Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Bruce Arians has been one of the top offensive minds in the NFL for some time, which is why it is surprising he does not seem to believe the dropped passes stat exists. Or, at the very least, he's confused why it's a thing.
The Buccaneers head coach was asked how he felt about his team leading the NFL in drops. Arians felt it was a load of garbage:
"I don't know who the hell makes up these stats," Bruce Arians says when told his team leads the NFL in dropped passes this season.
— Greg Auman (@gregauman) October 14, 2020
Of course, this stat is very real, and the Buccaneers are tied atop the leaderboard in that category.
Buccaneers pass-catchers have dropped nine passes this year, putting them in a tie with the Dallas Cowboys and Detroit Lions for the most drops in the league.
Running back Ronald Jones has accounted for a third of those drops.
Jones has emerged as the featured back in Tampa given Leonard Fournette's injury issues and the ineffectiveness of veteran LeSean McCoy.
The 23-year-old has made an impact on the ground, rushing for over 100 yards in each of the last two games. Jones has also seen a combined 14 targets in the last two weeks, though he hauled in just nine of those targets.
Of course, Jones is not the only Buccaneers player struggling to catch the ball. Mike Evans has a pair of drops, something that has been a minor issue in his career.
It also has not helped Tom Brady that the Buccaneers' most sure-handed receiver, Chris Godwin, has missed each of the past two games with a right hamstring injury.
Perhaps Arians and the Buccaneers would have more success in the passing game if they emphasized the catch, but do not expect Arians to point to the dropped passes stat in film sessions.
The Buccaneers are 3-2 on the season and will be looking to bounce back from a loss to the Chicago Bears when they face the Green Bay Packers this Sunday.
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