After a grueling first couple days in pads and in the Florida heat and humidity – the weather gave the Buccaneers some reprieve, with the threat of storms forcing them indoors. It worked out because it was also a schedule 'spiders' day, which consists of light shoulder pads, shorts, jerseys and helmets.
It was an all-red zone day according to Head Coach Bruce Arians. Take a look at the takeaways from the Bucs Indoor Practice facility:
- Left guard Ali Marpet bought quarterback Tom Brady some time in the blitz period by bringing his defender to the ground. The play resulted in a touchdown to tight end Rob Gronkowski right in the center of the end zone.
- Brady hit wide receiver Scotty Miller on play action for another touchdown with a delayed six-man rush coming at him.
- Rookie right tackle staved off outside linebacker Shaq Barrett as Brady hit running back LeSean McCoy over the middle just as he was crossing the goal line.
- Cornerback Jamel Dean had some textbook defense on wide receiver Mike Evans but Brady put the ball where only Evans could get it, in the front corner of the end zone for another touchdown.
- On the next play, Dean got a piece of the pass from quarterback Blaine Gabbert and tipped it up into the air where rookie safety Antoine Winfield Jr. was able to grab it and get both feet down in bounds. The ball really does just find the young player, who had seven interceptions last season at Minnesota.
- Rookie Benning Potoa'e looks straight up slippery inside. He would have had a sack on Gabbert after flushing him out of the pocket and chasing him down in the blitz period.
- At one point, the Bucs went into an empty set and thanks to some great misdirection by the receivers, Evans ended up wide open in the back corner of the end zone to end the period with a touchdown for Brady. He got rid of it right before linebacker Cam Gill would have had the sack.
- Brady seemed to give the running backs their fair share of work in the first part of his seven-on-seven period.
- The second time around, the defense seemed to be limiting Brady's completions. He even had to throw it away at one point.
- Rookie linebacker Chapelle Russell nabbed himself an interception off quarterback Ryan Griffin in the seven-on-seven period. He leapt up to tip the ball to himself in the end zone.
- Griff then made up for it by following the play with a touchdown to tight end Antony Auclair.
- That wasn't it for picks in seven-on-seven though. It was linebacker Jack Cichy nabbing an interception off Brady, jumping right in front of a pass intended for Evans.
- The offense worked through a situation where they needed a touchdown with 23 seconds left in the game and no timeouts left while inside the red zone. The first play was a great pass to tight end Cameron Brate where Brady led him with the ball, putting it right in front of him so Brate could catch it in stride.
- The defense staved off the first team, though. Evans did manage to catch the final pass but he landed out of bounds behind the end zone.
- Gabbert struck quickly with a touchdown to wide receiver Bryant Mitchell as he stepped up in the same situation.
- But then rookie cornerback Parnell Motley followed the play up with an interception.
- Brady redeemed himself in his next crack at it, throwing a dart to Miller in the back of the end zone, just out of the reach of cornerback Carlton Davis.
- There was one moment when Gabbert came back in that he and his offensive coordinator were extremely in sync. Byron Leftwich was standing behind Gabbert and they both ended up calling out the same check and pointing to the same player at the same time. Once a quarterback, always a quarterback, I suppose.
- The team red zone period saw Brady sneak a pass to Godwin right in a window between two defenders who were closing in fast. The timing and spot of the ball were just absolute perfection.
- Potoa'e would have had another sack on Brady after newcomer Kyle Love occupied both Alex Cappa and Tristan Wirfs, allowing Potoa'e to get around the outside and into the backfield. He pulled up before he got to Brady though, don't worry.
- The period then finished with this absolute gem. I'll say it again: ball. placement.
