Ryan Griffin = Kelly Holcomb
December 12th, 2019
While some fans think Bucs backup QB Ryan Griffin is the next Ryan Fitzpatrick, Bruce Arians sees another QB when he looks at Griffin.
It’s Arians’ old backup quarterback when he was offensive coordinator of the Browns and Colts: Kelly Holcomb.
That’s not a comforting analogy for Bucs fans who think there’s a good chance Griffin will make his first NFL start on Sunday in Detroit because of Jameis Winston’s injury.
But it makes Arians feel good. He made the Holcomb-Griffin analogy during the preseason, but four months later, he was emphasizing it last night on SiriusXM NFL Radio.
“He’s one of those guys; he’s always prepared,” Arians told hosts Bill Polian and Zig Fracassi . Bill, he reminds me a lot of Kelly Holcomb. When he plays, he’s going to play really, really good. He’s been in the system. He knows it. He gets the ball out of his hand; he’s accurate. So yeah, if Griff was to go in, I think everybody’s got a ton of confidence.”
Well, that sounded nice, but when Holcomb did get his shot with the Browns and Arians, he didn’t play very well. So Joe will hope Jameis recovers quickly from his busted thumb.
However, Joe would love to see Griffin if Jameis isn’t 100 percent. No need to force a QB with a messed up throwing hand into a meaningless game.
December 12th, 2019 at 12:37 pm
Ryan Griffin = Noodle Arm
December 12th, 2019 at 12:53 pm
Arm might not be as strong as Winston, but his brain works better…
December 12th, 2019 at 12:55 pm
RG = JM
December 12th, 2019 at 12:55 pm
Everyone fails with a large enough sample size.
December 12th, 2019 at 12:59 pm
decent comparison….
i would like tosee what he’s got….he’s obviously a back up…..
but is he a good back up or not?….thats the question…..
GO BUCS!!!!!
December 12th, 2019 at 1:15 pm
@Joe … “However, Joe would love to see Griffin if Jameis isn’t 100 percent. No need to force a QB with a messed up throwing hand into a meaningless game.”
Aw Joe, that’s so wrong on so many levels. I’d love to see Griffin too, but not because I believe he’s gonna outperform Jameis. I’d love though to see what we’ve got in him as a backup QB … could he salvage the season if our starter went down. And LOTS of players play at less than 100% (especially at this time of year) & perform at a very high level, so that excuse is outta here. If Jameis is significant, then he shouldn’t play. But nobody will FORCE Jameis to play I’m sure so that one can go too.
But the worst of all is the ‘meaningless game’ insert. There is no such thing to true professionals. EVERY GAME, EVERY DRIVE, EVERY DOWN is significant. And if their attitude is anything less that that, I hope BA kicks their butts outta here next year.
December 12th, 2019 at 1:35 pm
Holcomb started out with the Bucs practice squad! I recall him being not so bad in spot duty, when he finally got a chance to start for the Colts or whomever? It is true he could not beat out Dilfer, Casey Weldon, and Milanovich as a Buc. But he was just a rookie FA outta MTSU.
December 12th, 2019 at 1:44 pm
Holcomb was a stud and led the browns to the playoffs; so I am guessing that bruce is warming people up to #4 coming in and setting the world on fire?
December 12th, 2019 at 1:45 pm
……and a lot of clueless people compare JayMiss to Favre….
What’s the point?
Let him play!
December 12th, 2019 at 2:27 pm
Where is all of the excitement if Griffin plays? Sadly there is none.
December 12th, 2019 at 2:42 pm
Casey doesn’t know either Qb personally, never interacted, barely if ever even heard Griff speak but he knows that Grif is smarter than Jameis. He knows this even know it is common knowledge that Jameis was accepted to Stanford, had straight A’s in high school and BA and other coaches that work daily with Jameis compare his football intelligence with the greats like Peyton Manning.
What is it the Casey sees that enables him to discriminate the difference in their intelligence?
December 12th, 2019 at 3:08 pm
RG4 can’t be as prolific a Turnover Sensation as JayMiss.
Give him a shot.
Peace, out
December 12th, 2019 at 3:23 pm
I won’t waste my time watching unless they put another QB in……
even if they lose I’ll see something new and someone making progress.
if someone aint learned in 5 yrs, throw in the damn towel!
December 12th, 2019 at 3:23 pm
Turnover Sensation but ya’ll already no that this guy (RG4) is not a gamer like FAMOUS..
December 12th, 2019 at 3:35 pm
Griffin should hope to play as little as possible. Once he’s fully exposed to “live bullets” in the regular season…he’d likely be exposed. Sure…there is a pear shaped perv on here who claims Griffin is the next Tom Brady. Not exactly. But he is an inexpensive back up QB who could be ok in a pinch.
December 12th, 2019 at 3:37 pm
The org position is that his arm is to weak to be more than a stop gap player.
December 12th, 2019 at 3:38 pm
RG4 is a backup because no one has ever given him a shot at the number one spot. There’s a reason he has not been released. He plays great in preseason, and is always ready to go in, but you’re not going to see him step in for the No. 1 pick in the draft unless Jameis is injured. There’s a reason why year after year the team brings in “backup” QBs, yet they never release Griffin. I still think it’s a shame Griffin didn’t start during those 4 games when Jameis was suspended. Fitz did great, but it would have been nice to see if Griffin’s preseason performance carried over into real games. That might have answered the question as to his long-term value once and for all.
December 12th, 2019 at 3:42 pm
If he’s called upon I wish him the best.
December 12th, 2019 at 3:55 pm
You need to see if he’s a NFL caliber QB. If not we may have to sign another or draft one. Even if Winston stays you need an adequate backup.
December 12th, 2019 at 4:09 pm
Is RG4 arm any weaker than Teddy Bridgewater?
December 12th, 2019 at 5:59 pm
At least he does not have people like Joe and the rest of his followers making excuses for all his mistakes every week. They must have some confidence in him or he would not be on the team at all.
December 12th, 2019 at 6:23 pm
@ Robert Obviously would have given up on Peyton Manning after 5 years of averaging 20 picks a season.
Then we would have all missed greatness.
December 12th, 2019 at 7:56 pm
Can they please get R Jones 25 carries in a dam Game
December 12th, 2019 at 8:45 pm
As far as I know Ryan Griffin is the only QB the Bucs have ever extended a contract on. He has had two extensions and there has to be a reason.
Could the reason he has never been played be that Jameis is scared for his job? Griffin is much more accurate than Jameis. He also has a quicker release and goes through his progressions better.
His deep ball is even better than Fitz’s were, I think that was DJax’s bitch. He knew they had someone who could get a few deep balls to him and it wasn’t Jameis
December 13th, 2019 at 1:11 am
this might just be the week to play griff
December 13th, 2019 at 3:56 am
Kurt Warner was nobody until given a chance….
December 13th, 2019 at 6:08 am
Jameis scared of Ryan Griffin??? In what football league ever??? More accurate??? Now this faster release mess is getting out of hand. You people who keep saying that so stoopid mess need to just stop. Jameis does not have this slow release arm that you clowns like to say to make you sound like some kind of expert! I’ve watched quite a few very good qbs with his same throwing style. He’s a pitcher in baseball and they love throwing fastballs so please get over yourselves and your hatred. There is a reason Ryan Griffin is STILL a backup on this team because he isn’t good enough to take Jameis or for that matter Fitzes job either. His arm is too weak for this vertical offense and isn’t very aggressive. Sure he hasn’t been given a chance but he hasn’t earned it either. You wanna be the man then you gotta beat the man in front of you which he hasn’t.
Now if there was a back up I wouldn’t mind having that could challenge Jameis is that dude Hill from the Saints. Cuz is a baller and playing so many roles would be very good. That would be someone that would give some good competition. Can’t beat out Drew of course but here good chance.
December 13th, 2019 at 7:39 am
Give the kid a real chance/full live game and a full week of practice with the real team. What could it hurt..
December 13th, 2019 at 10:31 am
I lost respect for alot of you when Joe kept doing those polls of Bruce Arians. His numbers would fluctuate wildly from week to week. When Bruce was losing, I had faith and was “Very Confident”, but you bandwagon fans just don’t get it. Just like this article about Griffin. We’ve got a horribly inconsistent quarterback and no chance of the playoffs, AND the guy has a broken hand, yet our foolish leader/writer stills touts him as a probowl qb and wants him to play. I scrolled down through these comments looking for mention of Kurt Warner and finally saw it. Thank God! But some of you other people stated that Griffin is “Obviously” a backup qb. Jeez!! How the hell do you know… Kurt Warner…. Fools, most of you
December 13th, 2019 at 11:15 am
bucs biggest mission is to resign Barrett and paul and sue this is no joke i would sign jamis to a simple one year deal and draft a qb in the second round and beef up the o line with your 3rd and 4 th rounders
December 13th, 2019 at 11:18 am
also draft 2 late round RB we simply have no running game