The Winning Formula
November 18th, 2020
Return to proven success.
In the eyes of former Bucs quarterback Chris Simms, Bucs coach Bucco Bruce Arians has been getting too cute for his own good of late.
That, however, seemed to have stopped against the Stinking Panthers when Simms said the Bucs got back to a proven winning formula.
And what is that? Simms said for the Bucs, it’s a two-tight end set with park-violating, home-invading, NFLPA-ignoring, down-forgetting, jet ski-losing Bucs quarterback Tom Brady mostly under center.
And Simms was armed with evidence.
Simms took to his podcast, “Unbuttoned,” to explain it looked like the Bucs (Arians?) was trying way too hard to accommodate furniture-tossing, bicycle-throwing receiver Antonio Brown in the Saints Seal-Clubbing, going too far to change the offense into a throw-happy outfit which that doesn’t suit the team.
Sunday against Carolina, that changed and — voila! — the Bucs were dominant.
Against New Orleans “Brady was in a shotgun throwing all the time to Antonio Brown [and others] and they got their butts kicked,” Simms explained. “I have been saying all year the Bucs are at their best not [so much] when running for 100 yards but when they get in those formations to make you think [they may run].”
Then Simms threw out facts. Against the Stinking Panthers, Brady was under center 57 percent of the snaps. Against New Orleans, Brady was under center 13 percent of the time.
“In the previous two games there were 16 snaps under center,” Simms said. “[Sunday] there were 37.”
And what happened in those two games before playing Carolina, when the Bucs traveled to New Jersey? The Bucs welcomed Brown to the roster. They struggled to beat the Giants and then got seal-clubbed against the Saints.
By trying to pacify Brown, the offense got away from their true north.
Simms said for the Bucs to succeed, they have to quit trying to be Air Coryell and at least pretend they want to run the ball, keeping Brady under center in two-tight end sets.
“Two things it does and this is why I like it [for the Bucs],” Simms said. “Brady is amazing at play-action. And that’s where Gronk and Mike Evans and all of them can make big-time plays.
“When Brady drops back to pass, he’s been his best when he’s had that extra tight end to block. And that gives him the confidence to go, ‘You know what? I will sit in the pocket and I will wait to make the big throw.'”
The Bucs proved Sunday that Brady can spread the ball around in a two-tight end formation and run the ball, Simms said, all the while keeping his receivers content with the touches.
“All those stars they’ve got at receiver, they will all be happy,” Simms explained. “They got their touches. … If they get enough touches and you win, that will keep the receivers quiet.”
Sounds like a former quarterback, eh?
Joe has written a couple of stories like this since Sunday night. The Bucs have a good running game. It’s not been like it was with Jameis Winston when the Bucs had trash for a run game.
Let Ronald Jones carry the rock enough so defenses are not pinning their ears back. It will save Brady’s rear end and will likely lead to wins.
The Bucs may have the talent of a fantasy football team, but they are at their best when they emulate old school football.
Brady may be a goat but he’s not Dan Fouts.
Simms also pointed out something very interesting: Carolina always plays close games until they play the Bucs (this year). Sure enough, Carolina has only lost two games by more than one score.
Both losses came against a Bucs team running two-tight end sets.
November 18th, 2020 at 5:28 am
Keep running it until they stop us.
November 18th, 2020 at 5:29 am
Yeah, I get it. But this is a lot of words for Simms to analyze a comparison when it really comes down more to the Panthers D is not nearly as good as the Saints D.
For us long-struggled Bucs fans, more important is something we’ve not always been able to read a talk about during the lost years: The Bucs have a great offense. The Bucs have the best QB $25M and much more could buy. The Bucs take care of the ball and they win. The Bucs have great receivers. The Bucs have a good kicker. The Bucs have a good running game. And land sakes, the Bucs have a he11uva pass rush!
November 18th, 2020 at 5:46 am
“Let Ronald Jones carry the rock enough so that defenses are not pinning their ears back. It will save Brady’s rear end and will likely lead to wins. The Bucs may have the talent of a fantasy football team, but they are at their best when they emulate old school football.”
Oh wow, music to my ears. Bucs have the talent to play good old-fashioned, smash-mouth football with the best of them. It’s a shame it’s taken BA & BL this long to figure that out. Now if they can only figure out how to effectively integrate Fournette into this offense the Bucs might end up being unstoppable.
November 18th, 2020 at 5:53 am
The bottom line is very simple, if teams can not rough up Brady then they Bucs will win. If the Bucs can run the ball some and a semblance of a defense they will be in good shape at playoff time. I agree with you Roy the Bucs are in good shape, but what happened to the pass rush, some of it is Vita I am sure. But again this team is on schedule at 7-3 as they build for the playoffs. GO BUCS!!! KEEP TOM ALIVE FOR THE CHAMPIONSHIP DRIVE!!!!
November 18th, 2020 at 6:23 am
Simms took to his podcast, “Unbuttoned,” to explain to him, it looked like in the two previous games before the Bucs played Carolina, the Bucs (Arians?) were trying way too hard to accommodate furniture-tossing, bicycle-throwing receiver Antonio Brown
The only problem with this statement is that AB only played in 1 game before the Panthes.
November 18th, 2020 at 6:26 am
Simms took to his podcast, “Unbuttoned,” to explain to him, it looked like in the two previous games before the Bucs played Carolina, the Bucs (Arians?) were trying way too hard to accommodate furniture-tossing, bicycle-throwing receiver Antonio Brown
The only problem with this statement is that AB only played in 1 game before the Panthers.
November 18th, 2020 at 6:27 am
Defense Rules- I think you know where I stand on this subject. Football is NOT a complicated sport.
The mere threat of a rushing attack opens up the field.
“Everybody has a plan until they get hit in the face!”
Mike Tyson
November 18th, 2020 at 6:41 am
Bucsfanman … Tyson’s line is one of my favorites. And while I agree with you that the ‘mere threat of a rushing attack’ opens up the field, it’s just so much fun to ram the ball down their throats & dare them to stop it. Loved Mike Alstott for that very reason. Ya, even though A-Train only had 1 season where he averaged over 4 YPC, you knew when he got the ball that someone was gonna get smashed in the mouth and get up thinking ‘That smarted; don’t wanna do that again’.
November 18th, 2020 at 6:59 am
August 1976 … You bring up a great point about the pass rush. I’m thinking that against some teams we’ll be able to generate a decent pass rush, but against some others (Chiefs?) we’d be better off focusing on ‘containment’.
When Vea went down our interior DLine lost a LOT, and I still can’t see McLendon or Nacho bringing that same kind of pressure. Our run defense has been quite a bit less effective since Game 5 also even though we’re still ranked #1. I know that Todd loves to blitz, but blitzing in his scheme seems to depend on a strong interior pass rush. We haven’t had that lately & I’m thinking overly-aggressive blitzing that’s not getting there is why many opposing QBs seem to do so well against us with their short passing game. Also think these next 2 games will tell us how good we really are.
November 18th, 2020 at 7:10 am
When Rojo gets at least 20 carries the Bucs are undefeated. Just saying.
November 18th, 2020 at 7:18 am
D Rules- For the loss of Vita is huge, because now teams are running better, not great but better, like Roches being taken for a ride on a 6 yard run that with vita would have been a .5 yrd loss or maybe 1- 2 yard gain. He allowed the linebackers more freedom to run T Bowles Defense the way Todd likes to use L backers. So it affects their blitzing and teams know they have some breathing room compared to before. For me Mclendon has been kind of invisible, a good first game but it is Roches that seems to be in there more. Again with the Rhino Vita he would occupy more space and lineman which frees up the backers more. By the way keep up the Stats, it gives everyone here a clearer picture of whats up. GO BUCS!!!
November 18th, 2020 at 8:50 am
“It’s not been like it was with Jameis Winston when the Bucs had trash for a run game.”.
And the difference maker is who? Oline is basically the same. Is it that Gronk is such a great blocker? Rojo is bigger? No.
Having Brady under center provides more of a passing threat (than JW). So the defense’s secondary is at risk when they put 7 or 8 in the box. However, when the defense only puts 6 in the box, Rojo can make them pay.
November 18th, 2020 at 9:19 am
not worried about the offense one bit….
defense has to get better….secondary starting to have too many break downs in coverage along with teams attacking DW in the pass game….
no TOs on offense combined with better play from the defense…thats the winning formula….
GO BUCS!!!!!
November 18th, 2020 at 9:36 am
Definitely spreads the ball around, did every active receiver get a target, only one not getting a catch was Tyler (his would’ve been big). Wait until we unleash Auclair
November 18th, 2020 at 9:53 am
Hilarious.
Simms states the obvious like it’s something just discovered.
Anytime a team KNOWS what the O will do, run or pass, the chances of that play succeeding is reduced.
I have NEVER liked the shotgun except on obvious long-yardage passing downs when running is a fools’ errand.
It’s more effective to run play action under center than the gun.
November 18th, 2020 at 10:28 am
Cobra boy,
Play action works as well in shotgun. The problem is older QB’S didn’t grow up playing in spread offenses. Simply put they don’t know how to operate play action fakes as the young guys.
November 18th, 2020 at 11:53 am
813bucboi … “not worried about the offense one bit….”
Which Bucs offense are you referring to bucboi? The one that scored laid a whopping 3 pts on the Saints in our 38-3 loss or the one that whooped the Panthers 46-23?
November 18th, 2020 at 12:17 pm
I know you know what you are doing but the two references you keep making “seal-clubbed” and “curb stomped” are really horrible things. Every time I read them I picture it happening. These visuals are really disturbing.
Not sure they are the best references to attach to a sporting activity. Maybe once or twice but repeatedly?
Of course it won’t deter me from reading. Just pointing out my reaction.
November 18th, 2020 at 12:56 pm
DR
how many times have we scored ONLY 3pts in a game this year?….
im talking about the offense that put up 30+pts in 5victories…
im talking about the offense that helped us get to 7wins…
GO BUCS!!!!!
November 18th, 2020 at 1:07 pm
Defenserules,
.
You mentioned the short passing gains made against our defense.
One issue is easy to see and it’s happening week after week is the corners line up deep , 7 to 10 yds, if the opposing receivers run a go the corners either wait for the reciever to reach the DB’S depth then run up field or they slowly back or side step to add more depth keeping the receiver in front of them. While that’s happening, teams are sending a back to the flats or a slot runs a bench…5yd out. Blitzing is taking a line backer out of covering those areas. So the corner must balance his coverage between the go reciever and the flats which puts him in a position where he can’t get beat deep and has to come back downhill if it’s a short pass to his side. This leaves a lot of space for the underneath reciever to work. It’s killing us week in week out.
The other side, we have started playing man outside to a side and the other side is man but on the slot or back. Depending on who has that coverage it can lead to a mismatch or blown assignments when theres motion away from man. Again still the same area of the field is vulnerable but different reason as to why.
November 18th, 2020 at 8:55 pm
Rojo needs 20 carries a game, obviously you cannot give any rb that many carries if you start off in the hole down 2-3 possessions. The thing that scares me the most in the second half of this season is how soft the defense has been playing in coverage. The increase in Zone coverage evs man, and the games with less blitzing ( during soft zone )
Play aggressive, trust the corners, let them jam at the line, blitz and get the ball back. Stop being scared and or cute. Then run it down their throats with ROJO and let Brady pick his poison in the passing game.