Would Arians Change?
March 9th, 2020
A fit?
Joe notices a lot of folks are hot for Saints backup Teddy Bridgewater to take over the Bucs’ offense. This really doesn’t seem like a fit with Bruce Arians.
Now most people think that if Bridgewater (or even Tom Brady) comes to Tampa Bay, Bruce Arians will have to adjust his offense. Joe was looking at numbers in Arians’ past and one question came to Joe’s mind:
Why would Bruce Arians want to change his offense?
Since Arians took over in 2013 as a head coach in Arizona, so long as he had his starting quarterback for a full season (the two times Arians’ offense didn’t hum in Arizona, Palmer was lost at midseason with an injury), his offenses have been solid if not excellent.
Shoot, with a quarterback last year that the loud crowd cannot wait to run out of town, there were few offenses better than the Bucs’. This happened despite the Bucs blowing chunks trying to run the ball, and it sure shot to hell the wive’s tale of a one-track offense not being effective.
Two former veteran NFL suits with media gigs, former general manager Michael Lombardi and former player personnel director Pat Kirwan, both guys Joe respects, have gone on record in recent weeks more than once saying Arians won’t be changing his offense.
Of course, the first reason is, why would he (see above)? The second, they say, is it is unrealistic to expect an old dog like Arians to learn a new trick like rolling over.
This is why Joe is a bit skeptical. Again, Joe isn’t saying Bridgewater cannot play in Arians’ offense or won’t come to Tampa Bay. It just doesn’t seem like a fit. Same with Tom Brady.
Now Philip Rivers, Joe can easily see him running Arians offense.
And of course, Jameis.
March 9th, 2020 at 5:32 am
Every great coach adjusts their schemes to the players they have and the teams they play against. I don’t know why Arians has an offense that can’t be tinkered with. He’s never won a super bowl as a head coach.
I say again, Andy Reid and Bill Belichick would figure out a place for OJ and Cam. As would McVay and Payton. Does Arians have a better offense than those teams?
We ran Mike Smith out of town for not adjusting to his players. Heck, Licht’s guys fed the media that bs. “Oh, we drafted great players but Smith/Koetter just didn’t use them right.” Well, why can’t Arians use OJ? Why can’t he use Brate?
Oh, and Licht? Spence is gone and so is VHIII. It wasn’t the scheme.
March 9th, 2020 at 5:33 am
I agree with you, Joe. I’m wondering why New Orleans is so willing to let him go. Why would Bridgewater want to be a backup (at backup pay) with zero knowledge that Brees would retire next year?? Joe is not wondering anything. The Saints are in win-now mode as much as any team in the NFL. They are not going to sacrifice good players by franchising Bridgewater. –Joe Sure, Drew Brees is coming back this next season, but what about long term? If Teddy is so great, I would expect them to keep him. I’m also leery of Bridgewater staying healthy.
His prior knee injury was serious, & I think he’s a huge risk.
March 9th, 2020 at 5:43 am
Like you said earlier, he wants a ring. With BL running the O, BA is willing to compromise. Its actually simple to see if you have common sense.
March 9th, 2020 at 5:45 am
Geeze. You act like Bridgewater is so limited. The dude’s not special needs, man. He’s one helluva athlete who has plenty of arm. We’ll NEVER win a Super Bowl with Jameis. Keep your 5,000 yards. Smoke ‘em like it’s 1999 if you wish.
BA wants to “put a f#%^ng ring on his finger.”
Check yo’ sheet.
March 9th, 2020 at 5:46 am
We keep hearing a lot about good coaches adapting to their players’ skillsets & talents. IF the Bucs do sign Bridgewater, I think that BA & BL will adapt their attack somewhat to create better BALANCE. You don’t get to be an old dog by being stupid.
March 9th, 2020 at 6:03 am
I don’t know if I agree with your definition of “effective” Joe. 7-9, record-breaking turnover statistics, and did I mention 7-9?!
March 9th, 2020 at 6:04 am
I don’t think Arians would need to adjust his offense for anyone. Hasn’t it been said by Palmer and others that Arians Playbook is hundreds of plays?
It’s not like there aren’t plays amongst those hundreds that could suit any Quarterback.
The difference is the coaches and QB are going to go with plays they are comfortable with. So Jameis’ plays and Bridgewaters plays in BA’s system would probably look like a very different offense but it’s still BA’s plays.
March 9th, 2020 at 6:06 am
Couldn’t suit any QB*
March 9th, 2020 at 6:06 am
We all do know Arians offense doesnt just consist of deep routes correct? There are underneath routes every play as he stated at the combine. And how many times thru the years have we seen Winston hit a WR 3 yards behind him on a slant route. Winston chooses to air it out every play. Chris Godwin would have 120 catches a season with teddy throwing him the ball.
March 9th, 2020 at 6:20 am
Is Teddy “The GUY”?! Who knows?
Would we be asking if we had our guy?! Probably not.
March 9th, 2020 at 6:26 am
Can you take ANY good with the bad, “bucsfan”?
How TICKLED were you when Evans and Godwin were injured so you could pretend Jameis is at fault? Not WERE you happy, but HOW HAPPY?
Think of how DISGUSTING that is as a human being. WOW!!!
Good day, haters. Hes coming BACK!!
I just want Jameis back because hatred never leads to good decision making. And 95% of you wanted Mariota and Baker Mayfield. Lmao!!!
Remember before last year? Who told you nimrods Baker was horrific? Rhetorical. And you ALL wanted him, like, he was Tom Brady jr. i ACTUALLY saw, multiple, comparisons here. Some of you guys are just lost. Go follow xfl, you LOSERS!!!
March 9th, 2020 at 6:31 am
Bruce better “create better balance” or hes GONE, regardless of qb.
The chiefs eagles, saints, and pats are “pass-happy” but remain balanced.
Whose had the better teams the last 10 years? So he’ll “adjust” to teddy but not jameis? Thats dumb. I just see you admitting they couldnt adjust with garbage o line play and running backs with jameis. GET HENRY AND BRADY!!! Lmao!!!!
You are THAT guy. Remedial.
March 9th, 2020 at 6:32 am
Joe remember BA has his WR running all different routes. they are not all go routes.
March 9th, 2020 at 6:34 am
Bridgewater is injury prone. Pass
March 9th, 2020 at 6:34 am
His knee injury wasnt serious, it was CATASTROPHIC.
Hes on borrowed time as a pro player. If hes touched, HALF AS MUCH AS JAMEIS, you just THREW AWAY $10-$15 mil on a 4 game season. EASY
March 9th, 2020 at 6:39 am
“Now Philip Rivers, Joe can easily see him running Arians offense.”
Watching highlights of Anthony Harris (Free Agent Safety from Vikings), because I’d like the Bucs to sign him, if the money fits…Look at the 1:45 mark of this video, a Philip Rivers pass.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TYtOy996tXU
March 9th, 2020 at 6:39 am
The countdown is on, once JW is gone we can then debate what system is the best for the skills the replacement QB has and watch us progress, you can’t win turning the ball over !!!
Go Bucs – news this week
March 9th, 2020 at 6:48 am
Bridgewater is a risk because of major knee surgery.
But if he remains healthy and Bucs get a stud RT and RB (J Taylor) , Bucs will win
March 9th, 2020 at 6:53 am
It’s like if Brady came to Tampa, BA telling him we don’t throw to TEs, even though Brady has made a TON of them look special.
OJ Howard would have a monster year.
And yes, I’m sure he would play “Balls Out” in a contract year, but knowing how to use TEs by looking off linebackers is a thing of beauty with Brady.
You don’t have to change the whole offense, just certain plays would naturally climb to the top with a different skill set at QB.
March 9th, 2020 at 6:56 am
Joe, there you go again with the nonsense Teddy couldn’t run Arain’s long ball offense. Arain’s himself has said his offense is like any other. He has receivers running routes on ALL three levels of the defense. You sound like every pass play in his book is a 50 yard strike. There’s one really important thing Teddy really couldn’t do in BA’s offense. That would be throwing 30 picks, and 7 pick sixes in a season.
March 9th, 2020 at 7:03 am
Perhaps the TEs would be used if we didn’t have Winston trying to throw Hail Mary Jump balls over 30 yards downfield…..
March 9th, 2020 at 7:25 am
Let’s not forget 17 out of Jameis’s 30 INTs did not travel further than 10 yards from the LOS. The long ball notion is nonsense, yes the offense is predicted on play action and taking shots, but as a poster mentioned above there are other routes being ran too. When you have a QB who can read the D pre snap and during the play he will find the open receivers whether they are 5 yards down field or 30
March 9th, 2020 at 7:32 am
Teddy Bridgewater was 13-18 on passes over 30 yards…..72%
Jameis Winston was 92-162 57% with 10 interceptions with 0 interceptions.
Now, I don’t know about you but it seems to me that to say Bridgewater can’t go deep is total BS……
It’s just that he hasn’t been asked to go deep that much….but it sure looks like he can.
Any argument to the contrary is just spin to prop up Winston.
March 9th, 2020 at 7:34 am
Who says the Offense was solid if not excellent last year under Jameis? They lost 9 games and did not even make the playoffs.
That’s not good. Stats are for losers.
March 9th, 2020 at 7:37 am
Bridgewater over 30 yds 13-18 72% ZER0 interceptions
Winston over 30 yds 92-162 57% 10 interceptions
Now, I don’t know about you but that tells me that Bridgewater is perfectly capable of the long ball when asked to throw it.
To say that he can’t is just BS spin to prop up the argument for JW…..
March 9th, 2020 at 7:38 am
I didn’t realize there were so many experts out there on Bruce arians offense you know the one leftwich is running, who says the offense has to change. Winston threw the ball about 50 times a game, did he throw 50 damn deep balls a game? Sometimes the best play is the check down or throw away something that Winston hasn’t learned and thre difference will show in the win loss columns when we get a new guy.
Everyone unanimously believes we will draft a guy, a big strong armed guy. Wouldn’t it be kind of dumb to have two guys that would run different type of system. Rookie would need to learn the playbook Winston ran not some weak armed version of it. TB or TB to TB
March 9th, 2020 at 7:47 am
JP_09
🎤 Drop!!!
You nailed it.
March 9th, 2020 at 8:49 am
The more I hear Joe talk about the Bucs offense the more and more I realize he/she whoever writes for this site doesn’t watch the All 22 or never played the game past the Highschool level
Arians scheme isn’t 4 40 yard routes every play
Lot of intermediate options and throws in the system
Watching the Saints all 22 film they have a lot of underneath routes and quick routes hard to judge Bridgewater on throws he’s not asked to make
March 9th, 2020 at 8:51 am
Joe in Michigan:
Yup. Rivers is an older, immobile version of Jameis.
March 9th, 2020 at 9:18 am
Tval- “Can you take ANY good with the bad, “bucsfan”?”
This directed at me? If it is lets get something straight: I’m a Bucs fan! Die-hard! I’ve rooted for the Bucs through thick and thin. And, if you’re labeling me a “hater”, then you have no clue who I am. I’m a fan that wants to win. Or, to borrow a phrase……
“Better check yo’ sheet!”
The rest of your diatribe isn’t even worth addressing.
March 9th, 2020 at 9:21 am
Its hilarious that low standard bucfan has fallen head over heels for a senile washed up old fool who has never won anything or built anything on his own. Bucfan is so desperate it clings to failure… so you people are willing to throw another decade away so a proven horrible gm and an unproven head coach can chase a championship at the risk of setting franchise back. No one with a shred of common sense understands this team morec than just a qb away from a championship. There are tons of holes and unanswered questions throughout the entire roster and every position group… glazers have no leadership nor long term direction just throwing poop at the wall hoping it sticks…. all this desperate talk and delusional thinking this team is close will blow up and bite this minor league franchise in the arse setting it back for another decade. After licht and ba plan blows up you people will be begging for ray perkins come back.
March 9th, 2020 at 9:34 am
Tval Says:
March 9th, 2020 at 6:34 am
“His knee injury wasnt serious, it was CATASTROPHIC.
Hes on borrowed time as a pro player. If hes touched, HALF AS MUCH AS JAMEIS, you just THREW AWAY $10-$15 mil on a 4 game season. ”
This.
You nailed it, but most here won’t take it to heart.
March 9th, 2020 at 9:47 am
I see a lot of people here on the site who think anyone would be better than Winston. I’m not 100% against replacing him if the situation is right, but with just anyone?
That attitude tells me you hate Jameis more than you love the team. You would rather risk putting the team in quarterback h3ll than see Jameis stay.
So far as free agents, there is really only one that makes sense: Philip Rivers.
If the Bucs plan to draft a QB, they are choosing to sacrifice developmental time. With the right guy, that might not be necessary, but you can’t know that until you get the guy on the team.
Arians needs to win now. So bringing in a bridge QB is the solution. Philip Rivers says he has 2 years left, and he has long been considered elite. People who claim he has a weak arm have not watched him. He’s thrown 20+ picks multiple times in his career and was still considered elite. And he’s durable.
But I believe that would be plan B for Arians. I believe he wants to keep Jameis, who regardless of the turnovers, still improved in all other areas and led a top five offense.
Arians has invested his limited time into Jameis. He doesn’t want to walk away from that.
March 9th, 2020 at 9:50 am
Can anyone here say Bridgewater is not fragile?
Didn’t think so.
March 9th, 2020 at 10:40 am
Bonzai- There was question as to whether he’d even walk again, if memory serves.
I’ll just interject on your previous post, there are some who also believe that Jameis is irreplaceable.
I’ll say this, if you don’t have better talent to replace him, they must keep him at least short-term. They KNOW what they have with Jameis. It’s easier to deal with a known than an “unknown”.
March 9th, 2020 at 10:45 am
You forgot smarter and slightly less risky… you’re welcome
Joe Says:
March 9th, 2020 at 8:51 am
Joe in Michigan:
Yup. Rivers is an older, immobile version of Jameis.
March 9th, 2020 at 11:04 am
Jameis will be the Buccaneers starting QB in 2020 and for many years to come.
Those who believe Winston is some type of liability towards the Bucs chances of winning football games will be proven incorrect in grand fashion.
March 9th, 2020 at 11:13 am
DR
Great post….
GO BUCS
March 9th, 2020 at 11:55 am
You mean that loud majority, right?
March 9th, 2020 at 12:04 pm
I hear what you are saying but I don’t really think that’s the case for most critics. It isn’t for me that’s for sure. I really believe most (if not all) Jameis critics are Bucs fans. It’s certain that not all Jameis apologists are Bucs fans. They are Jameis fans. I know that’s not the case with you but on this site and on social media there are many who are Jameis fans and that’s it.
I do not believe, like so many apologists, that Jameis is all of the sudden going to figure it out by year 6. He will continue to be a high turnover guy. Heck, there are people out there saying things like, “If he can get his INT number down to 20….” Twenty INTs is too much! In my view, anything more than 15 is too much. Not only that, but I’m not even discussing the fumbles. He has always been this way, going back to Florida State, and he will continue to be that same guy. If apologists are rooting for 15-20 INTs a season then I’m sorry, there is no way a team can win a Super Bowl turning the ball over that much. Certainly not in today’s NFL.
The unfortunate thing is that I really wanted this guy to succeed. I staunchly defended his play as a “young guy who will get better.” We’ve seen his ceiling when it comes to his **entire** body of work. Who he is today is who he will ever be. He will not get better and his play is not good enough to win.
March 9th, 2020 at 2:57 pm
Blaine Gabbert Drew Stanton both have Run BA offense I think Teddy Would do Fine I dont know why people act like they throw the ball 50 yards every play there isn’t to many QBs in NFL who can’t run his offense
March 9th, 2020 at 4:50 pm
Bridgewater had a couple of +80 yard passes before, so you can’t say his arm is weak. He is a much faster thinker than Jameis and can find the outlet receivers further down the progression line.
That keeps the chains moving. It is a thing the Bucs need. Jameis was boom or bust, he can’t run a normal offense or a two or three minute offense.
The most run play last season was the slant to Godwin. Teddy can throw those, so the scheme would not have to change much.
The big plus will come as Teddy gains confidence in his rebuilt knee. He might even get his old scramble game going. That would be really helpful.
March 9th, 2020 at 5:48 pm
I was basing my curiosity on the fact that Bridgewater declined the offer from the Dolphins to compete to be their starter last year. Which was a surprise to me since he was born & raised in Miami and He chose to stay with the Saints instead, which to me indicated he was biding his time to replace Brees. But then, there is also Taysom Hill in the mix, so I can see the Saints not tagging Teddy. Drew is coming back, but he’s 41 now, age definitely makes a difference. Our minds say yes, I can do it. But our bodies say, ” Hold your horses, I DON’T think so!” He wants another Superbowl win and I would too if I were him. Who knows what will happen, right? It’s all educated speculation & that’s what adds to the excitement of free agency and of course, The Draft.!! Yay! It’s almost here.!
March 9th, 2020 at 10:25 pm
Wow once a meme here develops it’s accepted as gospel…like ROJO can’t catch despite his excellent catch %. He can’t block so he does miss out on some 3rd down opportunities where he might have really helped but that’s another story.
Another meme…Teddy Bridgewater has weak arm strength. According to Bleacher Report he was the 8th strongest or most effective arm coming out of college.
https://bleacherreport.com/articles/1700192-2013-college-football-qbs-with-best-arm-strength#slide1
“Teddy Bridgewater doesn’t have the strongest vertical arm, but he gets extremely good velocity on intermediate passes. He zips the ball into tight spaces with an effortless motion, much like a younger Michael Vick.
His ability to maintain that velocity on the run is a rare boost and a testament to how strong his arm truly is.”
How about since his horrific injury. According to the Minnesota media….
https://sportsnaut.com/2017/11/teddy-bridgewater-everyone-raving-arm-strength/
TEDDY BRIDGEWATER HAS ‘EVERYONE RAVING’ ABOUT HIS ARM STRENGTH
By Jesse Reed – November 10, 2017
What does a young quarterback like Teddy Bridgewater do when he’s unable to use his legs? Why, he develops a stronger arm, of course.
That’s the story Tom Pelissero of NFL Network is hearing from Minnesota Vikings players and coaches. He asked receiver Adam Thielen whether Bridgewater is throwing the ball the same as he was before his awful injury, to which Thielen replied, “I think better, honestly.”
March 10th, 2020 at 12:25 am
So you all think it was all Jameis’ fault for the 9 losses we suffered despite having one of the highest output offenses in the NFL? Are you retarded? They are scoring points. That’s what they are supposed to do. He is doing it with an offensive line that can’t seem to protect him for long as well (also why the running game has some issues). So leading the league in touchdowns at the halfway point of the season wasn’t the issue. Then what was? Think about it dummies. That’s right, the anemic defense. They couldn’t stop a parked car. The run defense wasn’t terrible but once a team went to the air, it was all over. Maybe fix that dumpster fire first huh?
Btw, Jameis’ did a lot of squinting. He had Lasik surgery in the off-season. If he comes back and runs up a record number of TD with no picks I’m gonna come back and laugh at all of you losers.