Arians Explains Late-Game Decision
October 14th, 2020
Bucco Bruce Arians had a chance against the Bears to run the clock out for a victory with less than three minutes to play while forcing the Bears to call their three remaining timeouts.
That’s not how the Bucs proceeded with 2:48 remaining and the ball on their 16 yard line and a 19-17 lead.
“We needed to make two first downs to ice the game. So I’m never going to sit and just say, ‘run, run, run to burn timeouts,'” Arians told WFLA-TV this week. “We got to win the game on offense. We did a poor job on the next two passes [after a first-down run], gave them the ball back and didn’t make the stop.”
Ronald Jones ran on first down for -2 yards, which forced the Bears to call their first timeout of the second half.
The Bucs threw short and incomplete to Jones and Tyler Johnson on the next two plays (how bout beyond the sticks to Mike Evans and Rob Gronkowski next time?) and gifted the Bears the ball via punt at the Chicago 48 yard line with 2:21 remaining and two timeouts in their pocket.
Joe understands Arians’ explanation of his decision-making. But if you’re going to be aggressive, then why not truly be aggressive and throw on first down? You know, when the entire building is expecting you to handoff? The run-option doesn’t disappear on second down.
Lately, Joe’s been having a hard time understanding the meaning of “No Risk It. No Biscuit.”
October 14th, 2020 at 6:03 am
How’s about going for it on 4th &1 on your own 20 but not inside their 20 when RoJo was Juggernautin them??? We moved the ball very efficiently on that final scoring drive and it was a high Juggernautin to get it. Even a field goal isn’t a given for our ST and also getting a first down would’ve taken more time of the clock. If we had scored a td that would’ve forced the Bears to have to score one too. This no riskit no biscuit mess is a joke, it’s made for an aggressive qb like Winston not Brady
October 14th, 2020 at 6:04 am
Lately, Joe’s been having a hard time understanding the meaning of “No Risk It. No Biscuit.”
Now THAT’S a great closing statement. With the weapons that this team has, we ought to be kickin ass & takin names. Instead we’re floundering at 3-2 (and lucky to be that IMO) because our coaching staff is married to some old, outdated offensive model. Even worse though, this team insists on shooting itself in the foot, and that’s not the mark of a champion. It’s also not the mark of great coaching.
October 14th, 2020 at 6:04 am
Poor Game Management in the fourth quarter…..PERIOD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Maybe they left it in Brady’s hands to do what he’s always done his whole career while in New England?????
I think in NE …….Bellicheat micromanged these situations while Arians gave Brady the freedom to make his own decisions?????
Obviously, if the latter of the two is accurate…….then Bucco Brucie learned from the Bears game and won’t make that same mistake again.
Still…………………..that game was an inexcusable loss.
October 14th, 2020 at 6:17 am
Leftwich has Arians playbook, he doesnt have his brain or intuitions. Leftwich sucks and will never be a winning OC
October 14th, 2020 at 6:23 am
can’t fix it if you don’t risk it…
you want biscuits, go to the concession stand at halftime bruce
October 14th, 2020 at 6:27 am
“Lately, Joe’s been having a hard time understanding the meaning of “No Risk It. No Biscuit.”
Just “lately”???????? Because it has been going on for quite a while!!!!!!!!!!! Tthe “real” fans will chalk this up to joe misspoke, due to watching the Rays late into the night!!!!!!!!!! There is no way that someone who covers the team, just “lately” notice that ole stale biscuit is not truthful!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Go Packers!!!!!!!!!!!!!! errrrrr, I mean, go bucs!!!!
October 14th, 2020 at 6:28 am
truth be told…
if we won the game we’d be 4-1 and everyone would be super stoked…
then we’d come home, relax on our laurels, and lose to green bay and be 4-2…
no way after green bay should we be sitting at 5-1…
that’s too good and too lucky…
so…
if we beat green bay this weekend and play well, everyone will be happy, we’ll be sitting at 4-2 and everything is as it should be…
but if we lose…omg…big trouble in little china
October 14th, 2020 at 6:31 am
logically we should be beating chicago and losing to green bay…
but…
if it’s the other way around everything is fine…
and…
isn’t it more fun to whoop green bays azz at home and lose to chicago on the road anyway…
1-1 in these 2 games seems about right…
now let get it this weekend!
October 14th, 2020 at 6:39 am
We lost the game when we kicked a FG instead of going for a 4th, and 1. Talk about no risk it. The FG only gave us a 2pt lead, and them only needing one of their own to win, which they did. We have Brady for this year, and next. If Arians can’t win with Brady this year will he be back next year?
October 14th, 2020 at 6:39 am
Well, I gotta hand it to you realist. You’ve been calling the coach “ol’ stale biscuit” for over a year. Looks like you may be on to something.
October 14th, 2020 at 6:40 am
It’s run, pass, pass, and the occasional run run pass.
how many first downs did we run that game 98.9%?
How about our defense stops a 3rd down conversion when it counts too. That soft coverage in that last defensive series drove me nuts.
I hope they feel embarrassed and come out swinging on Greenbay, this game could be the turning point either way.
Hope we can beat the Pack and not ourselves……Go BUCS!!!!!!!
October 14th, 2020 at 6:46 am
win lose or draw, cousin brucie is always an old stale biscotti 🙂
October 14th, 2020 at 6:46 am
@D-Rome
Normally, I am all about self congratulating!!!!!!!!! But all one had to do is look at ole stale biscuit’s last three years in Arizona!!!!!!!!!!! bruce arrogance has not had a winning football season since 2015!!!!!!!!!!!! Thar is a very long time ago!!!!!!!!!!!!!! But the sheep and local media kiss this ole stale biscuit azzzzz, like he walks on water!!!!!!!!!!! Ole stale biscuit has ONE career playoff win!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Just ONE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
GO Packers!!!!!!!!!!! errrrrrrr, I mean, go bucs!!!!!!!!!
October 14th, 2020 at 6:52 am
Anybody who watched the game could tell the Bucs were getting beat at the line of scrimmage in the second half. I was okay with kicking a field goal there.
October 14th, 2020 at 6:57 am
Maybe Brucie is suffering from the same affliction that is causing one of the Presidential candidates to say he is running for the Senate instead of the Presidency. Remember last year when this “great offensive mind” would call timeouts we didn’t have or challenge something he knew wouldn’t be overturned just to “prove a point” as he claimed. Sorry I don’t put much faith in a senior citizen who turns over the keys to an offense with arguably the BEST talent this side of Lake Michigan to a novice who wasn’t even a good QB.
October 14th, 2020 at 6:58 am
Quit your whining your Bucs are in first place. Realist find another teams site you d bag. We know you loved Smittys low testosterone level and Dirks dickler but its time to move on. Bucs are in first place after five. And yes I know abut the tiebreaker. Its a short yet long season. Theres another game coming and another chance for you to disappear after they blow out the cheesies. Smile your Bucs are doing OK yet aren’t perfect like every other team. Go Bucs
October 14th, 2020 at 7:03 am
This kind of stuff is Arians biggest weakness. His clock management is as bad as Jfro’s. It’s worse than the mystery man that told Koetter when to call timeouts.
October 14th, 2020 at 7:08 am
While BL appears to be a pedestrian playcaller all too often, the late game decisions
about whether to go for a fourth and one and others were head coaching decisions. That said ,O line play was not good in second half, poor execution and
penalties allowed to much pressure on Brady. IMO ,he was rattled and inconsistent when he needed to complete key passes late in the game.
The Run ,Run and Run seems to start way too early in the third quarter in some of our games. Also think passing on second and 2 is a great time to go for a big
play as opposed to 3rd and long.
October 14th, 2020 at 7:19 am
We haven’t gotten good coaching since last year at least for in game decision making. Whenever we get a new coach anew a new regime in a few years we need somebody who knows special teams and then hire good coordinators. A harbaugh type coach.
October 14th, 2020 at 8:17 am
I know who would have been aggressive!
October 14th, 2020 at 8:20 am
Coaching.
October 14th, 2020 at 8:57 am
I think very poor execution is at fault here……sure, some questionable coaching for me…especially going for the FG instead of 4th & 1…..I mean, if you trust your defense to keep them from getting a FG….you should trust them to get the ball back.
So….I guess you didn’t trust your offense to get the yard.
On the your own 17;….you predictably run the ball on 1st down….eat some clock & don’t chance a turnover……..stuffed for minus 2….no surprise…..then the short , safe passes……incomplete…….terrible execution.
The only choice there was to run it twice eating their TOs….but that still would have left them with plenty of time.
Our best chance after the run stuff of a first down was short passes….we simply failed.
October 14th, 2020 at 9:32 am
Yep, we do too NDogTurd. You all over your #3 blow up doll.
October 14th, 2020 at 9:35 am
Well folks, we’ve been blessed today with our top three trolls all showing up at the same time. Surprised though, who’s keeping #3’s nuts warm while you three are busy trolling here?
October 14th, 2020 at 10:05 am
Truth be told Brady can’t run Arians offense and Arians and Lefty aren’t very good with Brady’s ……. int s are down and so is the offense ……… although the line and running game are better !!
October 14th, 2020 at 10:11 am
OC is the problem. Play calling is too predictable. 2nd and 1 is the time to go deep. Not 3rd and 1. If Bucco Bruce is a offensive mind why isn’t he calling plays.
October 14th, 2020 at 10:41 am
I think we should talk about Winston.
October 14th, 2020 at 11:43 am
Knowing Arians, same situation next week and the answer will be different.
Could’ve won the bears game even with all the penalties with better coaching, it’s simple as that.
October 14th, 2020 at 11:48 am
@Ndog, not just aggressive, but mobile enough to get us out of some of those offensive line gaffes or maybe run for a first down, gave ME a chance on a 50/50 ball – but who knows
October 14th, 2020 at 12:57 pm
How about Run Run Run because you’re getting 5 yards a pop. 6 carries I the second half was beyond moronic.
October 14th, 2020 at 3:58 pm
Old Red Kangol gave us a glimpse of what was to come when he called 2 TO’s in a row against Carolina last year. This team hasn’t progressed one bit.
Make the playoffs or as the guy in Draft Day said, “you will be gone.”
October 14th, 2020 at 4:22 pm
Stop making excuses for the Bucs losing.
October 14th, 2020 at 7:45 pm
You understand the decision making? I sure as hell don’t.
Every single person in America, including every single player on the Bears, was expecting a run on that 1st down play.
THAT is when you bust out play action and throw a pass. Then you run on 2nd and 3rd.
NOT when it’s 3rd and long.
Leftwich / Arians reverted to their super predictable playcalling yet again once the pressure was on.
October 15th, 2020 at 12:30 am
First down, stack the box, run the ball and lose 2 yards.
(What should have been)
Second down, spread the formation, run the ball.
Third down, spread the formation, run the ball.
Why you ask? Because rojo was averaging 6.2 yards per carry. Give him a crease and let him make the moves for the first. He ran the ball efficiently and effectively that game. Let him ice it. If it doesn’t work out, at least you forced them to burn their timeouts. As soon as 4th down came, I knew the game was done.
It’s a Bucs life for us, I guess 🤷🏻♂️