Bruce Arians Talks About “A Little Bit Of Panic” Among The Back-7
November 11th, 2020
The dreaded “C” word, so common during the Mike Smith era of ghastly defense, re-appeared after Sunday’s embarrassment against the Saints.
Last night, Bucco Bruce Arians introduced a “P” word.
Speaking on The Bruce Arians Show on WDAE Radio, the head coach dove into what went wrong at times on defense and speculated as to why.
“Between the safeties and the linebackers, we had probably the worst communication we’ve had all year,” Arians said. “It really wasn’t that complicated of a game plan; that’s one of the things that was so frustrating ’cause they didn’t do anything we didn’t practice. We just didn’t handle it very well on Sunday night ..
“A little bit of panic, I think. That and just some miscommunication. We gave up a touchdown and didn’t cover a guy, and we made the wrong call to a three-man side that’s normally a two-man side. So there’s things that just can’t happen.”
The “panic” take jibes with what Arians said about the team not being ready for the excitement of prime time.
With just one true veteran among the back-7 on defense, Lavonte David, Joe’s not surprised the Bucs are having growing pains. But panic and big-game stress really shouldn’t be an issue in Week 9 of a season filled with national spotlights.
Thankfully, the Bucs get a 1 o’clock game on Sunday against a bad team that’s lost four straight games and, more important, one that has a historically miserable pass rush.
November 11th, 2020 at 6:52 am
If you think this Sunday game against a “bad team” that’s lost four straight and has a miserable pass rush is a good thing, guess again. Joe’s not about to pretend the Panthers are good. Reality says otherwise. They’re also bad at home. Congrats to them for holding on tight, just like the Chargers did against K.C. Means nothing. Bucs played Brady and the Patriots tight in prime time back in 2017, too. What did that mean? –Joe They held on well against KC and CM is back in the backfield. Hold onto your backside as this fin stall the Bucs have self imposed could be an all out crash on Sunday.
November 11th, 2020 at 7:44 am
My personal experience with choking at times in my life…athletically or in other fields.
Choking DOES happen! It’s no sin. But it must be addressed. Getting really peoed is a great start. Next you have to examine your belief in yourself. Is it real or are you bsing yourself.
Then you must do the things in practice and off the field that rediscover that belief based on performance.
Admit this game was a choke…pressure…whatever since it CLEARLY wasn’t talent and here is the head coach laying totally on the players and where their HEADS were. IE He said the D game plan was not complicated and TOTALLY eliminated any other excuse.
WE CHOKED! IT HAPPENS! Time to forget about it other than to use it as a defense against overconfidence at any point for the remainder of the season.
Move on. Time to focus on Carolina. We can see if we made the playoffs and how far we go or if we don’t after it’s a reality. We are literally just past the halfway point and as TBBF pointed out yesterday the schedule and other W-L records around the league favor us getting in the playoffs.
I admit I got sucked up in the heady rush of SB talk…the “experts” around the league had us ranked THIRD in the power rankings of at least three reputable organizations. We all started thinking SB in Tampa! Obviously those dreams are all but faded unless we become a cinderella of some form.
I still see a winning season and the playoffs. SB….perhaps…next year.
By Buc standards….AWESOME BABY!
November 11th, 2020 at 8:04 am
Teams usually bring their A game against us because of Brady & all the hype….I’m sure we will get the A game from Carolina….
The question is “Will we bring our A game?”
November 11th, 2020 at 8:17 am
Been watching this game for almost 6 decades. Everyone keeps dancing around the obvious. BA and Bowles stood on the sideline looking totally confused like Joe Frazier watching Mike Tyson rips his son’s, (Marvis Frazier), head off. He left his defense in the car. Every year, every game. if Hill comes in the game, put a spy on him. DUH. I said before the game if they don’t protect Brady and/or stop playing too soft on defense, you WILL NOT WIN!!!!!! Brees will pick you apart. WHAT HAPPENED?? I thought my head would explode because of Ariens and Bowles. Poor Brady looked like Daniel in the lions den without the Lord. So Ariens and Bowles DO YOUR JOB! Brady will do his job but hen can’t do everybody elses
November 11th, 2020 at 8:23 am
Great perspective StPete, as always. I agree with your bottom line, that the Bucs should “still see a winning season and the playoffs”. I’ve long said that IF you get into the playoffs, ANYTHING CAN HAPPEN. We’ve got oodles of talent on this team, and IF it comes together at the right time, then who knows what might happen.
One thing I am getting a bit tired of though is BA seemingly bemoaning the defense’s play so much. Our D has very little depth IMO; thus the reason many are getting a ridiculously high number of snaps each game. Nobody has effectively filled the hole left when Vea went down, and our pass rush has suffered big-time. Our defense stayed on the field for FORTY MINUTES on Sunday night. If you look at the times in between offensive series (lots of 3-and-outs), these D players never even had a chance to catch their breath. I’ve experienced the same thing happening when you leave a line out there too long in ice hockey; they start making mistake after mistake. They become mentally & physically exhausted.
Many have said that this offense feeds off our defense, and rightly so based on turnovers especially. But the reverse is true also … this defense also feeds off our offense. When our offense stagnates too often & pumps out a bunch of 3-and-outs, our defense also seems to stagnate. This offense needs to start using a more BALANCED ATTACK to keep these 40 min TOPs from recurring. You can’t run 5 times a game and expect to win diddly in today’s NFL.
November 11th, 2020 at 8:41 am
One reason they were scared is hanging them out to dry. No pressure on a HOF QB equals or defensive back field crapping in their collective pants. The coaches need to put them in position to win. Again the scheme hung them out to dry. They were scared. Get back to attacking, get up in the WRs faces at the line, knock them silly within 5 yards aNd throw QBs off their timing. Why let the other team dictate to you. This is so out of character for BA and Todd. They obviously thought they saw something, but Drew Brees carved them up like a bunch of turkeys. The Saints sure thought it was thanksgiving day. Come on BA, put them in position to win. GO BUCS!!!!
November 11th, 2020 at 8:49 am
this is what worries me about this staff. they think our d did bad because miscommunication. how about the fact that our corners are press man corners that suck at soft coverage. When Sean Payton says he is surprised the d was playing so much prevent that is a problem. this d is built for blitzing, playing fast and press man. This soft crap has got to stop. Dean is great but only at playing press man. You put him in zone and he looks like he is always lost.
Like in the movie remember the titans you blitz all night!!!!
November 11th, 2020 at 8:55 am
Joe, the point is the Panthers are NOT a get well team. They are not a team to get relief with. They are not a good team, just like the Giants and Bears are not. What does 2017 have to do with this three years later? Does the fact this team, including this year, plays DOWN to their opponents strike you at all. Take THIS team and look at how they’ve played against teams that are not good. Answer: Usually NOT GOOD. You of all folks out there should KNOW your “thankfully” sentence is radioactive. I hope they go in and destroy the Panthers…but THAT is NOT the model we’ve seen, even with Brady and company.
November 11th, 2020 at 8:58 am
im sick of BA putting it on everyone but himself….
a buddy of mines is a huge saints fan(that bastard is still rubbing it in my face) and follows their blog just like i do with the bucs….he said reporters noticed sean had more energy and a sense of urgency starting early in the week and it only intensified as it got closer to gameday….players were locked in and flying around throughout the week…they fed off that energy from sean thru the week….obviously that carried over to sunday night…..and it was highlighted after the game with sean dancing with the players in the locker room….
with so much on the line, its sad to know BA continued to stay in his golf cart and have the same attitude….this wouldve been the perfect week for BA to ditch the cart and show the team a sense of urgency…..BA was cool and relaxed thru the week which carried into sunday night and the players fed off that energy….
BA plain and simple, YOU didnt have this team prepared for PRIMETIME….
GO BUCS!!!!!
November 11th, 2020 at 9:12 am
How hungry are the Bucs really? Against the Packers they were on fire. The way they came back against mediocre LAC while getting torched by a rookie QB (who is doing very very well though) was great. Did great out in Vegas. But they were listless against CHI and NYG, winning against the Giants only because Dan Jones is Winston-in-the-making with his turnovers. The Bucs have played 4 terrible games, two of them against fair/bad teams, winning only one of them–barely. You’d think after the NYG squeaker they’d be ready for NO. But it was worse than the season opener. Much worse. So I ask again, how hungry are the Bucs really? Do they take it as a given that since the SB is here in Tampa and since they have Brady, Fournette, McCoy and now Cancer AB they will make the playoffs? If Sunday at CAR is anything but a trouncing by the Bucs on CAR, I’d say this is a very sick team–something big isn’t right. If they lose to CAR major alarm time. If they win barely it’s still not a great feeling. Who wants to win more Sunday will carry the day over who is better. Their last two games were worse than their fist two.
November 11th, 2020 at 9:21 am
@813BucBoi…add to that they got M. Thomas back while the Bucs got Cancer AB to fire up their side. The Bucs came off the NYG close call and should have remembered what they Saints did to them Week 1. Instead, this was the worst game I’d seen since the Greg Shiano or even Raheem Morris era…at best it was like the last two games out in ARI. I agree 100%–these coaches and the team captains did not get their teams ready for this game. That’s on BA for sure. And the notion that Byron L is a head coach candidate is a joke.
November 11th, 2020 at 9:52 am
Look in the mirror BA. Coaching is also about making adjustments when your game plan goes off the rails. How in the world do you lay back on the most accurate QB in NFLhistory?
Best lineman out and you are forcing ball downfield. Saints were the Saints Sunday, question is who were we? Who are we?
I have no idea what team shows up Sunday vs cats.
November 11th, 2020 at 10:01 am
Bucs are not great in zone coverage, especially with good QBs named like Drew Brees. During Chicago they played zone for a bunch of Foles short yard completions. They came back in the second half with man and played much better. I turned off the TV at halftime vs NO and was glad to see the next morning we didn’t get a TD.
November 11th, 2020 at 10:09 am
Game Plan, Preparation, and Coaching~ We know the Saints and what they bring, we see them twice a year. It was men against boys, a total embarrassment on MNF. We didn’t block, we didn’t tackle, Saints receivers were wide open, it was 31-0 in no time. The players can play, ask the Packers and the Raiders. This falls 100% on Arians and his Coaching Staff.
November 11th, 2020 at 10:16 am
Been a fan since 76. Been through all the lows for decades but this one really got me, maybe I am just getting cranky in old age but I turned off game at halftime. First time I ever did that. So disgusted with the complete poor play across the board. Really want to see us show up Sunday.
November 11th, 2020 at 10:59 am
roy
obviously thats your opinion…
but you can say the same thing about bowles the way his defense has been so inconsistent….folks who were saying he’s an HC candidate is a joke.
GO BUCS!!!!
November 11th, 2020 at 11:15 am
Which team is the Bucs? The one who schooled GB and the Desert Grudens?
Or the one who laid rotten eggs against the Beras, Jints and Saints?
After two consecutive weeks of suck against an allegedly bad team (Jints) and a team the talking heads said should be a win (Saints), I question not the quality of players, but the heart of these players.
For supposedly being a powerhouse, I am underwhelmed at the 6-3 record.
This game was the most disappointing since the ’15 56-14 debacle in the Ga. Dome.
It will take a LOT for me to start believing in this team…again.
November 11th, 2020 at 11:47 am
Yea, here we go again. The back seven played bad. Wow! How about the whole defense. They all sucked and that includes Bowles stinking game plan. I guess he had a brain freeze.
November 11th, 2020 at 11:21 pm
I have been calling for a second round OG/C for 5 years!
We needed a real OG/C to back up the center 3 positions of tge kine.
Haeg does not have a guards body.
He is too thin and tall. No wonder he was getting bull-rushed all night!
Hes not thick and stout! Haeg was a dumb signing and adumb choice to start at guard.
I would have tried Shipley at center and Jensen at guard in the 2nd quarter.
And please invest in the O-line next year!
November 12th, 2020 at 4:25 am
How many super bowl rings does BA have as a head coach? = 0
How many does BL have? = 1 as a backup QB
Tom has 6 and in my opinion deserves the most credit for them over Belechick. Tom is in a very small group of QB’s that you would even think about doing this. Before a shot at playoffs and super bowl slip away (won’t take too much at all) BA & BL both need to forget their pride and let Tom take over as the play caller on offense. With Tom being both comfortable and a master at dink & dunk down the field, that will win football games. Exciting to watch, and loading up the stat sheets? No it’s not. Most of here can agree that ball control and time of possession emphasis keeps the opposing offense of the field, keeps our defense fresh and hungry, and gasses theirs. A Captain of a ship would never just allow it to sink and everybody die if there was anyone on board that has a successful plan to save it. Doesn’t even need to be made public, just let Tom run the in game play calling, and the practices leading up to game day.