Sunday night was one of those ‘once in a lifetime’ moments for Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Bruce Arians. On the surface, it may seem as simple as him finally getting a Lombardi Trophy as a head coach after winning Super Bowl LV. But, the work he has put in since arriving in Tampa, and the impressive manner in which they took down the Kansas City Chiefs adds context to how special that night was.
From a game plan standpoint, it was about as perfect of a plan as you’ll ever see in the NFL. I understand how some folks think Sunday night’s game was a dud, but it was like watching an artist paint his masterpiece. On offense, Arians, Tom Brady, and Byron Leftwich were completely in sync. They were completely prepared for Steve Spagnuolo‘s blitz packages, and pummeled the Chiefs defense with a play-action game we hadn’t seen out of this offense all season. They were balanced on offense, and ran the ball at will. It felt like a completely different offense than the one we’d seen prior to it.
On defense, it was ‘storm the gates’ – even when the Chiefs were sending someone in motion, the Bucs pass rushers barely paid attention because they were bringing heat, and it worked. Behind a patchwork offensive line, Mahomes was scrambling for his life all night long. The Bucs had the Chiefs gridlocked because they won the trenches. It was a phenomenal display of tactical execution.
But Xs and Os aside, Arians deserves to be commended for the diverse staff he put together – all three of his coordinators are African-American, and he has two women on his coaching staff. To see what this group was able to accomplish together may inspire change. The hope is, of course, that this success will begin to wear away at the “good ol’ boy” network that is the NFL. Arians has clearly instituted a culture of creativity and freedom. His players and staff are encouraged to be themselves, and Arians has shown a willingness to actually listen.
He accepted the Lombardi Trophy last night, and immediately gave all of the credit to his players and coaching staff, saying “I didn’t do a damn thing.” But, he had the vision. He had the plan….and it worked. He’s been one of the brightest offensive minds in the NFL for the better part of the last 20 years.
Not only was Sunday night the pinnacle of a deserving coach’s achievement, but it was a masterclass in football acumen and a testament to how diversity works. That is why I call Super Bowl LV “special.”
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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