Byron Leftwich Puts His Foot Down: Bruce Arians Wasn’t Calling The Offense
May 10th, 2022
Playcaller Byron Leftwich
With Bucco Bruce Arians out of the head coaching perch, offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich seems eager to clear the air.
The lingering chatter about Arians’ alleged heavy hand in the offense was on Leftwich’s mind today at One Buc Palace.
Leftwich was asked directly if Arians, now a consultant, would still have input on the offensive plan in his new role. That question sent Leftwich into a defensive rant.
“Probably not from an offensive gameplan standpoint, and I don’t think that’s new,” Leftwich said.
“I remember last year you guys talking about ‘red line,‘” Leftwich said, referring to the report that Arians would delete plays that Leftwich and Tom Brady worked together to put in the gameplan late during a game week.
“That’s never happened. I don’t know where that came from. That is not what he’s ever done, I think. The good thing with B.A. and him knowing me, I would struggle with that. I would struggle myself with that. And nobody was telling B.A. what to call, either. So he understands that. So that type of stuff, it will be the same as 2019. I guess I [was] an offensive coordinator with an offensive minded head coach, so guys think [the head coach is leading the offense]. But it was never nothing even close to that from the time I walked in, in 2019 with Jameis, it’s been me full-go. I’m just no-risk-it, no-biscuit, too. … Nothing will change. Everything should be status quo.”
Leftwich certainly drew a line in the sand today. So if the offense turns significantly more toward the run this season, Joe will wonder what that would mean and who demanded a shift.
May 10th, 2022 at 11:13 am
The talk about the offense this offseason has often been around running the ball more effectively, and if you do it more effectively, you’ll do it a little more. This has been hinted from various coaches both before and after BA retired. So, if they run more, it’s a staff decision, rather than a “demand” from anyone. Also, even if they run a little more, it’s unlikely to be a significant shift, unless Gronk stays gone and Godwin’s recovery stretches on.
May 10th, 2022 at 11:14 am
Again, “no risk it no biscuit” does not mean throw the ball deep.
It just means to take the chance for the big play when it is there instead of always doing the most-simple high percentage play.
Remember Arians also says this (that somehow never gets quoted on this site): “You’ll never go broke putting money in the bank'”
This may seem contrary to “no risk it no biscuit” but it is not. He is clearly saying the shots downfield may not always be there. It’s OK to check down. It’s about making positive gains.
May 10th, 2022 at 11:17 am
All I ask is that on 3rd and less than 5 we stop throwing it deep. I feel like that isn’t too hard to do. Drove me insane and wanted to drink beer (sorry, Joe’s we unfortunately don’t have Big Storm up in Wisco but I’ll be down for a game this year and will try it out for sure.) Love me some craft beer.
May 10th, 2022 at 11:18 am
And??? Arians said Byron would be doing most of the offense originally. BA just got older with more injuries.
May 10th, 2022 at 11:23 am
@geno711. Sometimes the high percentage play is the right play. There’s a reason why Aaron Rodgers has the highest TD:INT ratio. Throwing deep on 3rd and 1 when you need to move the chains is inefficient. That’s always been the biggest flaw in the no risk it no biscuit. I’m kinda disappointed that he said he would continue the status quo. That means less play action when the numbers say it’s very effective. It means low percentage, predictable off tackle runs on first down.
May 10th, 2022 at 11:29 am
He should have been HC. That one will sting for years.
May 10th, 2022 at 11:37 am
That’s great news! Good
For BL and great for
The team!! Now go
Sign Suh, why wouldn’t you, at very least, want Logan Hall to have a season working with and learning from Suh?
May 10th, 2022 at 11:40 am
Glad to hear him speak up. Just like I was glad to hear Brady speak up finally about the retirement and un-retirement. There’s always tons of speculation thrown out, usually started by national media types that don’t know what they’re talking about. Occasionally it comes from one person on the inside who is 1 of about 200 people in the organization. Garbage.
Annoys me to know end. When the people involved actually speak, like BA and Brady and BL etc., then there’s all this doubt and people are basically calling them liars. It’s crap. Get it from the horses mouth and stick with that unless it’s proven or said otherwise by them.
Brady, BA, BL, Bowles all seem to be on the same page with this stuff- ignore it because it’s not with the focus should be on until it’s absolutely necessary.
May 10th, 2022 at 11:59 am
Tom brady was
May 10th, 2022 at 12:08 pm
Did anyone think he’d throw the dude who gave him an opportunity under the bus?
Even if that guy was a semi retired, checked out, golf cart napping, time out wasting Head Coach?
May 10th, 2022 at 12:24 pm
When it’s third and one and you’ve got single deep safety and he’s cheating up and man coverage and a favorable matchup you go deep.
“Carrots wait for no one so I will pick them now”
Quote by Bugs Bunny.
May 10th, 2022 at 12:33 pm
At Marshall and at Jacksonville Byron was that type of qb to his detriment. Listen I’m all for the passing game but we need to control the clock better as an offence. Too many 3 and outs putting too much pressure on our defence to early in the game and then leaving them with the tank empty at the end of the game. We need to run the ball more. How much more? 30% more. Boles will mandate that into the offence.
May 10th, 2022 at 12:50 pm
Of course Arians wasn’t calling the offense. All season Arians had a wrist band to follow along which plays were being called when the team was on offense. He let Leftwich make all the calls.
May 10th, 2022 at 12:51 pm
They didn’t win the superbowl last year, so something needs to change. With all the blame the defense got for the loss to the Rams, it gets lost that the offense sucked for most the game. The only reason Brady had a chance was inexplicable fumbles. They need to run more. I think that’s why they got Mason. He’s a freaking road grater. Brady’s the best play action QB ever. Running more will only help that. The last NE Superbowl was won through the running game. They mashed people.
I’m sure some will blame the injury to Godwin and ABs absence. While it was a factor, abandoning the running game too early was the biggest reason. Godwin won’t be Godwin this year, and AB ain’t coming back. They didn’t add a reciever, not yet anyway. That and the addition of mason, tells me they will commit more to the run, and they should
May 10th, 2022 at 12:54 pm
@bucsfan4ever. Until the safeties rotate to a Cover 2. Moving the chains will always help a defense, especially a tired defense. Greed is why Winston threw so many picks in this offense, and why most Arians’ QBs have thrown picks. I would love to see more long, surgical drives.
May 10th, 2022 at 12:58 pm
As for BA, it’s pretty clear when he stopped being involved in play calling. It was after the bye, during Brady’s first year. As for red pen gate, what the hell did you expect BL to say? Yeah, BA would come in and screw with stuff, when he wasn’t participating in the gameplan. That drunken bastard was a pain in my ass, and Tom’s. He cared more about his tee time than he did football? The truth about that will probably never be know. You can’t trust what these guys say half the time. Just ask Brady himself. I do know this. Brady was unhappy with BAs coaching style
May 10th, 2022 at 1:29 pm
I hope his statement was easier to listen to in person then it is to read it, but I doubt it. He sounds like an idiot.
I don’t believe him for a second btw.
Que the MASTERMIND supporters and tell me how raycist I am for calling it like it is.
May 10th, 2022 at 1:47 pm
Well now we know BA didn’t call runs up the middle on first downs.
May 10th, 2022 at 2:13 pm
Bucsfan13 Says:
May 10th, 2022 at 11:23 am
@geno711. Sometimes the high percentage play is the right play. There’s a reason why Aaron Rodgers has the highest TD:INT ratio. Throwing deep on 3rd and 1 when you need to move the chains is inefficient. That’s always been the biggest flaw in the no risk it no biscuit. I’m kinda disappointed that he said he would continue the status quo.
I really miss your point. Of course sometimes it is smarter to take the higher percentage play. I just said that in my post. “You’ll never go broke putting money in the bank’” and It’s OK to check down. It’s about making positive gains.
May 10th, 2022 at 2:18 pm
@Bucsfan
Not discounting that Aaron Rodgers leads in TD:INT ration.
But your next sentence after that makes no sense. Rodgers and Green Bay were not better at getting 3rd downs than us. We were 5th in the league in 3rd down efficiency last year. Green Bay was 9th.
Do the players and coaches mess up sometimes and call a bad and/or low percentage play? Sure. But this Tampa Bay team does that much less than most of the teams in the league. We did “go broke last year” because we did not “forget to put money in the bank”.
May 10th, 2022 at 2:37 pm
We have the weapons to move the chains……why throw low-percentage 25 yard passes when you need 4 yards?……….move the chains….
One thing that has infuriated me with the Bucs offense and it has been going on for years….not just BA/BL……we always seem to run the ball on 2nd and 1 or 2……now THAT is the time for the 25 yard pass.
May 10th, 2022 at 3:16 pm
They need to run more this year as long as they can be efficient doing it because we are unstoppable when they run works and we don’t need Brady to lead the league in yards or passing attempts
May 10th, 2022 at 3:50 pm
GOB, they came back vs. the Rams because they finally started figuring things out. Late, but it happened. Chipped away. I strongly believe they would have won the game if the defense had held.
Yes, they have to get stronger in the trenches, and be the bullies, instead of the bullied.
May 10th, 2022 at 4:09 pm
When Byron played in college he called a lot of his own plays and yes at Marshall he was a no risk it no biscuit kinda player even getting carried down the field by his offensive lineman because of an injured leg just to win a game
May 10th, 2022 at 6:06 pm
Just when we thought there was hope, Bucs have a half arse X-QB trying stuff an offense down Brady’s throat that doesn’t work against premiere DC’s. Tell me it’s not the same old shat different day.
May 10th, 2022 at 6:36 pm
Listnfrmfr Could you make it any more obvious that you are a Tom Brady bandwagon Bucs fan? I don’t think so. I will try to be nice but you have no idea what it is like to be a real Bucs fan, pre-Brady. It was miserable for many years. So you sound like an idiot to a real Bucs fan when you say “same shat different day” when you are talking about a Bucs team that almost won the Super Bowl 2 years in a row. I could care less that TB used to be a QB for a different team with a lousy coach. He is a Buccaneer and after this year’s SB win, he will retire as a TAMPA BAY BUCCANEER, forever.
May 10th, 2022 at 6:56 pm
THAT report….
was GARBAGE from DAY 1.
And a complete disservice to Bruce Arians, the man.
He NEEDS no further defending. He is ESTABLISHED.
May 10th, 2022 at 7:31 pm
Byron runs the offense with input from Brady. That is what BA and Byron have alway said. However, media guys make up stories and that’s what people want to believe. Tom has always been a player that respects his coaches…not surprising.
May 11th, 2022 at 5:41 am
I have some issues with some of BL’s play calls, specifically when it comes to sequencing. Saying we need to “run more” is reductive. We need to run more efficiently and stop running off tackle runs on first downs. I would like to see more traps and counters. Having our 45 yr old QB lead the league in pass attempts is unsustainable. It’s bad for my QB to drop back that much. The off tackle runs on first downs were so predictable. It was interesting when Wirfs said Brady started holding extra meetings last year when the run game was struggling, and what do you know, the run game improved after the meetings. That’s called leadership and intangibles. Two things that people often miss when trying to evaluate QBs. Are we even sure Trask has that “it” factor. When he’s finally given his opportunity, Trask will be blessed with more weapons than any young QB could wish for. He’ll have Godwin, Evans, and Lenny. They’re all locked up for at least 3 years.
Finally, Give Leftwich more credit. If Leftwich hadn’t returned, Brady wouldn’t have come back, period! Brady respects Leftwich and they have a great working relationship. I think he also respects Leftwich’s professionalism. I like that BL is bland in press conference. No need to pop off at the mouth like BA. BA is a good quote, but somethings should be said behind closed doors. No way Brady would’ve played for another OC, even if it was in house. I know BL is saying he’s keeping the status quo, but I doubt it.