TAMPA, Fla. — The question has been asked since the first game: Is this Bruce Arians’ offense or Tom Brady’s?
Quite clearly, it belongs to the Bucs and their no risk it, no biscuit head coach.
Brady was expected to put some of his own spin on it. However, getting in sync with teammates initially was always going to be a problem with no preseason games.
It took about 13 games, but Brady and the Bucs’ offense has finally clicked. In the last two games, the Bucs have scored 78 points while Brady has passed for 738 yards and six touchdowns. The result has been a 31-27 win over the Falcons and a 47-7 win at Detroit.
“We’ve got things now to where we don’t have to answer those questions: ‘Is it Tom’s offense or is my offense?’“ Arians said. “It’s the Bucs offense. It’s pretty damn good.”
In the Bucs’ five losses, Brady has eight touchdown passes and nine interceptions. In the 10 wins, he has thrown 28 TD passes and only two INTs.
“I think just everybody knowing each other a little bit more and more each week,” Arians said on the Bucs’ reduction of turnovers over the past month. “Everybody is kind of on the same page now so there’s no miscommunication”
Brady’s ability to protect the football has been paramount. The Bucs led the NFL with 41 turnovers on offense in 2019 and have only 16 this season, the fourth-fewest in the NFL.
“I was hoping for less than that,” Arians said. “We emphasized ball security with our receivers and our backs ... the interceptions, I think we’re in good shape. I mean, I knew we were going to turn them down a bunch and we had to, to go to the playoffs.”
