OT: Official 2021 Tompa Bay Gronkaneers Thread

[Ice_Ice_Brady]

I'd like to see some 3 TE formations with Evans and Fournette as the other 2 skill players

I think using more TEs and dual RBs would have led to more success against the Saints and maybe the Rams.

 

[amfootball]

If it’s about # of targets, then yeah, get him out of there. There’s no way he can ever come back from that. If it’s about a beef with management/injuries, it’s another story.

The team might want to think twice about a TDs/yards incentive based contract for a guy known as the league’s biggest diva, being expected to get less targets for the greater good. It seems that playing time/snaps would be more logical. Not taking AB’s side here. It’s hindsight but it’s still a valid point.

I think it's tough to do that type of an incentive for a wide receiver who is paid to catch the ball.

 

[Ice_Ice_Brady]

I agree, he has always done a great job of staying focused and muting all outside noise.

At the time I felt Tom - who is as media savvy as any athlete - was not his usual self with the press, saying far more than I expected him to say. It felt at that moment a better tact would have been a brief, typical 'I don't know the facts, so I can't comment', or a similar 'I don't know, I didn't see', statement rather than to say as much as he did. It just seemed to be a bit out of character to me.

Hey man…just wanted to say I’m really glad you’re back on the forum. Maybe you’ve been for awhile, but I just realized it. I always appreciate your balanced insight and your Patriots history content.

 

[RicoG]

So much for the team meltdown that Bertrand was hoping for. LOL
But you know what is interesting watching that video? Literally no one goes over to Brown other than Mike. No coach, no other player. In other words no one cared what that goof was doing as the team was in the middle of a drive down 14 points. To me that shows that this team has all the heart you need to compete in the postseason. If they lose it'll be simply because they got beat by a better team not because of drama wished for by bitter Patriots media and some fans.

If Bucs lose, it's cause their defense didn't play elite like they did last year. Even with a top offense, it's hard for any team to win 3 or 4 games in a row against top teams if the D is not playing their best.

How often do teams win a SB with an average of bad D?

 

[amfootball]

If Bucs lose, it's cause their defense didn't play elite like they did last year. Even with a top offense, it's hard for any team to win 3 or 4 games in a row against top teams if the D is not playing their best.

How often do teams win a SB with an average of bad D?

The bucs last year was probably the closest team to do it with the offense scoring 30 plus points a game. If you go back and look at those games, the only real dominant performance by the defense was in the super bowl and it was great but of course the offense was scoring at will as well.

That being said, I agree that the defense will have to play a larger role this year for the team to be successful because of the injuries.

 

[RicoG]

I'd like to see some 3 TE formations with Evans and Fournette as the other 2 skill players

That's asking too much of the Bucs. I keep on hoping they don't throw it 30 yards on 3rd or 4th and short yet they keep on doing it.
Very much the opposite of the Patriots where in most years they barely threw it past 20 yards.

 

[Deus Irae]

They are only 13th in avg per pass attempts

So what? They use their passing game as their running game more than most teams.


Edit: That's probably not a fair way to put it, so let me put it a little bit differently.


Tampa has over 100 completions to the RBs, and they have the same net yards per pass attempt as the Packers, which is another team with high passing attempt numbers to the RBs.

 

[VectorPrime]

I am small c concerned that bumping Gronk up to being the #2 receiving option might expose him to more bruising hits and perhaps make him look more like his 2018 form then what he’s shown this year. But it is only for a postseason run so ideally it’s not a tall task to keep pushing through it.

Next offseason extend Godwin, sign OBJ for short money since he will still probably be ring chasing and has always wanted to play with Brady, and bring back Gronk. The cap WILL fit it don’t even try and argue otherwise.

 

[RicoG]

The bucs last year was probably the closest team to do it with the offense scoring 30 plus points a game. If you go back and look at those games, the only real dominant performance by the defense was in the super bowl and it was great but of course the offense was scoring at will as well.

That being said, I agree that the defense will have to play a larger role this year for the team to be successful because of the injuries.

I've already forgotten the particulars of what the defense did last year but in general they:
Stopped the run.
Did not stay on the field for long thus allowing the offense to have a decent amount of opportunities to score.
They had interception, fumbles, and sacks, thus giving the o good field position to score.

It was complimentary football. Don't know exactly how good the D was but they helped the O quite a bit.

 

[amfootball]

I've already forgotten the particulars of what the defense did last year but in general they:
Stopped the run.
Did not stay on the field for long thus allowing the offense to have a decent amount of opportunities to score.
They had interception, fumbles, and sacks, thus giving the o good field position to score.

It was complimentary football. Don't know exactly how good the D was but they helped the O quite a bit.

Taylor Heinecke absolutely tore them apart. If not for Brady and the offense they lose that game right out of the gate.

They did get the turnovers from the Saints and the offense did score off of all those short fields so you're right it was more complementary football in that game.

In the NFC championship game it was the offense that raced out to a 21-7 lead and then the defense let up that lead in the second half but then stopped Rodgers from scoring inside the 10 allowing Brady to run out the clock.

Imo, it was an offensive lead playoff run and even in the super bowl the bucs offense was unstoppable and only stopped trying to score because it was 28 to 9 in the middle of the third quarter. I mean the defense played its best game of the year but because the offense was scoring it made the Chiefs one-dimensional too.

 

[RicoG]

Next offseason extend Godwin, sign OBJ for short money since he will still probably be ring chasing and has always wanted to play with Brady, and bring back Gronk. The cap WILL fit it don’t even try and argue otherwise.

Yeah, it's pretty easy to do. Just have to push everything back to after Brady retires. I hope the Bucs are willing to tank/rebuild the year after Brady retires and the silver lining is they get a high draft pick.

It was a plan I was hoping NE would implement but BB wasn't willing until he had to once TB was gone. And they got the high draft pick and the QB of the future out of it.

 

[RicoG]

I am small c concerned that bumping Gronk up to being the #2 receiving option might expose him to more bruising hits and perhaps make him look more like his 2018 form then what he’s shown this year. But it is only for a postseason run so ideally it’s not a tall task to keep pushing through it.

Yeah, at this stage of Gronk's career he is at his best when he is used as a complimentary piece as the 3rd option, as a decoy, and as a blocking tight end.
Every time Gronk gets hurt he comes back looking noticeably slower.

Evans, Fournette, and Gronk have all been hobbled this year. If they are not slowed down too much by injury, with Brady they can still be lethal weapons together.

 

[Deus Irae]

I am small c concerned that bumping Gronk up to being the #2 receiving option might expose him to more bruising hits and perhaps make him look more like his 2018 form then what he’s shown this year. But it is only for a postseason run so ideally it’s not a tall task to keep pushing through it.

Next offseason extend Godwin, sign OBJ for short money since he will still probably be ring chasing and has always wanted to play with Brady, and bring back Gronk. The cap WILL fit it don’t even try and argue otherwise.

I think the answer may well end up being that Tampa will have to become more game plan specific with its personnel.

Playing Green Bay, with its suspect run defense? Go big and pound the rock more.
Playing Dallas, with its pressuring DL and ball hawking, but beatable, CBs? Time for Gronk to be the #1 target.
Playing the Rams, with that pass rush and Ramsey in the back? Time to spread the ball around, and to either use a lot of passes to the RB or to plug a WR into a Deebo Samuel type role.
Etc...

 

[Guts]

I think the answer may well end up being that Tampa will have to become more game plan specific with its personnel.

Playing Green Bay, with its suspect run defense? Go big and pound the rock more.
Playing Dallas, with its pressuring DL and ball hawking, but beatable, CBs? Time for Gronk to be the #1 target.
Playing the Rams, with that pass rush and Ramsey in the back? Time to spread the ball around, and to either use a lot of passes to the RB or to plug a WR into a Deebo Samuel type role.
Etc...

Just no Saints please

 

[VectorPrime]

I think the answer may well end up being that Tampa will have to become more game plan specific with its personnel.

Playing Green Bay, with its suspect run defense? Go big and pound the rock more.
Playing Dallas, with its pressuring DL and ball hawking, but beatable, CBs? Time for Gronk to be the #1 target.
Playing the Rams, with that pass rush and Ramsey in the back? Time to spread the ball around, and to either use a lot of passes to the RB or to plug a WR into a Deebo Samuel type role.
Etc...

This is where I worry about Leftwhich.

 

[sb1]

I think the Bucs can repeat without AB and Godwin but not as confident as I was last year nor as much as I'd be if those guys were available.

One of the reasons for that is the run defense which really should be the best in the league has been kinda inconsistent in the last month. That needs to be corrected.

Colts got 5.1 YPC although they have the best RB in the league. Still not ideal.
Falcons 30th ranked run offense - 5.3 YPC
Bills 9.1 YPC
Jets 24th ranked run offense - 5.7 YPC

 

[Tottie]

This season reminds me of 2015 when a depleted NE team went up against Manning and just couldn't pull it off. They will go into Lambeau and Rodgers will receive legend status if he wins.

 

[Tottie]

This season reminds me of 2015 when a depleted NE team went up against Manning and just couldn't pull it off. They will go into Lambeau and Rodgers will receive legend status if he wins.

2013 also comes to mind when Gronk was out there as a decoy and Talib was out and it was a **** show.

 

[SHOWTIME15]

I think the answer may well end up being that Tampa will have to become more game plan specific with its personnel.

Playing Green Bay, with its suspect run defense? Go big and pound the rock more.
Playing Dallas, with its pressuring DL and ball hawking, but beatable, CBs? Time for Gronk to be the #1 target.
Playing the Rams, with that pass rush and Ramsey in the back? Time to spread the ball around, and to either use a lot of passes to the RB or to plug a WR into a Deebo Samuel type role.
Etc...

I wouldn't call GB's run defense suspect...they are ranked 12th. It's certainly better than NE's. Since November, GB has given up to RBs:

Minn - 91 yards

LAR - 68 yards

Chicago - 63 yards

Baltimore - 70 yards

Cleveland - 219 yards

Minn - 13 yards

With the exception of the Cleveland game, GB has been fairly stout against RBs since mid-November.


Versus Dallas in September, Godwin and Brown carried the day for the Bucs receiving corps with 226 yards. However, Gronk had 90 yards and Evans only 24 yards.

 

[VectorPrime]

2013 also comes to mind when Gronk was out there as a decoy and Talib was out and it was a **** show.

Gronk was on IR. They had Matt Mulligen as TE