Antonio Brown’s Time To Shine
January 12th, 2021
Antonio Brown
If the Bucs are to get past the slimy Saints, Joe thinks one player is going to have to blow up.
And from the tape research that former NFL quarterback (and Bucs backup) Dan Orlovsky has done, he believes if Antonio Brown blows up, the Bucs likely will move on to the NFC Championship game.
On “Stay in Bed” this week, seen on BSPN, Orlovsky explained how Brown has developed into a key cog in the high-scoring Bucs offense.
“Antonio Brown has become an integral part of this passing game for Tampa Bay,” Orlovsky said. “Now that he has settled in, gotten into the rhythm of this offense and has his feet back underneath him.
“[The Bucs] have multiple ways of getting him the football. He is winning on routes.”
Orlovsky said that wasn’t happening in the first few games after he joined the Bucs.
“He is seeing the field the same way Tom Brady is in the zones, throttling when he needs to,” Orlovsky said. “Sitting in-between linebackers when he needs to.”
In the past five games when targeting Brown, per Orlovsky, Brady has a 77 percent completion percentage.
“That tells me that Tom trusts him,” Orlovsky said.
Orlovsky said now that Brown has his sea legs back, he has become a matchup problem for opponents.
“Mike Evans, Antonio Brown, Chris Godwin. Who are you going to cover?” Orlovsky said. “I think he is a huge part of [the Bucs-Saints] game this weekend.”
Bucs coach Bucco Bruce Arians yesterday sort of echoed some of Orlovsky’s talking points.
“He’s back up to his normal playing speed and making plays,” Arians said of Brown. “He’s a different threat for us.”
To hear both Arians and Orlovsky, Brown was both rusty and a bit tentative from not knowing the offense fully the last time the Bucs played the slimy Saints.
Hopefully, if the Saints focus too much on containing Brown, it will open up lanes for Evans and Godwin (and Cam Brate too).
Look at Ira (@IKaufman76) preening with pride over his loaner rig from @BillCurrieTampa, a 2021 Bronco Sport. Broncos are hot selling items with Ford. Come have a coffee at the @BigStormBrewing cafe and talk to GM Sean Sullivan about the new Bronco… and the Bucs! pic.twitter.com/ZkQ20cpFjM
— JoeBucsFan (@JoeBucsFan) January 8, 2021
January 12th, 2021 at 10:06 am
Brown & Brate……keep Gronk blocking…..Evans & Godwin will get covered……expecting some help from our run game…
We need to score 30+……Maybe 40+
January 12th, 2021 at 10:21 am
I agree with everything Orlovsky says, but what I disagree is on the title, Like or not AB is already shinning
January 12th, 2021 at 10:23 am
Gronk???? Who the hell do you cover!?!?!
January 12th, 2021 at 10:24 am
TB calls AB Big T
January 12th, 2021 at 10:25 am
just don’t defer …we strike first blood
January 12th, 2021 at 10:32 am
First 3 games…like Gronk; wasted money/contracts. Last 3-5 games…gamers! Now, where does a playoff-bound team go out and get a Gronk and a Brown? Tampa Bay ADDED both to what the have. Now, they have depth and pmaymakers; can adjust to what other teams are doing.
Watch Brown get open. Watch Brown cut. Watch Brown accelerate. Brady knew what they can do- just had to get them in game shape and on board. No other team has this many options. Now, add a running game.
Consider that the Tampa Bay defense can be the heroes here. They need to bear down; every play. Trust their offense; get them back on the field. Do not let the opposition control the click/game.
January 12th, 2021 at 10:36 am
One player is going to have to blow up, but his name is Devin White.
January 12th, 2021 at 10:40 am
AB or Not AB, that is no longer the question!
January 12th, 2021 at 10:42 am
As usual, Evans will attract Marshawn and get erased, but NOW AB will run wild… This could work out
January 12th, 2021 at 10:43 am
I just hope the Bucs defense step up their game and prove that they are not a bunch of snowflakes.
January 12th, 2021 at 10:44 am
All the receivers in the world dont mean sh!t, if we can’t protect Brady.
I SINCERELY hope all these coaches we have have a new game plan to beat the Saints.
Needless to say, the first 2 plans didnt work.
January 12th, 2021 at 10:48 am
All Lives Matters – Brady was talking to Tristan Wirfs when he said “Good Job big T.” after congratulating AB on his TD.
January 12th, 2021 at 10:55 am
So we’ve come to this. We are getting to where we trust and like him and are depending on him. You know what that means? Some unsuspecting young woman is about to get something thrown at her. I’m mostly joking but this is the part some people feared when he was first signed.
January 12th, 2021 at 10:55 am
I like the contrast in play style between AB and the rest of our receivers.
With Evans and Godwin, they will run their routes and out muscle the d-back.
Miller will simply out run the d-back.
Gronk will run over a d-back.
AB will catch a pass and juke a d-back right out of his shoes.
January 12th, 2021 at 11:04 am
I was worried a bit about our OL injury and replacement stuggles but N.O. while having a great DL is mostly about their DE’s not the center of their line where our replacement will be.
They way DS stoned Young and the way Wirfs is stoning everybody I think we have the answer for ONE of the Aint’s strengths. No doubt Cam Jordan and Davenport are as good a pair as perhaps any in the league. But the Aints are only good to average up the middle where we would be weakest.
The second strength of the Aint’s defense is their secondary. Both the Jenkins’ and Lattimore are all excellent. But we can overwhelm them with the sheer number of targets to cover.
They say it’s hard to beat a team twice in the same season…three times is just that much more difficult. Both teams know everything about each other, personnel, tendencies, weaknesses and strengths.
IMHO both teams are playing well and are pretty evenly matched.
Let’s see who wants it more!
January 12th, 2021 at 11:12 am
Bucs need to play lights in this game, like they’ve never played before. They have enough film to watch to be able to play with the Saints.
January 12th, 2021 at 11:13 am
Pumped that AB is clicking along with brate coming alive, if our DBs were not so terrible, this is a team that can hit the Super Bowl. Bucs have a superbowl offense but toilet bowl defense. Hope bowles has some wrinkles this week because payton will and they are gonna run the ball down our throats like last time. Bucs need to score 40 to win
January 12th, 2021 at 11:46 am
Season opener 2 years ago Bucs won 48-40 and Evans embarrassed Lattimore. Mr Big Chest will have have an impact in this game. I think the Bucs win by 2 TD’s.
January 12th, 2021 at 12:00 pm
Im not sure leftwich knows how to scheme a gameplan around brown. Hopefully hes been holding back on purpose
January 12th, 2021 at 12:38 pm
I hope the Buc’s defense gets as pumped as I am about this game. If they can get the Saints off the field more often then not, the Buc’s offense will take over this game!!!!
Go BUCS!!!
January 12th, 2021 at 12:40 pm
OXYc, AB has had 3 TDs in the last 2 games. BELIEVE!!
January 12th, 2021 at 12:52 pm
Score quickly, create some turnovers and it will rattle their cage.
January 12th, 2021 at 1:05 pm
I have a feeling we are going to score 50+ points
January 12th, 2021 at 1:33 pm
As long as your O-line gives brady the time he needs. You guys are gonna win it all. Key is the O-line NEEDS TO BLOCK. Tommy will do the rest.
January 12th, 2021 at 1:42 pm
^ Steve is on the money.
If Brady is given time, then the Saints won’t be able to keep up. We have too many weapons, and Brady is just too deadly accurate (when he’s not pressured).
If the line doesn’t hold, then we’re gonna see the off target throws from Brady.
January 12th, 2021 at 7:05 pm
The Taints scored 34 & 38 points against Bucs this season. It ain’t the Offense I’m worried about. Bowles sucks and Def not good. Bucs need to score 40+, don’t see it happening. Can Bucs please get a new DC? Bowles please make me eat these words.
January 13th, 2021 at 12:30 pm
All correct about how Brady is now trusting all the receivers – Brown, Evan’s, Godwin and Brate, but if the Saints forget about Brady’s other weapon, they will get a big surprise. Gronkowski has always been trusted by Brady, he just might be a real sleeper moving farther into the playoffs.