Inside The Arians Accountability Change
August 21st, 2019
“The Sage” talks to several Bucs about what’s happening behind the scenes at One Buc Palace. … Join Ira for every Bucs road game this season at Buffalo Wild Wings (schedule below).
BY IRA KAUFMAN
“The Sage” Of Tampa Bay Sports
In the meeting rooms and team auditorium at One Place Place, far from the prying eyes of the media and fans, a daily ritual takes place under the steely gaze of Bruce Arians.
Buc players are constantly evaluated in front of their peers and you best believe this coaching staff has no intentions of grading on a curve. Screw up and you hear about it — loudly and forcefully.
Players must answer for the errors of their ways and the beauty of this process is everyone eventually gets caught in the crosshairs. If Mike Evans drops a pass or whiffs on a block, he gets called out. If Ndamukong Suh’s motor leaves Todd Bowles cold, it’s his turn on the hot seat. If the backup center is beaten off the snap, he’ll face the wrath of Arians, who is known throughout the league as the ultimate quarterback whisperer.
Peyton Barber
In this case, he’s not whispering. He’s barking at his latest culprit to get his attention.
“Everyone here is accountable and I have a lot of respect for that,” says Peyton Barber. “Coach Arians treats everyone the same. There’s no favoritism at all. What gets him going? Repeated mental mistakes, making the same mistakes over and over.”
And how’s his language?
“Pretty salty.”
Somehow, I can’t see Dirk Koetter firing off a string of expletives at his players, even behind closed doors. It’s not in his nature. He’d prefer a more cerebral approach, asking about technique and concentration.
Arians gets right to the heart of the matter. And he doesn’t mind taking a little piece of your heart along the way.
“It’s happened to everyone,” says Cameron Brate. “It doesn’t matter if you’re No. 1 or No. 90 on the roster — coaches aren’t afraid to let you know when you’ve messed up. It sucks sometimes, but everyone is held accountable. That’s alright because they want the best for us and the best for our team.”
It’s about time someone raised the bar around here.
Doghouse Vs. The Pack
Buc fans are awfully tired of boring seasons that conclude in late December while other NFL teams vault from last to first in their divisions every year, without exception.
The arrival of Arians and a veteran staff has stoked optimism among Buc supporters that good times are dead ahead, sparked by a new level of professionalism.
“Coaching matters and this staff does a really good job of holding guys accountable … putting guys in the right spots to be successful,” says Ali Marpet. “Bruce doesn’t think twice about calling you out in front of everyone. He’s got an accountability chart so you can see who made the mistakes.
“And yes, he’ll let you know. Hey, sometimes you mess up. We all do it. That’s OK as long as you learn from it and get better. That’s what this is all about.”
Offensive linemen are feeling it, says Ali Marpet (left).
Yes, coaching matters. We’re about to discover just how much it matters.
For players like Vernon Hargreaves, Noah Spence and Alex Cappa, this is a fresh opportunity to show you belong in the show. Keep improving and you’ve got a chance to run with the pack and escape the doghouse.
“We do have a lot of young guys who are going to make big strides this year,” says Beau Allen. “That’s one of the things you enjoy as a vet, watching young guys develop. I do think we’re going to have guys step up. We’ve got a lot of experienced coaches and that’s what you want.
“There’s nothing new these guys haven’t seen and that benefits us. These aren’t fresh coaches that don’t know what they’re doing.”
Brate says this new staff encourages freedom from a player’s perspective because “football is a crazy game and every situation is a little different from how you draw it up.”
But all that freedom comes at a cost. Mess up and you’ve got a current listing on the accountability chart. If so, don’t bother feeling sorry for yourself. Just take your punishment and move on.
Leave your ego at the door, along with your mistakes.
Derrick Brooks talks discipline and penalties and a whole lot more on new episode of TAMPA TWO, presented by Caldeco Air Conditioning & Heating. A production of The Identity Tampa Bay and JoeBucsFan.com.
Great fun, food and Bucs passion at Buffalo Wild Wings all season long. Watch every road game with Ira Kaufman and JoeBucsFan.com readers. Great giveaways, too. The preseason opener was a blast.
August 21st, 2019 at 5:28 pm
It’s pointless comparing Koetter to Arains anymore. Keotter would still be here, and Arains wouldn’t if Koetter was head coaching material. That’s not Koetter’s fault tho, blame the clueless Glazers for promoting him.
August 21st, 2019 at 5:32 pm
This Buc fan is tired of seasons that conclude before Halloween.
August 21st, 2019 at 6:08 pm
Love what I just read. Go Bucs #endthedrougjt
August 21st, 2019 at 6:15 pm
Nice read Joe, but I think we need another season of “accountability” and a few more impact players before the Bucs make the playoffs.
August 21st, 2019 at 6:23 pm
Coaching is EVERYTHING- the talent difference between teams is minuscule at the NFL level – so long as injuries don’t derail us, we are headed for a much better year- maybe it won’t be over in October
By December I have been studying for the draft for 2 months already over the past decade or so
August 21st, 2019 at 6:23 pm
He got all this from bear
Wonder if he has this for Jason Licht?
August 21st, 2019 at 6:28 pm
Koetter is a good coach. Tampa just needs an elite coach to turn things around. If Koetter were Arians OC, he would be groomed properly…just like Byron is being groomed.
Hiring Koetter was the right move. Letting a first year offensive HC choose his DC was the bad move.
Regardless, things have changed now, hopefully for the better. I’m feeling more and more confident in Arians and this new staff. Still, after all of the disappointment we’ve faced, some of us are on our last gasp and want to see it before we fully invest.
I’ll say this: Since the new uniforms came out, I have not bought and Bucs merchandise. I said I would not until they got better uniforms.
But if they can make the playoffs and win one or more games in them, I’ll buy merchandise again.
August 21st, 2019 at 6:38 pm
Great feature, love your work Ira!!
And who knew? Holding someone accountable and demanding quality work out of paid professionals… that st!t works??? Whaaaaaat?!
Go Bucs! This evidence that the message is getting through really fires me up. My money on the over for wins is IN baby!!!
August 21st, 2019 at 6:48 pm
Aaaaaahhhhhh…..a breath of fresh reporting from our Sage. Thank you Sir!
If any of you Negative Nancys still think we aren’t in a different place with this cos hung staff, you may be beyond repair. The only thing left is execution on game days. And if that doesn’t change your nasty dispositions….Go find another hobby, because as a fan this, this supposed to be FUN!
In BA I Trust!
August 21st, 2019 at 6:49 pm
Cos hung…. Hah! Coaching…..
August 21st, 2019 at 6:56 pm
Dirk is the last coach to finish a season above.500 Thank you Dirk.
August 21st, 2019 at 6:57 pm
How can they talk about accountability and have have the gm and the game manager qb walking the halls still????????????? Not much longer until the truth is exposed!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
2019 will reveal answers to the sheep, that the “real” fans already know!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
go bucs!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
August 21st, 2019 at 9:06 pm
Nothing but positive energy going forward. Let’s give these cats a chance. Worst to First Baby! We’re going to surprise quite a few folks…………………………….plus we wouldn’t want to bum Tim McGraw out would we. He’s a solid cowpoke and should put on a pretty cool pre-game show.
August 21st, 2019 at 9:09 pm
^That pretty much sums up Howard.
Howard expects another crappy season because no one,
no even BA can fix decades of glazer incompetence in 1 season.
Beyond repair = not buying the fake preseason hype again
5-11 and Goodell steps in to make the glazers sell
August 21st, 2019 at 9:12 pm
It’s time to prove to your friends that you’re worth a damn.
August 21st, 2019 at 9:14 pm
Like Tim McGraw gives a flying ph*k about the crappy loser bucs lol
JUst get him plenty of beer and a glazer paycheck and he’ll be very happy!
August 21st, 2019 at 9:16 pm
Booking Tim McGraw just shows how desperate the glazers are to maintain their cash cow
August 21st, 2019 at 9:58 pm
I wonder if the coaches have an accountability chart and if it is shared with the players.
August 21st, 2019 at 11:51 pm
Howard – the only thing that will repair you is executing on game day. I’m pulling hard for that and your speedy recovery!
In BA I Tust!
August 22nd, 2019 at 12:01 am
I find it ironic that we find ourselves back with a disciplinarian type coach like Schiano. Makes me wonder how many seasons we might not have wasted if we had just given Schiano more than 2 years. As long as there are no last minute billboards constructed maybe BA will be afforded at least his 2 years. #lessonlearned
August 22nd, 2019 at 12:21 am
Worst to first.
Tampa 11-5
New Orleans10-6
Carolina8-8
Atlanta 7-9
August 22nd, 2019 at 9:44 am
Great article Ira!
August 22nd, 2019 at 1:02 pm
I’m glad BA decided to give up playcalling and doesn’t seems to indeed simply be whispering to JW and letting the other guys do the heavy lifting.
With Koetter did anyone ever feel he even watched the defense? He was so absorbed in his offense and so respectful to the DC that he let the team down.
Arians seems to be in charge of the entire team…not just the offense.