Arians: Plan Is To Play O.J. Howard More
September 21st, 2021
O.J. Howard
O.J. Howard made a strong, 21-yard catch over the middle against the Falcons on Sunday, his first and only target of the 2021 season.
That catch and what it represented was noticed by his head coach.
Speaking on Bucs Total Access today on WDAE radio, Bucco Bruce Arians was asked about the 2017 first-round pick.
Howard is recovering from Achilles surgery 11 months ago.
“Are you willing to say that he’s 100 percent” healthy? Arians was asked.
“I would not say he’s 100 percent,”Arians replied. “He’s getting real close. He’s getting real close and we’re going to try to up his snap count.”
Howard has taken just 17 snaps through the Bucs’ first two games. On his catch, Arians got a peek at what Tom Brady had years ago in New England with Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez.
“Gronk drew the coverage, we had two seam routes going, and when those two big guys are running down the field, they can stretch it pretty good,” Arians said.
First, for those wondering, there’s confirmation that Howard isn’t all the way back from his injury. Second, Joe can only imagine what goes through the heads of defensive coordinators, as the Bucs’ array of passing weapons are proving it on the field and getting healthier.
September 21st, 2021 at 6:38 pm
That’s fine, you want to make sure you don’t overwork Gronk, and you’d like to see OJ get back to where he was last year with Brady, when he was making a lot of big plays. At the same time there are only so many balls to go around, and with a team this stacked, perhaps the most stacked receiving core in the history of the NFL, there’s just not going to be enough pass volume to make everyone look like a stud — which is great, since if OJ is good, but just doesn’t have numbers, it means you can resign him on the cheap, likely.
September 21st, 2021 at 7:05 pm
Well that’s good cause someone is going to pay him……
September 21st, 2021 at 7:08 pm
Try to showcase him, then see if someone missing a TE is willing to send a CB your way in exchange.
September 21st, 2021 at 7:49 pm
Play him as much as you can up to the trade deadline. Then package him and Rojo for a cover corner that’s close to Davis’s talent level. If you’re planning on keeping him let him play enough to keep Gronk ready for the post season. Healthy Gronk has shown what he can really do the last 3 games and you want that for the important games.
September 21st, 2021 at 7:53 pm
if oj is smart he signs a 1 or 2 year deal…gets right, puts up some real numbers, and gets the 3rd contract…
it’s a gamble to sign a small 2nd contract to cash in on a 3rd in the nfl…
#PlayingWithFireAndInjuries
September 21st, 2021 at 7:58 pm
The offensive snap count through 2 games is one of the lowest I’ve seen in awhile (128 off snaps or 64 per game average). Last year we had 131 off snaps after 2 games.
The defensive snap count through 2 games is one of the highest I can remember seeing in a looong time (156 def snaps or 78 per game average). Last year we had 141 def snaps after 2 games.
It’ll end up being a looong season for guys like LVD (100%), White (100%), Winfield (100%), Davis (98.7%), Dean (91%) and JPP (88.5%) if this keeps up.
I know this is heresy in JBF World, but Bucs have only run the ball 35 times in 2 games compared to 86 passes. That’s only a 28% run-pass ratio, much lower than last year. Obviously scoring points is the highest priority, but Bucs’ offense needs to find a way to eat up more of the clock in doing that. Besides, we’ll need a strong running game in the playoffs. Always do.
September 21st, 2021 at 8:33 pm
1 million a yard Howard. The price per yard per player says more than any stat or punditry. Howards price per yard is astronomical.
September 21st, 2021 at 8:36 pm
Howards price per yard is almost as much as guvmint work. Price per yard for offense is a real factor I never saw calculated. His is way too high.
September 21st, 2021 at 8:36 pm
I was surprised by how poorly Jones and Fornette’s vision is to see a hole to get a one or 2 yard run. On 2 different short yardage plays where a small hole was open to run 2 yards through, both guys decided to try and bounce laterally and to run into their blocker instead of squeezing to the left.
How can pro running backs not see where the easy yards are.
September 21st, 2021 at 9:06 pm
Kinda like Gronk last year, OJ has a lot of rust and still working on confidence of playing with his recovered Achilles
September 21st, 2021 at 10:55 pm
THERE’S NO WAY YOU CAN STOP THE BUCS WITH WHAT 8-9 OFFENSIVE WEAPONS AND EVERY ONE OF THEM IS GREAT!! WE JUST NEED BETTER PLAY CALLING AND NO MORE SQUIB KICKS WE HAVE A GOOD SPECIAL TEAMS FINALLY OUR PUNTER KICKS IT INTO THE STANDS WHY THE SQUIB KICKS WHICH WAS MAKING ME SICK??? IT’S IMPOSSIBLE TO STOP THE BUCS UNLESS SOME PLAYERS GET INJURED!! I THINK STARTING 3RD GAME BRADY AND COMPANY ARE GONNA START TEARING IT UP!!
September 21st, 2021 at 11:26 pm
Defense Rules – That’s good info on the snap counts, but keep in mind the offense is mostly moving the ball at ease and scoring very quickly. So if your scoring drives are 6 plays for 72 yards and 2:45 of clock time, that’s going to lead to T.O.P. and not that many snaps.
Last year the offense got off to a slow start and had few chunk plays early in the year, so the stats make sense. If you get a chance, checkout the last few games and see how they compare to the current offense, if it’s similar or not.
September 22nd, 2021 at 1:17 am
I’m still not sold on OJ Howard. A 21 yard pass reception after five years in the league doesn’t equate to All pro, Pro bowl, or mvp. If he had to replace Gronk, could he play at the same level? Would he have held on to the ball as Gronk did in weeks 1 n 2 after being hit hard by defense that was trying to strip the ball. Don’t know bout u but after scouting OJ over the past years I still see in him the following: timid, passive, intimidated, pessimistic, n softness. After five years it’s time for him to step up n prove me wrong.
September 22nd, 2021 at 2:05 am
Coming back from a torn Achilles is no joke.
September 22nd, 2021 at 7:58 am
Wow… one catch.
Pace yourself, OJ. Save some plays for the other guys.
September 22nd, 2021 at 8:50 am
If this dude was on any other team he’d be a pro bowler with 10 to 15 targets per game.
September 22nd, 2021 at 8:54 am
Too early to judge OJ after an Achilles injury. Smart to gradually increase his reps. It’s a long season for a playoff team. Why risk loosing him by injury early on. Slowly increasing his reps makes sense to me. Gronk and Brate can carry the load for now. OJ at 100% by mid-season is smart strategy.
September 22nd, 2021 at 11:37 am
Jags need a TE and we need a corner…. OJ or Brate are a luxury item at this point
September 22nd, 2021 at 11:44 am
smh
Brate is not a “luxury” he’s an asset.
All these people that think the entire NFL is beating down Jason Licht’s door to get O.J. Howard. Who else are the Bucs going to have to throw into a trade for some team to take Howard off their hands, Devin White? Tristan Wirfs? Antonine Winfield?
There is no team that desires to have an expensive, underperforming tight end coming off an Achilles injury in the final year of his contract. None. Tua and Carson Wentz have more trade value than Howard.
For that matter, Jaydon Mickens has more trade value than Howard (who has zero trade value).
September 24th, 2021 at 1:15 pm
My only question is WHY? He’s been a big disappointment. Maybe they want to showcase him for trade purposes. Well good luck with that. I’ll say it again OJ for Gilmore.