-Bucs Head Coach Bruce Arians went on Angels Manager and Tampa resident Joe Maddon's new YouTube show ‘Uncorked’ to talk Tom Brady and coaching philosophy. The pair, who have been friends for years and are frequent supporters of each other's charity endeavors, sat down via videochat with a couple drinks and talked shop. It was the first episode of 'Uncorked' where Maddon looked right at home as he interviewed his old friend. Well, that's probably because he was at home, most likely here in Tampa at that.
The two have coaching careers that span decades and are very highly regarded in their respective sports and spoke about coaching philosophy and where it came from for the first part of the episode. Then Maddon of course asked about the new addition under center and what Arians' experience has been so far with Brady.
"We got a great locker room but to now get a guy that's been there, done it, six times, [he's] the G.O.A.T, you know?" Arians told Maddon. "When he talks, they listen. It's so different than a coach. I think for us as coaches, there has to be a bond between the coach and those guys so that you give them ownership. You ask them questions - how do you want to do things? So if they think they have a big hand in it, they send a message to the rest of the guys. They send your message to the rest of the guys. With Tom, it's been fantastic."
As far as firsthand experience seeing how Brady works, given the pandemic, Arians has been limited there. He did get a chance to see Brady's drive and competitiveness up close as a receivers coach during the Pro Bowl one year.
"I was coaching receivers in the Pro Bowl for the Steelers and we had the game," Arians recalled. "You could tell he wanted to win – even the Pro Bowl. He commands excellence on the field and there's no relaxation on the field when he's out there. I mean, if you're supposed to be at a certain spot on a route, you better be there or he's going to talk to you about it."
Arians is no stranger to coaching some of the greats, though. He was Andrew Luck's first coach as offensive-coordinator-turned-interim-head-coach with the Colts in 2012. He was also another notable quarterback's first position coach when he got drafted into the league. That guy's name? Peyton Manning. Maybe you've heard of him.
"The way Manning commanded the room and the team was amazing," Arians said of Brady's "The Match" opponent. "What he asked those guys to do. I'm sure Tom Brady has a lot of the same things. Just the little bit I've been around him so far, I think it's going to be the same way."
-Armed with the best roster the Bucs have seen in recent years, Arians is now favored to win AP Coach of the Year, according to BetOnline.ag and as seen in this tweet from The Athletic's Greg Auman.
Arians is tied with 12 to 1 odds with none other than Brady's former head coach Bill Belichick. Arians has won the honor twice before and he's the only interim head coach to have the honor bestowed upon him. Arians took over for Indianapolis Head Coach Chuck Pagano when he was diagnosed with cancer in 2012, Luck's rookie year. Arians led the team to the playoffs that year.
Arians was hired away the following year by the Arizona Cardinals. It was the first time he was named an NFL head coach and he promptly took the Cardinals from 5-11 to 10-6 in 2013, becoming the first coach to win more than nine games in his first year with the franchise since 1925. The following season, the team improved to 13-3 and earned a playoff berth for the first time since 2009, earning Arians AP Coach of the Year the second time.
Now, Arians has the chance to bring the Bucs to the postseason for the first time in 12 seasons with the help of Brady under center and an excellent supporting cast on both sides of the ball.
-Speaking of that supporting cast, wide receiver Chris Godwin was named to the NFL’s 2020 All-Under-25 team*.* The list of rising stars is topped by quarterback Patrick Mahomes but features Godwin, who is just 24 years old. Last season, Godwin broke out for a career-high 1,333 yards and nine touchdowns on 86 catches despite missing the last two games of the year with a hamstring injury. Godwin should be a featured component to an offense that now has Brady under center and Mike Evans, Rob Gronkowski, O.J. Howard and Cam Brate as offensive firepower.
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