By Andy Villamarzo
Hernando Sun sports writer
TAMPA- When it comes to what type of offense we should expect to see out of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers this upcoming 2020 season, many expect to see one that resembles a lot of the New England Patriots’ plays and formations.
If the news out of Tampa last week is any indicator, expect new starting quarterback Tom Brady to be running Bruce Arians’ offense but with some influence from the former Patriot sprinkled in. The reason why many wonder what the offense might look like with Brady at the helm is because of the amount of throws beyond 20-plus yards that is required out of the quarterback.
Brady replaces Jameis Winston, who quarterbacked the Buccaneers for the last five seasons, with just one campaign under his belt playing for Arians. In Winston’s one season for Arians, the former Florida State product put up volatile numbers, as he threw for over 5,000 yards and 33 touchdowns but also threw 30 interceptions. The turnovers proved to be too much for Arians and general manager Kason Licht, forcing the franchise to move into a different direction.
That new direction has landed Tampa Bay one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time in Brady, who has made nine trips to the Super Bowl and has won six times with New England. For a Tampa Bay franchise that has only made one trip to the Super Bowl and does have a championship to boot, the club would like to lockup another title with Brady and Arians together. The biggest questions obviously surround how good of a fit the two are together.
Brady has been more used to throwing underneath and checking down to players like slot receiver Julian Edelman and running backs like James White and Dion Lewis. Now the future shoe in Hall of Famer will be playing with the likes of wide receivers Chris Godwin, Mike Evans and has a plethora of options at the tight end position with Rob Gronkowski, OJ Howard and Cameron Brate. It can be argued that Brady will be playing with one of the best offensive units in his storied career.
The arrival of Brady in Tampa Bay also has brought a huge interest in purchasing season tickets and jerseys, as prices have gone up for individual games and Brady, Gronkowski jerseys are amongst the top two sellers in the NFL. Now living up to the hype will be the toughest task for the team as they have aspirations of winning the NFC South, NFC and making a trip to a second Super Bowl in franchise history.
Also driving the ante when speaking of such high expectations is the very fact that the next Super Bowl will be hosted in Tampa’s Raymond James Stadium in February, 2021. The Buccaneers are taking aim at becoming the first team to not only host but to play in the very same Super Bowl. The Minnesota Vikings nearly pulled it off just three years ago but fell short. Now Tampa Bay looks to make its mark and Brady will join them in trying to make history.
The offense will need to come together and if Brady can cut the turnovers down and increase the potency of Tampa Bay’s weapons, there seems to be little to no doubt the Buccaneers could see themselves not only back in the playoffs but beyond it as well. Stay tuned as the off-season is set to begin and facilities start to open back up.
Andy Villamarzo can be reached at [email protected] and follow him on Twitter @avillamarzo.
