 2:37 pm
I’ll always wonder why Leftwich didn’t call a run play and take the risk of this happening. First play of OT and everyone was thinking if this could possibly end like other things have gone down in Buccaneer history.
March 13th, 2020 at 2:38 pm
@Joe … “And please, spare Joe the thumb injury. It’s wonderful that Jameis fought through the injury but if that thumb was the reason he threw that lazy pass (and others), then he shouldn’t have been on the field.”
Wow!!! Someone has hijacked Joe’s blog. Neither Joe would even insinuate that Jameis shouldn’t have been playing in that last game if his thumb was a significant problem. I mean hey, Jameis gutted it out for the good of the team. Right? To even insinuate otherwise is to infer that he selfishly put his own interests ahead of the TEAM’s interests. Nah, Jameis would never do that. I’d even bet an Uber on that one.
March 13th, 2020 at 2:41 pm
It amazes me that neither BA or non-JW3 Bucs fans have noticed that TB12 ended his last home game @ Gillette Stadium, his last time playing in front of the NE home crowd – with a Pick 6.
The fact that Bucs FO & coaching staff (reportedly), as well as many JoeBucsFan commentators seem to be all-in on signing him, but cannot get over JW3 going out the same way in Tampa….Just seems a little ironic to me.
March 13th, 2020 at 2:43 pm
So who is signing jameis if we are going to get screwed?
Surely a guy this good is going to have other teams lining up to make him their starter.
March 13th, 2020 at 2:45 pm
Broke him? Is our coach that mentally weak? Then again, it broke some/most of the fans, too. So much so that they’d rather have Philip Rivers, then will scream/cry/pout/throw a trantrum when Rivers throws lots of interceptions.
March 13th, 2020 at 2:45 pm
I think it was the last pass and the last 2 games, in general, that was the VERY last straw for a vast majority of our JBF “Jameis must go” crowd.
When I think back to that Detroit Lions game, JW was on top of the world at that time. He finally had a vast majority of JBF in his corner…. he had the National Media in his corner, and he was setting records.
THEN….. man, those last 2 games at home. Those 2 games even shook my confidence, and I have been in his corner all along.
True, on one hand, he was playing without Evans & Godwin… and also playing with injuries. But he had those same injuries in Detroit.
He just made some horrible plays that really hurt us and helped cost us both games. It made me start to wonder if he could really deal with some prosperity. He actually HAD some at the time… and some momentum!!
How different things could have been if he had just finished strong.
Now, it just feels like that was the beginning of the end.
March 13th, 2020 at 2:46 pm
We just going to ignore that the pass was tip changing the velocity
March 13th, 2020 at 2:48 pm
Not having Godwin hurt him more than his actual injuries. He was fine without Evans but without Godwin he wasn’t the same.
March 13th, 2020 at 2:49 pm
geno 711 … Probably gonna be lots of other RBs available shortly, so why pay FA prices when we can just draft a solid rookie RB in the 2nd Rnd who’ll potentially give us 4 good good years of cheap labor?
Bucs would be foolish IMO not to draft an OLineman in Rnd 1 PROVIDING there’s one at Pick #14 that meets our needs. And we do NEED a starting RT, and don’t have a bunch of extra $$$ to go out and buy one in FA. We also NEED a quality starting RB to complement RoJo. Preferably someone who enjoys hitting holes between the tackles. Quite a few RBs available this year who meet that NEED also.
The one thing that could get me to change my mind on those real quickly is if something unexpected happens in FA. Like let’s say we can’t re-sign JPP, Suh or Shaq. In that case, we’d have to draft their replacement in Rnd 1 to get a quality starter.
Or even worse, if we come out of FA with just some old QB (not naming names of course). Then we’d almost have to draft a QB in Rnd 1 to serve as his understudy (as in ‘whoever’s left when we pick’ … whoopee).
March 13th, 2020 at 2:49 pm
geno711,
If we end up getting Brady, I could not agree with you more that Dion Lewis would be a great addition, for all of the reasons that you listed.
March 13th, 2020 at 2:51 pm
please..please..please…when can we start posting about REAL stuff…I’d almost rath have Covid 19…at least my mind would be off the Bucs and time would go by faster
March 13th, 2020 at 2:55 pm
Jaywill tipped lol just like most Winston ints it was to easy stared it down the whole time even if the ball was tipped the defender was jumping it before it left his hands go watch it come back and talk to me
March 13th, 2020 at 2:55 pm
BA will make his choice, but remember for the majority of our history our offense was run, run, and throw on 3rd and long then punt. We rarely scored over 20 points in a game, and if we did it also losing the game it was okay cause our offense had finally turned the corner. Only when Winston arrived have we been a top ten offense consistently.
Remember going 3 and out then punting is like a turnover.
March 13th, 2020 at 2:58 pm
What is “REAL stuff” Altered? Games? The draft? Joe just cannot invent sh!t from his imagination like, oh, the Bucs just beat the Belicheats in the Super Bowl last night.
And if you want stories about dudes pumping weights, this ain’t the site and never will be.
You come to a Bucs site not wanting to read about the Bucs? Genius!
March 13th, 2020 at 2:59 pm
Bucs signed TE tanner Hudson to a new one year deal.
March 13th, 2020 at 2:59 pm
You clearly don’t listen to Ira’s pod, do you?
March 13th, 2020 at 3:00 pm
“I just can’t to wait to see you same posters after Jameis goes elsewhere and has a great career….”
Look on the bright side, you’ll have another teams fan blog to troll. It’s all about JW for you.
March 13th, 2020 at 3:00 pm
(Yawn). Joe finds the news that the Bucs closed their building because of the coronavirus more interesting.
March 13th, 2020 at 3:03 pm
Joe this signing could mean more than u think they could b trading a te
March 13th, 2020 at 3:03 pm
lol
March 13th, 2020 at 3:03 pm
Jaywill, I definitely agree with you about how the loss of Evans & Godwin hurt him, but I think it was his “trust level” in the replacements that hurt him even more.
One of JW’s finest qualities is his belief in his teammates. I LOVE that about him, but at times, it may be to a fault and actually hurt him.
I think he made some really bad decisions in trying to “get one in there” on some plays that might have been made for Evans & Godwin, but not in this case.
Precaution would have probably been the better route for JW. But that is not in his nature.
I will always be a fan, and pull for him.
It’s just hard to imagine him being back here, now.
March 13th, 2020 at 3:05 pm
Color Joe very unimpressed with the guy, sorry.
Don’t have anything against him. If he turns the corner and produces, great. So far, he’s proved to be what he is, a practice squad/bottom of the roster kind of guy.
March 13th, 2020 at 3:05 pm
It is not a pass, it is the last pass of the season. 16 games worth of learning(?) how to make the offense supposedly work.
He was starting to look like a QB you could cheer for and then the last two games happened. Got to have taken the wind out of a lot of sails.
Did he throw that last pass just so he could start this debate? It almost looks like it. The defender made his break on the ball before it left Jameis’ hand.
Enough.
March 13th, 2020 at 3:07 pm
BS Line: “Joe also firmly believes if the Bucs had a friggin’ reliable kicker who could hit one of three field goal attempts — just one! — half the hollering about Jameis wouldn’t be going on — and Jameis may have already signed an extension with the Bucs.” Keep saying it; won’t make it true. Dumb.
Pick #30 followed soon after with selfish comments on “I’m ballin'” and “check your sheet” seals the deal that after 5 years, Winston isn’t getting…in his play or in his head.
March 13th, 2020 at 3:07 pm
With Brady that is the exception. He threw 8 INTs during the regular season last year. Jay-Miss threw seven Pick-6’s and 30 INTs with an INT% of nearly 5%. Brady’s pick 6 was to a receiver that was mugged and it should have been a PI call on the defense. Jay-Miss’ pick 6 was a lazy-a$$ pass to Brate that was cleanly picked off.
March 13th, 2020 at 3:11 pm
The whole team is a dumpster fire. Getting rid of Winston is fine but it won’t change the lack of a running game or a pathetic excuse for a kicking game. The defense is still a big question with impending free agency. Even if the Bucs brought in Brady, I doubt the team would do much better. There are too many weak areas in this poorly run franchise to believe that the Bucs will go to the SB with the current team. Window of opportunity is closing yet again….
March 13th, 2020 at 3:17 pm
Then I should send Gay a gift basket…
March 13th, 2020 at 3:20 pm
If last impressions are that important then we are going to have a new kicker next year as well.
March 13th, 2020 at 3:22 pm
ndog
it wasnt just A PICK that was the tipping scale….
it was the 30th PICK and 7TH PICK6!!!!
JW doesnt get the kicker excuse….
the game was 20-20 at the end of regulation….
that was a GOLDEN opportunity for JW to show the world he is a franchise QB….and he failed….
GO BUCS!!!!!
March 13th, 2020 at 3:23 pm
Adrnagy Says:
March 13th, 2020 at 2:05 pm
Exactly, thumb and kicker.
REALLY?……
i thought it was the knee and eyes…..lol…..
#mrexcuse!!!!!!!
GO BUCS!!!!!!
March 13th, 2020 at 3:30 pm
Broke it for Arians? What about every poor bastard fan of this team. Bridgewater and playoffs please.
March 13th, 2020 at 3:38 pm
I think it was the 111 turnovers in 5 years. You MUST be able to trust your q.b. with the ball.
March 13th, 2020 at 3:45 pm
Lol!!!!!!!!! Ole stale biscuit did not have to break!!!!!!! He sh ok old have listened to the truth and what Coach Koetter told the sheep years ago!!!!!!!!!!!!!
go bucs!!!!!!!!!!!!
March 13th, 2020 at 3:50 pm
@Defense Rules Says:
March 13th, 2020 at 2:49 pm
geno 711 … Probably gonna be lots of other RBs available shortly, so why pay FA prices when we can just draft a solid rookie RB in the 2nd Rnd who’ll potentially give us 4 good good years of cheap labor?
DR, I think you and I disagree about how many good ones might be available. Out of the top 5, I like the pass receiving guys a little more than others so I would be happy to get one of those guys in the 2nd round – if he is there.
Ideally, I think you and I are thinking/hoping the same.
Sign our defensive guys – get an OT in the 1st, get a RB in the 2nd. Just as you noted it does not always go the way you think. We might not get the defensive guys in free agency OR the draft may not go the way we hope and the running backs (I like) in the 2nd round are gone.
For me, if Brady did come here. Then signing Lewis and then getting a running back in the 2nd round all works together anyway. Lewis an upgrade over Dare and is an experienced guy if a potential 2nd round (or later round) drafted running back takes a little while like Rojo did.
I prefer to win big next year
March 13th, 2020 at 3:59 pm
The season was doomed when the idiot coach took a penalty to move an idiot kicker BACK so he could of course miss the game winning FG against a bad team with a rookie QB.
Can’t wait to see what other BAism’s are in store for 2020.
Let’s not forget calling 2 TO’s in a row.
Constantly challenging PI when they don’t change those calls.
Not challenging spot of ball when the whole world knew it was a bad spot.
March 13th, 2020 at 4:00 pm
At least my mind would be off the Bucs
You come to a Bucs site not wanting to read about the Bucs? Genius!
.
.
I have not been reading…other than the endline in most cases…all rehashed supposition either we have thought of ourselves or can find in the comments …
March 13th, 2020 at 4:22 pm
If they swing and miss the Glazer Boys alone with licht and “whisperer” will set this franchise back years!
March 13th, 2020 at 4:25 pm
It was the final nail in the coffin for me. The first game of the season game on the line, pick six, game over, Jameis’s 2nd pick six of the game. Fast forward last game of the season. At home game on the line, we can have a .500 season! Bam! Pick six, game over, first play in overtime. Damn right BA’s done with him, I certainly am. The final nail.
March 13th, 2020 at 5:06 pm
Scarecrow needs a brain to be a QB in this league!
March 13th, 2020 at 5:56 pm
Those last 2 games were just to much pressure and he choked… No one wants to be known for choking in pressure moments but some just do… After the implosion of the Texans game, he like went into the Falcons game knowing he had to get the win to save face..
Throwing the game away at the end was significant and symbolic as he likely threw away all chance at a starting QB…
Arians is truly wise to seek a QB he can trust in crunch time!
March 13th, 2020 at 6:37 pm
1st pass as a buc pick 6
Last pick as a buc pic 6
March 13th, 2020 at 6:37 pm
Last pass as a buc
March 13th, 2020 at 6:41 pm
@ Eric
What exactly will they be setting us back from? After the last decade and a half, do you realize how ridiculous that sounds?
We lost without Winston, we lost with Winston, I’m sure we can lose again without Winston.
March 13th, 2020 at 6:43 pm
Being a Bucs fan is nothing but listening to “The Sound of Silence” on auto-repeat.
March 13th, 2020 at 8:01 pm
For the sake of the Bucs, let’s all hope that really was Winston’s last pass in a Bucs uniform
March 13th, 2020 at 8:23 pm
Really ?? Celebrating our kicker missing game winners to support your hatred.You folks are not bucs fans.I guess top 5 offense with no running game happens by magic
March 13th, 2020 at 8:34 pm
RECORD SETTING TURNOVERS…yet because of a freaking rookie kicker couldn’t save the loser’s bacon let’s blame the rookie instead of a five year vet…#1 draft pick…franchise QB…but let’s lay five years of horrid turnovers on a rookie freaking kicker…or a coach who played the %’s.
Yes the legend of “Blameless Fameis” continues!
YES the last two games…the final pass to start OT left horrid memories. That was just for BA. The rest of us have many many memories…his first pass ever…a pick six and the start of the excuses….it was Humps fault for a bad route
That was just a tease though…of course he thrilled later with his excellent adventure in AZ betraying team…teammates and fans!!!! But the memory that sticks in my brain..perhaps because I grew up a Bengals fans with cousins still big fans….two years ago I have never been so embarrassed for a professional athlete. Whose freaking fault was that game. Oh yeah…Fitz had embarrassed him and JW lost his “confidence” What the f happened in Cincy?
Again…only old dudes remember the tune but the Coasters sang about JW long before he was born. Only they called him “Charlie Brown”.
Charlie Brown, Charlie Brown
He’s a clown, that Charlie Brown
He’s gonna get caught; just you wait and see
(Why’s everybody always pickin’ on me?)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H9PgeChhABA
March 13th, 2020 at 9:12 pm
Ndog ain’t lieing about Payton Manning I’ve been saying this for a long time . Payton Manning has a 100 interceptions in his first 5 years and he had 2 hall of fame runningbacks in those 5 years but that’s ok for him . Jamies has 88 in his first 5 years and Jamies is trash ok now tell me the difference between them . Only one thing is that Payton had a better team around him than Winston . So I really hope Jamies leave because when the next quarterback comes in I don’t want to here no excuses . Because this dumb fanbase believe that any quarterback can win with this team . I can’t wait until the season starts bro ….. lol lol
March 13th, 2020 at 9:12 pm
If it took a couple of missed FG’s to Jettison Jameis Christ, so be it.
Thank you, Matt Gay, for improving the Buccaneer franchise.
March 13th, 2020 at 9:12 pm
Whether you are JW-HATER or JW-FAN — JW is 95% done in a Bucs uniform, if all the reports are even 50% accurate.
Temperature reading on Bucco Bruce, given his public comments, suggest BA is done with JW – with comments like – “Unknown Quantity, Door # XXX, Bad Decisions with Heart, Open love for others” and so on.
The only way JW wears a Bucs uniform in 2020 is if Licht/BA/Glazers fail on signing Brady, Bridgewater or Rivers. And even failure on those three, there might be others they prefer over JW – like Dalton, Carr, etc.
JW seems to be Door #6 option, and only at bargain price. Just what it is. So as a fan, you will either be happy or moan, depending on your side of fence.
And I agree with @JOE – in questioning the JW Public Relations/Agent team for the strange Rehab video – What is that about? Yikes!
For the record, I would like to see JW have a YR2 in the offense, as I believe he will be significantly improved w T/O’s, and could lead Bucs to playoffs. JMHO.
Another observation – No current “SAFE/CORE” Bucs, like ME13, Godwin, Shaq – are openly lobbying for Bucs to keep JW. Interesting.
So for fans who want a new QB – 90% at this point, you get your wish.
March 13th, 2020 at 10:38 pm
I truly don’t have understand the hate in these people. You all truly disgusting human beings.
March 14th, 2020 at 11:11 am
Ndog, most people like jameis, I think he is damn funny in a goofy way. I am over his off the field crap, and truly thought Arians could turn him around. And in some ways he did. Fumbles were down, deep ball came back. And you don’t hear players complain, although behind closed doors, who knows.
But the reality is he had 42 turnovers. That is 2.6 per game, and not good enough to win. I think it is the Superman complex of trying to do too much. I know Arians seems to be able to build confidence in his qbs, but maybe he does suck at reining over confidence in.
The fact is that will probably take riding pine to get his humble pie and take off the Superman cape. Jordan attributes getting cut from his high school team to kicking his determination up a notch. Hopefully this helps jameis in the long run too.
You are probably right that jameis will go on to have a good career. But he isn’t ready now, and we are wasting the prime years of both the young and old stars on this team. I would be happy to have him back at 15 to 17 million and take a high qb pick as an insurance policy, but that kicks the can if you think this defense can take off (with resignings) and that our wr talent is as elite as it looks. The line needs a tweet, we need to add a rb, and some young players need to take the next step. If that happens, we can make a serious push, but 2.6 turnovers by a single player per game won’t get you there. 1.3 would have any player benched no matter how many touchdowns or yards they have.
My favorite quote toward all of this is when Jimmy Johnson was asked about jameis during the hof announcement, he said “I learned a long time ago that isn’t isn’t how many big plays you make, it is how few mistakes you make that wins”.
March 14th, 2020 at 11:45 am
During Rivers’ final season with the Chargers, his wide receivers averaged just 2.4 yards of separation at the time of pass arrival, which ranked second-to-last in the NFL, according to NGS. This means the passes Rivers threw had to be incredibly precise — and it also helps explain his uptick in interceptions in 2019, when he threw 20 picks, from 2018 (when he had 12, and Bolts WRs averaged 2.6 yards of separation) and ’17 (when he had 10, and they ranked sixth with 2.9), as less separation typically leads to more turnovers. Further, injuries to tight ends and offensive linemen have hamstrung Rivers over the past several seasons. Tampa Bay’s receivers averaged 13.9 air yards per target last season (best in the NFL, per NGS). One way to read my model here is that the data says it’s more probable the 38-year-old Rivers will execute a high-volume passing game with fewer turnovers in Bruce Arians’ system in Tampa.
March 14th, 2020 at 11:58 am
geno711, very interesting points as ALWAYS. Thank you for that.
I had sort of been against Rivers, but lately warming to the idea a little bit, and you have provided some very intriguing data, to keep me in that mindset.