While two games above .500, the Buccaneers are this season’s disappointment. Not as disappointing as the Browns last year, but a disappointment nonetheless. After signing Tom Brady in the offseason, people had this team pegged to win it all. If the rest of the season goes the same way, the Buccaneers need to make a change. Should that change come in the form of Bruce Arians or Tom Brady?
The Case to Unload Tom Brady
This one isn’t too hard to think of reasons why. He’s 43 and has been on a steady decline. At times this season, he’s looked downright atrocious, and can’t hit key passes. If you listened to Bruce Arians, you’d think Tom Brady was the worst quarterback in NFL history. Part of this is because Bruce Arians likes moving the ball down field, and being aggressive. This isn’t Tom Brady’s game. He likes short/intermediate passes, and taking a shot when the guy is open, and hasn’t adapted well to this new scheme.
Tom Brady also isn’t this franchise’s future. If he was a young quarterback playing at this level, you’d be thrilled. However, Tom’s in the twilight of his career. If you think this team can win without him, it’d be better to get the next guy and have him develop into your quarterback for years to come.
The Case to Get Rid of Bruce Arians
This one makes far more sense to me. Yes, Tom Brady is 43 and is on the decline. However, BA isn’t a spring chicken either. He’s 68, and won’t coach much longer than Brady plays. Brady probably has two decent years left, and if you think Bruce Arians can win you a ring in the next five without him, get rid of Brady. However, if Bruce Arians was a good coach, he could win a ring in the next two. Is Bruce Arians a good offensive mind? Yes. Would I want to play for him? Hell no.
Bruce Arians’ Ego is a Problem
In his mind, Bruce Arians places himself with the likes of Bill Belichick, Vince Lombardi, and Tom Landry. How do I know this? Here’s his thoughts on how the team can succeed:
“[O]ffensively, it’s just a matter of each and every week if the quarterback plays well or not.”
Bruce Arians
Yes, Bruce, it never comes down to playcalling. And yes, I know Byron Leftwich calls plays. However, that’s the guy Bruce brought in. He refuses to admit that playcalling is an issue because that’s his guy running the scheme he likes. Rather, he blames everything on Brady and his inability to read a defense. Yes, that Tom Brady. The guy who notoriously can’t read coverages and has no clue what’s going on…
You don’t bring in a veteran quarterback of Brady’s pedigree and make him run a scheme he doesn’t like. Even when Peyton Manning went to Denver, they changed up his scheme to let him succeed… why isn’t Bruce Arians doing that for Tom Brady? Because Bruce thinks he’s more important than Brady and, by extension, winning games. Say what you want about that, but if Bruce Arians truly cared about winning a ring, he’d put his quarterback in the best position to succeed. He’s simply not doing that.
Dan Orlovsky said it best on Get Up:
“Right now Bruce Arians is wasting Tom Brady. He got served on a silver platter the greatest quarterback to ever play, and all you had to do was use him the right way.”
— Get Up (@GetUpESPN) November 30, 2020
—@danorlovsky7 pic.twitter.com/Puip7rvYDq
The Buccaneers and Bruce Arians are wasting Tom Brady. If they don’t make a Super Bowl, Bruce Arians should be out of a job for one last title run with Brady.
Buccaneers, fire Bruce Arians for Tom, please. Bruce Arians fans (if you exist), go yell at me on Twitter (@BellyUpKev). Or agree with me.
