Tag: Buccaneers

Four-time Champion Rob Gronkowski reflects on his mindset during Super Bowl week

Four-time Champion Rob Gronkowski reflects on his mindset during Super Bowl week w/ @EdEastonJr

This week, Touchdown Wire’s Ed Easton Jr. spoke to four-time Super Bowl champion Rob Gronkowski.

In his interview with Easton Jr., Gronkowski discussed his partnership on behalf of Bounty and reflected on his mindset as a player during Super Bowl week, focusing on the game.

“I’ve been the Bounty man for three years now, and obviously, this is going into my third year. It’s been a great partnership with them; it goes hand in hand because I’m a football player. I’m from Buffalo, and I love my wings,” said Gronkowski. “You know the famous quote: You can’t have football without wings. Also, you can’t have wings without Bounty because Bounty cleans up the mess from all the buffalo wings—sauce getting all over your face—and the quicker picker-upper comes and cleans it right on up, man. So it all goes hand in hand together, especially with the style of life I live as well. “

Gronkowski is familiar with the glitz and glamour of Super Bowl week, having navigated the festivities many times throughout his career. He opened up about his mindset as a younger player and veteran.

“My first time in the Super Bowl? Yes, you got distracted because of all the festivities going up, people wanting tickets, all the parties, and all that other good stuff as well,” Gronkowski explained. “But once you’ve experienced it, I can give you advice now. Don’t worry about that stuff. The biggest focus is the game. The only thing that matters that whole week is not the parties, you know, it’s not the talk shows or media row.

“It’s all about the game. That’s the most important thing. That’s all anyone’s going to remember if you lost the game or if you won the game. So, focus entirely on the game and what you have to do to be prepared. Get the tickets to your family, and get that all squared off before the week starts. And then focus all your time on the preparation so you’re ready to go when the kickoff gets kicked off.”

For more information on Bounty, log on to BountyTowels.com and follow on Instagram & YouTube

Rob Gronkowski reflects on playing vs. Chiefs in Super Bowl LV

Former Tampa Bay #Buccaneers tight end Rob Gronkowski reflects on Super Bowl LV vs. the Kansas City #Chiefs w/ @EdEastonJr

This week, Chiefs Wire’s Ed Easton Jr. spoke to four-time Super Bowl champion Rob Gronkowski.

In his interview with Easton Jr., Gronkowski discussed his partnership on behalf of Bounty and reflected on his Tampa Buccaneers defeating the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LV.

“As the Bounty man, I’m fired up to be back for a three-peat. Heading to NOLA, there was no doubt that Drew [Brees] had to be my wingman,” said Gronkowski. “We’re ready to chow down on some wings and wipe up every mess with Bounty, baby.”

The last of Gronkowski’s four Super Bowl titles came against the Chiefs during the 2020 season. Then, playing for the Buccanneers, his team was dominant on both sides of the ball in the Super Bowl LV victory at Raymond James Stadium.

“Man, I remember we were so prepared for that game,” Gronkowski explained. “We dotted all our I’s and crossed all our T’s. I could have called the play before the play was even called because we were just that prepared. We studied the set of plays we would go into the game with, and we knew them in the back of our heads like it was nothing. So, that’s what really separated us in that game: just knowing what we [were] going to do and just going out there and executing what we’re going to do, and that’s what we did. And the game plan was nothing short of spectacular.”

Gronkowski caught two of Tom Brady’s three touchdown passes in the Buccaneers’ 31–9 victory over Kansas City.

“Everyone came together and had one goal, and that was to dominate the Chiefs. We sure did, [on the offensive] the side of the ball, [and] the defensive side of the ball. [I don’t really] remember, like, [the] scheme totally. I can’t recall because it was a while ago, but I remember our game plan was superb.”

For more information on Bounty, log on to BountyTowels.com and follow on Instagram & YouTube

Patriots legend Rob Gronkowski on new Bounty commercial, legacy with Tom Brady

@EdEastonJr spoke to Rob Gronkowski about his new Bounty commercial with Drew Brees and Reggie Bush, and the legendary chemistry he had with Tom Brady.

This week, Touchdown Wire’s Ed Easton Jr. spoke to four-time Super Bowl champion Rob Gronkowski.

In his interview with Easton Jr., Gronkowski discussed his partnership on behalf of Bounty, filming a commercial with New Orleans Saints Drew Brees and Reggie Bush. He also reflected on his long-time chemistry with legendary quarterback Tom Brady.

“Drew Brees is my wingman as well. I chose him because we’re going to New Orleans for the Super Bowl, and I need him to take me around the city to the best wing spots,” Gronkowski explained. “I also just shot a commercial with him, which was a pleasure. He was so great to work with. He and Reggie Bush, you know, they were teammates down in New Orleans as well, back about 10 years ago.

“They were so fun to work with, and it was so great, you know, and Reggie was such a great player. That was the first time I’ve ever met him. I also loved watching him play football, especially at USC. So he was like one of my heroes that I finally met, which was really cool. Passes with Bounty when we get to New Orleans as well. We’re ready to go. We’re strapped up. We’re gonna take on any challenge.”

As Gronkowski builds chemistry with Brees as his Bounty wingman, he shares the secret to his chemistry and success with legendary quarterback Tom Brady. The duo won multiple Super Bowls across two teams as members of the New England Patriots and Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

“We both wanted it. We both wanted to be great,” Gronkowski said of his time with Brady. “We both wanted to win championships. And when you both want to win championships, you do whatever it takes. And we stayed after practice all the time to get on the same page. Just keep building our chemistry. That’s what we did, man; when you want to be great, and you find people who want to be great around you, you help elevate them. He helped elevate me. I helped elevate him. That led to greatness on the field, and the same was true for the entire Patriots organization: everyone was on the same page.”

For more information on Bounty, log on to BountyTowels.com and follow on Instagram & YouTube

Buccaneers interview Chargers coach for job opening

Marcus Brady has served as an offensive coordinator before in his coaching career.

The Buccaneers completed an interview with Chargers passing game coordinator Marcus Brady for their offensive coordinator position.

Tampa Bay has a void to fill after former offensive coordinator Liam Coen was hired as the Jaguars’ head coach.

Brady finished his first season in Los Angeles. Before coming to L.A. last offseason, Brady was the Eagles’ senior offensive assistant.

Before joining Philadelphia, Brady was with the Colts for five seasons, starting as their assistant quarterbacks coach in 2018.

That year, he helped Andrew Luck finish with one of the best seasons of his career, in which he threw for 4,593 yards and 39 touchdowns en route to winning the NFL’s Comeback Player of the Year Award.

Brady was promoted to quarterbacks coach the following season. In 2020, Philip Rivers finished the season in the top ten in completion percentage (68%) and passing yards (4,169).

He became the Colts’ offensive coordinator in 2021. That year, Indianapolis finished second in the NFL in rushing yards per game (149.4) and yards per carry (5.1) and tied for the fifth-most rushing touchdowns (22).

Before joining the NFL ranks, Brady was an offensive coordinator in the Canadian Football League (CFL) for eight seasons.

Saints coaching candidate is a ‘name to watch’ for the Jaguars

After Liam Coen declined the Jacksonville Jaguars, the New Orleans Saints may have competition for Joe Brady, if they want him.

The Jacksonville Jaguars had their eyes set on Liam Coen as their next head coach. The New Orleans Saints have shown no interest in the Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive coordinator, but they are interested in Joe Brady.

With Aaron Glenn joining the New York Jets, that leaves the Saints, Jaguars, Dallas Cowboys and Las Vegas Raiders as the remaining openings. Ben Johnson and Liam Coen are off the board, Brady could be seen as the next best offensive option.

The Jaguars, specifically, are searching for an offensive minded coach to pair with Trevor Lawrence, per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler. Coen didn’t see that as appealing enough. With their general manager out of the way, Brady could feel differently.

Fowler calls Brady “a name to watch,” but not the new candidate. That a similar position he has in New Orleans. Both teams will have to wait until next week to interview Brady during Pro Bowl week.

It originally seemed as if the Saints would have no competition for Brady, if they want him, but Cohen declining Jacksonville could change that. As both the Jaguars and Saints are forced to pivot away from their top guy, they may both turn to Brady as their next top target.

Buccaneers bracing for misfortune that would be 49ers gain

The 49ers should be rooting hard for Buccaneers OC Liam Coen on Wednesday.

The San Francisco 49ers will have a close eye on the Jacksonville Jaguars coaching search, which may be taking a turn Wednesday.

Their top defensive coordinator candidate, Robert Saleh, is set for a second interview with the Jaguars later in the week. If Saleh gets a head coaching job, the 49ers would be at square one in their search for a new defensive coordinator. With coaches like Jeff Ulbrich off the board and Dennis Allen on track to come off the board soon, San Francisco wouldn’t have any of their reported preferred options remaining.

A report from Tampa Bay Times’s Rick Stroud brings some good news for the 49ers though.

Stroud reported the Buccaneers are bracing for their offensive coordinator, Liam Coen, to become the next head coach for the Jaguars. His second interview with Jacksonville is slated for Wednesday.

Perhaps Tampa Bay is just being cautious after hiring three OCs in the last three years. However, teams don’t typically brace for this level of impact unless they have some inkling the coach is at least part of the way out the door.

It’s worth noting Coen is the lone offensive coach of the three reported to be getting second interviews with the Jags. Saleh and Las Vegas Raiders defensive coordinator Patrick Graham are the other two. With quarterback Trevor Lawrence and a handful of young offensive weapons already in place, it stands to reason the Jaguars would want to maximize that group.

The Bucs’ misfortune would be the 49ers’ gain since Saleh appears lined up to take the 49ers DC job if he doesn’t land a head coaching gig. He also had interviews lined up with the Raiders and Dallas Cowboys, but his name hasn’t been tied as heavily to those clubs as it has to the Jaguars.

Tampa Bay will be watching closely when Coen interviews again Wednesday. The 49ers will be, too.

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Cameron Jordan calls Saints-Falcons rivalry ‘the only one that matters’

The Saints have had tense games with the Buccaneers and Panthers, but Cameron Jordan says the Falcons rivalry is ‘the only one that matters’

Rivalries often form in the divisions purely off playing each other frequently, especially when both teams are good. Not all rivalries are created equal, however. For example, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers tried, and still try, to force a rivalry with the New Orleans Saints when Tom Brady came to town.

Admittedly, Brady versus Drew Brees and Marshon Lattimore versus Mike Evans felt like chapters for an exciting rivalry. However, there never felt like enough true animosity between the fanbases to call it a true rivalry.

Everyone knows the Atlanta Falcons are the Saints’ true rival. As Cameron Jordan told Julian Edelman, “It’s the only one that matters.” There were some fun moments over the years with Tampa Bay, but Evans is the only one of the quartet still standing. No matter how many pieces come and go between New Orleans and Atlanta, the level of vitriol doesn’t fade.

“The only one that matters” is a great description of the Saints’ relationship with other teams around the division. The Saints have had a tense stretch of games with the Buccaneers and Carolina Panthers. They’ve faced both of those rivals in the playoffs. If either the Saints or those other teams weren’t good, though, the game didn’t matter as much.

Just look at their records against each other. The Saints are 56-55 against the Falcons, 31-29 against the Panthers, and 40-26 against the Buccaneers.

There’s only one pair of teams where records don’t matter, where hate week is mandatory, where animosity is eternal. That’s the Saints and Falcons. In Jordan’s words, “the only one that matters.”

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Davante Adams comments on Marshon Lattimore vs. Mike Evans’ rivalry

Davante Adams says ‘both of them boys are crazy’ ahead of Commanders CB Marshon Lattimore and Bucs WR Mike Evans’ rivalry game in the playoffs:

Marshon Lattimore versus Mike Evans provided every New Orleans Saints versus Tampa Bay Buccaneers showdown with a little extra intensity. The Saints traded Lattimore away to the Washington Commanders this year, and he will take on Evans again for the first time in a different uniform in the wild card round of the NFL playoffs.

It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to call Evans and Lattimore arch-rivals. New York Jets receiver Davante Adams spoke with Kay Adams on the rivalry between the two players, saying: “I know both of them boys are crazy.”

You see how far the rivals go and how frequently they go there, and it’s hard to disagree. Scuffles are regular, and punches never seem to far away when Evans and Lattimore are sharing the field. With this being a playoff game, the extracurricular activities should be at a minimum. The intensity will be present, though.

Adams says he never had a rival to this degree and is “too old to be doing that now.” If there was one cornerback he had a rivalry with, it would Richard Sherman, but “it wasn’t something that lasted as long as their’s have.”

There aren’t many rivalries like Evans versus Lattimore. We get to see them battle in the playoffs one more time.

NFL writer lays out Saints’ three biggest selling points to head coach candidates

This SI writer finds the most attractive aspects of the Saints job to be an easy division with a passionate fan base, and the benefit of low expectations:

The New Orleans Saints aren’t seen as the most desirable vacancy this year (depending on where you look, they could have the worst head coach opening in the NFL), but Sports Illustrated’s Connor Orr laid out what could attract coaches to join the black and gold:

An incredible fan base and unique locale for the right head coach; a division that, year after year, seems to elicit no interest in a runaway winner; a place where moderate success and salesmanship can lead to a long career. 

Orr doesn’t mention young talent like Chris Olave, Taliese Fuaga, Rashid Shaheed, Bryan Bresee or Erik McCoy in his pros. That either means he generally doesn’t view the Saints’ young players as a plus, or it just ranks low on the list.

There is probably no greater upside to coming to New Orleans than the weak state of the NFC South. The Buccaneers have won four division titles in a row, but they’ve felt like benefactors of a poor division for at least the last two years. Tampa Bay has lost seven or more games in each of the last three seasons.

The Atlanta Falcons and Carolina Panthers are beginning their attempts at ascension. This division is free for the taking, and with the right leadership, the Saints can be the ones to grab it. It’s hard to say you’re ever far away in a division that’s been this bad for so long.

The last three seasons have tanked the Saints’ reputation, but the fan base is still looked at highly. Reggie Bush, also, placed a premium on the connection between the fans, city and a potential head coach. It’s a passionate community, and it’s not hard to become beloved with success.

When Orr labeled the Saints as “a place where moderate success and salesmanship can lead to a long career,” he had to be referencing Dennis Allen getting a third year when some thought he’d be out after Year 2. That description doesn’t fit Sean Payton, but it does fit back to back seasons hovering around .500.

This is just another example of how the view of the organization has dropped recently.

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Foster Moreau suffered potentially severe knee injury in Tampa

Foster Moreau suffered a potentially severe knee injury late in Sunday’s loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers:

After an exceptional performance by the New Orleans Saints tight ends room against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, one of their main targets suffered what looked to be a severe knee injury late in the game.

Foster Moreau was taken out of the game in the final two minutes of the game after taking a blow to his leg. Moreau it seemed was unable to walk under his own power after the play and had to be dragged out of bounds for assistance.

It was announced later that Moreau was carted into the locker room in an air cast which typically is a sign of severe injury.

Moreau had really come in the latter half of this season, specifically in the last five weeks. The Louisiana native was as good as a sure thing in those games averaging over 35 yards a catch and hauling in 15 of his 18 targets during that span. Moreau had served as the team’s security blanket for much of the year and came up with countless clutch plays when the team needed it. He ended the year with 32 catches for 413 yards, one reception and 7 yards shy of his career highs. He also caught five touchdown passes which tied his personal best.

A very unfortunate situation for the player. Hopefully he will be able to rebound from this at some point next season.

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