Struggling, Battling Sean Murphy-Bunting
December 30th, 2020
Sean Murphy-Bunting
Cornerback Sean Murphy-Bunting has drawn the ire of many Bucs fans for his struggles in pass coverage.
He appeared on official injury reports this season in Weeks 4, 10 and 11, but apparently that does not tell the whole story.
Bucco Bruce Arians dropped a telling line last night on the Buccaneers Radio Network. Asked about resting players and getting backups valuable snaps, Arians went immediately to Murphy-Bunting without being asked about the second-year man.
“Sean Murphy-Bunting, he’s been playing hurt for a number of weeks,” Arians said.
“To get him out of [the game] and see Herbie Miller go in there and get that big interception was great for Herb and his confidence. Getting a bunch of guys rested, we got [Antoine] Winfield out of there with his [banged up] shoulder and a couple other guys that we just needed to get. You can’t rest them all because you can only dress 48. We got as many out [as we could]. We got [Tom] Brady out early. Leonard [Fournette] and some other guys got rest that needed it.”
Murphy-Bunting had a groin injury when he was on the injury reports Joe referenced.
Perhaps something else is ailing Murphy-Bunting? Or maybe the groin just won’t be right until the offseason?
If a player can practice and play, then sometimes an injury can remain hidden from public knowledge, per NFL rules.
Joe remembers when very late in the 2018 season, former head coach Dirk Koetter revealed Cameron Brate battled an injury behind the scenes all season. In January, Brate had hip surgery.
Joe’s going to cut Murphy-Bunting a little slack after hearing Arians’ new comments.
December 30th, 2020 at 8:05 am
Or it could be the head coach covering up for the guy that can’t cover. Maybe…, Maybe not
December 30th, 2020 at 8:12 am
imo SMB is strictly an outside CB….he’s SOL in the slot…
GO BUCS!!!!
December 30th, 2020 at 8:12 am
Bad draft pick.
December 30th, 2020 at 8:13 am
It’s not his health that’s the problem it’s his brain.
December 30th, 2020 at 8:23 am
Another injury is in the burn unit at the hospital from being burnt so many time
December 30th, 2020 at 8:32 am
SMB should have been a 5th round pick and then he would have had to hone his talents in the AAF or XFL. Dude never played a consequential game in his college career.
If they had to pick a CB in that spot, Trevonne Mullen was the correct pick. He was a legend at Clemson and the MVP of the National Championship game against Alabama. Big time players playing big time games in a big time conferences.
Mullen went to the Raiders 2 picks later. Gruden and Mayock looked like the cats that ate the canary when they saw Mullen still on the board.
December 30th, 2020 at 8:32 am
Suspected that SMB has been playing hurt, but this is the first time that BA’s confirmed that. SMB’s been targeted over 50% more this year than last year, and the results oftentimes haven’t been pretty (65.0% completions last year versus 77.2% this year). His Yards/Completion is up there now (12.6 this year versus 9.8 last year), and he’s given up twice as much in Air Yds (533 vs 260) and 3 times as much in YAC (364 vs 124).
Not good obviously, but understandable if he’s been playing with a groin injury much of this season. Other teams seem to think that’s the case & are picking on him. Hope it improves for the playoffs because CB depth isn’t our strong suit.
December 30th, 2020 at 8:36 am
I was suspicious Brady had a shoulder problem or similar during his streak of not being able to hit long passes, you rarely find this stuff out until way later
December 30th, 2020 at 8:42 am
Atlanta would love nothing more than to piss us off and knock the Bucs down a peg, they’ve been playing pretty good ball under Raheem. I know Bruce is really emphasizing the importance of this game, but it will be interesting to see how hard the players end up going, when intrinsically, they know next week is when they want to be 110% balls to the wall. This week the mentality seems to be, “as long as they escape with that W and rest a few guys in the process” and im a little unsure it’s going to work out like that, as far as having our cake and eating it too.
December 30th, 2020 at 8:47 am
Fournette needed rest? From what, picking splinters out of his arse?
December 30th, 2020 at 8:52 am
i will never understand why the game day roster limit is less than 53 players. Why doesn’t the NFL allow all 53 to dress so guys that aren’t 100% have enough back-up?
December 30th, 2020 at 8:55 am
SMB bad eyes and technique has nothing to do with his groin.
He’s just not very good and he’s not a starter.
December 30th, 2020 at 9:01 am
Ghose of darrell – conferences are exactly whats WRONG with college football. Notre Dame may be a lot of things, and get shi on for losing big games (yeah because as if Texas A&M stands a chance against ‘Bama) but they are the one GD team that flies down to Georgia and plays UGA. They fly across country to play USC, they fly to Oklahoma and Miami, and thy have Ohio State on the schedule coming up for 2022 and they are going to take a huge dump all over Florida State first game of the year next year. Show me an SEC team with that schedule. They arent beholden to garbage conference games against garbage teams for more than half the year. It would be nice to see Florida go up to Ohio State, or Oregon travel to Bama and everyone, plays everyone. There needs to be a college football commissioner, and there needs to be legislative measures to limit the “anonymous donors” that leads to Alabama having nicer facilities than any professional football team which helps with 5 star recruits. The NCAA is chaos -it’s free market run amok when in a competitive landscape everyone should be operating within standardized, clearly defined, rules that are equitable for everyone like, ohhhh I dunno, the NFL
December 30th, 2020 at 9:18 am
That injury has to, at the very least, be in his head and affect his play. Hope he plays better…and yes.. I’ll cut him some slack.
December 30th, 2020 at 9:36 am
Brian kelly needed his third year to not look like burnt toast so i will give benefit of the doubt. Cause So far he has looked like hot garbage
December 30th, 2020 at 9:38 am
Architek Says:
December 30th, 2020 at 8:55 am
SMB bad eyes and technique has nothing to do with his groin.
YOU ARE RIGHT SIR!!!!!
GO BUCS!!!
December 30th, 2020 at 9:39 am
Ask Raiders fans about Mullen, he’s been absolutely shredded.
December 30th, 2020 at 10:02 am
Ghost of Darrell Henderson: If you proclaim to be a draft expert, your name probably shouldn’t be a guy that you touted as the next great RB, and Henderson has averaged a meager 385.5 yards rushing a season with 2.5 TD’s.
December 30th, 2020 at 10:12 am
Speaking of the draft…I was looking at one website’s Top 100 for the 2021 NFL Draft. They had:
18 Edge Rushers
12 Offensive Tackles
11 Cornerbacks
7 Quarterbacks
That’s 48% of the Top 100, in the positions of need for the Bucs.
I’m excited for the Bucs in the playoffs, but still love to talk the draft.
December 30th, 2020 at 10:28 am
Looking for rain in fair weather. Root for (vice tear down) the team (team game) you supposedly are a fan of. Go Bucs!
December 30th, 2020 at 10:28 am
It must be a brain injury, he does fine in run support but far too often he is standing in space downfield looking dazed and confused as pass sails over his head
December 30th, 2020 at 10:38 am
Not nearly as bad as the VH3, Verner days. SMB still young and learning, it’s just an inconvenience for where the bucs are right now. We all see the opportunity in front of the Team.
December 30th, 2020 at 11:39 am
We used to call Rod Jones “toast”, the man ended up having a 10-year career
December 30th, 2020 at 11:48 am
SMB has had a rough year, no excuses, but he has been battling. He is exactly the type of player we see on championship teams that make one or two crucial plays on their playoff runs. I think he is due a decent game or two, and he has a ton of experience on how not to defend the pass. I agree he is no VH3.
December 30th, 2020 at 6:37 pm
Unlike VHIII, SMB has length and speed. He just needs confidence. Not ready to give up on him yet.
December 30th, 2020 at 10:36 pm
So we’re having to play hurt guy’s?
Haven’t we drafted 72 DB’s in the last couple years?
Just sayin’