“He Was Amazingly Patient”
February 25th, 2021
There was a sleep-trashing fear factor at One Buc Palace last fall, explains one Buccaneers coach.
Yeah, the Bucs broke their seven-year streak of starting a season 3-5 or worse in 2020, but that doesn’t mean the early-season turnaround was especially pretty.
Joe loved it as the Bucs started 6-2. But veteran Bucs quarterback coach and Bucco Bruce Arians friend of the last 40 years Clyde Christensen wasn’t handling it well.
Christensen explained on CBS Sports Radio that he was tossing and turning in bed over the Bucs’ struggles and how Tom Brady would react.
Of course, Brady did not disappoint and weathered the rocky seas.
“You always worry you pick up Tom Brady in the offseason and he’s not really used to bad football,” Christensen said. “And, you know, we were playing dead average to below average football that first half of the season. You know, I just worried about him but he was amazingly patient. And I kind of felt like, ‘Hey, the second half of the season,’ and then all of a sudden we finished the third quarter of the season and we still weren’t doing it. Now I’m going, ‘Hey, is it going to happen? Are we going to have enough time? You know, Is this still going to happen?’ And sure enough, at the right time, it did kick in. And of course the New Orleans, Green Bay, Kansas City wins were probably the best football we played all season, against great opponents.”
Great candid stuff from Christensen, who now is sleeping extremely well. He expected to encounter an impatient 43-year-old quarterback and found something very different as the Bucs couldn’t figure out how to play a consistent 60-minute football game before Thanksgiving.
And as Christensen likes to say now, the Bucs improved steadily through the playoffs and their best football should be ahead of them, especially offensively.
February 25th, 2021 at 1:23 pm
I bet that second Saint’s game was a bit of an eye opener for Tom…
🙂
February 25th, 2021 at 1:36 pm
The coaches and coordinators had NO choice but to either listen to TB or lose the season. If they did lose after listening to him, then it wasn’t on them…so they had to do it. TB made this happen. Don’t get it twisted.
That was the change.
February 25th, 2021 at 1:51 pm
I thought having him hang on to the ball that last 1/2 second for the long ball was going to be the Brady demise. They figured it out it was awesome.
February 25th, 2021 at 2:02 pm
@Joes … “their best football should be ahead of them, especially offensively.”
Interesting comment, especially the ‘offensively’ part. I mean like we just won the Super Bowl. We played awesome football in the playoffs, scoring a total of 123 points (just over 30 PPG average) while allowing only 78 points (just under 20 PPG average) against the best teams in the NFL.
But yes, HOPEFULLY our best football is ahead of us.
February 25th, 2021 at 2:02 pm
Brady’s been there often. You really don’t know the character of your team until November.
February 25th, 2021 at 2:24 pm
This article reads so much better without the lengthy monikers for Brady & others…..
Both Joes write quite well without needing the filler.
February 25th, 2021 at 2:31 pm
Watch the Green Bay game. I did from HELL. Jordan Whitehead was responsible for setting the physical tone in that game.
February 25th, 2021 at 4:25 pm
@TBBF Agreed but could we keep the Peter King one? I mean that paragraph of incidents is eye-popping.
February 25th, 2021 at 4:41 pm
I too was worried about how Brady would handle the Buccaneers and their ways since being with Jameass Winsnone. He got angry a few times but the team came together nicely and started a tradition of being dominate. I am sure that this next season’s team will be even more dominating than ever before in franchise history.
I think this coming season will be the year of the Buccaneer and will be the most dominating football team in the history of the NFL.
February 25th, 2021 at 7:27 pm
We finally have a leader at QB. We certainly did not have a leader at QB in the prior 5 years. However, we did have a crab stealin’, crotch grabbin’, W eatin’, alleged sexual assaulting turnover machine. “Check yo sheet! I be ballin.'”
Can you imagine believing you are a 30 million dollar man and signing for less than 4 percent of your worth? Way to go Jay Miss! I do not believe Butthole lips Payton is gonna start him at QB next year.
February 25th, 2021 at 7:31 pm
Brady understands it’s football the pats won ugly plenty. But the point is to just win.
February 25th, 2021 at 9:12 pm
Could 2021 record be 17-0 before playoffs? We won SB absent OTA’s and pre-season in 2020. Brady with a “pre-season” is going to be sick/sad for our opponents. And I don’t care about being 17-0… playoffs and SB matter, but dayam… Panthers, Saints, Falcons – are all planning FA moves and draft strategies based on Bucs roster, and defending US!
Being Hunted vs Hunter —- NICE! Kudos to JL.
February 25th, 2021 at 10:59 pm
Great insight and rundown here. The season was kind of a nail biter itself if you will. I certainly did not know what to make of it regarding what would happen in the playoffs.
We now are world champions here in “Champa Town”. Thanks to the Glazers four, Jason Licht, Bruce Arians, their staffs and of course our players, our franchise is a truly class organization.
We are poised to become the “America’s Team” of the young 21st century!
February 25th, 2021 at 11:47 pm
^^^ Like America’s Team moniker for next year and maybe 2022. We have amazing young talent on D, and if we re-sign Shaq, Godwin and keep ME13, have a great core.
Future QB? Maybe Aaron Rogers in 2022? Bucs history of SB wins formula = seems to be killer D and Veteran QB. (Brady and B Johnson).
February 26th, 2021 at 12:05 am
PS – Ryan Succop’s impact on our SB win – is severely UNDERRATED. Missing XP/s or FG/s changes the strategy and trajectory of a game plan.
The 2019 Giants game or Falcons game at end of year in 2019 come to mind. Brady knew he could manage a game with confidence that FG’s would net 3 Points on the board. And Succop delivered consistently, and when it mattered.
Succop has to be a key FA sign.
February 26th, 2021 at 11:01 am
REDZONE BA: You are 100% about Succup. I’ve been saying this all along.
February 26th, 2021 at 2:51 pm
Casuals tried to rib me all through that part of the season. No one who’s paid any attention to Brady and the rise of this Bucs roster was panicking.
February 26th, 2021 at 3:50 pm
The non pallid obese joe