Bruce Arians Is Not A Huge Fan Of JUGS Machine
August 22nd, 2021
Bruce Arians not a big fan of JUGS machines.
In the past week or two, Bucs Super Bowl-winning coach Bucco Bruce Arians has not liked how receivers (not the big three) seemed to have developed a case of the dropsies they can’t shake.
So Arians was asked after losing 34-3 to the Titans last night, in which the Bucs had several drops, if ordering receivers to work more on the JUGS machine might help.
For those who have ever been out at One Buc Palace, you have likely seen the JUGS machine or at least heard it. It makes a loud, sometimes metallic clanging sound. It’s a big apparatus that has what looks like two tires on it and it “throws” footballs. Sort of like a pitching machine for footballs.
It’s common to see receivers, running backs, defensive backs and sometimes linebackers work with the JUGS machine after practice.
Arians hinted the machine is only good for is building confidence. It does not mimic passes in practices or games, Arians explained.
“O.J. stays on the JUGS machine so it’s not helping him,” Arians said, referencing O.J. Howard’s dropped passes last night. “JUGS is more a confidence-builder. You are just standing still catching a ball.
“It’s not what you are doing when you are playing. You are running and catching the ball.”
For the Bucs to rid themselves of the dropsies, Arians said they just “have to make plays.”
But Arians emphasized he’s not losing much sleep over it.
“If it was Mike [Evans], Chris [Godwin] or [Antonio Brown], then I would worry about it,” Arians said. “O.J. is shaking off a helluva lot of rust.”
And if you believe Arians, Howard just needed new gloves.
August 22nd, 2021 at 12:08 pm
As you probably know i just prefer jugs
And not the machine
August 22nd, 2021 at 12:10 pm
For those of you that don’t know. This is coach speak 90% bull, OJ is not looking good at all and it’s not looking very hopeful for him.
August 22nd, 2021 at 12:13 pm
In all seriousness, the receivers gloves these days …that those guys wear are unreal.
They can catch a football without actual hands inside them 😂
Sorry but all these drops are unacceptable
We were 2nd worst in nfl in drops last year
You can see brady frustration in games at times saying like really…you couldnt catch that one?
August 22nd, 2021 at 12:22 pm
The Juice had stone hands. Let him drop balls & get injured for another team
August 22nd, 2021 at 12:24 pm
At this point, Howard has been stealing money from the Bucs for 4 years and they have nothing to show for it. If he can’t catch the ball in preseason, I have my doubts about the regular season. Those dinks from Griffin were softballs and totally unproductive.
August 22nd, 2021 at 12:30 pm
It’s year 5. When can we start demanding consistency?
August 22nd, 2021 at 12:58 pm
After 4 years, if you believe OJ is magically going to be a Pro Bowl quality TE, then I got some snake oil to sell you.
August 22nd, 2021 at 1:03 pm
This team, so far, doesn’t look like BA has been hard on them to prevent complacency… the opposite really. Let’s hope it’s just an aberration, but you would think even second and third stringers on a SB champ team wouldn’t look the way they looked last night.
August 22nd, 2021 at 1:25 pm
I can’t help but wonder if he is like Noah Spence or Da’Quan Bowers, in that he was a strong draft prospect, really really looks the part, and was continuously on the cusp of breaking through “potential”… but at the end of the day he just isn’t a very good NFL player.
August 22nd, 2021 at 1:50 pm
When we drafted Oj I was extremely excited thinking we got the steal of the draft that year. Now I see the joke was on us. OJ can’t block, can barely catch, and is always injured. Let him go we’re good at TE with Gronk, brate and Hudson. He had his opportunity and blew it. NEXT!!!!
August 22nd, 2021 at 1:58 pm
OJ = trade bait.
August 22nd, 2021 at 2:00 pm
The JUGS machine is useful, but you still have to practice catching on the move and tracking. The latter is important because there are 21 other guys on the field which can either distract you or shield your vision from tracking the ball. Think Ty Hill during the Super Bowl, he got distracted or shielded and the ball bounced off his helmet.
I don’t know what OJ’s problems are with the drops, but gloves and JUGS machine are pretty flimsy explanations. OJ needs to find extra reps, and some tracking drills with the coaching staff.
August 22nd, 2021 at 2:46 pm
@BA … “For the Bucs to rid themselves of the dropsies, Arians said they just “have to make plays.”
There’s the biggest takeaway (and key to the season): The Bucs ‘just have to make plays. We came up HUUUGE in that area last season, and especially in our last 8 games. Players make plays. Great players make great plays.
August 22nd, 2021 at 2:51 pm
LOL at some of these takes.
First of all, Hudson had more drops than Howard, AND he can’t block.
You guys might have amnesia, but Howard has been used a ton as a blocker in years past.
August 22nd, 2021 at 11:12 pm
Jugs can be useful, but not by standing there and catching a ball shot at you.
One drill commonly used is to have the stand with his back to the machine and have him turn on command while the ball is on its way to track and catch.
Another is to have a coach wave a towel in the face of the receiver while the ball is in the air.
Just standing there and catching the ball is not that useful, but it’s better than just standing there…
August 23rd, 2021 at 5:05 am
Only because Howard was a high 1st round pick does he get all this consideration, any other player would be on the proverbial bubble or just not here anymore.
August 23rd, 2021 at 5:06 am
* be here anymore *