TAMPA, Fla – Tampa Bay Buccaneers coach Bruce Arians said he doesn’t care what people have to say about him, publicly highlighting quarterback Tom Brady’s mistakes after the loss Sunday against the New Orleans Saints.
The Arians have not shied away from calling media players in the past and he said on Wednesday he believes his relationship with Brady is healthy.
“Tom and I are fine. I don’t care what other people think. So that’s what he and I think,” Arians said Wednesday with a chuckle. “We left the stadium well. We presented ourselves well today. There is nothing to say.”
Professional Football Hall of Fame member Brett Favre said on his radio show, “The SiriusXM Blitz” with Bruce Murray on Tuesday, that unless the coach and quarterback get along, calling Brady publicly can lead to tension down the road.
“Coming to Bruce Arians comments, whether that’s true or not, I think the last person you want to call after Game One of the year is Tom Brady,” Favre said Tuesday. “Now maybe they had a mutual truce before the game, before the season, ‘Hey I’m going to be tough on you. I want guys to know we’re going to treat you the same even though technically I aren’t you, so are you okay? If they have this truce, good. If not, I think you’re barking the wrong tree. “
After the match, Arians was asked about Brady’s two interceptions. He replied: “One was bad communication between him and Mike [Evans]. He thought Mike was going in the middle – it was a different cover – Mike read that right. He should have been across his face, but Tom knocked him over. The other was a screen pass with a point of sale called. He threw the plug and it was a pick-six. Bad Decision. “
The Arians corrected themselves on Monday, saying Evans was actually responsible for the first interception.
But Favre always challenged.
“The rifts could easily come in quickly,” said Favre, who has a unique perspective, having spent 16 seasons with the Green Bay Packers before going to the New York Jets in 2008 and the Minnesota Vikings in 2009 in 2010. “Maybe the Saints didn’t. Do whatever they weren’t ready for except we didn’t protect very well, Tom gets hit a few times, you get a little bit nervous, it happens. “
Arians has maintained a close relationship with his quarterbacks, telling ESPN when he was first hired by the Bucs in 2019 that quarterbacks “become my sons.” He even joked that getting a bit too close to Ben Roethlisberger was one of the reasons he was fired by the Pittsburgh Steelers. He’s going to play golf with his quarterbacks. He invites them to his lake house in Georgia. And he believes in an open and honest relationship with them.
But he also believes in holding them accountable, like all of his players, which is why he will put their names on weekly accountability sheets. This is also why he cursed Brady during a visit to the start of camp.
“He gets insulted like everyone else,” Arians said of Brady during camp, adding, “He likes to throw the ball in the walk-throughs, and we don’t throw the ball in the walk-through.” Brady replied on Twitter: “I’m used to it!” with a laughing emoji. Brady is no stranger to hard coaching. He was cursed by Bill Belichick during training camp training. He entered a shouting match with former offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien.
What sets Arians apart from other coaches is that they avoid coaching talk and tend to be more upfront with the media. If he thinks a player is underperforming or that the players around him need to step up, he will say so. Still, he praised Brady. He adheres to Mentor Bear Bryant’s philosophy: “Train them hard, squeeze them later.”
Favre believes the Arians should adhere to Belichick’s methods of keeping things in-house.
“Bruce Arians is the head coach, he’s going to do it the way he wants – and I’m not saying it’s right or wrong – but what has been going on in New England for so many years, c ‘Is that it worked, “Favre said. “And I’m not saying it’s the right formula, but it’s definitely one of the right formulas. I just don’t see any good coming out of your quarterback’s call.
“And we’re not just talking about a quarterback – we are talking about maybe the biggest acquisition in football history. I don’t care if he’s 43, 33 or 21. Say collectively: ‘We have to play better. From quarterback to kicker, we have to play better, we have to train better. To get to where we want to go, that’s what we’re going to have to do.
As for the audience who wrote Brady and the Bucs after a game, the Arians said on Wednesday: “I was amused when they presented us with the Lombardi Trophy in July. But, yeah, that’s part of the game. company. You go with it. It’s one week at a time, one day at a time. We win a few games, everyone will be back on the train, happy [laughs]. It’s just part of the game. “
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