FAB 5. SR’s Buc Shots

• BRADY GETS THE GREEN LIGHT TO AUDIBLE: One of the benefits of having a 20-year NFL career that includes a record six Super Bowl championships is that there isn’t a throw Tom Brady hasn’t made, a blitz he hasn’t seen and a coverage he hasn’t passed against. That experience automatically makes Brady eligible to call audibles in Bruce Arians’ offense, which is something that wasn’t given to Jameis Winston last year in his first year in Arians’ system.

Bucs QB Tom Brady – Photo by: Tampa Bay Buccaneers

The 2019 season was just Winston’s fifth year in the NFL and Arians and offensive play-caller Byron Leftwich didn’t fully trust him to make those executive decisions. In the past, Arians typically let his veteran quarterbacks have command of the audible system after a full season in his offense, but with Brady’s experience and track record, he will be given the green light in his first season in Tampa Bay.

“I think probably our audible system, our check with me stuff where the quarterback puts us in the best plays,” Arians said when asked what will be one of the biggest differences in having Brady under center in 2020. “We didn’t do a lot of that – we did some of it last year, not a lot of it. It’s something he’s very comfortable with. I think that part of it and the no-huddle stuff, getting good in two- minute real quick and some of those things. I think first-and-10 will take care of itself. He’s going to know the concepts. He’s going to know that stuff, situational stuff  – third down, red zone, all that stuff. Two-minute and the no huddle stuff.”

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• SUPER BOWL OR BUST FOR THE BUCS? During a recent conference call with the media, I asked Bucs head coach Bruce Arians whether or not he embraced the sudden Super Bowl expectations that the media has placed on Tampa Bay. With Arians turning 68 this month and Tom Brady turning 43, there is a heightened sense of urgency for the Bucs to make a playoff push and a Super Bowl run this year. That means Arians isn’t backing down from any lofty expectations from the media this offseason.

Bucs HC Bruce Arians – Photo by: Getty Images

“We embrace it, that’s the first goal every year,” Arians said. “When we put our goals and start talking as a team it’s to put rings on your finger and hoist the Lombardi Trophy, then you put it to bed. And then you start, as we say, to ‘respect the process’ of coming to work everyday and not looking ahead. As long as we’re doing what we do every day to the best of our abilities, we can attain those goals. You do Monday’s work on Monday, and Tuesday, etc. and the fruits of your labor show up Sunday and you start all over again.”

Some coaches forbid their teams from even mentioning the “P word” – playoffs – during the season, but Arians has no problems with the team’s Super Bowl expectations this year, and for a team that struggled to avoid beating itself in 2019, that’s a good thing. The Bucs have to believe that they can win every game, including the Super Bowl, despite not making the playoffs for over a decade.

If the San Francisco 49ers can go from 4-12 in 2018 to 12-4 and a Super Bowl appearance in 2019, so can Tampa Bay.

• NEW PEWTER NATION PODCAST ADDRESSES COVID-19 CONCERNS: Yours truly was joined by Pewter Reporters Mark Cook, Matt Matera and Taylor Jenkins to record a brand new Pewter Nation Podcast, which addressed the team’s COVID-19 concerns, on Thursday afternoon. Late on Thursday evening, ESPN’s Adam Schefter revealed that one of the Bucs assistant coaches had tested positive for COVID-19, but apparently the coach has been quarantined and is asymptomatic. Clink on the link to check out the latest Pewter Nation Podcast.

Pewter Nation Podcast Episode 196: Concerns About The Start Of The Season

Last week, the Pewter Reporters assembled to break down the Bucs’ 2020 offsense and discuss how new quarterback Tom Brady would fit into Bruce Arians’ system. Jonesing for some real football talk in June? Don’t miss this episode.

Pewter Nation Podcast Episode 195: Will This Be Brady’s Or Arians’ Offense?

The entire PewterReport.com staff gathered for to record a Pewter Nation Podcast last Friday, analyzing the Bucs’ Depth Chart. Make sure you give it a listen.

Pewter Nation Podcast Episode 194: Analyzing The Bucs’ Depth Chart

There is no better time to listen to a new Pewter Nation Podcast than right now or early Saturday morning during your workout or while running errands. The next Pewter Nation Podcast will be recorded next week. Stay tuned!

The popularity of the Pewter Nation Podcast continues to grow. In addition to listening to the Pewter Nation Podcasts on PewterReport.com you can also subscribe to the free podcasts at PodBean by clicking here and on SoundCloud by clicking here. And of course the Pewter Nation Podcast is also available on iTunes. Make sure you subscribe so you don’t miss a single episode.

• BUCS DEFENSIVE BACKS COACHING ROYALTY: It’s crazy to think of how many talented defensive backs coaches have come through Tampa Bay during my 24 years of covering the Buccaneers. The success that most of the Bucs secondary coaches have had is quite remarkable.

When I began my career with Buccaneer Magazine in 1995, Johnnie Lynn was Tampa Bay’s secondary coach on Sam Wyche’s staff before being replaced by Herman Edwards, who served in that role on Tony Dungy’s staff. Edwards went on to become the head coach of the New York Jets from 2001-05 and the head coach of the Kansas City Chiefs from 2006-08. Edwards is now the head coach at Arizona State and has served in that capacity since 2018.

Former Bucs coaches Raheem Morris and Mike Tomlin – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

Edwards was replaced by Mike Tomlin in 2001, who went on to become the Pittsburgh Steelers head coach in 2007. Tomlin’s protege, Raheem Morris, took over as the Bucs defensive backs coach in 2007 and ultimately replaced Jon Gruden as the head coach in 2009. Morris’ protege, Jimmy Lake, served as Tampa Bay’s defensive backs coach from 2010-11 and is now the head coach at the University of Washington.

That’s four former Bucs defensive backs coaches who have gone on to become head coaches. Quite an amazing accomplishment.

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• FAREWELL COLOR RUSH RED: Photos of new Buccaneers Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski in Tampa Bay’s new uniforms debuted this past week, and I love how the team wisely went back to the old Super Bowl era look, while still keeping the current modern font and the upgraded Bucs logo on the helmet, which debuted in 2014. I’ve been anxiously awaiting an all-pewter look for years – a pewter jersey to go along with the pewter helmet and the pewter pants that the team debuted in 1997. 

Now it’s finally here and the Bucs can wear that alternate look up to three times during the 2020 season. Having said that, I am a bit sad to see the team’s other alternate look – the all-red Color Rush uniforms – depart.

Bucs ILB Devin White – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

I didn’t mind the Bucs’ new uniforms as much as some did when they debuted in 2014. But like everybody, I wasn’t a fan of the alarm clock font.

Yet the franchise really nailed it with the Color Rush look – a basic red jersey with chrome/pewter numbers along with red pants. It was a good look I wouldn’t mind seeing later in the Bucs future as a throwback ensemble down the road. But in the meantime, I’m excited to see this team don the all-pewter look in 2020 as the alternate replacement.

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