Coach Brady
August 17th, 2020
“Bruce, are you going to give me some extra cash for coaching tight ends?”
For the longest time since the Bucs signed park-violating, home-invading, NFLPA-ignoring quarterback Tom Brady, the widely-held belief was that Brady would have a lot of influence over not just the offense but the team.
It seems that is exactly what is happening.
Hot-dog-eating-contest-protesting, mock-draft-scowling, L.L. Bean-wearing, Second Amendment abolitionist, Mike-Florio-arguing, parrot-insensitive, chewing-with-his-mouth-open, soup-gulping, California-train-romancing, anti-football proliferation, outhouse-admiring, airline-napping, steerage-flying, Yogi Berra-worshiping, urinal-picture-taking, video-game-playing, Taylor-Swift-listening, pickpocket-thwarting, Bucs-uniform-frowning, Allie-LaForce-smitten, Big-Ten-Network-hating, pedestrian-bumping, olive oil-lapping, popcorn-munching, coffee-slurping, fried-chicken-eating, oatmeal-loving, circle-jerking, craft-beer-chugging, cricket-watching, scone-loathing, college football-naïve, baseball-box-score-reading, NPR-honk, filthy-hotel-staying, fight-instigating, barista-training, Budweiser-tolerant, baseball scorecard-keeping, pasta-feasting, vomit-dodging scrooge, Kay-Adams-following, social activist NFL insider Peter King of NBC Sports and his videographer sidekick had inside access of sorts to a Bucs practice last week. And there, King, confirmed by via his video co-hort’s shot, sensed Brady is nearly as much a Bucs offensive assistant coach as he is quarterback.
King noticed one play where Brady made an effort to demonstrate to Howard what he did wrong and how he could improve.
I’ll describe the scene. You see Rob Gronkowski (wow—there’s Gronk) catching a ball from Brady up the right seam and putting it away. Then the camera pans back to Brady maneuvering in and out of four padded dummies, simulating moving quickly in a crowded pocket. He emerged to loft a pass to tight end O.J. Howard up the left sideline. Then Brady called to Howard.
“Juice!” Brady called out. “Keep those shoulders square.”
Then Brady stood in place, pumping his arms like pistons, up and down.
“Right here!” Still pumping his arms. “Last minute . . . Catch it on your hip,” Brady said, with some garbled words in the middle.
Also, King explained that Arians is having long one-on-one sessions with Brady, going over the plays he likes and making sure he has Arians’ vernacular down for those plays.
In other words, it sure seems like the Bucs are crafting the offense around Brady. Smart.
Another tidbit Joe will detail later, it seems Howard has a different attitude, so the Bucs’ brass told King, which is why Howard is off the trade block short of another NFL general manager making an offer so ridiculous that the Bucs will have to check on the man’s sobriety.
The Bucs are keeping [Howard], barring a ridiculous offer which I doubt would be forthcoming with his lack of production. The brass has noticed a different Howard, an excited player with a more positive aura. Who wouldn’t want to play with Brady?
Joe almost gets the vibe that Howard wants to be here. Joe heard whispers previously that Howard wasn’t exactly the biggest supporter of Mr. Entertainment, America’s Quarterback, Pro Bowler Jameis Winston. King’s information seems to reinforce those rumors.
There is a lot of good stuff in that column from King, including play-by-play of Scotty Miller puking all over the practice field.
August 17th, 2020 at 6:03 am
Interesting stuff. I think in summary you could say TB12 is a huge step up from last years quarterback in a lot of ways. We do keep reading how TB12 raises the play of teammates….RoJo anyone?
August 17th, 2020 at 6:40 am
The immediate argument with a colleague and friend in Boston, when there was strong speculation Brady was coming here, started with him saying: “No way Brady would leave the Patriots where he’s got Belichick and Kraft and 6 SB rings, and a full house every week, and living in a freakin castle. He can just go off his experience and ride it out. He doesn’t have to do a thing. Why would he leave New England.”
My response was “Exactly what you said. He doesn’t want to ride it out. I don’t know Tom Brady from Adam but seems like he’s a guy who wants to have more impact into how the team is run as he’s certainly done EVERYTHING else, and I’d bet they won’t give that to him.”
And here we are. It took four months, but my friend’s his first Bucs jersey came in, sporting a “#12” and “Brady” on it–I mailed it to him Saturday. He’s thrilled with it now…wanted to come down for the first game…but that looks unlikely now.
August 17th, 2020 at 6:44 am
@Pick 6…Brady carries, leads, inspires, and is rocket fuel for his team. All that said, Winston ate Ws, constantly gave the ball to the other team, and embarassed the whole team and community with his offfield issues. Definite HUGE difference.
If Brady can’t make RoJo step it up then RoJo is a clear bust. Unteachable.
August 17th, 2020 at 8:11 am
Agreed Roy
August 17th, 2020 at 8:29 am
I could easily see in Howard’s case that when the greatest QB ever calls you by a nickname and shows real interest in getting you to be better that that would make you feel a lot better about the whole situation and greatly motivate you.
August 17th, 2020 at 8:37 am
This team will play different this year. They have gotten rid of the cancer behind center and have brought in a true leader.
Ladies and gents, it’s a new day! Be happy. Be excited!
August 17th, 2020 at 9:22 am
Was already stoked, but all the vibe out of training camp has me even more juiced. If Brady can get OJ and Rojo to perform to their potential, no one will be able to stop this offense with all its weapons.
August 17th, 2020 at 9:44 am
[Look, if you want boring, dry AP copy you have choices. Joe has stated before he understands this site is not for everyone. Last Joe checked, a couple of the “serious” sites for Bucs coverage have been panhandling for donations in order to keep the lights on. Joe isn’t. Why do you think that is? Feel free to do the math. Also last time Joe checked, traffic here is doing quite well. Can’t say the same for others. Why do you think that is? So Joe should completely wreck a successful business model because you are so easily triggered and want to be bored to tears reading the NFL equivalent of “See cat run. Run cat, run” and writing maybe 65 percent about practice squad stiffs who you will be purchasing homeowners insurance from in two years? — Joe]
August 17th, 2020 at 9:50 am
More key strokes spent trying to be funny and bad-mouthing the GOAT than what is in the article itself. LAME
August 17th, 2020 at 10:59 am
Dang! Someone just got taken to the literary woodshed! Straight smack down!
August 17th, 2020 at 11:50 am
I know hindsight is 20/20, but can you imagine if we had taken Kittle over Howard? “Sigh”.
August 17th, 2020 at 12:13 pm
Looks like Brady was coaching Juice to catch the ball at the last minute to avoid telegraphing to the defender that the ball is near. That’s the only reason you would catch a ball near your hips and not high point it.
August 17th, 2020 at 12:18 pm
@Buczilla,
Bro, the 2017 draft is long gone. Kittle was a Round 5 pick. Who would have thought?
August 17th, 2020 at 2:05 pm
@Joe
I read the King column, and came across this, which sheds a bit of light on the question I had the other day about Jameis and freedom to change out of run plays against the stacked box:
>>“Tom’s used to audibling so much and we haven’t asked our guys to audible that much in the last few years,” Arians continued. “Going back to [coaching] Peyton, he’d have three plays in the huddle. And he might run a fourth one, because he saw something he liked. Tom can do those types of things. We’ll give him those types of things to do…”<<
August 17th, 2020 at 6:09 pm
Oh “We have t asked our guys to audible.” So your saying that part of your whispering did not include teaching JW situational football? Doesn’t surprise me a bit. Lazy Fraud
August 17th, 2020 at 6:11 pm
Imagine what Jameis could have done with a real offense that incorporated situational pre snap awareness- what a lazy joke- what a waste of top talent, what a disgrace to throw blame when your own lAmy shortsighted system wasn’t worth its salt.
Shame on BS for scapegoating JW
August 17th, 2020 at 6:12 pm
Lazy shortsighted
August 18th, 2020 at 9:14 am
I’m going to enjoy this season because I love football . The future looks dem . So I I’m hoping we win the superbowl because if we don’t get a plan in place this will be the last wining season in a long time .
August 18th, 2020 at 7:21 pm
I am dumbfounded by your response. My whole point was missed. I was not being clear. Nobody missed your point. Joe’s just having fun. Joe doesn’t need to fill space, and Joe certainly doesn’t use the references you don’t like every time. It’s your interpretation that Joe is “ball busting” on The Goat. But that’s not the case. Regardless, Joe writes here to entertain and interest Joe; that’s the standard. Thankfully it’s well received. Joe has no problem being called childish. –Joe
Do you think that the regular readers on the site read the entire Peter King description every time that you use it? Of course not. Then why do it? Because you think it’s so funny or you need to fill spaces in an article? I am sorry but it is childish banter. Praising JW and ball busting on the GOAT doesn’t garner much respect from this reader. Sorry.
August 18th, 2020 at 11:34 pm
Clean House,
Maybe Koetter and Arians did give Jameis alternate plays, but he always chose the one that helped the other team!
August 18th, 2020 at 11:39 pm
Paul,
Joe doesn’t come to your house and tape your eyeballs open and put his website in front of you to force you to read it. Some of us nutcases actually come to this site because Joe pisses off people who need their panties starched and ironed just so… it is called entertainment.
Sometimes I take a drink each time someone complains, but on those days, I don’t get a lot of reading done.