Ian Beckles: Antonio Brown “Is A Difference-Maker”
January 1st, 2022
What better way to start 2022 than with Ian Beckles?
The former Bucs guard and current popular local sports radio personality had all sorts of Bucs views this past week in his podcast “In the Trenches.” From the Bucs’ Super Bowl chances to the play of its stars to an underperforming player Beckles hopes is in the final weeks of his Bucs career.
Beckles likes the way the shorthanded Bucs took it to the Stinking Panthers on Sunday. But they should have, Beckles noted.
“The Buccaneers just manhandled Carolina in every way,” Beckles said. “And the Buccaneers are extremely short-handed, which is not an excuse because a lot of teams are short-handed out there.
“But the Buccaneers roll up into that game without Mike Evans, without [Antoine] Winfield, without JPP. I mean those are all captains. That’s a big deal.”
On Antonio Brown:
“AB is a difference-maker, no doubt about it. Listen, anybody who thinks he shouldn’t [play] doesn’t own a company. Anybody that says Antonio Brown shouldn’t be on the field doesn’t own a company and doesn’t know the importance of making money.
“When it is all said and done and Bruce Arians is retired, nobody is going to say, ‘Well, what about AB? How come you played AB?’ Nobody is going to care. It’s going to be about how many games you won and how many games you lost. And that is it. … Long and short of it is, we need AB.”
On how the Bucs look ending the 2021 calendar year:
“Playoff team. If you are asking me if they can do what they did last year, um, I’m not sure about that. Is it because of what I see on the field? Partially.
“It just doesn’t look quite right to me. Do we beat Green Bay in Green Bay? Nope. I don’t even know if we could beat New Orleans in New Orleans with that team. I really don’t.”
On tight end Rob Gronkowski:
“Gronk is off. I don’t know what is going on with Gronk. It’s almost that [Tom] Brady is looking away from Gronk. I don’t know if he has ever [done] that in his career. Gronk dropped a ball in the end zone.
“One thing about Brady, he doesn’t give a rat’s @ss who you are. He’s going to let you know what’s going on and how you can help and what you can be doing better.
“Last couple of weeks, Gronk has had a lot of targets and not a whole lot of catches. Brady isn’t going to keep coming to ya now. That’s just the way it goes.”
On how his perception of the Bucs has changed in recent weeks:
“This Buccaneers defense, if you asked me three weeks ago if the Buccaneers were good enough to make it to the Super Bowl, I would have said this: ‘Offensively they are good enough but defensively they are not good enough.’ I may have to flip that script now.
“Getting sacks, getting pressures, getting interceptions, that’s what it is all about.”
On safety Jordan Whitehead:
“He was everywhere! Everywhere. A couple of times, I had to keep looking to see if that was him. He was everywhere. I think there were times he made two plays on one snap. He was literally everywhere on that field. Very impressed with what I saw from him.”
Beckles said he is disappointed in how the Bucs are running the ball:
“In January, you are going to have to run the football. I’m not sure this Buccaneer team can. It is essential to run the football. They did that last year. When it was essential to run the football they ran it and ran it successfully. They are not quite doing the same this year for me.”
Beckles struggles to finish a podcast without throwing rocks at tight end O.J. Howard. This episode was no different. In answering an e-mail about his thoughts that Howard may have turned into a good run-blocking tight end, Beckles teed off:
“Let me say this: If you are going to draft a guy in the first round, to be a blocker in his fifth year, that’s not the best pick [laughs]. If you are picking someone in the first round, I would like to believe they are more than just a blocker at tight end in the last year of their contract.
“So, I am looking for a little bit more from O.J. Howard. Actually, to be honest with ya, I’m not looking for nothing from O.J. Howard anymore. There is nothing O.J. Howard can show me right now to make me want him to come back next year.
“What would make you want O.J. Howard to come back next year? Which is the play? He’s had years to show you play-after-play of why he would be a good Buccaneer. Which is thee play? You can’t come up with one? Well, maybe that should be your answer right there.
“I have nothing against O.J. Howard. He’s just not a good football player. That’s it. … You think the Bucs are scared he goes somewhere else and balls out? [Laughs]. I don’t.”
Beckles then said with strong emphasis that even though he played offensive line, if he played tight end for five years, he would produce at least one play fans would remember whether it was catching a ball in a crowd, pulling away from a defender or pancaking a defender downfield to spring open a ballcarrier.
January 1st, 2022 at 8:48 am
I really like Ian Beckles, and I get hungry just looking at him because he has become quite the food critic!
But I disagree with him about our ability to run the ball.
We ran all over the Panthers.
January 1st, 2022 at 8:52 am
When I think of OJ the pass Jameis threw to him that he bobbled and ended up being a pick is the only play that pops to mind. He needs a fresh start next year and we need to move on. I never agreed putting him in over Brate when Brate had such a good rapport with Jameis to begin with.
January 1st, 2022 at 8:54 am
I agree 100% on Beckles point of view on OJHoward. What has he done for us lately. BA need to be real n stop rescuing OJ by saying he blocked well. Really! Is he referring to maybe a game or two when OJ was at Alabama. He’s never made a good play that sticks out like a sore thumb. OJ is soft, passive, timid, n play scared. The only difference between Brate n OJ is one was an undrafted free agent n the other was a 1st round pick. Other than that one has been consistent with making plays n the other never makes a play.
January 1st, 2022 at 9:22 am
OJ collects the pay check and that’s it.
January 1st, 2022 at 9:25 am
Very disappointed in OJ……we’ve had some busts…..but we’ve had more winners……Vea, Wirfs, White, Winfield, Davis, Whitehead, Cappa, SMB, Dean, Godwin to name just a few.
OJ, VH3…..not so good…
January 1st, 2022 at 9:32 am
OJ should be gone after this season, making cap space for Godwin’s contract.
January 1st, 2022 at 9:36 am
He’s off base regarding our run game. We ran all over the Panthers without Lenny. As far as OJ, I can’t think of one single play he made that stands out either. See ya juice!
January 1st, 2022 at 9:48 am
I kinda love that no one is expecting us back in the Super Bowl now. Better to be a slight underdog than the clear favorite. Just need Steve Smith to open his mouth now and it’ll be just like last year. TB12 still under center and still have plenty of talent to make a run. Hope these Bucs still have the hunger. Go Bucs!
January 1st, 2022 at 9:55 am
I agree with Beckles on everything but this. They can beat the packers and they can win it all. I can see it all coming together for the playoffs. They just might be better than last year. GOBUCS!
January 1st, 2022 at 9:56 am
Watch the Saints sign him. They like the Bucs’ cast offs.
January 1st, 2022 at 10:01 am
All I know is we are not talking about the draft. Playoff football Bucs fans, again.
January 1st, 2022 at 10:14 am
Don’t get ahead of yourself, still 2 games to finish the season and then game one of playoffs. Don’t worry about Green Bay now, not likely but if the Bucs advance to week 2 Green Bay will have to win their opening playoff game. Thats not a done deal for another month. Lets go week to week. Looking ahead is a receipe of losses.
Beat the Jets Sunday, that all that is needed for now.
January 1st, 2022 at 10:35 am
Gronk might benefit from having a week off before playoffs start. Bucs shouldve limited ABs snaps like they said they were going to do
January 1st, 2022 at 11:15 am
I agree that something is off about Gronk, he’s in some kind of funk.
I disagree about that Brady won’t throw to him. Brady knows that he needs Gronk to work through his issues prior to the playoffs. The only path is to continue throwing the ball to Gronk.
January 1st, 2022 at 11:32 am
i often think that too about oj…
what big plays has he made here…
i can only come up with one…
i think it was his first catch ever…
it was a broken play or an iso play that really worked under koetter, where oj went straight across and then up the sideline completely alone and jameis hit him on a long ball for like 50 or more yard…in a home game – i forget who we played…he was wide the f open, all alone and jogged in for a td…after that impressive play, i’d venture to think we all thought we had a great new tight end…
that’s the only big play i ever remember him being involved in tho in all these years – and it might have been his first reception – or definitely his first td
January 1st, 2022 at 11:41 am
in the home game versus the saints in 2019, jameis’ last season here…i was sitting 10 rows up on the bucs side of the field…stadium was empty and dead as sh!t noise wise…the crowd was almost asleep and so was i…bucs got wrecked…didn’t even compete…fans were all zoning…including me…people were poking fun at the team – they were sporting the hideous sort of fluorescent all red color rush unis and bumbling around at drew brees’ beckon…
jameis threw a nice pass to oj…oj bobbled it and it bounced around in the air…eventually winding up on his back – yes on his back – sitting on his back sort of – it was like a blooper type play almost for nfl films…the saints corner scooped it off of his back for the int – it was pretty ridiculous – right about then i was losing all my personal faith in oj as the bucs tight end for the future..
it was a terribly f’ed up play – and that int was definitely not on jameis…
#TalesOfOj
January 1st, 2022 at 11:57 am
in the end the biggest play he ever made was his in the stands, lean over catch at a ray’s game at trop field…
but hey this season isn’t over yet…
unexpected things do happen and a star is born every day…
just sayin”
January 1st, 2022 at 6:13 pm
I haven’t been hearing anyone other than maybe three national Talking Heads say Antonio Brown should be done. Otherwise no one else.
As far as OJ Howard- I so wanted him to work out but I am extremely over him. Move on and draft another young TE. A lot of good ones out there.