Todd Bowles: Bucs Need More (Big) Plays On Offense
September 21st, 2026
Make plays.
This is odd: Joe doesn’t remember this much hand-wringing about the Bucs offense after Week 2 last season. Weird. [read more]

Make plays.
This is odd: Joe doesn’t remember this much hand-wringing about the Bucs offense after Week 2 last season. Weird. [read more]

Character flaw with Bucs?
This wasn’t meant to be a slam at the Bucs, but Joe thinks it is rather damning. [read more]

So ESPN analyst and former Bucs QB Dan Orlovsky shared notes from his film study of the Bucs-Browns game.
That’s rare. Usually an analyst will discuss a couple of plays in detail or drop a hot take and some numbers. [read more]

So a week ago Joe speculated on WDAE radio and on the Ira Kaufman Podcast that Miami Mauler rookie Bucs edge rusher Rueben Bain was injured or sick in Week 1.
Nothing else made sense. [read more]

David Walker celebrates his sack of Browns QB Deshaun Watson yesterday.
Zero snaps for edge rusher David Walker in Week 1.
Nine snaps for Walker in Week 2.
This is the same guy Bucs suits and coaches have been gushing about repeatedly. [read more]

Joe will take quick outrage break and giving an approving head nod to the Bucs’ acknowledgement of Ira Kaufman’s 50th anniversary in sports media yesterday. [read more]

Figure it out, Coach.
Joe is so angry and exhausted Joe can barely see straight, much less cobble together coherent sentences after watching the Bucs puke all over themselves as if someone let lousy Lovie Smith back into the stadium through a hole in the fence near a porta-potty. [read more]

The outrage around town is palpable. [read more]

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BY IRA KAUFMAN
Wet, wild and totally unacceptable.
You’d think the Bucs would have entered Sunday’s home opener against the Browns in an ornery mood after last week’s giveaway at Cincinnati. You’d think Tampa Bay defenders would tackle better and Baker Mayfield would torture the franchise that cast him out of Cleveland.
You would be wrong. [read more]

Bucs GM Jason Licht.
Joe hasn’t written a 2026 Bucs season eulogy, far from it. But there is no question that the Bucs’ season is on the brink. [read more]

Painted into corner.
That was one of the most atrocious losses in years for the Bucs. Joe is shook. So let’s get this over with. [read more]

Enjoy the JoeBucsFan Show at 7 p.m. on WDAE radio, 95.7 FM and AM 620. Joe will talk all things Bucs after the pivotal Week 2 game against the Browns, presented by Pin Chasers.
Also listen online or via the iHeart Radio app, or click the player below. (Joe has been back on the WDAE airwaves every week for the past 19 months. But this is a brand new time for football season!)

Making adjustments.
KitKat-eating Bucs coach Todd Bowles didn’t seem too thrilled with his offense after yesterday’s joke of a loss to the hapless Browns. [read more]

Challenge but not impossible.
This happens every year because the numbers don’t lie. [read more]

Missing persons report.
So far — so far! — the buzz isn’t living up to the hype. Not remotely so. [read more]

Explains short passing.
For the second week in a row, the Bucs were a short-pass offense, specifically to running backs. [read more]

Speaks out.
Joe is not going to pull a loser move and claim the Bucs lost because of a lightning delay. Still, Joe doesn’t think it helped. [read more]

Bogged down.
For a while there this afternoon, Joe thought the Bucs were playing ping-pong the way they were throwing so many short passes. [read more]

So Bucky Irving and Kenny Gainwell combined for 7 catches today for a total of 6 yards — SIX!
And Baker Mayfield largely struggled throwing the deep ball while the Bucs offense had at least 8 plays for negative yardage. [read more]

Saved by Todd Bowles.
Joe hopes weird Cleveland quarterback Deshaun Watson has a nice Christmas present for Todd Bowles. That’s because the Bucs coach very likely saved his career. [read more]

When Tom Brady retired, Joe heard over and over and over how the “Tom Brady Effect” would stay alive within the Bucs organizaton for many, many years to come through core players who learned around Brady during their young days.
Tristan Wirfs, Antoine Winfield, Vita Vea and more. [read more]

The heat is on.
Joe cannot put into words the disgust over what Joe witnessed today (and tonight) at The Licht House. It is easily Todd Bowles’ low. [read more]

Baker Mayfield noted tonight after his team’s humiliating loss that the Bucs must regroup quickly because they have a pretty good opponent next week. [read more]