Bruce Arians Blasts Buccaneers’ Effort
December 10th, 2025
Uh, oh.
The senior advisor to Buccaneers Ring of Honor general manager Jason Licht did not like what he saw Sunday at The Licht House.
Joe knows things are bad when Bucco Bruce Arians is wagging a public finger at his team and acknowledging the warmth under the seat of his handpicked successor.
Arians, when he’s not golfing, helping children or advising Licht, is a paid in-studio guest on The Pat McAfee Show on ESPN TV.
Yesterday, Arians was asked about the Bucs’ surprising loss to the Saints and their overall fall from grace atop the NFC.
“Yeah, I think the Bucs are getting healthier but that was a bad, bad loss,” Arians said. “I did not like the energy that they showed up with, starting with the opening kickoff and [the Saints] running it back 60 yards, whatever it was.
“The Bucs were just not there. You know, they’ve got the Panthers twice, and I think that will be the telltale sign. They’ve got Thursday Night Football with the Falcons this week. Must win.”
McAfee followed up Arians’ comments by telling the Bucs Super Bowl-winning head coach that Todd Bowles’ name is under some heat.
Bowles didn’t swat that take away like a gnat or scream fake news.
“Lotta heat,” Arians shot back. “And when you lose games like that, it’s going to happen.”
Joe finds it stunning Arians didn’t seize that national TV opportunity to defend Bowles. Just a week ago, Arians was picking the Bucs as his choice to emerge from the NFC in late January.
It’s always a major red flag, as Joe has noted for years, when a team’s effort is questioned. Dangerous territory for a head coach.