Former GM Scolds Bruce Arians
November 27th, 2020
Defends Tom Brady.
Count a former NFL general manager as one who gets his briefs bunched up when Bucs coach Bucco Bruce Arians rightly calls out players after they goof up.
And it seems there are a lot of folks who believe a certain 43-year old quarterback is a deity of some sort above critique from mortals and the unwashed.
That would be park-violating, home-invading, NFLPA-ignoring, down-forgetting, jet ski-losing, handshake-stiffing Bucs quarterback Tom Brady.
Former Browns general manager and coffee fetcher for Bill Walsh, Al Davis and Bill Belicheat, Michael Lombardi, took to his podcast “GM Shuffle” this week to lay the wood to Arians.
Lombardi, who confesses he has a mancrush on Brady, is irked Arians has the nerve to call a spade a spade. Further, Lombardi is confident Arians not only is misusing Brady, but that maybe Arians chose the wrong quarterback to lead the Bucs.
“I think Bruce Arians, he amazes me with his ability to be a part-time commentator — I don’t think he has left CBS yet — and be the head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers,” Lombardi began. “For a guy who won one playoff game as a head coach, to take some of the shots he takes at Brady…
“Look, I’m not a Brady apologist, but I love Tom Brady to death. I want Tom to be successful. So I want to put that out there. I think he is one of the greatest human beings of all time.
“For Bruce to criticize him when Bruce is as much a part of the problem as anybody. I mean, they are 31st in the National Football League on first down efficiency. You have a 42 (Editor’s note: Actually 43) -year old quarterback. You don’t want him throwing the football.”
Lombardi made it clear the Bucs are built to be more ground-oriented. In other words, less is more. Fewer passes + more runs = Bucs victories. Lombardi said a quarterback nearing AARP eligibility should never be asked to be a gunslinger, Brady included.
“I don’t care who [the old quarterback] is, you don’t want him throwing the ball 48 times,” he said. “You don’t want to be in second-and-long all the time.”
What really irks Lombardi is his belief Arians is asking Brady to throw long way too much. Stats seem to back this up as Brady has fully lost his ability to throw long based on this month’s accuracy data.
“Whatever you want to say about Brady, we have known all along Brady is not a great deep-ball thrower,” said Lombardi, who worked in New England with Belicheat from 2014-2016, said. “We’ve known that. That’s just part of his game that is not on the highest level.”
Lombardi noted Brady very likely calls his own plays and doesn’t believe Bucs offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich is in the play-calling picture.
Then Lombardi doubled down. He seemed to suggest Arians had his quarterback for his offense all along but became lovestruck with the chance to sign Brady, using stats to backup his claim.
“You can say whatever you want about [Jameis] Winston but Winston was the right guy for what [Arians] wants to do,” Lombardi said. “Now he had way too many interceptions, don’t get me wrong. But that’s part of [Arians’] offense.”
Arians hasn’t molded his offense enough to take advantage of Brady’s tremendous skillset, Lombardi believes.
Joe agrees the Bucs are asking Brady to throw long way too much. Either that or Brady is choosing to throw long way too much. Either way, knock it off!
Or it could be what Arians often warns, the Bucs will throw long if defenses dictate that.
NFL coaches aren’t stupid (most of them aren’t). Could it be defensive coordinators have seen that Brady cannot throw long and have decided to do their best to take away short and intermediate options, thus forcing (daring?) the Bucs to throw long (with predictable results)?
Joe would not be surprised whatsoever.
November 27th, 2020 at 9:24 am
My take is I don’t really see Arians dishing it out on himself. Lombardi is right–Arians is a big part of the problem. So is BL, and so is Brady at some times. I get the impression though that Arians (and the world) expects Brady to overcome the BA deficiencies. Look, 43 or not, Brady is the GOAT, and even if he is losing some zip. The bigger issue is when Brady goes…how good is a BA/BL coached team going to be? Probably mediocre…just like he was as ARI. Licht’s two biggest mistakes: Drafting Winston and luring BA here to fix that mistake. Glazers biggest mistakes: Letting Licht draft Winston, and keeping Licht on instead of firing him two years ago.
Dare I say, 7-3 was the best you’ll ever see out of an Arian’s coached Bucs team. They will never have Chess pieces this good again. It will be downhill now. 7-5 on the way (hope I’m wrong…will have hope if Marpet plays), split with ATL, and drop one either to MIN (who is still in the wildcard hunt themselves and next up after the bye) or DET…whom the Bucs can’t seem to ever handle in December.
November 27th, 2020 at 9:25 am
Long ball seemed to work with Scotty Miller before we sign AB.
November 27th, 2020 at 9:28 am
I’m starting to sense some unraveling….
November 27th, 2020 at 9:31 am
I am a BUcs fan, nothing else, so why shoule get one side? I think Arians is as responsible as Brady….This is a team sports, not golf or Tennis…..
And s try to understand that we are a very sloppy team, and makes all sense of the world….We are inconsistent, and gain, makes sense:::This situation shouldn´t suprise nobody…..At least I am not…….How many times we´ve been 7/4 in the last decade?
November 27th, 2020 at 9:31 am
The Bucs clobbered Detroit last year in December. That team has given up. Would not be shocked one bit if around noon today we learned Matt Patricia was fired.
November 27th, 2020 at 9:32 am
The lack of pass catching talent in the backfield has been a real drive killer and will probably be one of the underrated aspects of why this team eventually under-performs. Teams know TB isn’t going to cash in on as many of those deep shots, so they can play two deep and then there’s nobody to drop it off to. Brady thrived for yrs off of using the short passing game as a complement to the run game. 4-5 yards per reception guys are incredibly useful and its criminal that the only pass catching RB they saw fit to give him was a washed-up Shady.
November 27th, 2020 at 9:35 am
“when Bruce is as much a part of the problem as anybody.” “For a guy who won one playoff game as a head coach.”!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Good to see that some of the national media “in the know” have paid attention to The Buc Realist over a year ago!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The truth is ole stale biscuit is being exposed along with toilet bowls, and predictable Leftwich!!!!!!! If they are not fired this offseason, it will be a year long disaster next season!!!!!!!! The Bucs will return as the national joke of a franchise as the wheels will fall off in training camp!!!!!!!!!!!! And the sad part is that they might actually still have their jobs as the sheep and local media buy the hype every year!!!!!!!!! The sheep are usually drunk and stupid, but what is the local media’s excuse???????? They have rolled out the red carpet and have made excuses for ole stale biscuit every steep of the way!!!!!!!! Even now they are scared to even question ole stale biscuit!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! What a disaster!!!!!!! And the “real” buc fans will have to suffer for years from the desperation of the gm and ole stale biscuit!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
go bucs!!!!!!!!!!!!!
November 27th, 2020 at 9:36 am
“The Bucs clobbered Detroit last year in December. That team has given up. Would not be shocked one bit if around noon today we learned Matt Patricia was fired.” True. I keep trying to forget last year!
I was pretty surprised the Lions didn’t even try to save some clock at the end. Both of those games yesterday stunk. I think if the NFL is going all out and changing tradition they should start by putting someone other than DET and DAL every freakin year.
November 27th, 2020 at 9:40 am
Would be OK with getting rid of the Cowboys only because Joe hates the Cowboys and rarely watches the late-afternoon Thanksgiving game as a result.
Would be sad if Detroit lost that game. That’s a huge thing up there. They’ve been doing Thanksgiving games almost as long as the league has been around.
November 27th, 2020 at 9:43 am
Its fun to play armchair GM and Coach. It’s one of the reasons the NFL is so successful. However, you look like a fool if ride the ups and downs each week.
This coaching staff and team of players can hang with anyone. We still haven’t hit on all cylinders and now the injuries are piling up.
Was it wrong to throw the ball deep to wide open receivers and they were caught? Brady is generally overthrowing the missed bombs. That seems fixable with slightly better throws.
The knee jerk reactions to completely abandon core plays is ridiculous.
The bigger issue now, is how do you game plan with the previously mentioned injuries.
In BA I Trust!
November 27th, 2020 at 9:48 am
Lombardi says the Bucs should run more, and I agree. But, he also says Brady shouldn’t be facing second and long all the time. Well, that’s what happens when the Bucs run on 1st down, which they’re prone to do. The run gets stuffed and now it’s second and long. Runs don’t always have to be on first downs, nor do they always have to be up the middle of the line. Get creative play calling with the run game and Brady might not have to throw so much.
November 27th, 2020 at 9:52 am
LMAO Maybe we should blame the Russians.
November 27th, 2020 at 9:53 am
“Would be OK with getting rid of the Cowboys only because Joe hates the Cowboys and rarely watches the late-afternoon Thanksgiving game as a result.”
I have not liked them since the Jerry Jones era started. My grandparents in Texas were all about the Cowboys and really Roger Staubach….that’s all we heard and watched during holiday visits when I was a kid. They were my fav team before the Bucs were born. All good things comes to an end I guess.
November 27th, 2020 at 9:55 am
Winston was the right guy for what [Arians] wants to do,” – end of credibility
November 27th, 2020 at 9:59 am
Detroit and Dallas is a long time Thanksgiving tradition- I wouldn’t mind making Steelers vs Ravens or Browns on Thanksgiving night a tradition
November 27th, 2020 at 10:01 am
I did’nt read anything in the Tampa Bay Times about whether the Bucs practiced or not yesterday. OH, that’s right, I quit reading that POS 10 years ago. But…I’m assuming they did practice…was hoping to see if there was any sign of life for D. Smith and Marpet. I know I read here Smith was in a boot two days ago, which can’t be good…
CBS gets the call for the game with this week, with Jim Nantz and Tony Romo. Thank God not Joe Buck. Will be interesting to see Romo’s take on Arians and all the stuff with Brady.
November 27th, 2020 at 10:04 am
Realist, I didn’t read your post, and won’t. You are the Logue smith of the comment section. Self righteous and unskilled.
November 27th, 2020 at 10:05 am
Have to run the ball 25-30+ times to win. That goes for almost any football team.
November 27th, 2020 at 10:07 am
We should use more play action on 1st down with short/safe passes…..running on 1st down hasn’t worked well….
As for criticizing Brady….I find no fault in that…..he has two opportunities to win games and failed both times. His long passes have failed…..Who to blame for that? Brady BL/BA
November 27th, 2020 at 10:08 am
Run the ball and dink and dunk!!!
November 27th, 2020 at 10:36 am
“LOL!
Arians brought TB12 to Tampa?
Brady thinks Arians is a cartoon character. Absolute no respect for the man
Glazers want Brady next year and directly involved MANY years after in the FO
Brady means relevance to the Tampa future according to the Glazer boyband
BA/BL twins will be fired end of the season”
Kobe Faker
November 27th, 2020 at 10:48 am
Wasn’t a big fan of Lombardi before that piece Joe, but he let it fly, both barrels blazing. And IMO he’s spot on with all his points except one: play-calling. I don’t understand how he could write “Brady very likely calls his own plays and doesn’t believe Bucs offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich is in the play-calling picture.” I don’t know where he came up with that, but it doesn’t track at all with other things we’ve heard about Bucs’ committee-approach to game management and also doesn’t track with Brady’s experience & skillset.
November 27th, 2020 at 10:49 am
Kobe … Tom Brady knows better than to tie himself to the Glazers long-term.
November 27th, 2020 at 11:28 am
There’s a reason why it took Arians so long to get a head coaching job, he’s way over his head and doesn’t make the proper adjustments. The games we have a lost he has been totally out coached. If it want for Todd Bowles he would have been fired by now.
November 27th, 2020 at 11:30 am
He didn’t write it.
Arians’ own words.
November 27th, 2020 at 11:52 am
“Lombardi noted Brady very likely calls his own plays and doesn’t believe Bucs offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich is in the play-calling picture.”
Uhhh, maybe I missed something Joe, but that sure does sound like Lombardi said that Brady calls his own plays and that BL is OUT of the play-calling picture.
Maybe my memory’s shot, but seems like you’ve written before that BL & TB are BOTH involved in Bucs’ play-calling. And I’d ASSUME that BA is also.
November 27th, 2020 at 12:02 pm
If you won’t call out your sorry arse left tackle why should you call out your quarterback after every loss? Something he didn’t even do to Winston. It’s being ignorant and this coach should retire he is completely useless, it’s like leftwich and Bowles run the team, he just shows up to say something stupid and delusional at a press conference. He’ll be lucky to win one playoff game this year. This team hasn’t showed up against a good defense yet
November 27th, 2020 at 1:11 pm
Agree.
November 27th, 2020 at 1:14 pm
“You can say whatever you want about [Jameis] Winston but Winston was the right guy for what [Arians] wants to do,”
What a poor take. Did he watch a single game last year? Sure, 5k and 33 TDs is pretty cool, but at the end of the day, 30 INTs and a losing season is what ultimately matters. If Winston was really the guy for Arians, than he needs to put the playbook on the shelf. You can’t win (as we saw) in the NFL with those stats. Ever.
November 27th, 2020 at 1:54 pm
Joe it sounds to me like you’re the one that has a bunch in their underwear about Brady. First of all your little Title Games calling him this and that and the other thing. You know what this guy has earned the right to the respect he deserves. 6 Super Bowl rings. 100 Jameis Winston there is no way we are 7 – 4. More like 4-7 so next time you talk about Tom Brady my friend bend your knee. Bruce Arians and Tom Brady work this out long before the season started. It’s a motivating tool for Leicester players hopefully to overachieve like that fat ass Donovan Smith who constantly opens the door so Brady could be mugged.
November 27th, 2020 at 2:00 pm
7-4 and people flipping out haha. I take 7-4 with 5 games remaining any day. Save these clips cause if Bucs win they same people will do 180.
4-7 most buc fans cry , 7-4 most buc fans cry
We played horrible both sides of ball and lost by 3 with chance to win to what some on here and media was talking up rams like worlds greatest team.
Enough about Winston dude had 5 years to show he is average at best if he was great he would be starting HE AINT !!
November 27th, 2020 at 8:52 pm
DP4life22 We haven’t beat any good teams yet . If we face a average defense we are going to lose .
November 27th, 2020 at 10:17 pm
Who lifted the rock and let Realist slither out?
November 28th, 2020 at 8:38 am
No mentions a secondary that cant stop anyone all of a sudden . Playing man corners in zone coverage
November 28th, 2020 at 10:49 am
Tom Brady has forgotten more about winning football than anyone in the Bucs organization will ever know…… to listen to the lack of realism from this crew is ridiculous… Bucs will get one or two years of national interest and then “poof”’it will be gone…. back to irrelevance.
November 28th, 2020 at 12:46 pm
Lombardi is spot on.
Also, being the 31st ranked team in the NFL on 1st down efficiency is simply pathetic.
And that falls squarely on Leftwich and Arians.
November 28th, 2020 at 5:59 pm
I would love to know who called that long ball play? I’ve been watching Brady for 20yrs he has always move the ball up in small chunks..run a winning drive and eating up the clock..He Brady called that play its on him.if it was someone else..get rid of him
November 28th, 2020 at 8:41 pm
I agree with Dewey selman. It seems since we got AB that’s been Tom’s Target guy and he looks at him first every play
November 28th, 2020 at 10:14 pm
A coach who publicly blames his players and takes no responsibility himself for a loss is a lousy coach. A coach who publicly blames ONE player for a loss and tAkes no blame himself is an even lousier coach. Ariens is a clown coach.