Tag: oj howard fantasy

A look at O.J. Howard’s route trees in Bruce Arians’ offense vs. Dirk Koetter’s

Take a look at the route trees of Tampa Bay Buccaneers tight end O.J. Howard in his last two offensive systems.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers tight end O.J. Howard has had a rough go of things this season, his first year playing under head coach Bruce Arians.

Howard, who was put on blast by Arians earlier this year for his poor play, caused an interception in last week’s loss to the New Orleans Saints, juggling the ball against his body and behind his back before it was eventually picked off. For the season, the third-year tight end out of Alabama has just 17 receptions for 223 yards and a touchdown.

So, what’s been the issue?

Well, looking at Howard’s route trees in Arians’ offense compared to former coach and current Atlanta Falcons offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter’s, it’s clear the two systems are utilizing the tight end very differently.

Take a look.

Arians had this to say about the tight ends of the Arizona Cardinals back in 2015, when he was the team’s head coach: “We pay Larry (Fitzgerald) and those guys too much money to throw it to the tight ends. They’re here to block.”

You would’ve hoped that Arians and Byron Leftwich would’ve seen the potential in Howard and utilized him more in the offense as a pass catcher.

It’ll be interesting to see how the team proceeds with Howard at the end of the season. Remember, the New England Patriots inquired about Howard last month before the trade deadline, but were told no by Tampa Bay.

Maybe they’ll change their tune in the offseason.

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Bruce Arians liked what he saw from TE O.J. Howard on Sunday

Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Bruce Arians talked about tight end O.J. Howard and Sunday’s big win over the Arizona Cardinals.

It seems a little home cooking was just what the Tampa Bay Buccaneers needed to get back on the winning track.

After playing away from Raymond James Stadium since Week 3, the Bucs returned home in Week 10 and halted their four-game skid by taking down the Arizona Cardinals, 30-27.

While quarterback Jameis Winston had two more interceptions, he did have one touchdown pass — to tight end O.J. Howard of all people.

For Howard, who missed the previous two games with a hamstring injury, it was his first touchdown of the season. Hopefully, Sunday’s performance (four receptions for 47 yards and the score) is a sign of things to come in the second half of the season.

Head coach Bruce Arians, who put Howard on blast earlier this season for his poor play, talked today about Howard’s performance on Sunday.

Take a look.

The Bucs will play at home again in Week 11 when the New Orleans Saints come to visit.

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