“Keep Playing”
September 18th, 2019
Advice from coach.
UPDATED 2:45 a.m. – It is only two games in, still very early. Thus far, however, Bucs stud tight end O.J. Howard is having a very forgettable season.
Unless you remember his whiffs at blocking.
Howard easily is having his toughest season yet in the NFL and it may have hit rock bottom when he officially was targeted zero times in the win over the Stinking Panthers last week.
A tight end drafted in the first round didn’t receive any targets? That was the official record, but he did have one. See the second video below. Against Carolina, aside from a key block he made to help spring Peyton Barber loose on a touchdown run, Howard really didn’t make any plays (unless you count the pick-saving tip in the video).
So yesterday, Bucco Bruce Arians was asked how to get Howard on track. Arians suggested not being targeted had more to do with Carolina’s defense than anything offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich did or did not call.
Just keep pounding the rock, Arians offered Howard via his press conference.
“Just keep playing,” Arians said. “The balls will come. We don’t dictate who gets the ball – the defense does, so sometimes it will spread around for different people every week.”
Now Joe can almost hear the folks start to chime in that Arians’ offense doesn’t utilize tight ends. Joe doesn’t buy it for one second. In Pittsburgh as offensive coordinator Arians always involved solid tight end Heath Miller in the passing game.
At least this year, Howard is demonstrating more often than not he needs work on blocking. So perhaps rather than keeping him in to protect America’s Quarterback, Pro Bowler Jameis Winston, get Howard out in space to take advantage of the mismatch he presents.
Jameis showed improvement in a Week 2 road win, but there were still some areas to work on. Here on a throw to O.J. Howard over the middle, he's not accurate. This is almost one of those 'high hot ones' that BA said can't happen. O.J.'s reach prevents an INT. #Bucsfilm2019wk2 pic.twitter.com/CCoGobusa7
— Steven Cheah (@StevenCheah) September 18, 2019
September 18th, 2019 at 12:11 am
OJ did not whiff on the block he contributed to Barber’s 16 yard TD run. Let’s see what happens in the next two games.
The Offense seems a bit tentative overall to me. I’m looking for all of the guys to ratchet it up a notch or two this week against the Giants.
September 18th, 2019 at 12:24 am
Get over it, You an the rest of the media is the biggest problem with sports.
Knee jerk reaction, and click bait-
September 18th, 2019 at 12:27 am
Ok Howard is not the problem,
It’s Jason Licht, and I suspect Leftwhich will end up sucking too- I like the idea of running the ball well, but the pass game has become a dreary shadow of itself, or so it seems.
September 18th, 2019 at 12:31 am
Maybe this crap offense should try dictate who gets the ball. Let other teams defend what we are doing. That is alarming, only taking what’s given. Got Jameis playing scared.
September 18th, 2019 at 12:38 am
Joe pointed that out, how he got a key block to spring Barber. It is in the fourth paragraph.
He did whiff on several blocks. Has been doing that since the Cleveland preseason game.
September 18th, 2019 at 12:46 am
What are we doing here? Blaming someone or their system or scheme for having start the season with one win and one loss yet being in first place! This must be propaganda from the so called “real fans” cause they already know!!!!!!
September 18th, 2019 at 12:48 am
^^^you know Maxipad and them!!!
September 18th, 2019 at 1:39 am
I noticed. Not saying he did not whiff on other blocks. Just reiterated what you said.
I’ll worry if OJ doesn’t start performing better in the next couple of games.
September 18th, 2019 at 1:58 am
Ether Joe is high or the other Joe RETWEETED a tweet (video) with a throw (target) to OJ mid-field at Carolina, this past game. Slipping or trippin Joe?
September 18th, 2019 at 2:43 am
“My Dad and I
Are expecting 7 targets for Perriman and 1 target for OJ and Brate combined
We witnessed OJ and Brate washing BAs Golfcart after practice ”
Son of Kobe Faker
September 18th, 2019 at 5:23 am
Great selection of those 2 videos Joe. That first one showed nice touch by Jameis in getting the ball to Godwin over the LB (#54) but between the 2 corners. The second one showed what clearly should’ve been an INT if OJ hadn’t deflected it just enough. Jameis’ delivery on that one looked just like a pitcher trying to throw a fast ball (in this case, a high fast ball that got away).
Impossible to tell what REALLY went on in videos like that, but in BOTH cases it looked like Jameis had plenty of protection & time to throw (no real pressure). And in BOTH cases I didn’t see any of our receivers getting tons of separation either. And also in BOTH Jameis seemed to be looking straight down the field at his intended target. BTW, Brate did a nice job blocking in that first video, and Auclair did a very nice job in the second one.
September 18th, 2019 at 5:25 am
We should continue to see improvement each week. It takes reps to get timing in a new offense. We saw a big improvement from week one to two…and hopefully much more growth this week.
September 18th, 2019 at 6:22 am
It’s only week 2 y’all chill out. Even tho these guys are professionals it still takes more than 1 offseason to learn a new offense hopefully by week 6 this offense will be hitting on all cylinders. We’ve herd from ME13 himself he uses the preseason games to get into high gear but he didn’t play to much so maybe this is the week he gets it going. If ME13 an O.J show up an go beast mode like we know they can then watch out this offense is unstoppable
September 18th, 2019 at 6:36 am
Even though Koetter didn’t use OJ enough, he got big plays out of him on the outside. If you put OJ and Evans on the same side it might open up more opportunities for both, especially with the absence of Hump. OJ will be more prone to fumbles if they use him over the middle at this time. He had a fumble last year very similar to his fumble to game 1. You need a couple steps to make a football move and on these fumbles the DB’s seem to get to him after his first step. Get the ball to the sure handed receivers that have more experience catching the slants.
September 18th, 2019 at 6:47 am
On the top play , That was Jameis predetermining before the snap where he was going with the ball and then making a crappy throw . His first read should have been thrown to mike Evans for a very long gain . He’s awful .
September 18th, 2019 at 6:52 am
Sorry , I meant on the tip play ******
September 18th, 2019 at 7:05 am
It’s not how you start a season it is how you finish…he’ll be mine !
September 18th, 2019 at 7:21 am
OR…..Arians and Leftwich are doing exactly what they say the offense is doing, getting the ball to the open player.
This also is good game planning/scheming for an entire season/upcoming games when they plan to use TE’s exclusively to exploit a defense.
September 18th, 2019 at 7:24 am
Clean House—
You’re “I’m a negative tough guy” schtick is so transparent. We recognize you’re sporting a rather small bit of manhood behind your zipper…Napoleon had nothing on you. Put some lifts in your ankle-biting shoes and don’t worry about not having a full head of hair. It happens.
September 18th, 2019 at 7:25 am
He did whiff on a block vs GMC that lead to a tackle for a loss.
September 18th, 2019 at 8:01 am
Pa Privateer Says:
September 18th, 2019 at 7:21 am
OR…..Arians and Leftwich are doing exactly what they say the offense is doing, getting the ball to the open player.
This also is good game planning/scheming for an entire season/upcoming games when they plan to use TE’s exclusively to exploit a defense.
****************************************************************
BINGO!!!!
GO BUCS!!!!!
September 18th, 2019 at 9:15 am
“…We don’t dictate who gets the ball – the defense does…”.
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Sounds reasonable, except it is bull fertilizer. So Rob Gronkowski does not get targeted when a team tries to take him out of the game?! Please, does BA think we are stupid?
September 18th, 2019 at 10:01 am
In the second video, the Panther DB holds OJ beyond 5 yards from scrimmage. He releases him just and FJ releases the ball. That’s why Howard didn’t catch it. Refs should have called it ‘sept it would have help the Bucs. 🙁
September 18th, 2019 at 10:02 am
‘He releases him just as’ Typo.
September 18th, 2019 at 6:36 pm
@Defense Rules, if you look at the video closely, you will see a linebacker in the thrown Lane…..If that pass is thrown on a normal trajectory, it is intercepted by that linebacker…..If you look even closer, you can see JW had plenty of time to throw and could have hold on to the football a click more to let Howard clear….Howard had his man beat…..JW should have held it a click more and Howard clears and we have big gain or even a TD….Look at the DB on the rightside, his back is to the play and chasing to help the safety on the left with the deep clear out to the post…..This is one of those times Winston should held on to the ball just a lil longer…..Someone on this post mentioned that BA/Leftwich have Winston playing scared….I wouldn’t say scared….He is
playing to cautious….They have him doing things totally in contrast to what he did in the previous 4 years.