Really the only silver lining here is that the new playoff format makes the result a little less devastating. Sure, the Saints or Bucs had a chance at the #1 seed, but chances are they’re both playing wild card weekend and needing to win 4 playoff games. Add in the limited HFA with Covid and you’re not talking about the same type of monumental disadvantage as last year. But the Bucs are going nowhere.
My guess is they fire Arians and hire McDaniels next season. Not that I think Josh is a great coach, but I just expect this to happen.
They’re exactly what we thought they’d be, only more talented (league leading DVOA by a wide margin.) They’re a typical Arians boom-or-bust team. Look no further than their results against Green Bay and New Orleans. To have three absolute blowouts when facing other strong teams isn’t a fluke but the quintessential Bruce Arians experience.
I think the problem here is that if Arians is gone, basically the entire coaching staff is going to go with him. It's the most extreme "good old boys" staff in the league.
The AHC, OC, DC, STC, QB coach, RB coach, WR coach, TE coach, OL coach, offensive assistant, offensive consultant, OLB coach, ILB coach, CB coach, S coach, assistant to the head coach, and head strength coach all coached or played for Arians elsewhere. The assistant DL coach was a student at Temple when Arians was there, but
she obviously didn't play for him. The DL coach and defensive quality control coach worked for Bowles with the Jets. An assistant strength coach worked for the head strength coach at Mississippi State, and the specialists coach was working there too. One D/ST assistant played a year for the ST coordinator. The other D/ST assistant's father worked with Arians.
I believe that leaves the offensive quality control coach, John Van Dam, as the only on-field coach without a clear one or two-step connection to Arians. The best I can find there is that he backed up Drew Stanton at Michigan State and then Stanton spent 2012-2017 with Arians.