Playing Dumb Football
November 21st, 2021
Explains his words.
Last week, Bucs Super Bowl-winning coach Bucco Bruce Arians got people’s attention.
Just minutes after a brutal loss to the WTF, in his postgame remarks, Arians said, “We are a great dumb football team and that is a reflection of the coaches.”
When Arians appeared on The Rich Eisen Show Friday afternoon, Eisen asked him about that strong take. Arians said not learning from your mistakes is what got him upset.
“We’re in a good spot,” Arians said. “We did not play very well our last outting. You turn the ball over and have penalties on the road, you are going to get beat.”
The Bucs have lost three games this season, one to the Rams and two to rotten quarterbacks that Bucs fans are trying to purge from their brains. Arians said there has been a pattern with each loss. All were road games and all had critical penalties at key moments, and the Bucs lost the turnover battle in each game.
“We played dumb football,” Arians told Eisen, again, of the WTF loss. “When we identify something and don’t correct it, that’s dumb.”
Other than learning from dumb mistakes, Arians said the Bucs are on the verge of getting much better. He noted once all injured players return, they will be back to being a force to respect.
November 21st, 2021 at 12:16 am
I hope so. It’s up to the players to prove it.
November 21st, 2021 at 12:38 am
I’m still randomly cursing around the house from time to time after losing two games in a row that we had no business losing, but I appreciate Arian’s honesty. Even though he is below average, Daniel Jones is far better than the third string qb’s who have manhandled us the last two games. We need to get right against the Giants or they will embarrass us. I’m already tempted to do a deep dive into the 2022 draft, but I am going to try to have some patience for at least one more game.
November 21st, 2021 at 1:19 am
Is it really necessary to have a picture of the coach on every other article? Just wondering what the motivation could be. I doubt I’m the only fan to notice.
November 21st, 2021 at 1:48 am
Well if we talk about u in an article Captain, you will get your pic at the top of it, I’m sure..
November 21st, 2021 at 1:59 am
@Buczilla
Pete also randomly says bad words but will slip into a mental state of Xanadu if The Grave Diggers can slow down Danny Dimes & keep 40k Giants fans from taking over The C.I.T.S.
November 21st, 2021 at 2:35 am
Rip steve smith. full back. One of the few. I saw play for a 1 yard or block not TD
November 21st, 2021 at 3:38 am
@Medicated Pete
Lol Pete. I’ll be joining ya in mental nirvana even if we win ugly.
Rest in peace Steve Smith.
November 21st, 2021 at 5:06 am
BA … ‘We played dumb football. When we identify something and don’t correct it, that’s dumb.’
BA … ‘We are a great dumb football team and that is a reflection of the coaches.’
Two things strike me in those 2 statements. First, BA’s favorite 4-letter word seems to have become DUMB. Second, he’s pointing the finger straight at his COACHES for not correcting known problems. I think he’s onto something, BUT … it starts AND ends with him.
Bucs have been one of the most penalized teams in the NFL this year. We currently rank #11 in total number of penalties (65) but #4 in total yardage penalized (623). If you look at the types of penalties though, Bucs really suck in TWO areas in particular: (1) Defensive Pass Interference (we rank #2 in the NFL with 11 of those puppies); and (2) False Starts (we’re tied for #2 ranking with 14 of those beauties).
DPIs are often VERY expensive & extend drives, while FSs oftentimes kill drives. BOTH are preventable to a certain degree, but a lot depends on what the refs are willing to let teams get away with. It should seem obvious that the refs are keeping a close eye on the Bucs this year. Bucs only had 12 FS & 7 DPIs TOTAL in 2020 … FEWER than we already have in only half a season this year. Since we have mostly the same players, that’s probably not an accident.
And on the turnover front, Bucs only turned the ball over a TOTAL of 17 times last year (12 INTs & 5 fumbles). So far this season we’ve already turned it over 12 times (7 INTs & 5 fumbles). Yes the average rate per game is higher (1.06 in 2020 vs 1.33 in 2021), but I think its impact is deeper than that.
If you look at JUST our losses in 2020, Bucs turned the ball over 11 times in our 5 losses (2.2 times per game average), and those games were against very good defenses (teams who tend to generate takeaways?). In our 2021 losses, Bucs turned the ball over 5 times in our 3 losses (1.6 times per game average). Those 3 defenses played very well in our 3 losses, but all 3 had weaknesses that we could’ve taken advantage of, but didn’t.
All of our losses last year were against teams who made the playoffs. All were against quality defenses. This season has been different though; those 3 losses can largely be hung on lousy coaching, on BOTH sides of the ball. We failed to exploit their weaknesses and maximize our strengths. Ooooh, so BA’s right there too, those losses are a reflection of our coaching.
November 21st, 2021 at 10:34 am
Defense rules….I respect your break downs..
You have a way with analytics
November 21st, 2021 at 10:39 am
The Bucs have cornered the market on dumb football. It’s been the case for most of the 45 year history of the franchise. Get paid, win some games, get stupid. Human nature.
November 21st, 2021 at 10:40 am
^ well said, as usual DR
Bucs just don’t seem to care this year. They’ve played sloppy every single week except against Chicago. That’s just not gonna cut it.
November 21st, 2021 at 10:43 am
I don’t know what a coach can do to stop FS. These players have been taught not to jump since PeeWee football. These are grown men who know better.
November 21st, 2021 at 11:35 am
Unbelievable … I think that they do in fact care, but there’s a reason why it’s so hard to repeat; actually multiple reasons probably. Once you’ve been to the top of the mountain, I think the tendency is to forget over time how hard it was to CLIMB that mountain. Your mindset I think keeps you at the top of the mountain, thinking that others have to climb the mountain to get to you (‘King of the Mountain’ game from when we were kids?).
Reality is quite different in the NFL. Once the Super Bowl ends, you’re right back down at the bottom of the mountain along with 31 other teams who have exactly the same record you do: 0-0. But the climb becomes harder for you the 2nd time, for a number of reasons (Other teams gunning for you? Other teams improving so they can overthrow you? Refs keeping a close eye on you? Other commitments interfering with your training schedules? Loss of personnel after the SB victory?). Lots of potential reasons that make the climb up the mountain a second time that much harder, including one I didn’t mention yet: feeling of ENTITLEMENT by some (we won it last year so we deserve it again).
Throw in other factors like injuries and yes, LUCK, and I think it’s a wonder that anyone ever repeats as SB champion in consecutive years.
November 21st, 2021 at 11:40 am
Stupid is what Stupid does! If Brady wasn’t on this team BA would be drooling watching games at his assisted living facility. Make someone accountable and FIX the problem, this team is so talented.