Ammo For The Critics
December 5th, 2020
Overhyped?
Earlier in the season when the rumors flew that the Bucs were going to sign Tom Brady’s favorite tenant, furniture-tossing, bike-throwing Antonio Brown, Joe was very hesitant.
It wasn’t because Brown isn’t talented. He’s got Hall of Fame talent. But it is his well-documented stunts off the field and a history of quitting on his teams that gave Joe pause.
Why would you want to introduce that into your locker room?
One reaso Joe would rather the Bucs had stayed away from Brown was Joe vividly remembered how signing a pair of Redskins (one of which Joe was very happy the Bucs signed) absolutely tore apart the Bucs locker room on a team that was just coming off only its second winning season since Chucky was fired in 2009.
Joe has no clue how Brown has behaved in Tampa. One ex-Bucs player seems to think he may be a cancer, given how the Bucs have played since it was announced he was signing with the Bucs. (Hint: lousy!)
Brad Gagnon of Bleacher Report thinks it’s no coincidence that the Bucs’ offense has been out of whack since the Bucs signed the whackjob. In a list Gagnon compiled of the worst mistakes each NFL team has made this season, he named the signing of Brown for the Bucs.
It’s worth noting that since inserting the newly signed Antonio Brown into their lineup, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have gone 1-3, and Brown has averaged just 5.8 yards per target while scoring zero touchdowns.
Those numbers are an indication the Bucs overtinkered and messed with a good thing by adding Brown.
Joe can say this for Brown: If you didn’t see him catch a ball during a game, you wouldn’t know he’s on the team. That’s good in that it means Brown is behaving and keeping his nose clean. Bad in that he’s not making a major impact on the Bucs offense.
Though Brown did not suit up against the Giants on Monday Night Football in early November (which apparently came as a surprise to BSPN because they wouldn’t stop talking about him during the game), he had signed days before. Since Brown signed, the Bucs offense has been a mess and the team is 2-3.
Coincidence?
December 5th, 2020 at 10:05 am
Brown had nothing to do with OLine injuries , lack of pass rush and poor secondary play.
December 5th, 2020 at 10:44 am
Sorry but I agree with this premise.
There is only one ball and when you already had Evans, Godwin, Miller, Brate and Gronk on your roster then said ball is precious as it is.
Brown is a detractor IMO
December 5th, 2020 at 10:47 am
1-3 is indicative of the offensive line being manhandled, everything else is lipstick on a pig. lol Go back and watch the line get worked over again and again during the 1-3. When Brady has time, they are very competitive, when he does not, he looks like a 43 year old playing a step slow. If they do not win the line of scrimmage, it is “seal clubbing time” and it is painful to watch. So any thing else, like “tinkering to much” does not hold any water. Win the line of Scrimmage, or suffer the consequences. 1+1=2 pretty simple. GO BUCS!!!!
December 5th, 2020 at 10:50 am
Yes, coincidence. We needed a receiver with our 3 banged up or out, so we went out and got the best available one. Things will click come playoff time when Tommy shines brighest.
December 5th, 2020 at 11:07 am
Frankly, I’d rather them try to get the ball to Miller more. He could use the work and I think he ill be around for a long time. Unlike Brown.
December 5th, 2020 at 11:34 am
Is it a coincidence that the 1-3 happened while Marpet was out? Perhaps that was why the O-line was manhandled?
December 5th, 2020 at 11:44 am
Brown was a wasteful pickup . Our receiving unit was doing great ! Over tinkering is correct Joe !
December 5th, 2020 at 12:31 pm
When will they get tired of beating that dead horse it’s not a story.
December 5th, 2020 at 1:04 pm
I was all for signing AB, but I don’t think it’s a coincidence we’ve gone 1-3. I think Brady has looked for him far too much.
December 5th, 2020 at 1:50 pm
if we run more, we will get more more first downs, more drives, and more touches for everybody.
“Pound the rock!”- Gruden’s Mantra.
Run the freaking ball! Jensen loves it!
Run the bloody ball!!!!
December 5th, 2020 at 1:52 pm
If Brown has anything to do with it, it’s because of the changes they made trying to squeeze him in
December 5th, 2020 at 2:02 pm
I’m on the opposite side of Alvin Scissors Harper’s take. I thought signing Brown was a major mistake. We didn’t need him them and still don’t need him now. Take his production out of the games he’s been in and it would hardly make a dent in the Bucs’ offense, save for a play here or there. However, I don’t think his presence on the team has anything to do with the team’s record over the time he’s been here. It’s been well documented on this site how the defensive backs have been burned in the first half of games (while AB is sitting on the bench), how the RBs are dropping passes coming out of the backfield (not AB’s fault), how Brady is often under duress and has to get the ball out quickly or his throws are off target (as far as I know AB is not on the O-line blocking), and on and on it goes. So unless AB is getting into the heads of every one of the other Bucs players and causing them to perform poorly, I can’t reasonably put the blame on him for the Bucs’ recent downward trajectory. Yes, it is a coincidence!
December 5th, 2020 at 2:07 pm
I think one area may have been hampered: Scotty Miller was doing well catching long balls, and AB isn’t. But I’ve also heard Miller has bern injured and can’t run at top speed lately, so that could be a factor too. But I’ve talk I’d say: correlation doesn’t necessarily indicate causality.
December 5th, 2020 at 4:20 pm
The issues on the offensive side of ball being attributed to the addition of AB is just lazy analysis. Marpet out of the line up isn’t mentioned and that had a significant role in the offensive strategy.
If AB is the sole reason why , then why did the offense struggled against the bears and giants? Was the rumors of adding AB so powerful as to derail the offensive juggernaut! Hardly, the reality is the offense has struggled against defenses ranked better than 15th league wise. That fact is far more persuasive than the simplistic and popular it’s AB’s fault.
Lastly, I don’t recall AB getting snaps on the defensive side of the ball. I’m guessing AB is more contagious than covid 19 if we’re to believe his acquisition has ruined this team.
Let’s accept this load of bullocks as true, then it’s relevant to view the bucs locker room and coaching staff, all 847 of them, as weak and leaderless. So if AB is the source of the teams recent woes then it’s obvious that the team needs to be dismantled down to the foundations along with the coaching staff and GM because there’s no leadership from bottom to top. If AB is in fact the issue, then there’s no way to avoid this bigger truth.
December 5th, 2020 at 4:24 pm
Homer,
Thanks for bringing the issue with miller being injured. Somehow this pertinent fact is missed in the race to scapegoat AB with all the teams issues. Recently, I heard someone complaining that the signing of AB is the reason the prices on concessions went up. I mean this can’t be a coincidence can it!
Run the best receiver in the NFL out of town and let’s see if we can get back to our traditional winning ways!
December 5th, 2020 at 6:04 pm
I wonder why the top free agents wouldn’t want to come here, we have the most ass and fans and media in the whole NFL, we push everyone away or push a negative narrative on players that don’t like just because..smh, we need to do better
December 5th, 2020 at 6:57 pm
Yes. Coincidence.
December 6th, 2020 at 9:28 am
I don’t believe hes a distraction other than hes not the reciever he once was and Brady looks to him first thats the real mistake. He should be looking at Godwin or Evans first.
December 6th, 2020 at 3:35 pm
Duh.
December 7th, 2020 at 6:56 am
If anyone believes ARB is NOT a distraction, what in the he!! are we discussing here?