2022 Was A Balancing Act For Bruce Arians
February 11th, 2023
Relaxed.
It seems like Super Bowl-winning coach Bucco Bruce Arians sure wanted to coach this season, but he had to be careful not to step on toes.
That’s the gist of what Joe heard from Arians as the Bucs’ front office man hopped on “Late Hits” yesterday co-hosted by Alex Marvez and Robert Turbin, heard exclusively on SiriusXM NFL Radio.
Marvez asked Arians to describe his daily routine on his job in the Bucs’ front office, known as a special assistant to the general manager.
“It was fun this year,” Arians said. “Go to the practices. Meet with the coaches. Do our thing and then go play golf.
“I’ve never played golf in the fall. It’s great. My game is a whole lot better in February than it normally is.”
Marvez wanted more detail so he asked Arians about his take on the Bucs’ 2022 season.
“I loved our transition,” Arians said. “I didn’t like the ending, the record. Obviously, we won our division. But it wasn’t good enough. Obviously, there is some transition on the coaching staff [now].
“Todd [Bowles] is going to do a great job.”
Back to his daily responsibilities during the season with the Bucs, Arians admitted he was walking a tightrope. He still enjoys working with players but was very mindful the Bucs are no longer his team.
“Help as much as I could and then get out of the way,” Arians said was a daily habit. “I didn’t want anyone thinking I was overlooking and getting in their way.”
In retrospect, Joe thinks Arians should have basically told people, “Eff off, I’m taking over the offense.”
Asked if he might be the Bucs’ next offensive coordinator since there is still an opening, Arians said no chance.
That’s too bad.
Smoked brisket sliders at Big Storm Clearwater.
Oh, baby!
Lie To Me is in, too. @BigStormBrewing pic.twitter.com/fawoZk1F7H— JoeBucsFan (@JoeBucsFan) February 11, 2023
February 11th, 2023 at 12:03 pm
Boy, I’d like to have a fat job like that. Do nothing, have lunch with the coaches, go play golf, Yes, what fun!
February 11th, 2023 at 12:24 pm
Would not be surprised if hes in the Cardinals front office shorty.
February 11th, 2023 at 12:26 pm
It’s time for a new offense anyway. We need a younger guy.
February 11th, 2023 at 12:34 pm
Love BA…..won us a SB……Love Jon Gruden….won us a SB…..put him back in the ring…..
February 11th, 2023 at 12:45 pm
The Buc fight song this year will be ‘Tiptoe Through the Tulips’.
February 11th, 2023 at 12:59 pm
Fault on the high beam !
February 11th, 2023 at 1:00 pm
IF the Bucs had scored the 30 pts / game averaga of 2021 their record would have been 13-4 . they never replaced Gronk & Brown’s production + they lost Cappa & Jensen ,AND they replaced BA with bowles ..
February 11th, 2023 at 1:11 pm
Bowels just plain sux and Team Glazer should’ve sacked his sorry butt mid-season.
February 11th, 2023 at 1:16 pm
Arians is trying to be very careful about what he says.
He knows his close friend Bowles really stunk things up this year but he can’t really say so since he is the main reason Bowles got hired as head coach.
February 11th, 2023 at 1:19 pm
Sorry, Bruce. Bowles is not doing a good job. The team went 8-9 to win in a pitiful division. Lack of effort by players. Horrible situational awareness and play calling. You had fun. No one else did.
February 11th, 2023 at 1:22 pm
Todd did a horrible job with the best QB ever so he’ll do a great job with Trask or a FA QB. Yes I believe that one
February 11th, 2023 at 1:22 pm
My question is, transition from where to where? I didn’t see more buy in, improved play, or much of anything positive as the season went on.
February 11th, 2023 at 1:26 pm
Is this a typo??????? Todds doing a great job????????????????
February 11th, 2023 at 1:27 pm
I think he’s pretty pissed off all the way around. In his mind, he tee’d up the on ramp for Bowles to crush it. Instead, I think Bowles jacked around with the offense and tried to make it be something it wasn’t designed to be that he didn’t really have the players to fill the roles he needed.
Leftwich got the blame and deserved a good chunk of it for not adapting.
Without Gronk and the interior line and then injuries etc. they couldn’t generate the kind of push needed for what Bowles wanted to do.
If Bowles doesn’t have a legendary season and fans and the media start picking it apart he’s going to look like an arrogant fool. Deservedly so, imho.
February 11th, 2023 at 1:31 pm
So here is the bottom line. Bruce turned it over to his guys. He stopped buy, enjoyed being with the players, and gave his advice. Then he went home and played gold. And bottom line, he loved the transition. Just one question. How can you love the transition if the results were so bad. You loved the players…you loved the coaches. But without results, how can you really love the transition?
February 11th, 2023 at 1:31 pm
golf…
February 11th, 2023 at 1:33 pm
Next head coach. Now.
Fire the Toad Load.
February 11th, 2023 at 1:43 pm
I guess Todd Bowles doesn’t mind being the patsy of the upcoming season and the poorly camouflaged attempt to crash for the 2024 draft.
Sell the team Glazer’s
You tried and managed to rent two Super Bowls
If the Bucs W-L record was a book keeping ledger you would have filed for bankruptcy.
Time to find a owner that understands competition and WINNING
The fans need to make it loud and clear that we want changes that they can not deliver
February 11th, 2023 at 1:47 pm
“Todd [Bowles] is going to do a great job.”
That means Todd Bowels did NOT do a great job!!!!! lmfao 🤣🤣🤣🤣
February 11th, 2023 at 1:54 pm
Step on toes? He had no problem stepping on Glazers, Lichts & Bucs throats with his crafty move. Enjoy your cush job while Bucs fans enuresis the pile of shat you left behind.
February 11th, 2023 at 1:56 pm
endure
February 11th, 2023 at 2:04 pm
The Cards and Colts haven’t picked a head coach Jason Licht its not too late to can the Toad.
February 11th, 2023 at 2:50 pm
So the Glazers are happy paying BA to golf, while the nincompoops he left in charge flushed the season down the toilet?
Accountability starts at the top.
February 11th, 2023 at 3:14 pm
I’m sure he has love for Todd but if we are honest Arians wasn’t healthy enough to coach another season. That is why he stepped down. Period.
February 11th, 2023 at 3:18 pm
Dungy, even worse they wouldn’t pay for a veteran olineman.
February 11th, 2023 at 3:19 pm
A Bucs Fan@ so BA didn’t know his health situation a few weeks earlier before he retired? Not sure about that one bud.
February 11th, 2023 at 3:29 pm
Well….
If you care more about personal politics and perceptions than actual results and WINNING then yes…stay out of the way and let your proteges drag down the season.
Arians is a great coach.
Sadly, his proteges are terrible coaches…no matter how much he wants the opposite to be true
February 11th, 2023 at 3:31 pm
Glazers are absentee owners
February 11th, 2023 at 3:38 pm
@NEfan – I’m not willing to say he knew before or something popped up with his health. However, there’s some past events that suggests it’s possible given his history in Arizona. For one he admitted to being ill at the end of each season in Arizona, and two different times he spent time away from the team and was hospitalized. Once with diverticulitis and another time for a cancerous tumor removed from his kidney. When he took the job here in Tampa he said the doctor gave him a C grade on his health. His did lose some weight.. Not sure he kept it off. He also partially ruptured his Achilles last year, and at 70 BA is no spring chicken.
It probably worked out for the best for him personally because the stress of running the team may have killed him this season since he was hospitalized during the season with heart issues.
In the end, I don’t know if he knew a few weeks earlier or not, but I believe it was a bigger factor than anyone reported.
We’ll never know for sure.
February 11th, 2023 at 3:44 pm
Glazers are worried about Manchester United they only have the Bucs for ticket sales and profits. They think a 🏈 is square. They rely on Jason Licht for all their info.
February 11th, 2023 at 4:02 pm
Love me some B.A.-but he’s overly loyal/delusional about Lefty & now Bowles. Bowels has little to no chance at having even a decent season in 2023. Those of us who watched this season know this to be true. He’s in over his head.
February 11th, 2023 at 4:07 pm
He loved the transition meaning he LOVED the fact that without him on the sidelines keeping BL in check and calling players out in public they sucked. They ran him off and they sucked. I don’t care who you are when someone gets rid of you and they don’t do better without you deep down you love and think to yourself that’s what you get. Lol
February 11th, 2023 at 4:17 pm
Yea… sounds like it was a real tough balancing act for him LOFL
🙄
February 11th, 2023 at 4:18 pm
@Will – I disagree. He is blinded by how much he loves Leftwich, and is clearly upset he was fired. Bruce wanted them to succeed.
February 11th, 2023 at 4:21 pm
A Bucs Fan@ sorry not buying it. His guys couldn’t get a HC gig a rfter winning a SB so he set them up. He expressed his excitement to return, if his health prohibited his return like any decent coach he would not of left the organization with no options except to appointment t his stooges. Reality check, that’s the way it went down. He got awful quiet once the team took its spiral turn. He knew exactly what he was doing. If anyone thinks differently they are naive.
February 11th, 2023 at 4:22 pm
Maybe the grand plan is hire Brian Johnson Trask plays ok but basically a backup. Bowles season is a total disaster 3-14 but number one pick in the 2024 draft. Bowles gets the axe and the Bucs hire the Eagles offensive coordinator Shane Stiechin now the Bucs have Eagles offensive. Now just need a DC. And with the #1pick in the 2024 NFL draft the Tampa Bay Buccaneers select Caleb Williams quarterback from Southern California. Wow I can dream can’t I.
February 11th, 2023 at 5:49 pm
I’ve lost my man crush on BA. His love for Bowles is more than I can take. Bowles will not be the Bucs head coach for three years. He will be fired in late 2023 or early 2024. He hung a losing season on the GOAT. He should have already been fired. There’s a small part of me that hopes the Bucs start 0-4 next year just so maybe he’ll be fired before the season is lost, however I’ll never root for my Bucs to lose unless they are eliminated from contention.
February 11th, 2023 at 5:51 pm
If Brian Johnson is hired that will be a huge tell.
Trask will be your started next year
February 11th, 2023 at 5:57 pm
ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports that the Raiders are seeking a third-round pick in exchange for Carr.
February 11th, 2023 at 6:03 pm
Does anybody want to be the Bucs OC yet? 🤣🤣🤣😆 😭
February 11th, 2023 at 6:24 pm
I’d like to offer my services to the Glazer family as the Buccaneers Offensive Coordinator!!!
A small sample of my resume:
Leader and mentor of underlings.
Able to raise and lower cholesterol at will.
Expert in martial arts and weaponry.
13 time winner of salesman of the month.
Resistance to germs, fungal, viruses and most other health threats
In short: The ideal candidate!
February 11th, 2023 at 6:33 pm
Does anybody want to be the Bucs OC yet?
I thought O’Neil said he would if we brought back Jameis. But maybe that was just a dream. LOL.
February 11th, 2023 at 7:43 pm
NE, exactly. Why did they even keep BA on the payroll? Sounds like he did a whole bunch of nothing. He also set them up for failure, as well as licht with his half hearted attempt at an all in. Julio Jones, Rudolph, some second option on a losing team called Russel Gage. This thing was always destined to fail from the start. Lots here want to blame Brady, but the real culprits are the BA, the GM, the owner and the coaching staff who couldn’t get out of their own way. They should’ve just traded Brady and been done with it. Instead, the kept the life support system in place, but should’ve pulled the plug.
February 11th, 2023 at 8:16 pm
Time for BA to leave. He stuck us with his two minions, and they failed miserably. He should be ashamed of 2022, not crowing about how easy & f7n the year was.
February 11th, 2023 at 11:47 pm
The other thing that occurs to me is that Arians retired in MARCH. What were the Glazers supposed to do? Hire a coach at the end of March or early April? I seriously doubt they were all that happy about it. They pretty much had to stay in house.
Arians kind of stuck them in the corner without a ton of options. I don’t know if that was due to health or not but…
February 12th, 2023 at 12:08 am
@Greg
I think if they were that concerned then they would have let Bowles walk with Leftwich at the end of the season. They have to see some illusionary upside to keep him for a 2nd year.
February 12th, 2023 at 2:49 am
Don’t know the facts either but I lean toward A-Bucs-Fan’s view over NEfan’s assessment of Bruce Arians’ character. He really has had a bunch of ailments in recent years to go with the normal aging process. Health issues can affect judgement at times also. Not to mention occasionally overdoing the Royal Crown thing, ahem.
February 12th, 2023 at 8:25 am
Jimbo@ No doubt he wasn’t in the best of health, it’s the timing of his retirement that is concerning. Just a few weeks earlier and Bucs are in the hunt for a new HC. End of March beginning of April most if not all quality HC’s are scoffed up.
February 12th, 2023 at 5:58 pm
TBBF- I whole heartedly agree, Gruden should’ve never left the ROH.