Clyde Christensen: Bucs Offense Eight Weeks From Peaking
February 2nd, 2021
Bucs QB coach Clyde Christensen.
The way the Bucs offense has played the last few games of the regular season and into the playoffs, Joe thought the offense was peaking at the right time.
Bucs quarterbacks coach Clyde Christensen doesn’t think so.
Appearing on The Pat McAfee Show yesterday, Christensen pleaded with McAfee to understand that learning Bucco Bruce Arians’ offense is hard and while the team made a lot of headway, Christensen is convinced the Bucs offense is eight weeks away from peaking with park-violating, home-invading, NFLPA-ignoring, down-forgetting, handshake-stiffing, jet-ski-losing, biscuit-baking Bucs quarterback Tom Brady.
Problem is, the final game of the season is Sunday in Super Bowl LV. Had The Sickness not hit the world, Christensen believes with a full offseason, the Bucs might now just be hitting overdrive.
“It was a merger and it was hard as heck,” Christensen claimed of Arians’ and Brady’s two worlds uniting. “I really believe we need eight more games to play the best we can play. We are still a month out. We still have a chance to improve. I don’t think we have hit our peak yet.”
You can see Christensen’s full take below. His sermon sure sounds good. That is, until you take a step back and look at the NFL as a whole.
Did rookie Justin Herbert know Shane Steichen’s playbook before the Chargers drafted him?
Did Joe Burrow know Brian Callahan’s playbook before the Bungles drafted him?
What Christensen — and others — have said about the Bucs and Brady needing to learn the offense makes sense to a point. Then you look and see a couple of rookies excelling with lesser weapons than the Bucs and Brady have. Then Christensen’s argument blows up in smoke. History even backs it up with Cam Newton and Andy Dalton having exception rookie years after the 2011 lockout.
Unless Christensen is trying to say Arians’ offense is the most complex, trigonometry-like offense the NFL has ever seen.
But hey, the Bucs are in the Super Bowl whether Brady knows the offense well or not, the team is one win from being champions of the world.
If the Bucs can pull that off Sunday night, the offensive coaches can cry about how long it takes for a quarterback to learn the offense all they want. And Joe won’t give a damn! 🙂
#Bucs QB Coach Clyde Christensen on @TomBrady learning their offense with limited reps, Tom’s input into the scheme & calls, & how it all began to gel this season & how it compared with Peyton Manning going to Denver #PatMcAfeeShowLIVE pic.twitter.com/2Te4n6akmP
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) February 1, 2021
February 2nd, 2021 at 7:18 am
The lack of a true check down back has held them back some. The Burrow and Herbert comparisons I don’t get. Where do those offenses rank ? Manning, Roethleisberger, Luck, Palmer were all better in their 2nd year. The offense is inconsistent at times. If LF and Shady go next year JW is a free agent.
February 2nd, 2021 at 7:21 am
Well the Chargers finished 18th in offense and the Bengals somewhere around 30th (w/ Burrow being hurt).
The Bucs were one point out from being tops in the league. I think the Clyde is saying that they would have been even better. Hard to imagine but wouldn’t it fun to watch a record setting offense with a QB who is averse to giving up the ball.
Oh wait, that’s what we just saw. Now imagine them being even better.
February 2nd, 2021 at 7:33 am
“Did rookie Justin Herbert know Shane Steichen’s playbook before the Chargers drafted him?
Did Joe Burrow know Brian Callahan’s playbook before the Bungles drafted him?”
No, but they are sitting on their couches.
February 2nd, 2021 at 7:40 am
Herbert had a great year in his new system. Don’t you think however they’ll be all the more dangerous next year?
Same thing with Brady. Wouldn’t you think they’d be all the more effective by the middle of next year?
February 2nd, 2021 at 7:55 am
There is no way they are peaking, not even close. The defense served up great field position in the Sanit game, and in the Packers game again, the defense is really is doing their part. But there still is stop and start like offense happening in the playoffs. We will see how the Super Bowl goes, hopefully it is a cleaner game for the offense, like we saw in the last couple of weeks of the regular season. Now next year, this offense should be a Rolls Royce strolling down the street. GO BUCS!!!!!!!
February 2nd, 2021 at 7:55 am
I agree with others on here. Yes Burrow and Herbert was were fantastic, but the reference kinda comes off as if they had better years than Brady. They didn’t. Not even close, and their offenses were middle of pack. The point is that they will be better in year 2, and as good as Brady has been, he – as well as the entire offense, can be even better. I think that’s a nice thought, and that’s all Clyde was conveying. Don’t need to over think this. Going in to next yr Vegas has the Bucs as the NFC favorites for a reason and there is a chance we will see a better version of the Bucs next yr which should be a scary thought for everyone else
February 2nd, 2021 at 7:56 am
From what I understand, haven’t been to any meetings, Ariens offense IS rather complex.
Can’t wait to see this teams production in Tommy’s second year in it!
February 2nd, 2021 at 7:59 am
You have been beating this drum all year Joe, but it makes sense because Brady is so precise on timing that it stands to reason that it takes more chemistry to play the way he plays.
February 2nd, 2021 at 8:03 am
I think a debate could be had on if Christensen is alluding to “mastering” vs “learning.” The rookies may have learned their playbook and performed well, but both teams in your examples Joe would be terribly disappointed if these years end up being their “best.”
February 2nd, 2021 at 8:15 am
As long as the offense clicks on Sunday and the defense plays well, we have a really good chance of beating KC.
ALL aspects can ALWAYS be better. Consider that we have yet to see an entire game where all phases play well.
Is this the game?! Yes sir!
February 2nd, 2021 at 8:16 am
If an offense takes 25 weeks to reach it’s peak…..it’s too complicated…..
Either this is a smokescreen or an excuse in case it fails…….and it has’t failed.
February 2nd, 2021 at 8:54 am
The flip side of Joe’s argument is that our offense managed to be one of the best in the NFL, and it’s not even reaching its peak yet.
February 2nd, 2021 at 8:57 am
@Joe … “Then Christensen’s argument blows up in smoke.”
That interview with Pat MacAfee was superb. Clyde tells it like it is (and there were some fantastic stories in that interview). One of the most interesting tidbits IMO was when he said that Tom Brady first learned BA’s playbook BEFORE he started interjecting his own preferences. That, and the lack of a real preseason for everyone to gel, kinda explains why it took until after the BYE for things to really start clicking with our offense. And if someone with Clyde’s experience feels that we’re still a few week’s away from peaking, I think I’d rather go with that.
February 2nd, 2021 at 9:09 am
Justin Herbert and Joe Burrow are both young guns with great mobility and top tier arm talent who can make plays off schedule.
Tom Brady, while still having a great arm, is the prototype pocket passer, and while he has made some plays on the move, those are few and far between.
Tom Brady’s entire game and what makes him as great as he is, is the ability to throw with impeccable timing and anticipation and the ability to breakdown a defense with his eyes and know what the answers are to each individual look/coverage the defense is showing pre/post snap. And when you are in a new system for the first time in literally 20 years, it takes time to establish that timing and anticipation with all new receivers.
You really expose yourself for having a limited understanding of football with takes like these Joe.
February 2nd, 2021 at 9:31 am
@ DingleBerry
***You really expose yourself for having a limited understanding of football with takes like these Joe.***
**************************************************
C’mon Man!
While the “Joes” do not “troll” for clicks as some posters claim, clicks ARE the name of the game.
Sometimes that means finding stories and expressing takes that might seem a little “antagonizing” to you.
Everything vanilla isn’t very entertaining. And if this site was NOT entertaining, you probably wouldn’t be here!
It could be argued that Joe knows YOU, better than you know football!
February 2nd, 2021 at 9:37 am
gp says……..I would say this is pretty accurate
While the “Joes” do not “troll” for clicks as some posters claim, clicks ARE the name of the game.
Sometimes that means finding stories and expressing takes that might seem a little “antagonizing” to you.
Everything vanilla isn’t very entertaining. And if this site was NOT entertaining, you probably wouldn’t be here!
It could be argued that Joe knows YOU, better than you know football! ……In all honesty, the Joes know a whole lot more about the Bucs , good and bad than they ever post, that is for sure. GO BUCS!!!!!!!
February 2nd, 2021 at 9:50 am
So all along the offense just needed time to gel….lol…
GO BUCS
February 2nd, 2021 at 10:05 am
The real point is that the Bucs offense is trending up, along with Brady being the man who can grab a game by the balls and force it to it’s knees.
The Chiefs hit their peak around the time of the previous Bucs game. Hill has only had one touchdown since week 9. They are fighting against losing offensive ground and that is not a good place to be against the defensive line of the Bucs.
February 2nd, 2021 at 10:47 am
Gp… LOL! So Joe makes himself look like a simpleton for clicks and you eat it up? Interesting. Also, I don’t find his take “antagonizing” like you suggest, it’s wrong and like I said previously, it hints to a limited understanding of football.
But hey, you ride Joe’s jockstrap however much you’d like. To each their own.
February 2nd, 2021 at 10:48 am
Brady will have 12 straight days of watching film at home alone.
Maybe it peaks in 5 days
February 2nd, 2021 at 11:00 am
Joe, throwing up good stats and WINNING GAMES are two different things completely lol just bet THE HERBINATOR (kids gunna be REAL good..) put up some records doesn’t mean that their offense was all it could be… I mean just look at the records of both those teams lol and then look at us. Worlds apart for a grizzly vet like brady and a couple rookies.
February 2nd, 2021 at 11:09 am
@ DingleBerry
I bow to your massive, light bending intellect. (snark font off)
You completely missed the point, again.
You clicked.
BTW, you sure picked a strange name for having such a “clean” intellect.
February 2nd, 2021 at 11:19 am
The difference is simple, Brady demands perfection, he is not much of an improviser, he doesn’t have to when the receivers do as Brady says and the protection holds up – whereas Burrows and Herbert are more mobile and can improvise when things break down.
February 2nd, 2021 at 11:28 am
Gp.. Look, i’m not claiming to be the most intelligent, erudite and well informed football fan, but I don’t need to be a genius to understand that I can click on and read this article, whilst simultaneously scrutinizing a poor take Joe has made many times before, and refute it. Those to things are not in any way mutually exclusive.
While Joe’s take is bad and speaks to a mere surface level understanding of the sport, and attempts to make an apples to apples comparison based that is severely flawed, I at least understand the point he is attempting to make. However, I’m genuinely struggling what point you could possibly be trying make.
Ya dingus.
February 2nd, 2021 at 11:30 am
those *two* things lol.
Anyways, no bad blood here bro, the Bucs are in the SB and I couldn’t be more pumped. GO BUCS!
February 2nd, 2021 at 11:30 am
This is why I have posted that I cannot wait for next year.
The DBs a year older.
An entire off-season and training camp with Brady.
Rojo and Vaughn getting better at blocking and receiving.
Everyone one more year into the offense and defense of schemes….
I think the only players they don’t re-sign or Fournette and Brown And even Brown might stay to play with Brady at a discount.
Next year has the potential to be historic and it would be really nice if they were going for back to back
February 2nd, 2021 at 12:10 pm
@ DingleBerry
No worries dude
Would rather sit next to ya at a game than face off against ya
Fans?… Fans!
Just remember. This is one of those sites where we can express our opinions and agree to disagree. I respect the “Joes” for providing it for us with minimal (censorship is a bad word) regulation on what we say.
February 2nd, 2021 at 3:21 pm
It’s Tom brady. NONE of the guys you mentioned has his mentality. I’m sure if it were Peyton Manning they’d be saying similar things.
Guys are driven by getting stats, Tom is driven by being perfect and winning championships! His family is not in town for a reason. Clyde Christensen just gave us that reason.
February 2nd, 2021 at 4:10 pm
Joe, those offenses weren’t great. I’m sure they would even tell you that they are far from their peak. You need to stop using these examples.