Tony Dungy Blames Training Camp Vacation
October 17th, 2022
Yeah, people are still going there, even a Hall of Fame coach.
Tony Dungy, aka Father Dungy, works the NBC Sports studio during Sunday Night Football weighing in on the interesting games of the day.
When the Bucs-Steelers game got on Dungy’s plate, Joe was surprised to hear the former Bucs head coach (1996-2001) look at the Bucs’ lack of precision on offense and blame, in part, Tom Brady leaving the team for 11 days in the summer.
Nearly two months later, Dungy thinks it’s a factor.
Joe maintained that Brady’s summer siesta was an issue as it related to the players around Brady. Only a hypocrite would call Brady an uplifting force for every facet of the organization and then claim it’s no big deal that he took a vacation in training camp.
But Todd Bowles had the Bucs ready for opening night in Dallas, so Joe has to take the summer siesta off the table as an excuse for Tampa Bay’s offense yesterday. C’mon, Father Dungy.
However, if you subscribe to the theory that practice makes perfect, and that practice makes precision, then it’s hard to totally write off Dungy’s take — especially when you throw in that Brady spent much of Saturday away from the team.
Regardless, as Joe detailed yesterday, blaming Brady for yesterday’s upset is ludicrous.
October 17th, 2022 at 10:37 am
Nope, it’s the coaching
October 17th, 2022 at 10:45 am
Yes, it’s coaching as in full time Brady was the defacto Head Coach! Part time Brady equals what we are seeing on the field.
That is why the coaching was an issue in 2019, before Brady came to the Bucs.
October 17th, 2022 at 10:45 am
Just flat out lazy takes by these so called experts. One stop one multiple 3rd and 15+s. Gage catches the TD. Special teams doesn’t give up the long returns. Any one of those and the Bucs probably win. Yes the offense sucked. The play calling was horrific. Brady was average at best. The line couldn’t block Fred Sanford while he was having a heart attack. With all that just get one stop or catch the ball or limit the returns and you still win. That is all.
October 17th, 2022 at 10:46 am
Leaders lead by example! When a leader, on a team gets special privileges, there is always inward resentment by the team players. Brady should lead by example, he should not be given special privileges. The resentment is showing on the players.
October 17th, 2022 at 10:47 am
Tony got canned here because he was blind to the fact that the team’s offense SUCKED…….don’t look for Dungy to say anything critical of Bowles or Leftwich…..
October 17th, 2022 at 10:48 am
Yep!
October 17th, 2022 at 10:52 am
Brady Hate is on.
Come on, guys. I know he bears a giant share of responsibility on poor performance on the field but pouring on 11 day absence during the training camp? Unreal.
October 17th, 2022 at 10:52 am
Dungy recognizes this offense.
It’s his offensive philosophy, minus the historically awesome defense you need to support it.
Dungy’s take is lazy or purposely avoiding the real reason – dreadful coaching and gameplan decisions by Bowles and Lefwich.
October 17th, 2022 at 10:55 am
WTF — Brady could practice one day a week, show up 2 min before kick-off and still slay 75% of the teams in the league.
IT. IS. THE. COACHING.
October 17th, 2022 at 10:56 am
They look like the 2020 Bucs did in the first half of that season. That was a team with no training camp…. The offense is out of sync. They can’t run screens because of the line being so new. Run game is horrible. Passing game is meh.
I think Dungy is spot on and this team still needs a few games to gel on offense.
Brady has not looked good this year. Looks old and scared to hold on to the ball for too long. Looked scared when he had to do a qb sneak on Sunday too.
October 17th, 2022 at 10:56 am
My nuts still hurt from yesterday.
October 17th, 2022 at 10:58 am
Playcalling and piss poor scheming is MOSTLY to blame, but you can’t argue that he isn’t playing to his level. Those throws in the dirt were pretty bad…
October 17th, 2022 at 10:58 am
TB12 should understand that his off the field ‘actions’ (summer vac and Kraft wedding, likely others) are being scrutinized by his teammates. He is looked up to and right or wrong it impacts the demeanor of his teammates. It *seems* to me that TB12 may be wishing he had not come back from retirement as his body language screams of being checked out. The players likely sense this and it is impacting their play. Just my opinion.
October 17th, 2022 at 10:59 am
That’s a really dumb, out of touch take by Dungy.
October 17th, 2022 at 11:01 am
Bowles basically admitted he was out coached and I think they took the Steelers too lightly. Tomlinson’s longevity is a testament to his abilities and to work with what he’s got available to him. Without Arians the weaknesses in this coaching staff are becoming glaringly obvious. And Bowles is nothing more than a decent defensive coordinator. Leftwich on the other hand is way over his head with the talent at hand and without Arians is exposed. Don’t know what’s up with Brady. Hope his unretirement didn’t have anything to do with exerting his authority over his wife. That never works in trying to bind a marriage. I just hope at some point this season he doesn’t decide to give up and pull a jumping jacks episode ala Antonio Brown and exit the building at some point saying this is not worth it anymore with this organization.
October 17th, 2022 at 11:02 am
Coaching. Coaching. Coaching. Coaching. Coaching.
People need to get fired if we are going to have a chance run at the playoffs.
October 17th, 2022 at 11:06 am
If it were just this one game….OK…..but it’s not….we haven’t scored a TD in the first quarter in 6 games……….flat most of the game…..it’s a combination of things…..but mostly coaching….
Bowles needs to light a fire…..and BL needs to be publicly chastised…
The truly bad thing is…..there go our comp picks for BL getting a HC job….shame.
October 17th, 2022 at 11:06 am
The coaches stink. He doesn’t wanna say that toilet bowles is not a head coach in this league.
October 17th, 2022 at 11:07 am
Fournette is our #1 receiver right now. Why is Brady having to check down so often? Bad O-line? Routes taking too long?
October 17th, 2022 at 11:07 am
I agree with rfdes. And when he screams at everyone on the sideline with his recent absences, it doesn’t carry any weight. I’m guessing Brady will decide to be all in for the season and things will change. I do think the defense misses the leadership and chemistry of Suh and JPP.
October 17th, 2022 at 11:08 am
I blame training camp vacay of Bray-day. Here is why. He has his thing down with Evans. He needed to get Godwin back up to speed. He lost Gronk but has chemistry with Brate. He knows what Lenny can do. That’s all great.
Here’s the rub. Brady has been one foot in and one foot out since he came back. That effects the new additions to the team. Yeah, he played with Shaq Mason. But he has a rookie left guard and a guy playing center for the first time. He can has two rookie tight ends and a couple new receivers. He needs to build chemistry with this group. To do that, he needs to be at practice so he can set and ingrain expectations into the new signings and the rookies. Being half in and half out has set this team back.
Then there is Scotty Miller who needs extra work with Brady to help get the confidence back.
We also have the fact that it looks like before the end of last season he was in talks with the Dolphins as reported.
With all that has happened Brady needs to recommit himself to the team. The players need to know this. The coaches need to know this. The fans need to know this. Can’t do this with one foot in and one foot out. Brady either needs to be all in or all out.
October 17th, 2022 at 11:13 am
The interior of the O-line is hot garbage. 67 was really bad. Brady isn’t taking a lot of sacks because he’s getting the ball out so fast. So everything’s underneath, no deep ball, they can barely run the ball. Lenny’s getting hit 3 yards behind the line of scrimmage. That QB sneak where the interior line didn’t get an inch…
October 17th, 2022 at 11:22 am
Okay!
Now that we have all the excuses and finger pointing out of way.
The new season starts on Wednesday!
If we see ANYTHING resembling the 1st 5 games just once, a hint an inkling.
The season is finished, I am not saying they have to win every game.
I have Never seen such a puzzling, lackluster, going through the motions in all my time watching the Bucs, I was in the stands for the very first preseason game.
As an aside, if Brady is not dealing with a right upper body injury, he has lost his zip on the ball!
Both QB’s were out zinging him yesterday. He get up off the ground like a 45 year old, he moves around the pocket like a 45 year old.
October 17th, 2022 at 11:24 am
I think the training camp vacation put a block between Brady and the rest of the team.
Brady is not one of them, he is the living legend.
That makes it hard for him to motivate the guys for what little offense the OC doles out for them.
October 17th, 2022 at 11:25 am
Dungy…never could win one on his own. Chucky was the closer as was Peyton Manning.
dungy is over rated and always has been IMO. He’s solid, but he is no Sean Peyton or Bilicheck
October 17th, 2022 at 11:32 am
Dungy was the coach who changed the culture of the bucs . I became a bucs fan because of Dungy in 95 . And Chuckie had Sapp and Brooks so no coach wins a super bowl by himself they all need good players to win . But I can see why most of yall discredit him and we all know why . Chuckie won the super bowl with the team Dungy built .
October 17th, 2022 at 11:36 am
Really Dungy
Because Tom wasn’t at camp for 10 days the Bucs Lose the Last three games???
Come on man if your going to speak be man enough to Call it
BOWLES is soft and unprepared
Bowles runs a slack practice
This team plays like it practices
Vita Vea is a PRIME EXAMPLE!!
October 17th, 2022 at 11:39 am
So Brady missed the walk through. Was the walk through handing the ball to Lenny 20 times up the gut? How come when I watch other top offenses guys are wide open 6 or 7 times a game? How come running backs are running through holes my wife could get 10 yards in? It’s call scheming the players open. We have about 3 running plays, and I have read three times now that players on the other defense knew what play we were running, pass or run, before we hiked the ball. You know why our receivers aren’t getting open? Because Brady has to get rid of the ball in 3 seconds, they don’t have time to get open. You wonder why Brady throws low to receivers who aren’t open? It’s so only our guys can catch it. Your coaching is terrible, Brady should not have to be the person yelling at the o-line. Brady shouldn’t have to yell at anybody. What are the coaches doing?
October 17th, 2022 at 11:39 am
If you’re all in, you’re all in both mentally and physically. I know Brady’s seen it all, but his mind wasn’t all in when he took the hiatus during training camp (vacation, kids, divorce), nor was he all in when he took the day off to go to Kraft’s wedding. You have to admit, he didn’t look sharp on several of his throws yesterday. I think giving the GOAT special privileges should be officially declared over, at least until this mess is turned around.
October 17th, 2022 at 11:44 am
Please. Its not the coaching It is the TEAM. its bradys divorce, his age, the deficiencies on both the O and D lines, the injuries. Its a soup people. Players play not the coaches. Sure coaching comes into focus. But its not the majority blame here. Brady has to have an almost perfect o line because he cannot run 4 yards. And our O line is very inconsistent. Plus brady is thinking about all those millions some other guy is going to enjoy with his wife when he divorces. Maybe next year guys….
October 17th, 2022 at 11:48 am
I don’t doubt that all of Brady’s distractions since the off-season fake retirement have had an effect. So have o-line turnover, WR injuries, and idiotic gameplanning and play calling.
October 17th, 2022 at 11:51 am
I hear Bob Kraft had his indoor pool filled in and they built an Asian style massage parlor , he is going to break it in with the new Mrs. !
October 17th, 2022 at 11:54 am
Maybe Bradys washed up most QBs lose their mojo before they retire.
October 17th, 2022 at 11:57 am
You lead by example. IOW do not Preach me a Sermon, SHOW me a Sermon.
Brady screamed at his Offensive Linemen during the game, and yet he takes time off when he should have been working on preparation with his team.
No matter how you Sugar Coat it, Brady was just plain wrong to do that.
October 17th, 2022 at 12:14 pm
I dont think his throwing hand is healed yet. Last week you could see it bothering him on a play on his way to LOS. I didnt notice it yesterday but his accuracy has been poor this year
October 17th, 2022 at 12:20 pm
The players on the field dictate the outcome of the game. The coaches are not playing! I rarely see Brady getting scrutinized like folks are scared to say something bad about him or when they do, we’re directed right back to coaching. No. He bears responsibility as well. No one else is asking for time off to go to a friend’s wedding during the season. Place some of the blame where it lies, on the players for not executing like we know they can.
Who on the field did not throw the ball to Evans? Did Evans say, man they can’t hold me. Get me the ball. Probably not. If so, I’m sure he would’ve gotten the ball more. The players need to get their acts together on both sides of the ball. This should’ve been an easy win against a sorry team and that’s on the players. You know, the ones with the pads on who are getting paid millions for their talent.
October 17th, 2022 at 12:38 pm
Yeah true it’s on Brady not being here months ago during dog days of camp and
Missing a walk through.
Not the offensive coordinator who thought it would be a good idea to not take advantage of a banged up defense or call plays for that matter.
October 17th, 2022 at 12:44 pm
Here’s the real question. Who thinks this team would have a better record, had Brady stayed for all of camp? I sure don’t. Teams often take on the personality of the head coach. That’s what we’re seeing here. The bucs were not ready to go yesterday. That’s 100% on the coaches. All of them. Slamming the ball into the line on virtually every first down, doesn’t help either. They’ve done it consistently now for six games. When something isnt working, smart coaches go away from it.
October 17th, 2022 at 12:59 pm
Is it possible that the answer to what ails this team is “all of the above”? I don’t think you can point your finger at just one thing, and sadly that means there is no quick fix.
Brady is more disengaged than he has ever been with any team. Plus he’s 45 years old, at some point the wheels fall off. His arm still seems strong enough to throw, but his legs and hips are gone and I think that’s affecting accuracy.
The defense comes out of the gate every week playing soft on the first series.
Leftwich is using the Tecmo Bowl play sheet without having Bo Jackson and the Tecmo Weave to fall back on.
40% of our offensive line is weak and can’t hold up.
We’re using a big 3rd down running back as our bell cow and not giving anybody else a carry.
October 17th, 2022 at 1:09 pm
Personally, I think the Bucs are not in good hands at the offensive coordinator or head coaching position. In the run game these guys do not come off the ball and move people. Pass protection is fine on the edge rushers but blitzers and interior lineman are making Brady nervous coming up the middle.
That is on Leftwich to start adjusting the game plans with more motion, faster routes, some deep balls, misdirections. You cannot just hand the ball of to Leonard Fournette without a strong run blocking line and expect to get more than 60 yards a game from him on 20 carries. That is losing football.
The coaching staff has to anticipate what is going to happen before the game and have plan b, plan c and plan d ready when the offense goes south.
I see an offense predicated on what its coaches think they can do instead of an offense that is unpredictable and does things that the defense doesn’t expect it to do.
After 6 games the results on offense speak for themselves. The Bucs should be ashamed that they couldn’t take advantage of a second string defensive backfield with 2 very good recievers and a good receiving tight end.
October 17th, 2022 at 1:17 pm
How about two words, PLAY ACTION !
October 17th, 2022 at 1:30 pm
gotbbucs, he’s dealing with a shoulder and finger injury. I don’t think his legs are gone. Brady isn’t capable of carrying a team anymore. We saw that as early as his last two years in New England. This team has a poor line, is poorly coached, and not as talented as ’20 and ’21. He’s also getting divorced. When you add all that up, it more than explains his performance.
October 17th, 2022 at 2:30 pm
It’s like Bowles and BL get in their head we have to run better so they ram it down the teams throat. Brady missed 4 days, it was negotiated upon his return and probably away on how to explain to his kids how daddy and mommy aren’t together anymore. All you nit wits including Dungy, if this were the reason, why did they win the first two games? Idiots, it completely on the BAD COACHING!!!
#buc1987&SBblo
October 17th, 2022 at 2:43 pm
We have been undisciplined since the Dallas game. The game was decided on turn overs.
October 17th, 2022 at 5:18 pm
Sorry guys, but when your leader is no longer 100% committed, neither will the people below him.
That’s why the 11 days off matters.
it’s why flying to Kraft’s wedding matters.
Brady’s play is still great, but his leadership this year is failing. And it’s clearly showing across the entire team (at least on offense).
Meanwhile on defense, we have guys admitting they’re bored, and have coaches that are asking a 30+ year old linebacker to cover Pittsburg’s best receiver. WTF?
October 17th, 2022 at 6:51 pm
Quite frankly…if this team is so weak that not having Brady for 2 weeks in training camp hurt them, then this team does not deserve to win.
October 17th, 2022 at 6:55 pm
The main job of a head coach is to get his players prepared and fired up to play. I’m not seeing that are you? I see disinterest throughout the team. I’ve seen this before with other teams. Sometimes, by the time they wake up, it’s too late. Its not too late yet but wake the hell up!
October 17th, 2022 at 9:54 pm
Can’t blame training camp vacation,Tampa Bay have players and it’s not them it’s the coaching staff, and it starts with Todd Bowles, he is a good defensive coach,but not a good overall coach, he seems clueless on the sidelines, quickly bring back Bruce arians, or the Tampa Bay football team can kiss this 2022 season goodbye !
October 17th, 2022 at 11:01 pm
Dungy would be right for anyone but Brady.
This is all on Leftwich, all of it. When half the morons on this site know what plays you’re running before you run them, then what do you think defensive coordinators know?
October 18th, 2022 at 2:05 am
Just retire already if you are not in 100%. The team takes after the leader’s attitude. You have real reasons to do so.
October 18th, 2022 at 8:41 am
Exactly!! Play calling is anemic!!! We had some.crearivity week 1!!! What happend?????? LFGO!!! WE HA VE A LONG WAY TO GO!!!! SHAPE UP YALL!!! EXPLOIT THIER WEAKNESSES, TAKE AWAY THIER STRENGTHS LFGO
October 18th, 2022 at 10:20 pm
For all the talk there is no true understanding….one brady dud not miss 11 days he missed 5 days of practice between 2 preseason games he was not playing in ….a walk through is exactly what it sounds like..YOU GO OVER THE PLAYS NOT THE EXECUTION….Brady knows the plays he did not need to be there …the online is a major issues because Brady helps to guide OL to help with running snd passing lanes. But that comes with experience and they are rookies….the only times brady has scored TD this season is when his back is to the wall running a no huddle or hurry up offense…the only game he played where he started out that was was falcons and the were up 21 -0….they need to do a hurry up offense…to create the rhythm they need
October 19th, 2022 at 3:05 am
What about the fact that they replaced consistent players with a bunch of injury prone players…the defense lost Jordan Whitehead -who was known for hitting hard and causing turnovers…then they let go of our pass rush by not bringing back JPP…which sorry but Joe T Shoyinka isnt as effective…hell id take a hurt JPP over a healthy Shoyinka..then u replace Iron man SUH with mr fragile himself Akiem Hicks…all off season Bowels boasted about Hicks abilities-but what about his availability? Not to mention the same was done by bringing in Julio Glass Jones to an already hurt receiving core…they need to make better acquisitions !!!!