Buccaneers Continue To Prove They Don't Need Antonio Brown To Win
"Life is about obstacles and persevering and doing right [in order to get] the right outcome... All I can do is get up every day and be the best person I can be."
No, that's not a Bob Ross quote.
That's what former Buccaneers wide receiver Antonio Brown told the press a week before he decided to strip all the way down to his football pants and quit on the Bucs in the middle of their 28-24 comeback win against the New York Jets.
It was quite the scene: Brown was shouting at his teammates on the sideline while he took off his shoulder pads. Mike Evans tried to talk him out of whatever was going on, but Brown wasn't having it. Brown then proceeded to take off his gloves, cleats, socks -pretty much everything but his pants- and ran off the field in a joyous manner. He even did his best cheerleader impression in the end zone before heading into the locker room under his own free will.
In case I failed to paint a good picture like Ross, the video below captures the scene in all its foolish glory:
The Bucs were down 24-10 at the time of Brown's outburst. To the 4-11 Jets. Granted, the Jets had a couple of impressive wins over the Titans and Bengals heading into this game, but still. Tampa Bay had no business being down two touchdowns in the third quarter. Hell, the Bucs were 13.5-point favorites coming into the game.
But there they were, getting their tails whipped. And it was about as it ugly as it sounds. The Bucs defense couldn't stop Zach Wilson and Co. nor could they do anything in a consistent manner on offense.
That all changed, however.
Before AB's outburst, the Bucs had 10 points, 236 total net yards, and 15 first downs in the first 42:00-ish of play. Once he left the game, the Bucs scored 18 unanswered points, gained 231 total net yards, and converted 11 first downs over the final 18 minutes of the game.
Oh, and they won the game.
The Bucs were able to accomplish this with guys like Cyril Grayson Jr., Breshad Perriman, Cameron Brate, and of course, Mike Evans and Rob Gronkowski. Le'Veon Bell even had his fair share of good moments in the game. They literally scored a touchdown during the drive in which Brown made his exit.
The Bucs did what they've done all year long and what they did mostly in 2020: win without Brown.
Sure, having AB in the lineup is nice. It's a luxury that no other team in the NFL had before Chris Godwin went down for the year and before Sunday's events occurred.
But it's not a necessity. The Bucs don't need Brown to win. They don't need him to win big.
Just look at last year's playoff run. For starters, Brown didn't even play in the NFC Championship game against the Packers. He had just one reception for 10-yards on three targets and 40% of snaps against the Saints in the Divisional Round. Tyler Johnson had more of an impact in that game than Brown did.
The Bucs beat both the Colts and the Bills this year without him. The Bills are about to win the AFC East and the Colts are going to be a Wild Card team in the playoffs.
And then there's the final 18 minutes of Sunday's game against the Jets. Yes, the Jets were 4-11 and are one of the worst teams in the NFL. But if there was ever a statement to be made in regard to Brown being a luxury and not a necessity, I'd say Sunday's statement is about as strong as it gets.
The Bucs are still in great shape without Brown. Even with the injury to Godwin. Evans looks like he is good to go, Gronk is still around, Grayson is blooming, and then Leonard Fournette should be back for the playoffs.
Add in Shaquil Barrett's, Jason Pierre-Paul's, and Lavonte David's return on the defensive side of the ball and it's only a matter of time before the Bucs have rounded into the shape.
It's still unclear as to how far the Bucs will go in the postseason, but one thing is clear: They'll be doing it without Brown and they'll still be one of the best teams in the NFL without him.
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