Signs Of A Champion Showed In Training Camp
April 2nd, 2021
Reminiscing.
So when did Bucs Super Bowl-winning coach Bucco Bruce Arians think his team could make a playoff run last year?
Oddly enough, Arians said there were signs in training camp.
Appearing on Cris Collinsworth’s podcast, Collinsworth, a former Pro Bowl wide receiver for the Bengals who played in two Super Bowls, asked Arians when did he think he had something special on his hands.
Arians cited a number of factors including how the Bucs rallied in the final three quarters in November to pull within three of the Chiefs when it looked like a total blowout in the first quarter.
The first sign, Arians said, came when his team would have first-team offense vs. first-team defense drills in training camp.
“I’m watching us in training camp, and our offense is playing pretty good against a helluva defense every day,” Arians said. “So I am starting to feel pretty good.”
Arians’ confidence grew even more when that crafty offense added Playoff Lenny just before the season began and then later furniture-tossing, bicycle-throwing Antonio Brown.
“I think the accumulation of Leonard Fournette, getting him, and adding AB to a really good football team,” Arians said. “Especially a really good defense.”
Arians confessed to Collinsworth the way the defense played in the latter weeks of the 2019 season, he had high hopes for them before training camp started.
“Having everybody back on defense, they didn’t start from Square 1,” Arians said.
The thing for Joe that made the offense move the ball on the defense impressive was that park-violating, home-invading, NFLPA-ignoring, down-forgetting, handshake-stiffing, jet-ski-losing, biscuit-baking, tequila-shooting, waffle-grilling, trophy-throwing, Bucs-Super-Bowl-winning quarterback Tom Brady barely knew the offense, per Arians, yet was able to make the offense click.
“We went to New Orleans that first game and I don’t think half the guys knew what the hell plays were,” Arians said. “Tom didn’t know what all the words meant for sure.”
April 2nd, 2021 at 8:51 am
signs of a champion came when JW walked out the door!!!!
that showed fans “they” were serious about winning…
GO BUCS!!!!
April 2nd, 2021 at 9:10 am
I agree with Bucboi.
And I’m sure glad we got rid of Jameis when we did. The timing was perfect to acquire Brady.
April 2nd, 2021 at 9:48 am
Sure it did.
April 2nd, 2021 at 9:55 am
Football at the Pro level is a mental game. Everyone at this level is a stud, and the star of their high school and college.
The addition of Tom Brady is what made us a great team, plain and simple.
Tom Brady made Bill Belichik look like a genius, and he is doing the same thing for our team.
April 2nd, 2021 at 10:48 am
Brady was standing in shotgun formation week 1 still reading his armband before the snap. What a difference 20 weeks make!
Chris you’re right to an extent. But for example Peyton Barber may have been a stud, but is not on LF’s level. I’d be hard pressed to think of a time PB ever made a spin move. The best talent in the NFL is the 1% (elite) of the 1% (pro) of the 1% (college). Billionaires vs millionaires type of deal.
April 2nd, 2021 at 10:50 am
To clarify, PB a stud in HS and college but not in NFL.
April 2nd, 2021 at 11:23 am
Better not sell Jameis Winston short. A year finding out he was not worth the money he wanted, sitting on the bench, a back-up QB on the roster, all that can change a person drastically. He very well might come back to haunt us.
April 2nd, 2021 at 12:05 pm
Bucboi is spot on !
April 2nd, 2021 at 12:46 pm
It’s been all about Brady for awhile now.
April 2nd, 2021 at 5:29 pm
bucboi is spot on.
April 3rd, 2021 at 8:30 pm
I agree with Sapp.