Arians expects 'a little more grit' from Brady in Week 2
Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Bruce Arians anticipates a better performance from Tom Brady in Week 2 after his new quarterback began the season with a fairly pedestrian outing.
"He knows how to bounce back," Arians told reporters Monday. "He knew he didn't play very well and it's not what he expects from himself, nor what we expect. I would anticipate him to have a little more grit (and) a little more determination this week."
Though Brady did account for three touchdowns, he threw a pair of interceptions in the opener as the Buccaneers fell 34-23 to the New Orleans Saints.
Brady appeared to suffer from a miscommunication with Mike Evans on the first interception, but Arians called the second one - a pick-6 - the result of a poor decision and throw.
"If you throw an out route and you don't throw it low and outside - that hasn't been the case up until that one," he said. "(He) was a little bit late on it and it probably (would have been) a better decision to go somewhere else with the ball."
Arians added that he was surprised to see the three-time MVP, who signed a two-year, $50-million contract with the Bucs in free agency, out of sorts: "He looked like Tom Brady in practice all the time, so it's kind of unusual to see that in the ballgame because they didn't do the things that we didn't get ready for. Everything they did, we thought we were ready for."
Brady went 23-for-36 for 239 yards through the air in his Buccaneers debut. In addition to the two interceptions, he was sacked three times and hurried on several other plays. In particular, left tackle Donovan Smith struggled to protect him.
"I was very disappointed in his play," Arians said of Smith. "I think every now and then he reverts back to some techniques that are not very good (and) he got beat. He had, probably, the easiest guy to block up there and he did a poor job."
While Saints star Cameron Jordan spent most of the game rushing against Tristan Wirfs on the right side, Smith was tasked with blocking the less heralded Trey Hendrickson.
The Buccaneers will try to get their first win of the season Sunday against the Carolina Panthers, who are also 0-1.