Bucs' Bruce Arians Has Absurd Explanation for Taking Late Delay of Game Before Missed Kick

At the end of the first half, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers had Daniel Jones and the New York Giants exactly where they wanted them, holding a commanding 28-10 lead at half, and operating without Saquon Barkley on then opposing sidelines. That advantage disappeared when Jones went on an incredible run that culminated in a seven-yard touchdown run to put the Giants up 32-31 with 1:16 remaining.

While the Buccaneers were able to drive downfield, they oddly took a delay of game call (with a timeout in their pocket) prior to an attempt at the game-winning field goal, knocking the try back to 34 yards. It...did not work. Wide right, Giants win. What happened?

Needless to say, we almost wish we hadn't learned the answer here. When head coach Bruce Arians was asked about why he took the delay penalty, he made a very questionable statement.

Why...would you think that...about anyone?

Prior to the kick attempt from the 16-yard line, Gay had connected on some pretty deep boots, including tries from 52 and 47 yards away, so it's understandable why Arians would trust his kicker from deep. However, considering that Gay is a rookie kicker, you want to be able to make the kick as easy as possible for him.

There's a lot of pressure riding on a kicker, especially on a kick that could win the game. Why Arians would want to give Gay added pressure by making the kick farther than it needed to be is beyond me. It's an absolutely absurd train of thought for him to have. Don't let the missed extra points earlier in the game influence you. Just think about what's objectively the simpler move.

Losing a game for your team can be an absolute confidence breaker. Let's hope that isn't the case for the youngster.