Don’t Be Dumb
April 17th, 2019
Mental mistakes kill teams.
Joe has decided to document highlights of Bucs coach Bucco Bruce Arians captured when he coached Arizona during the inaugural season of “All or Nothing,” a “Hard Knocks”-like miniseries by NFL Films that follows a pro or college team throughout a season and is exclusive to Amazon Prime. Joe hopes these highlights will help Bucs fans learn what to expect from the 12th coach in franchise history. This series of posts will appear periodically until the days leading up to the draft later this month.
As Bruce Arians and the Cardinals (7-2) prepare for the Bengals (8-1), both Arians’ relationship with his quarterbacks and how badly mental errors can destroy a team are highlighted.
As well as Arians’ range of emotions.
The episode begins with Arians softly telling his team how preparation is largely the difference between winning and losing.
“We are not any better than anyone else we are playing,” Arians said. “We are not better than the Bengals. We will beat them, if we respect the process. Take nothing for granted.”
Much of this episode revolves around two themes: Arians’ relationship with Cardinals quarterback Carson Palmer and how Arians fights to make sure his team uses their heads.
At a practice, Arians needles Carson Palmer.
“Carson, let me know when you get tired.” Palmer cannot believe what he heard and yelps, “What?”
Arians repeats himself and Palmer stretches out his arms and says, “This is what I’m living for.” Arians breaks out into a laugh.
“I think he is the best coach in the game because he is always educating everybody,” Palmer said of Arians. “He talks play concepts. He talks linebackers. He talks defensive linemen. He’s talking about referees — how the referees change. It seems like such a simple, no-brainer thing to do for a head coach [but not all do that] because they don’t think of it.”
But players have to be smart, and the episode returns to Arians addressing his team. Arians shows various clips of games played that season where one dumb mistake cost a team a win late in the game.
“It’s really not as much as who makes a play, it’s who f*cks it up,” Arians said. “Don’t be the guy that f*cks it up.”
Palmer nearly does just that against Cincinnati. He throws his second pick of the first half, a very poor choice when he threw deep and there wasn’t a Cardinals receiver in the same zip code.
“What are you doing?” Arians asks Palmer, calmly, as Palmer comes off the field. “[Only throw that pass] if it is wide-@ss open, c’mon!” Arians then slaps Palmer’s helmet as if to command him to wake up.
When Palmer dejectedly sits on the bench, Arians tells an assistant on his headphones, “I’ve never seen him with that look on his face.”
Arians sure seems like a quarterback’s best friend. On the “Sunday Night Football” broadcast, NBC Sports’ Michele Tafoya reports at halftime that Arians told her Palmer was out of sync but there were plays he could call that could help him.
As the second half was about to begin, Arians is shown with Palmer on the sideline saying, “I’m thinking of calling this,” pointing to his laminated playsheet. Palmer nods his head and offers input. Arians and Palmer discuss a battle plan. Whatever Arians suggested worked as Palmer was hot, throwing for three touchdowns in the third quarter.
Arians’ calm demeanor thus far in the episode quickly ends when the Bengals scored a short-yardage touchdown early in the fourth quarter. The Cardinals were playing short-handed. Arians erupts.
“Did we only have 10 f*ckers out there?” Arians hollers in disbelief. “Did we only have 10!? Well, who the f*ck was supposed to be in there!?”
Arians was just getting started. With the game tied in the final moments, Palmer leads the Cardinals on what looks to be a game-winning drive. On the final play from scrimmage when Palmer was to spike the ball to set up a game-winning field goal, right guard Ted Larsen (!) jumped offsides which sends Arians into orbit.
“STUPID MOTHERF*CKER!!!”
There was to be a 10-second run off that would have ended regulation, sending the game into overtime. But the zebras reviewed the play and hit Cincinnati with a personal foul for barking out fake signals.
Larsen and the Cardinals are spared. Chandler Catanzaro (!) kicks the field goal and the Cardinals hand the Bengals their second loss.
After the game, Arians praised his team for finding ways to win, unlike his new team in Tampa Bay which has a nasty years-long habit of finding ways to lose.
April 17th, 2019 at 9:05 am
Are the bucs going to get this Coach Arians? It seems he is going to be more of a GM/HC and let Clyde and Byron run the show, which is definitely not what the bucs and jameis need. The bucs hired Arians to be the guy in this review not some helper of future HCs
April 17th, 2019 at 9:07 am
Bucs roster has some of the mentally weakest players to suit up in the nfl could spell major trouble for BA if players need to be intelligent especially the current top lb in house
April 17th, 2019 at 9:10 am
Too bad the Bucs are getting the semi retired Arians who is not calling plays and coaching up a inconsistent qb
April 17th, 2019 at 9:25 am
Should at least be an entertaining season.
April 17th, 2019 at 9:43 am
@loyaltotheend
I wish you were banned for all your negative, stupid and perpetually immature comments.
Loyal to the end? Loyal to what, exactly? Being a sniping gamma ankle biter who can’t muster up one single constructive sentence?
You’re a punk.
April 17th, 2019 at 9:44 am
I think all the big head coaching moments – addressing the team, determining the game plan, getting his 2 cents in on calls in big moments, and all of the Sunday sideline fire. My take is the he expects every player to have access to more than just the one assistant coach in practice and in meetings through the week
April 17th, 2019 at 9:45 am
*all the big head coaching moments will still belong to Arians, and the minutiae goes to the sraff
April 17th, 2019 at 9:46 am
Good indicator of his toolkit but we are about to see how that kit works on the 2019 Bucs. Get better players, coach the scheme, make weekly and game time adjustments and it will be a good year. Lots (lots) of work to be done. Very hopeful. Go Bucs!
April 17th, 2019 at 9:50 am
Don’t be a knucklehead….as Chris Simms would say.
What we need is a coach who has some fire…….not a coach that throws a challenge flag when he knew we had no time outs left…..
BIG DIFFERENCE!!!!
April 17th, 2019 at 9:55 am
Tampabaybucfan Says:
“Don’t be a knucklehead….as Chris Simms would say.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Listening to Chris, as we speak, on his podcast. Between that and PFT with Mike Florio, he is very entertaining.
April 17th, 2019 at 10:02 am
what a load of crap……….
All these comments from coaches and players all border on the line of BS and PR.
If coaches and players said what they truly meant of felt then they wouldn’t be with that team or in the NFL for long
…………..and this can be applied to any job a person holds in life too.
April 17th, 2019 at 10:08 am
tmax- Seems like they’re trying to shed those weak players you mention. And not a moment too soon.
We’ll see first-hand who folds and who rises to the top.
April 17th, 2019 at 10:15 am
Todd
so are we supposed to make “Positive” crap up so your little feelings don’t get hurt… this franchise has 2 good years in 42 and has been a complete and utter embarrassment on and off the field for nearly 2 decades. again are we supposed to make up positive posts to ensure you feelings are not hurt? wake up dude bucs are minor league franchise ran by owners who have screwed up 2 franchises on 2 continents… not a lot of positives in bucland especially with another basement title on the horizon.
April 17th, 2019 at 10:15 am
BA will be the same coach…..lol….folks need to stop worrying…
#REALISTKNOWSNOTHING!!!!!…GO BUCS!!!!
April 17th, 2019 at 10:24 am
813bucboi Says:
April 17th, 2019 at 10:15 am
BA will be the same coach…..lol….folks need to stop worrying…
there is a greater than 50/50 shot BA bails before the first year is up once this no nonsense man figures out the bucs owners have no intentions of winning he will find a way out… bucs are a retirement destination for coaches and players not a nfl franchise that can compete for actual wins
April 17th, 2019 at 10:55 am
@tmaxcom
I think you are projecting here…I don’t get my feelings hurt. In this case, why would I? I’m not mired in a negative state of mind as you are. I’m a true Bucs fan who is very optimistic about our new future. You, on the other hand, probably admonished your children for their first steps in life because they fell down after making some initial progress. I encouraged my kids with a, “Good job! Do it again!”
Enjoy your stinkin’ thinkin’. I’d hate to walk around in your head. Always critical. Always negative. Projecting your own miserable mindset on the Bucs organization.
You don’t fool anyone, keyboard warrior.
But, on the positive side, I get to make fun of your miserable, idiotic state of mind. Bonus.
April 17th, 2019 at 11:07 am
tmax
sure….whatever you say sir…..
#REALISTKNOWSNOTHING!!!!!…GO BUCS!!!!
April 17th, 2019 at 11:56 am
“If there was no Kobe Faker Or Jenna Laine…
Koetter would still be HC of the Bucs”
Kobe Faker
April 17th, 2019 at 12:50 pm
TODD. I agree. I am, and ALWAYS have been a Bucs Fan! I have been thru so much with this team and it hasn’t been easy. I watched Doug Williams, Steve Young, and Trent Doofus, go to other teams and win Super Bowls. Was Painful. Dealt with Vinnie Testaverde and his color blindness BS. Was sitting in the stands at the Big Sombrero for the last game of the season when we were 4-11 and lost. Again, very painful. However, I never gave up on MY TEAM! Tony Dungy brought knowledge, and showed respect to the players and in return, got it back from them. He changed the culture and the mind set. Lets give BA, and this team a damn chance. Negativity is a waste of good energy. I am not saying we are going to the Super Bowl just like the Rays or the Lightning are not going to be champions anytime soon. But dammit, that doesn’t mean that we cant root for them. I bet Players read these blogs. Lets give them something to get excited about! In short, take your negative BS and stick it! Winning starts with attitude! Just sayin….
April 17th, 2019 at 1:05 pm
The Glazers saw the Bucs as a run down trailer park of a team and bought them.
April 17th, 2019 at 1:12 pm
@Todd
Sorry you can’t communicate effectively without insults. If you ever come to a game let’s have a beer and chat about it. I’m in section 312 every year, watching this train wreck with 5-6 others.
Not much positive to say after back to back 5-11 seasons and this team being a consistent loser. I’m no cheerleader I call it like it is but would love to be wrong one of these years.
April 17th, 2019 at 1:30 pm
I’m excited that we will have an experienced field general who won’t be just an offensive coordinator or defensive coordinator.
A leader who will participate in all aspects of the team. A man who will not get all giddy if the teams goes on a small winning streak. A Head Coach who has been there and done that. Someone who has been NFL Coach of the Year and has Super Bowl rings.
When you watch that series on Amazon, you could see his brain working with how he spoke to the players and coaches differently. He didn’t waste words or effort during the heat of battle, but he sure let you know about it later. He didn’t dwell on losses, 24 hours to review and then on to the next game.
Looking forward to a great draft and an even better season.
April 17th, 2019 at 1:32 pm
Being overly critical is a lazy way of trying to sound smart. The first thing I noticed when I started reading these comments a few weeks ago was how much some guys just spew out negative remarks. Some offer nothing but the same complaints over and over. How many times does a person find the need to say that the Bucs stink and that this year will be no different. And that all of us will see just how bad it will be. Maybe find another team.This year has so much promise. Probably the best coach in the league is now our Head coach. Take a minute and read the bios of his coaching staff and the success they’ve had at the positions they’re coaching. All those who are worried that BA isn’t gonna coach the Bucs the way he did the Cards, don’t be. He is who he is. He won’t be able to be any different.I can’t wait to see the effect Todd Bowles has on our D. These 2nd RD DB’s will actually be playing in a scheme that made them 2nd RD picks.This is gonna be an exciting year.
April 17th, 2019 at 1:52 pm
Handing the pla calling to a neophyte like Leftwich and asking Clyde Christensen to coach up a inconsistent QB is troubling when Bruce is the one with the qb whisperer nickname
April 17th, 2019 at 2:39 pm
“JW3 is the least of problems we have to worry about in 2019…
Our defense will be the worst defense in the last 25 years
Alot of 38-34 games
We will hang in with teams that are limited in passing offense but we will get shredded against competent passing offenses
Our pass defense will be the worst than any secondary in 25 years”
Kobe life coach Faker