Tampa Bay blues?
Bucs coach Arians says things with Brady ‘are fine’ despite criticism following Week 1 loss
TAMPA, Fla. — TomBrady fans from the Berkshires to Bradenton were shocked — a few were outraged— whenhewascalledout by Bucs head coach Bruce Arians for throwing two interceptions in the team’s 34-23 loss at New Orleans Sunday.
They have wondered aloud if there is trouble in paradise brewing between Brady and Arians.
But on Wednesday, Arians put that to rest.
“Tom and I are fine, so I don’t really care what other people think,” Arians said. “It’s just what he and I think. We left the stadium fine[and] weshoweduptodayfine, so there [is] nothing to talk about.”
The scrutiny began right after Sunday’s game, when Arians described Brady’s two interceptions.
“One was a miscommunication between[Brady] andMike[Evans],” Arians said after the game Sunday.
“HethoughtMikewasgoingdown the middle — it was a different coverage — Mike read it right. He should have been across his face, but Tomoverthrew it.
“Theotheronewasascreenpass with an outlet called. He threw the outlet and it was a pick-six. Bad decision.”
Arians doubled down on Monday, saying he needed to see more “determination” from Brady in practice this week but admitted Evans had run the wrong route.
Those comments lit up social media. Apparently, in 20 years with the Patriots, Brady was never criticized publicly by coach Bill Belichick.
Radio hosts on WEEIin Boston said Arians had thrown Brady under the bus. Even Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback Brett Favre said Arians had made a mistake.
“I think the last person you want to call out after the first game of the year is Tom Brady,”
Favre told SiriusXM NFL Radio. “Now maybe they had a mutual truce going into the game, going into the season: ‘Hey, I’m going to be hard on you. I want the guys to know we’re going to treat you the same even though technically I’m not, so are you OKwith it?’ If they have that truce, great.
“If not, I think you are barking up the wrong tree. Dissension could easily enter quickly.”
It’s important to note that Arians has coached Peyton Manning, Ben Roethlisberger and Carson Palmer, to name a few. You can bet Brady did his homework on Arians before choosing to play for him over Belichick in 2020.
Arians was asked Wednesday if he was amused by all the criticism of his public critique of Brady.
“I was amused when they handed us the Lombardi trophy in July,” Arians said. “It’s part of the business. You go with it and it’s one week at a time [and] one day at a time.
“We win a few games in a row and everybody will be back on the bandwagon. It’s just part of the game. If we lose this week, the world will come to an end.”
Belichick’s mother dies: Jeannette Belichick, the mother of New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick, has died. She was 98.
Patriots spokesman Stacey James said Belichick died Monday night of natural causes in Annapolis, Maryland. Belichick was preceded in death by her husband, Steve, who died in 2005 at 86. ... The Patriots have promoted kicker Nick Folk and cornerback Myles Bryant from the practice squad to the 53-man roster. Folk handled kicking duties in Sunday’s win over Miami but was sent back down after the game. This is Bryant’s first time on the active roster after beginning the season on the practice squad. He originally was signed as an undrafted free agent out of Washington.