Another Potential Option For Byron Leftwich
November 22nd, 2022
Byron Leftwich
Joe already explained Byron Leftwich’s pipeline to an interview for the Indianapolis Colts head coaching vacancy.
And that was before Bucco Bruce Arians told Ira Kaufman he will be working hard on Leftwich’s behalf soon.
Leftwich, the 42-year-old Bucs offensive coordinator, desires to be a head coach. And Arians, 70, desperately wants him to get a gig. Not only is Arians’ legacy important to him, he believes deeply in Leftwich being perfect for the job. Plus, Arians was grooming Leftwich in rare ways during prior Bucs seasons.
Joe has seen Arizona Cardinals fans melt down today after the Cardinals got bullied and blown out by the 49ers last night — at home — to fall to 4-7 this season and 5-12 over their last 17 games.
The fans have turned on head coach Kliff Kingsbury, who appears to have lost the team.
Enter Arians.
He has a strong relationship with Cardinals general manager Steve Keim and owner Michael Bidwill after working closely with them for five seasons.
If Bidwill decides to launch Kingsbury, Joe has no doubt that Arians will give an all out sales pitch for Leftwich to get the job. And Joe even thinks Arians would offer up himself as part of the deal, perhaps as a one-season advisor to Leftwich.
The better the Bucs finish, the better the odds Leftwich has a new job next season. Joe realizes that would make Arians and legions of Bucs fans very happy (for very different reasons). But it does make Joe wonder whether a Leftwich evacuation would hurt the chances of Tom Brady staying in Tampa for the 2023 season.
November 22nd, 2022 at 4:01 pm
If the Colts or the Cardinals were to hire The Man Staring Into Oblivion, pictured above, I will get plastered, dress in drag, and post a video dancing the Hula whilst chugging Big Storm Bromisa.
November 22nd, 2022 at 4:14 pm
It would be a horrible public relations move by the Cardinals to hire Leftwich.
He is coming off a less than stellar season after Arians left the Bucs as the main offensive mind in the Bucs organization.
AND he failed with the Cardinals after Arians left the Arizona organization.
If Steve Klem wants to get fired, then he hires Leftwich. Jeez, I can think of lots of smarter moves by Klem for his own self being.
November 22nd, 2022 at 4:20 pm
i don’t understand why BA is so invested in lefty ?
makes no sense at all
November 22nd, 2022 at 4:24 pm
Goatbugger, how would that be different from any other day for you?
November 22nd, 2022 at 4:28 pm
Lefwich needs an English tutor more than he needs BA’s support……I can’t believe a team would want him to be the spokesperson for the franchise…..
Players can get away with it but coaches don’t….
You can’t name a HC in the NFL that even comes close to bastardizing the English language like Byron.
I know I’ll take some heat for my opinion on this….but the HC position is an executive position and it requires excellent communication skills.
I really hope someone hires him because I want the comp picks.
November 22nd, 2022 at 4:31 pm
@Goatfarmer… Whilst is one of my favorite words. Jave used in very dirty contexts many times before!!
November 22nd, 2022 at 4:32 pm
Have not Jave
November 22nd, 2022 at 4:44 pm
TBBF, I agree with you wholeheartedly. The guy does not know English. Joe Gilbert is even worse. He says “y’know” so many times in one sentence I can’t even finish listening to him.
November 22nd, 2022 at 4:45 pm
Before you post what you’re thinking about my comments….you need to look no further than the Bucs coaching staff…..
Todd Bowles, Harold Goodwin, Kacy Rodgers, Larry Foote, Keith Armstrong
None of them have any difficulty.
November 22nd, 2022 at 4:50 pm
It’s a what have you done lately league, and Leftwich and the Bucs offense haven’t done much lately. That is all that matters and if he is to stand any chance of securing a head coaching job one day, he needs to turn things around and help get the Bucs back to the Super Bowl this season.
November 22nd, 2022 at 4:53 pm
He needs a deep playoff run to have a chance.
November 22nd, 2022 at 5:02 pm
Anything to get rid of Byron. Him at the essence to be fair, since Bowles only inherited the team in March, we don’t know if he would have wanted Byron in the first place
November 22nd, 2022 at 5:05 pm
Ain’t nobody gonna hire him unless he turns this season around.
November 22nd, 2022 at 5:06 pm
Nothing like a 1st down run play all night long to make you 2nd and long as the Cardinals so willingly demonstrated last night.
November 22nd, 2022 at 5:17 pm
I dont like Lefty as an OC. He’s too tied to BA’s history. Still is.
I llike the distraction even less.
Both can go asap.
November 22nd, 2022 at 5:20 pm
I think he would make a fantastic HC in one of the other 31 teams! I will help the man pack…
November 22nd, 2022 at 5:25 pm
Naturally Brady would stay if Clyde would take over as play caller, thats it nothing else.
November 22nd, 2022 at 5:49 pm
If Leftwich leaves, Bucs should hire Wes Welker as O/C.
November 22nd, 2022 at 6:25 pm
Be careful what you wish for. I just checked the classified section, and there ain’t any good OC’s seeking work.
November 22nd, 2022 at 6:40 pm
This would be the perfect scenario for the Bucs, they’d pick up a draft pick for it (although I forget what round it’d be). I highly doubt it though, unless they haven’t seen what we’ve seen.
November 22nd, 2022 at 6:52 pm
I’ll take Frank Reich as our new OC with Bowles…
ALL DAY!!!
Frank is an awesome coach!
November 22nd, 2022 at 7:04 pm
IMO, BL leaving would have little if any effect on Brady’s decision. If he still wants to play for the bucs, I’m sure he’d be fine with Clyde. Who knows, Clyde might actually be able to scheme some guys open. Coaching in the NFL is about exploiting other teams weaknesses, and minimizing your own. I don’t believe BL gets that.
November 22nd, 2022 at 7:09 pm
@Bucfan 1988, can you imagine coaching for that nut in Indy? A man who literally owns an NFL franchise because his daddy didn’t pull out. Reich is a good coach. He can actually scheme an offense. I’d take him all day long as well.
November 22nd, 2022 at 7:15 pm
TBBF … BL was raised in Washington D.C. in a single parent family. I’ve long heard that the schools in Washington, DC leave a little to be desired.
November 22nd, 2022 at 7:17 pm
BTW TBBF, BL seems to have done pretty well for himself with the retirement benefits from an NFL career plus making almost $1 mil as an offensive coordinator. Poor Byron? (I get what you’re saying though)
November 22nd, 2022 at 7:35 pm
the verbal limitations will clearly stymie him moving forward…
yet he has gotten into such a high nfl position already, so give him credit for that…
but you can’t sell improper english in every other sentence to any fanbase, and have them believe and pour money into the product…
it’s a realtime issue for him…
however he’s a multi millionaire and a very successful man career wise at a very young age – so he’s chillin’
November 22nd, 2022 at 8:16 pm
Articulation is important. That being said, the league is littered with bad coaches who speak the part. I wouldn’t necessarily hold that against BL. Jacksonville was ready to hire him, until he made some demands.
November 22nd, 2022 at 8:22 pm
This guy deserves to be fired, not promoted. What fan base would welcome Leftwich as a Head Coach? It’s not exactly a jump start for season ticket sales
November 22nd, 2022 at 8:23 pm
88
Yep. I’d take Reich in a NY minute.
November 22nd, 2022 at 8:26 pm
Read the article. Refuse to read the comments.
November 22nd, 2022 at 8:38 pm
Jettisoning Leftwich and replacing with a truly brilliant OC is something to look forward to. Such a scenario would also be enticing for Tom GOAT Brady. If he wants to do it again, and if it makes sense for the team. If only something could be done about Bowles…and deadwood on the roster….and a bad cap….
In any case, I see another uncomfortable offseason with the team again not sure what it’s supposed to do.
November 22nd, 2022 at 9:11 pm
BA apparently sees something in Leftwich that most of us don’t.
Arians pegged Byron as a good future NFL head coach years ago – and Bruce has maintained that belief to this day – even doubling down this year when Lefty has obviously had numerous and obvious “issues” with game planning and play calling…..
Its hard to believe Arians is correct about this when our eyes and some basic common sense reasoning lead most of us who follow the team closely to such a different conclusion…
And yet – its is certainly possible that BA is right and we all who say “No Way will Leftwich make a good Head Coach” are wrong…
I’m all for it since the Bucs would get TWO 3rd rd comp picks.
November 22nd, 2022 at 9:11 pm
I don’t care. Unimpressive offense that doesn’t take in to account the Buc’s personnel this year and doesn’t game plan against the other teams weaknesses. Different opponent every week, same gameplan. No this OLine can’t open a running lane on 3rd and 2 or 4th and 1, but let’s continue to try to run it up the middle with no success. Let him leave. We can do better.
November 22nd, 2022 at 9:25 pm
Zero chance the Cardinals hire him, IMO. He already failed there once.
November 22nd, 2022 at 9:36 pm
I’d care less if the guy spoke with sign language as long as he could put together a decent gameplan, show any inclination that he can develop a young qb, is a creative play caller/creator, or at least good at making in game adjustments…. BL hasn’t shown much proficiency in any of those areas. The fact that you don’t like the way the man talks is on you…
Clyde Christensen, really!! The luckiest man in the NFLwho can only coach ringer qbs with a hall of fame HC? Proximity does not equal good
November 22nd, 2022 at 9:40 pm
Nowhere near ready for prime time
November 22nd, 2022 at 9:42 pm
Fire Bowels and get Sean “PunchableLips” Payton (as much as I dislike him) he’s still a great coach and Brady will play till he’s 50
November 22nd, 2022 at 9:54 pm
Drfeelgood do you have your own opinions?
November 22nd, 2022 at 11:00 pm
No need to wait until the season is over! Act TODAY!
TAKE HIM TODAY!
PLEASE!
November 22nd, 2022 at 11:03 pm
Davenport Says:
November 22nd, 2022 at 8:22 pm
This guy deserves to be fired, not promoted. What fan base would welcome Leftwich as a Head Coach? It’s not exactly a jump start for season ticket sales
——-
Here’s the big thing… if Leftwich was hired by another team and was out from under Arians thumb and not held back by the Arians playbook, Leftwich could finally do what he’s always wanted to do … bring back the wishbone offense.
I don’t care if the Bucs throw more than anyone else, that’s only because they have to because of the QB and the playbook, he would literally, finally, get fired if he tried to run the ball 70% of the time. BUT when he’s in charge of his own team, I can see it now, 3 TE sets to open the game, bringing back the fullback, and every 1st and 10 is a run up the middle, as is every 2nd down, and as is 50% of 3rd downs.
November 23rd, 2022 at 12:59 am
GoatFarmer …what color is your dress? Asking for a friend.
November 23rd, 2022 at 1:00 am
Still Whining While We Winning! Forever The Bucs Fan!
November 23rd, 2022 at 1:50 am
So, I personally do not think you all are giving BL a fair shake.
I think you all are afraid to lose Bowles coaching the defense, so you’ve made BL your target. The truth is that for most of the season, both sides of the fields played horribly.
But up until not, Todd at least had a defensive line to shake a stick at. BL has not had an OL worth mentioning. That has affected every aspect of the offense. The bad OL kept us from successfully running the ball (and you all blame Lenny), the bad OL failed to protect Brady very well, resulting in him getting hit far too much, which also resulted in turnovers and such.
Then BL had backup pass catchers dropping good passes. Now, the rookies, I get. Sometimes it takes a rookie half a season to find himself.
But still, that’s what BL had to deal with. And if you still want to hate on him, consider this: Tom Brady changed plays constantly when Arians was running the offense. Do you really think he doesn’t change them with Leftwich?
If Brady had trouble making things work, that shows it was something out of the control of Brady and Leftwich. At least that’s how I see it.
So this is where we are at. The games have been extremely hard to watch. But…I’m hoping the young guys are starting to get their legs under them.
I’m also not clear about Jensen’s progress, but I am hoping that if we make the playoffs, he will be able to play.
November 23rd, 2022 at 2:51 am
Adam from New York ,don’t understand the reason reason why Airen’s is so invested in Lefty.
Got pictures?
November 23rd, 2022 at 7:01 am
I like Byron. I want him to succeed. But as buc4ever said…We have different opponents every week yet we come out with the exact same game plan every week.
He’s a major liability. I keep thinking back to the trick play that blew up in our face in Germany. That damn well almost cost us the game. What TB12 sees in him is beyond me.
November 23rd, 2022 at 9:03 am
Bonzai, that’s what good OC’s do,the scheme around their strengths and weaknesses. Look at Cincy last year, their oline was horrible yet they went to the SB. BL is clearly not a multi-tasker, in fact he struggles doing his job now. BA getting crap in his head is a huge distraction, BA should stay away for this team, they should have one mission and that’s beating the Browns. We ALL witnessed how the interview process killed this team’s advancement last season. So comical how you don’t hear a peep out of BA when the Bucs were tanking but after 2 wins ya can’t shut the blow hard up.
November 23rd, 2022 at 12:30 pm
i would hire Frank in a second, as head coach.
November 23rd, 2022 at 6:43 pm
Adios!