Byron Leftwich Talks Offensive Philosophy, Working With Brady, Head Coaching Opportunities

Byron Leftwich on the Bucs' offensive philosophy: "no risk it, no biscuit."

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BA always wanted me to coach” – Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich told the media this morning, almost as if Bruce Arians left him no choice but to join him on his coaching staff in Arizona back in 2017.

Leftwich, who is in his second season as the offensive coordinator with the Bucs, had an interesting path into coaching. He was a player from 2003-2012 before he retired to go be a civilian for a little bit. But, that would only last for four years before he got back into football. It wasn’t long before Arians called him up and put him on the sidelines, coaching the quarterbacks for the Cardinals. When Arians took the job in Tampa Bay, he brought Leftwich with him to serve as offensive coordinator.

In his two years in Tampa, Leftwich has worked with two very different quarterbacks – Jameis Winston and Tom Brady. But, the results (interceptions aside) have largely remained consistent – a potent offense with a loaded passing attack. But, the balance added in the run game in 2020 is what has made this unit elite. And, it’s what has a lot of analysts suggesting that Leftwich will be a head coach in the NFL sooner rather than later.

Regarding what makes this offense so special, Leftwich said, “ATTACK – it’s an aggressive league, and you gotta be aggressive.” It’s a simple enough mantra, but one that works in spades for the Bucs: no risk it, no biscuit. “We just do it differently,” Leftwich adds.

It’s easy to look at the addition of Brady as the biggest catalyst for going from watching the playoffs in 2019 to getting to the Super Bowl in 2020. On working with Brady, Leftwich told reporters, “it’s exciting to work with the guy they call the greatest.” He called Brady smart, aware, and noted how battle-tested he is, having been in any and every situation in the book. To Brady’s credit, when he came to Tampa Bay, he told Leftwich to “just coach me.”

According to Leftwich, the game planning and play-calling is a collaborative effort between the two, but Brady prefers that hard coaching style. “He wants you to let him know when he’s not doing the right thing.” It speaks to the respect these two have for each other, and the relationship that has developed there. The Bucs offense is better for it.

He was asked whether or not he was disappointed to have not gotten a head coaching interview during this cycle. His reply? “I don’t really have an opinion.” Instead, Leftwich shifted the focus to his players – “I want to help these players be the best they can be.” Spoken like a true leader – I imagine it won’t be long before Byron Leftwich is the head man somewhere.

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Stoney Keeley is the Editor in Chief of The SoBros Network, and a Dogs Playing Poker on velvet connoisseur. He is a strong supporter of Team GSD and #BeBetter. “Big Natural” covers the Tennessee Titans, Nashville, and a whole wealth of nonsense. Follow on Twitter @StoneyKeeley

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