Bruce Arians Lauds Two Offensive Linemen Versus Rams
January 25th, 2022
Josh Wells is a great bet to return to Tampa next season.
Bucco Bruce Arians made a fantastic point yesterday that cut through a lot of BS and emotion following Sunday’s season-ending punch to the groin inflicted by the Rams.
Despite the various offensive line injuries and a hearty handful of struggles, the mighty Bucs’ offensive line did enough to win the game.
“Really individual breakdowns versus any kind of injuries,” Arians said of the offensive line on the Buccaneers Radio Network. “You know, I gotta give Ryan Jensen and Josh Wells unbelievable credit for playing injured — and playing well injured. Josh left the game, came back.
“Von Miller got Donovan [Smith] a couple of times. It was just here and there. Overall we had enough to win the game offensively.”
Arians is being forthright. The Bucs ran the ball effectively and the line held up enough to put up 27 points and keep Tom Brady in one piece, despite the Rams being able to pin their ears back and hunt him with a four-score lead.
Interestingly, Arians revealed that the Bucs knew all week long that center Ryan Jensen would play on Sunday, even though he turned an ankle against the Eagles on Wild Card Sunday and was listed as questionable. So there were no surprises in game-planning. The Bucs, per Arians, did not expect Tristan Wirfs (high ankle sprain) to play.
What a season it was for the offensive line. Truly special
When Tom Brady sits down with Bucs management soon, rest assured the first question he’ll ask is whether Jensen and Alex Cappa will be re-signed in free agency.
January 25th, 2022 at 10:21 am
If both are retained Joe we’d be paying 4 out of 5 O lineman top dollar. Only one of the two will be back. We have 8 other FA’s, can’t pay them all.
January 25th, 2022 at 10:22 am
Von got Donavon a couple of times??????
More like everytime. Really disappointed in Smith, seemed he was no match and offered little resistance. I know Von is always gonna beat his man some, but he was barely getting in Von’s way
January 25th, 2022 at 10:22 am
Yes, we have to bring Jensen back!
January 25th, 2022 at 10:25 am
Why waste a 3rd round pick on Hainsey if you are planning on paying 5 lineman ahead of him top dollar…
ZERO chance we sign both Cappa and Jensen and I don’t think we sign either one to be honest.
January 25th, 2022 at 10:28 am
Geez. It’s way too soon to start bringing me down further than I already am. Can’t we wait a few more days to discuss the future?
January 25th, 2022 at 10:34 am
Jensen will probably get tagged. I think he stays regardless. Cappa is almost certainly gone. Someone will throw stupid money at him which happens every offseason. We have the rookie here and of course we could also bring in a free agent if need be.
January 25th, 2022 at 10:35 am
@ Rick
Good point. I agree. Look for Hainsey to be our starting Center or Right Guard next season.
It’s also possible we bring back A. Stinnie (who can also play Center) on a cheap deal and he will compete with Nick Leverett for the starting Right Guard position.
We have 25 free agents. 12 are starters. We can’t keep them all.
January 25th, 2022 at 10:41 am
They are not bringing back cappa they can get another guard probably already have it on the roster maybe Jensen though
January 25th, 2022 at 10:42 am
I anticipate a LOT of roster moves this off-season.
The OL played well considering. Smith’s struggles against speed-rushers is well documented and I knew it would be an issue against the Rams and Von Miller.
I’m interested in Hainsey’s development. Where’s he at? Can we afford to lose starters with him in the pipeline?
January 25th, 2022 at 10:43 am
Pretty sure it wasn’t just Miller that got don either. That other dude got the best of him a couple times at least
January 25th, 2022 at 10:43 am
should’ve ran the ball more in the first half instead of completely abandoning it after the first two plays.
January 25th, 2022 at 10:44 am
I’d like to see the Bucs invest a mid-round pick in a swing tackle. Josh Wells is okay, but some competition for him would be good, IMHO.
January 25th, 2022 at 10:47 am
I think most are forgetting the rule……What Tom wants, Tom Gets……
If Brady stays….we will sign both Cappa & Jensen….and most likely, Godwin.
If he leaves, it’s time to rebuild….we could go with Hainsey & Stennie & save the money for another position…..CB, OLB, TE
January 25th, 2022 at 10:51 am
If they’re able to bring back Cappa and Jensen great. If it’s one or the other because they have whitehead, Godwin, Lenny, and Gholston to sign, Jensen is more important. They’ll have to sign Stinnie back
January 25th, 2022 at 10:52 am
Please come back Tom!!!!
January 25th, 2022 at 10:56 am
Von got Smith more than a couple times and they didn’t help Wells enough !! Great Offensive line Year !! Terrible Last Game !!
January 25th, 2022 at 10:57 am
Hat’s off to Wells, he got punched in the mouth and hung in there on one leg. Many guys would of packed it in, ha hum Jarden, Johnson.
January 25th, 2022 at 10:58 am
@ TBBF
I agree. What Tommy wants Tommy gets.
However – there is a rule that trumps the “what Tommy wants” rule. It’s called the salary cap.
It is highly unlikely we can afford to bring everyone back. Godwin alone will eat up more than half of our available cap space…
Jenson is on the wrong side of 30.
If Cappa is willing to sign a very team friendly deal it is possible we get him back…
January 25th, 2022 at 11:03 am
Are you doubting that Licht can find a replacement for Cappa? He’s been a wizard finding good O line pieces
January 25th, 2022 at 11:06 am
This season shows the importance of quality depth.
January 25th, 2022 at 11:06 am
If we noticed nothing else after this weekend’s great game, we noticed how impactful special teams can be. It is the most glaring weakness on our team, even more than the secondary which clearly isn’t elite but isn’t as bad as some make it out to be. The blind spot our coach has for Armstrong is puzzling. We need an overhaul on special teams.
January 25th, 2022 at 11:07 am
*games not game
January 25th, 2022 at 11:07 am
ya know i really hate that saying: “pin your ears back”
wtf does it mean???
when was the last time you stuck a pin thru your ear and then attached it to a small chunk of fleshy skin at the lower back portion of your head, or upper back portion of your neck???
i’d venture to say never…
i don’t think anyone has ever pinned their ears back to go hunting…
ever…
if the head coach of your son’s high school football team made him pin his ears, and he came home all damaged up with swollen ears and a puffy neck, you would probably try to sue his azz or the school…
so in essence, no one ever pins their ears back to go hunting – no matter how much devin white says it at the podium
January 25th, 2022 at 11:12 am
I see an OL rework next year with Trask starting at QB.
dumpster fire it wil be
January 25th, 2022 at 11:13 am
i’d hate to see cappa go…
but it’s true, licht, being a old o-lineman himself, is really good at finding sleeper dudes…
so if we gotta lose cappa to save cap money, sign stinnie, and draft another sleeper – i’m for it…
but first try to keep big cappa…
the o-line is my fave group – except for d smith, after sunday’s shantytown showing
January 25th, 2022 at 11:15 am
Worth investing in the O line, and in particular if TB12 is back. You gotta pay Jensen. He does way too much that cannot be replaced, and he plays injured. Should likely find a way to keep all of those linemen, because this season was all about attrition.
January 25th, 2022 at 11:17 am
That comment is hanging in the air like a liver pill fart.
That’s aimed at you, Mr. Bowles.
January 25th, 2022 at 11:36 am
A year of change ahead. Too many gray beards on the team. Coaching changes, player changes all very likely. Not even convinced the head coach is totally safe. This seasons playoff teams showcased new and younger and mobile quarterbacks. The favored Greenbay, Bucs and Titains all stumbled while the younger faster teams flashed. The old guard had its day. Change is the only certainty in the NFL. Glazers will have to spend big in free agency to keep up. At this point Brady and Gronk are only a maybe. And the supporting cast needs a new influx of talent.he
January 25th, 2022 at 11:37 am
What game did Arians re-watch? Brady was under siege literally the entire game. Even Marpet was getting worked over and over.
The OL was horrible and entirely the reason they couldn’t move the ball for about 50 minutes of this game.
January 25th, 2022 at 11:50 am
“The old guard had its day”
Is that why Stafford the statue is still in it.
We lost because of the coaching plan, injuries on no options at WR. The latter being the most important for an old gaurd QB.
The injuries the team endured this year, and AB leaving was not something we could overcome. That and our two edge rushers are over the hill.
January 25th, 2022 at 11:51 am
Vea had a sack and 2 QB hits and plays less than 1/2 the game??
Gholston has only 21 snaps??
Bad management of D.
January 25th, 2022 at 11:57 am
I think the bottom line is, they’re not going to run it back again this year like they did last year. Some players are going to be gone. This is a year where, even if Brady comes back, that have to set the wheels in motion for life without him.
January 25th, 2022 at 11:57 am
How many good, performing draft picks have we let walk after their 4/5 years?
I think Licht will do most anything to resign Cappa……
January 25th, 2022 at 12:05 pm
@ TBBF
I agree. Perhaps we bring back Cappa and allow Stinnie and Hainsey to compete for the starting Center gig.
January 25th, 2022 at 12:05 pm
Brady will know whether he has an OLine he can trust or not- if Bucs let Jensen or Cappa go- Brady will go to another team or retire.
Hainsey?? The guy can barely get in the field for ST..
January 25th, 2022 at 12:08 pm
Not a huge Bowles fan at all—waaaay too much blitzing for my tastes—but isn’t he the same DC that won three playoff games on the road and won a Super Bowl with an excellent defense?
That last play defines “no risk-it, no biscuit.” Had that all-out blitz worked, he’d be hailed as a genius.
But it didn’t work, and we are left with post-elimination bitching and moaning…which is the domain of second-guessing losers.
January 25th, 2022 at 12:13 pm
imagine how much better the line could have been had we kept a TE/RB to chip before running routes more often and ran the ball more early. we were doomed by job interviews…. errr i mean gameplans by our oc/dc
January 25th, 2022 at 12:16 pm
It’s time to get younger if we can……I believe Licht drafted Hainsey to replace Jensen…..Cappa is likely resigned.
You have to believe they tried to work out a deal with Jensen last year and failed……then they drafted Hainsey……
They’ll keep Jensen…..probably the end of JPP & Suh unless there are very friendly team deals.
January 25th, 2022 at 12:17 pm
Sorry….they won’t keep Jensen….
January 25th, 2022 at 12:18 pm
TBBF- if Bucs do as you suggested, say hello to 7-10.
January 25th, 2022 at 12:19 pm
What if Tom Brady wants out of Tampa but wants to continue playing?
Could we possibly trade TB12 to a team like the Indy Colts?
They are a solid team with a weak QB and lots of cap space. Just like the Bucs were 2 years ago.
Gronk, Godwin and Jenson go with him and we re-sign all our free agents except JPP, Steve McLendon, OJ and ROJO.
It’s funny that nobody has even mentioned this possibility yet.
The Colts give us a first and second round pick. Plus the Bucs get some salary cap relief and start to rebuild.
TB12 gets another shot at a Super Bowl
January 25th, 2022 at 12:26 pm
the thing with jensen, is they tried if i’m correct to adjust his salary last year, to be more cap friendly, and he told them no thanks, ask others…
so he might not be too easy to negotiate with…or his agent…
but i’d like to see big red back for sure – and i’d venture to say tom would too…
#SameSwampAzzOverNewSwampAzz 🙂
January 25th, 2022 at 12:27 pm
Wells did get a lot of help, and it was that help that slowed the Bucs offense. Gronk spent too much time lending that aid; that shorted Brady yet another weapon.
I can’t blame Smith because he got absolutely zero help. Miller could have been chipped a few times, if the help wasn’t on the other end of the line.
The offense, at least, played fairly well, the defense needs rebuilt, starting at the top.
Maybe we can talk Atlanta into making him their head coach, that would give us two wins a year.
January 25th, 2022 at 12:28 pm
Jensen will be the next jpp. So dont sign him. Have heinsley replace him or draft a Center. Use that money to sign fournette and cappa.
Signing shaq was a mistake. Couldve of use that money for 2 pass rushers like hendrickson and or dupree.
So dont sign jpp, gholston. C davis , whitehead. We can sign a vet CB like gilmore, peterson and draft a CB. Dean and smb are free agents next year.
January 25th, 2022 at 12:30 pm
They needed to help Wells (especially when Donald rushed against him). We’re paying D. Smith like $15M+ a year and he was absolutely awful all game. Can’t help on both tackles.
January 25th, 2022 at 2:34 pm
Hey Rick, Marine, here’s how it could play out. We let Cappa go. We pay Jensen for one more year. We let Hainsey and Stinnie fight it out for starting RG this year. If Hainsey wins the job he slides to center in 2023. (Then we have another competition for RG again in 2023.)
January 25th, 2022 at 2:40 pm
So Giselle tells Brady she is tired of seeing him get hit. So if Sundays game is any indication then Brady will retire. He got hit a lot. Donovan Smith was extremely disappointing letting Von Miller get to Brady and bloody him up. You think Giselle was happy seeing that? I know there were injuries but there were times the L.A. Rams just owned our offensive line. If it had not been for the Rams trying to gift wrap a comeback for us this would not have been close.
January 25th, 2022 at 3:37 pm
72 sucked . If Brady had as much time as either of the AFC finalist the Bucs would be in the SB ! If 72 was playing so well, why was Brady bleeding!!
January 25th, 2022 at 7:32 pm
Gholston is must. He is the glue of our defense. The secondary needs to be kept intact. We can afford to lose Cappa. Hainsey might end up being an improvement. Time will tell.
January 26th, 2022 at 5:37 am
TB12 enters Tampa Bay, Bucks make the playoffs after so many years and win a Super Bowl on the 1st year and you went past wildcard in the 2nd. and was let down by poor defense read. Now there’s plenty expert voices of moving chess pieces around to have a better Bucks Team. This is the best Bucks team in the last 2 seasons. The only thing that needs changing is special teams.
January 26th, 2022 at 7:34 am
The fact of the matter is, if succup would of made that kick in beginning of game, we could of won that game,regardless of poor officiating that took place also,we need a consistent kicker!