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Re: ESPN's Marcus Spears: Saints still a playoff team with Jameis Winston at QB

Quote:

Originally Posted by jeanpierre (Post 922134)

You really think old, broke-down Gronk was the real difference over O.J. Howard, who Brady didn't have but Jameis did?

No but I've been beating the drum on defensive coordinator Todd Bowles for years now. His defense balled in 2020 & ultimately bailed Brady (3 ints) out in NFC title game & right into the SB.

Bowles inherited a 28th ranked defense and turned (from 15th to 6 in total defense) them into ballers within 2 seasons. Key FA acquisitions (Barrett, Suh, JPP), coaching up rookies & not to mention Devin, Vea & Winfield playing out of their minds.

Gronk & Brady steal the headlines but it was the improvement of a Todd Bowles defense that propelled them into the SB & subsequent trophy.

At least that's my take.

Re: ESPN's Marcus Spears: Saints still a playoff team with Jameis Winston at QB

Quote:

Originally Posted by jeanpierre (Post 922134)

Pretending? It's a fact that the only significant difference was the quarterback...

You really think old, broke-down Gronk was the real difference over O.J. Howard, who Brady didn't have but Jameis did?

Bruce Arians has coached, among others, Peyton Manning, Andrew Luck, Carson Palmer and Ben Roethlisberger; that's an impressive record as a QB whisperer....

And he had no problem dumping Winston and going get Brady; the Bucs won another SuperBowl from the NFC-South...

And that's just the reality that Bruce Arians made the right move as he must have saw something, or didn't see something, in Winston that led to that call...

And a SuperBowl Trophy says it was the right call...

The defense flipped the switch in the end and got it done for TB. Brady didn’t look particularly good from what I saw of him this past year. Realistically they shouldn’t have gotten past the Saints. With Brady you at least had to honor the deep ball. With Brees? Nah. So here we are.