Bruce Arians cites health and continuity of the Buccaneers o-line as major reasons why Tom Brady and his team still have a chance in the playoffs.
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The Tampa Bay Buccaneers o-line is special. It’s star studded. Some analysts even believed that it should be the first in NFL history to have every member voted to the Pro bowl. Of course, that’s assuming the players are all eligible to play in the game. This kind of season has made Bruce Arians confident in his o-line’s ability to give Brady a chance, even with a shortage of offensive weapons.
“If we have Tom and we have the o-line, we have a chance,” Arians says of the Bucs having the lowest sack percentage (3.15 percent) of any team in the league, saying the health and continuity on the line has been crucial.
— Greg Auman (@gregauman) January 10, 2022
Tom Brady and the Buccaneers offensive Line
The offensive line protects the quarterback and they both work hand-in-hand. This is even more important for an older quarterback, Brady, now 44. It’s only right if Brady’s job is focused on throwing and not on getting sacked by giants from all angles. The o-line makes him look good.
And Brady, who’s the greatest of all time makes the line look better by being able to throw quickly. Thus limiting the number of sacks and hits he takes.
Our oline on that game winning TD tho! ARE YOU KIDDING ME? pic.twitter.com/RS1IClpO4Q
— Cyril Grayson Jr (@cyrilgraysonjr) January 3, 2022
It was among the best in 2020 and so far in 2021, it has been even better. It’s shocking that none of them had made a pro bowl before this season. Center Ryan Jensen, left guard Ali Marpet and right tackle Tristan Wirfs all got their first career invitations to the Pro Bowl this year.
Can this Buccaneers o-line overcome the loss of Chris Goodwin and Antonio Brown ?
It’s a long road ahead for the Buccaneers as they try to figure out how to complete their quest for a division title and chase that second Lombardi Trophy. Bucs have lost key offensive pieces and will rely on their o-line to make a significant contribution to win come playoff time. Wide receiver Chris Godwin is out for the year due to a knee injury. Antonio Brown is out of the season because, well, he’s Antonio Brown.
In addition to being the Bucs’ identity in 2021, the offensive line has also been one of its most fortunate in terms of injuries. Marpet missed one game in Week 12 but otherwise the front five has been intact for almost every contest. This will be tough test for the talented group and if Bruce Arians believes his group can do it once again, maybe we should take the defending super bowl champion for his word.
