Last Call For O.J. Howard
December 26th, 2021
Needs to show up now.
Look, Joe has tried to go easy on O.J. Howard.
The last three years have been unkind to the fifth-year Bucs tight end. The former first-round pick was a non-factor two years ago. Last year, he looked like he was going to have a major impact with Tom Brady as his quarterback. And then he blew out an Achilles.
That’s a major injury. And Joe has been rather easy on Howard this year because it takes a while to recover.
Rather than starting very slowly and easing his way back into football shape, and growing in the offense weekly. it’s been the opposite for Howard.
Just as the meat of the season began, Howard was regularly seeing around 50 percent of the offensive snaps. But since the win over the Eagles on Thursday Night Football, Howard’s snaps have decreased by the week.
Howard had 49 snaps against the Eagles (65 percent). That was his high-water mark and the fishing boat has been leaking since. Below are Howard’s snap counts for each 2021 game beginning with Philadelphia.
at Philadelphia 49
Chicago 37
at New Orleans 28
at Washington 28
New York 20
at Indianapolis 9
at Atlanta 6
Buffalo 5
New Orleans 10
Since the Bucs lost to the slimy Saints on the road, Howard has had two targets. That’s two targets in six games!
One was last week when his offensive skill position teammates were dropping like flies. Had the Bucs had any more injuries, Bucs Super Bowl-winning coach Bucco Bruce Arians likely would have asked Richard Sherman to play receiver.
Now that the Bucs are riddled with injuries, it’s time for Howard to demonstrate his worth. Joe was willing all season to give Howard a pass knowing it often takes a full year of football before a guy is back to normal. But if were the case, Howard would gradually be getting better, not getting less and less snaps, no?
If Howard has any hope or desire to return to the Bucs in 2022 (he’s a free agent this offseason), today might be the time to show he can still be produce. More importantly, the Bucs need him.
If not, the Bucs can write off Howard for next season and allocate his salary to Chris Godwin, who also will be a free agent. At least Godwin impacts games.
Let’s go, O.J.!
Show Bucs fans you’ve still got it. Prove to us you can be an impact player. The time is now, preferably starting today.
Now or maybe never.
December 26th, 2021 at 6:18 am
Achilles injuries are frequently career-altering, if not career-ending. The players most impacted by them rely on speed, quickness, and athleticism, which are things that a pass-catching TE like OJ needs. He was never going to be the same player, but he could have gravitated over to being a more complete TE, one who excels at blocking, and less pass targets.
He’s rarely out on the field. That tells me the coaching staff doesn’t believe in him as a credible threat for receptions or blocking. Perhaps the injury took too much away, or perhaps he didn’t invest as much time into the rehab as he should have. I was pretty underwhelmed that he was “working out” in Tulum, Mexico during the offseason. That’s where you hang if you want to post on Instagram or hangout with the useless Insta-famous crowd.
December 26th, 2021 at 6:45 am
OJ isn’t a football player. He’s an athlete trying to play football, ala Jeff Demps.
December 26th, 2021 at 6:55 am
Mega bust in each and every and phase of the game. His own team has given up on him.
It’s s sad reality.
December 26th, 2021 at 7:14 am
Guess there was a reason he kept dropping in the first round of the draft. I believe we were all set to choose a running back (Dalvin Cook?) but instead we chose Howard. He has been basically none existent since then. So much talent but was not able to get it together to succeed
December 26th, 2021 at 7:45 am
Still got it??? Hahahahahahaha!!! OJ never had it.
December 26th, 2021 at 7:56 am
I have a lot more hope of Bell making a meaningful impact in the games ahead. Let’s go, Bell! Be the terror of the NFL again like you once were!
December 26th, 2021 at 8:00 am
I don’t remember which game it was last year, but OJ came in motion on the first play of the game, and stuck his nose on there trying to block on a run up the middle. The very next play, he gets a target. Drop!
December 26th, 2021 at 8:15 am
Unfortunately for OJ, he falls in the category of “Look like Tarzan, play like Jane” You would think.. teamed up with a future HOF’er like Gronk, you would be a total sponge as to how to play the position, what Brady likes, etc.
Nope.
December 26th, 2021 at 8:17 am
All OJ ever had was potential that has never been reached.
December 26th, 2021 at 8:26 am
Yeah, I think OJ Howard’s best hope to make the roster if if Gronk hangs it up. Will he be another Buc who goes off and becomes productive somewhere else? That is, I noticed MJ Stewart, a 2nd rounder in 2018, had a great game yesterday. I was wondering why he just could never do that here.
December 26th, 2021 at 8:26 am
Oh was a much better player in year 2 than now and Arians was hyping him all through training camp two years ago ……… If there is a negative Brady effect to a team this is it ,, he just isn’t included in any scheme and you havnt seen any plays taking advantage of Him, Brate ,, Gronk and even Fells on the field together !!!!!!!! Arians said quite anointing NFL coaches and he is right , the Brady influence is now making his own teams coaching Vision very very shallow !!! Howard is worse by far with Brady than under Winston ,, Yes he is Worse by far ,,, Why ? ?? Why not put three T E ‘s on the field together especially when your thin at receiver ……. Well they don’t have that figured in …….. RoJo out of football shape, Howard Worse, No utilizing of three athletic te s when your down wide receivers, running Darden on deep balls ( he would catch 0 out of 10) …… All this is wholly incompetent and probably driven by a player being in charge of a staff !! Which is probably a good thing with Evans, Godwin, Brown , Fournette all on the field but hey they aren’t and a passer rating of 26 under a four rush pressure don’t lie !! 26 qbr is just flat out poor ass coaching / scheme ing
December 26th, 2021 at 8:27 am
If he shows today it might help the team but I still believe it would be fool’s gold.
He’s an underwear model.
He should be gone next year.
December 26th, 2021 at 8:36 am
Even before his injury last year he was still second to mediocre.Let’s face it OJ is a bust. Some folks keep wishing n hoping for a change for the better with him but it ain’t happening. I’ve rewind plays over n over on OJ n he doesn’t have the courage or desire of a next man up mentality. He’s timid, passive, n reluctant to get in the trenches to help his team out. He’s poor at getting separation and doesn’t seem to put his all into blocking. He play scared n it has. Rushed off on Jayden Darden. Let’s be honest, OJ is not who we though he was. Let’s be done with him.
December 26th, 2021 at 9:08 am
If Brady is pulling stunts like cussing out coaches and breaking iPads on the sidelines, he needs to get his head on straight. You can bet that’s one reason OJ hasn’t figured in the games. It’s also why we lose. So, go Defense and win this one. You can bet they’re aware of nonsense like this!
December 26th, 2021 at 9:50 am
who is OJ Howard? Does he play tackle football?
December 26th, 2021 at 10:41 am
Appx 600 yards ,, 5 td s and a 16 plus yard avg …… hey isn’t too shabby in the fact is two years later he’s worse in that is coaching in scheme.……. Are Aryans supposed to be the guy that gets more out of his players !!! Is OJ a little stiff, does OJ play a little to upright , are his hands just average, the answer is yes to all of those but the fact is he’s a very talented player that had a pretty good year two years ago he can be very effective in a scheme, remember a scheme, not only catching the ball but in a scheme…… three years ago the office of line coach was talking about him being able to play left tackle, what has happened, this coach and staff has forgotten about him and not improved him, hence Rojo in the game last week ……… Duke Johnson absolutely bald for Miami and he came off the waiver wire and yet Rojo can’t even complete one quarter of play . OJ May not be a top five tight end but he can be a major factor in a game if the staff would get their heads out of their ass ( injury adjustment s)
December 26th, 2021 at 10:52 am
If Gronk retires again, we’ll be VERY thin at TE. Seems like Brate is rapidly seccuming to age
December 26th, 2021 at 10:54 am
“it’s time for Howard to demonstrate his worth” Are you kidding me?
It’s clear he has no worth. Sure he may catch a ball here or there, but the guy has had more than enough opportunities to show why he esd a first round pick. He hasn’t, and it’s not going to happen, injuries or not. I was big on him for the first couple of years, but no longer. He looks like a prototypical TE, but he’s brittle as plastic left out in the sun for 3 years. Even if he lived up to his reputation, it wouldn’t matter, because he can’t stay healthy and on the field. He’s gone!
December 26th, 2021 at 11:20 am
I would like to see the Bucs go with 3 tight ends T times split Btate and Gronk out with receiver then send one in motion and let’s see how tight the defense is willing to play ate they gonna put an lb. On Gronk and risk a run interesting
December 26th, 2021 at 11:28 am
Working out in Tulum, Mexico? First I’ve heard of that. The only people working in Tulum are Mexicans. Anyone else is vacationing.
December 26th, 2021 at 11:45 am
He is done, and Brady obviously doesn’t trust him enough to throw him the ball the few plays BA trusts him to be in the game. He may have already caught his last pass as Buccaneer.
December 26th, 2021 at 11:57 am
quit wasting breath on the situation…
these will be his final 3 regular season games as a tampa bay buccaneer…
he’s so roster gone, it’s not even worth discussing at this point…
yeah he’s being slowly fazed out as the season wears on because they’re casually being done with him…
he’s now kinda known as dead weight on the roster, barring major injuries at tight end in the final 3 games
December 26th, 2021 at 3:55 pm
Gronk looks gassed. He’s really played poorly last 2 weeks.
We are not getting the #1 seed and we should have no problems winning out without Gronk either way. I say let Gronk get 2 weeks rest, and let OJ try and showcase.
December 27th, 2021 at 12:33 am
Great Win Today Bucs!!! Gronk was mentioned in regards to OJ Howard- don’t forget Gronk was out for a few weeks with a punctured Lung & Broken Ribs! Once everyone gets back to at least 90% better excluding Godwin the Bucs will be alright!!! Maybe even better because we have Perriman and Bell Now too!!! Sherman is looking better….he’s a bonus- just have to avoid any future injuries. People wrote us off as a Super Bowl Contender after the Saints Match-up, but we’re only getting started!!!!