Todd Bowles Reflects On Super Bowl Prep Strategy
February 17th, 2021
Before the delicious Super Bowl “W” was eaten across the land last week, Bucs defensive players were fed a steady diet of a well known Bill Belicheat mantra.
For Belicheat, the best known disciple of Hall of Fame coach Bill Parcells, the phrase is “do your job.”
For Todd Bowles, another Parcells student, the two-week order to his Bucs defense was a little more educational.
“We told them, ‘Nobody has to do anything more than what they’ve been doing all year. That’s the biggest way you lose is for somebody to do someone else’s job; that means you’re not doing your own job,” Bowles explained on SiriusXM NFL Radio.
“We tried to beat that across first.”
Bowles went on to say the biggest preparation key for his defensive players was to not “overthink” anything. Tampa Bay’s defensive mastermind expected his players to be overly emotional because of their youth and lack of Super Bowl experience, he said, but he was pleasantly surprised they “played under wraps.”
To further keep players locked in, Bowles added that he maximized his large staff by giving each coach specific messages to drill in leading up to the game.
It all worked perfectly and man, what a defense the Bucs have.
There’s plenty of time for draft projections, but Joe certainly would stand and salute if the Bucs selected defensive players with their first three 2021 draft picks.
February 17th, 2021 at 3:17 pm
What about a QB? I get Brady looks like he’s 30 right now but we need to get a guy in here to learn.
February 17th, 2021 at 3:24 pm
Need more DL, and potentially a stud MLB to groom under Lavonte. But draft edge whenever it makes sense. Need that.
February 17th, 2021 at 3:29 pm
Joe’s written many articles about this and spoke about it on Ira’s pod several times. This will not happy until Arians is gone. Arians has been adamant he will not develop a QB.
February 17th, 2021 at 3:30 pm
I am with Joe…Draft Defense and then get some developmental offensive linemen on day 3.
February 17th, 2021 at 3:33 pm
Yup. Defense first (olb, dline). Then can pickup development projects at oline, wr, rb
February 17th, 2021 at 3:58 pm
Arians is happy with Blane
February 17th, 2021 at 4:30 pm
Any draft pick spent on a qb, is a pick wasted not helping Brady. This is Tampa bay not Green Bay!
February 17th, 2021 at 4:51 pm
I agree with the Joes. Defense defense defense. Then OL depth, RB depth and possibly another depth piece for the WR group. Not necessarily in that order, but go big on D.
One exception – if Kadarius Toney slipped to #32………
February 17th, 2021 at 5:36 pm
Also in agreement.
Hell they could spend all 7 draft picks on the defense and I’d be okay with it, as long as the first 3 went towards DL / OLB
February 17th, 2021 at 5:45 pm
Well said Leighroy
February 17th, 2021 at 6:28 pm
Agree with first 3 picks on defense. Let’s keep this defense dominant!!!
February 17th, 2021 at 7:01 pm
Depends upon which FA resign and which don’t. Regardless, I would like to see DT, DE and OT in the first 3 picks. Here’s what I think will happen with our FAs. Bucs are at $152M with cap expected to be at $180M.
Keep: Succop ($2M), LVD(10M), Shaq (this is the problem $16-19M)
Keep at right price: Suh ($5M/yr guaranteed multiyear deal for 3 years), Gronk ($7M), AB ($3M)
Leaves: Fournette goes for the money, but I would like to sign him for 1 year and then decide him or Rojo. Godwin will be the odd man out unless he signs a multi-year deal with a very low salary in 1st year and then big increase in year 2. Draft is deep at WR and Bucs roster is also.
Renegotiate to pick up $5M – D Smith, Marpet, Jensen, Gholston, Pinion, OJ and maybe JPP (to keep Shaq?)
February 17th, 2021 at 7:13 pm
Damn – That’s right.
I have yet to give thought about the draft. Usually that start in November.
February 17th, 2021 at 7:15 pm
I know I’m late on this but Joe if there is a QB Arians would take this year it would be Mac Jones. He is a drop back passer who was praised by BA for his intelligence, anticipation, and arm.
February 17th, 2021 at 7:53 pm
The window is now! You draft to win now. As others have said, any prayer of a draft choice for QB to groom is a crap shoot that is not needed now. Go for the Lombardi again!
February 17th, 2021 at 7:56 pm
Bucs Guy … Succop will cost us $4-$5 mil (check what other PKs in his class are making). Suh will cost us $8 mil this year, and Gronk will cost probably $9 mil. AB (if he stays) will probably get $4-$5 mil (remember the $4 mil we paid Perriman & he wasn’t one-tenth as good as AB). Agree with ya on LVD ($10 mil) and Shaq ($16-$19 mil but may be less if we do a long-term deal).
Constantly restructuring contracts IMO is a prescription for future disaster. With these players coming off a SB win, hard to envision any of them being willing to ‘renegotiate’ to accept less. I think we’ll end up having to release a couple of name players & backfill with draft picks. Teams do that every year, and we’ll especially have no choice if the salary CAP goes down (personally don’t think that’ll happen, but some do). Interesting but tough times ahead.
February 17th, 2021 at 7:59 pm
Mitch … Would absolutely love to draft Mac Jones, but with so many other teams needing QBs this year, it’s hard to see him lasting until #32. But IF he does, I agree with you that BA would grab him.
February 17th, 2021 at 8:27 pm
Yeah I don’t think the Bucs will draft a QB either I am just stating what I read BA say about Mac. He even said he is a great fit for his system.
I cant really make a prediction on the draft until FA happens. Although I would say draft players for the front seven to replenish the ranks with some high quality youth on the DL, OLB, and ILB.
February 17th, 2021 at 8:29 pm
@Defense Rules I didn’t see your reply before I replied haha. Yeah I think there are too many unknowns right now with FA and the cap. I also really would love for Mac to be a buc, but the main reason I don’t see it is because BA will retire when Tom retires or leaves the Bucs. I think we will have to wait a couple of years before seeing the heir to the franchise be drafted.
February 17th, 2021 at 9:39 pm
This Super Bowl proved once again that the game is won in the trenches. Forget drafting a QB, we need more hogs.
February 17th, 2021 at 10:00 pm
No! do not draft a quarterback! We are not Greenbay stupid. We know better. We can win next season too but we need to draft smart. We need #1 Edge #2 Cornerback # D-line we need punt/kick returner too
February 18th, 2021 at 12:19 am
They need to re-sign Shaq! and JPP is getting up there so they need to draft an edge rusher.
They also need a linebacker and another cornerback could not hurt.
On offense, by the fourth or fifth round, they definitely need to select another
o lineman … that’s because I believe every team should draft lineman on both sides of the ball in the top 4-5 rounds of every draft
February 18th, 2021 at 12:23 am
I would love for them to get Kyle Trask to sit behind Brady but that apparently is not going to happen so they will have to draft one next year.
If not, then hopefully they just build such an awesome team with what they have now and in the draft that they can make a trade in two years and not miss a beat
February 19th, 2021 at 12:41 am
Mac Jones would definitely be the choice if he were available. Let Kyle Trask sink someone else’s franchise. Not the Bucs.