NFL: Buccaneers coach Bruce Arians is being scapegoated
Bruce Arians is being made out to be the main problem for the 7-5 Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
This is due to the massive amount of clout that quarterback Tom Brady has built with various media houses. Bruce Arians, who lacks such popularity in such circles, is an easy target to deflect blame on for the declining play of what is clearly a quarterback past his prime.
It should be noted, however, that Arians chose to accept the risk of these problems arising when he choose to hitch his wagon to Tom Brady coming off a down year rather than continue molding 30 for 30 star Jameis Winston.
The Problem For Bruce Arians
"No risk it, no biscuit. You can't live scared."
That's how Bruce Arians lives his life. Outside of his Pittsburgh stint, his offenses have been known to give it away often because they take chances and usually go for it deep down the field.
This decade especially, Arians' offense is known to cough it up on the regular, Jameis Winston threw 30 interceptions for the Buccaneers last season. Tom Brady does not suit this offense. Brady only takes favorable calculated risks and came up in the New England system that prioritizes making as little mistakes as possible.
To transition from that to such a reckless philosophy was always going to be a trail for Brady, but this was before I realized Brady has little interest in playing this way. While, yes, he occasionally airs it out, it's pretty clear he has brought the conservative elements of the Patriots offense with him to Tampa -- which must greatly frustrate Bruce Arians.
Short passes to running backs, reliance on the slot guy and only throwing true contested catches to the tight ends are all New England staples that Arians does not believe in.
The Darling Of The Media vs. Bruce Arians
Tom Brady's story has made him a media darling.
He's the sixth-round draft pick who turned himself into maybe the GOAT. In the face of that, who is Bruce Arians? Just another coach who cut his teeth as an assistant as he made his way up the hierarchy. Arians will lose the media battle 10 out of 9 times.
Every day until Brady's play picks up, Arians will have to deal with an onslaught of questions he just never has before. Bruce Arians is also uncut and brutally honest. Bill Belichick is media kryptonite. He is openly horrible to them and has enough success to justify such a cold shoulder. Bruce Arians, however, tries to be buddy with the media and it's arguable whether he even has the success as an offensive mind to justify the constant blaming of Tom Brady for the struggles of the Bucs offense.
If the Bucs are forced into a corner and have to make a decision between who to back between the two parties, expect the media to push for Brady.
The Solution
Bruce Arians needs a Josh Allen. He needs someone who represents what he's about, like how Andy Reid has Patrick Mahomes or Sean Payton has Drew Brees.
Tom Brady is not Bruce Arians guy and as long as that is a fact, they will always collide as their approach to the game is completely different. On a 3rd-and-3 in a vital playoff game what's the call? Arians will want a jump ball to wide receiver Mike Evans, while Brady may want to hit a running back or the slot guy on a stop route. How can you win a Super Bowl when your QB and offensive playcaller see the game completely different?
Going into the 2021 season, one of two things have to happen: Either Arians, going on 69 years old, suddenly becomes conservative; or Brady, going on 44, suddenly abandons his 20-year foundation as a game manager and embraces Arians' reckless approach.