“Todd Bowles Is Still Very Much Running This Defense”
April 12th, 2022
Co-defensive coordinator Larry Foote.
Some interesting insight on how the Bucs will be run on gameday. But Joe isn’t terribly surprised.
Sara Walsh of NFL Network filed a report yesterday after speaking to new Bucs co-defensive coordinator Larry Foote. Per Foote, the Bucs defense will still be run and overseen by Bowles, even though Bowles is now head coach.
“Todd Bowles is still very much running this defense, there is no question about that,” Walsh said.
Walsh added that Bowles will call the defense. Joe will note that Bowles did not call the defense regularly when he was head coach of the New York Jets. Many head coaches call plays; Chucky did with the Bucs offense, as did Raheem Morris did with the defense.
Walsh also noted Foote said the aim of the Bucs defense is to be more consistent. That’s a great goal. Key will be keeping the cornerbacks healthy, or at least have better reserve corners.
There is no doubt this defense appeared more vulnerable if not soft when the Bucs lost their starting corners last season. To be fair, what team wouldn’t look soft after losing its best corners?
The latest on the @Buccaneers and new co-defensive coordinator Larry Foote tells me the one thing the defense needs to do better in 2022. #gobucs #nflnetwork pic.twitter.com/frOt9bTCCl
— Sara Walsh (@Sara_Walsh) April 11, 2022
April 12th, 2022 at 6:19 am
‘Many head coaches call plays; Chucky did with the Bucs offense, as did Raheem Morris did with the defense.’
Not necessarily good examples Joe. Chucky had Monte Kiffin calling his defense, and I doubt that he ever messed with any of Monte’s defensive calls. And Raheem did so well calling the defensive plays that he got fired (perhaps because his defense ranked #32 by giving up very close to 500 points in 2011?).
Have never liked HCs being dual-hatted, because usually it means they either end up ignoring the other side of the ball (aka, Chucky? Raheem? Dirk?) or, if they don’t perform their HC duties especially well (aahh yes, Raheem again?). There have been several who’ve been able to pull it off though for a number of years (Sean Payton? Sean McVay?), and even won a SB in the process. But those seem to be more on the offensive side of the ball, AND have been coaches with elite QBs to work with.
I think that Todd Bowles is a lot better off in this situation than he was with the Jets mostly because of the organization AND players he’s starting off with. JL is licht-years ahead of Mike Maccagnan. Our coaching staff is well-seasoned. And our team (at least the starters) is head-and-shoulders above what TB had to work with as Jets’ HC. Plus Bowles has 4 years of experience under his belt. No guarantees obviously, but me thinks he’ll do a much better job this time around.
April 12th, 2022 at 8:00 am
D.R.
Agree as usual. I get that “some” HC’s have had success calling one side of the ball. Like you that disturbs me.
One of the first things I look for in a true leader is the ability to find good people and delegate. IKE wasn’t a great general because he was out front of his troops and micromanaging. He found the right generals to do the job.
Having said that I give Bowles a lot of slack. He obviously realizes it’s now or never for his career. His mentor and friend gave him that rare second chance and left him with an above average team…unlike the Jets. And how much advantage does he have with the intimate knowledge he’s gained about his squad by going through an SB run with them.
Perhaps Bowles has seen all the criticism of BA for riding a cart and not getting out on the field to coach his professionals and assistant coaches like a Pop Warner team. OK the last part is snark.
April 12th, 2022 at 9:04 am
Speaking if Defense, you know your thinking Bucs way too much (or worried about the DT position) when you have a dream of the Bucs upcoming 1st game of the season and Practice Squad-er Kobe Smith ends up being the player if the game in said dream
No joke, I woke up thinking “WTF?” 😂🤷♂️
April 12th, 2022 at 9:36 am
@Defense rules. Great points. I like that Bowles specifically said he would be more involved in the offense on 3rd and 1 situations. My guess is he didn’t agree with the unnecessary deep shots on 3rd and 1. Fans might not like it, but we really need to do away with the no risk or no biscuit philosophy. If a defense is playing cover 2 high shell, don’t force it downfield. During his first season, Brady made some low percentage plays that resulted in picks. If you look at how the Packers beat the Rams, they ran it at will and then Rodgers hit some plays downfield off play action. We need to stop the my way or highway mentality on offense. We need to adopt specific game plans each week to attack certain defenses. Brady made a living off long, surgical drives. Matter of fact, Logan Ryan when he was a member of the Giants said Brady was the most patient QB in the league and will kill you with a thousand paper cuts. I want that Brady back. Our offense needs to help our defense by extending drives. We were too inconsistent with too many third and outs. By the way, with all the speculation about Brady and BA clashing on game plans, has anyone ever thought that maybe Leftwich is glad to see BA leave 🧐. Maybe Leftwich wanted BA to stop looking over his shoulder.
April 12th, 2022 at 10:07 am
St. Pete—
A little off topic here, but you brought it up.
Yes, Ike was a good general and he dedicated well considering he received his orders from Marshall and FDR.
However, he did support the foolish move into southern France (Dragoon) and he lobbied for and received Mark Clark’s and Alexander’s troops from Italy to help assist with Overlord and Dragoon.
This was a crucial mistake as Clark and Alexander, had they been able to keep their men, could have moved through Northern Italy and defeated Kesserling in time to save Austria and Poland from decades of Soviet occupation.
Churchill lobbied for this, but was outvoted by Washington and, of course, Stalin.
The argument against my agreement with Churchill was Overlord was top priority, and I agree. But it could have been accomplished easily without stripping troops from Italy. Hitler had the bulk of his men in Calais as he thought the invasion would happen there instead of Normandy. And the Allies knew it.
Ok, back to football …
April 12th, 2022 at 10:08 am
Lol still running it in the ground like garbage lol
April 12th, 2022 at 10:15 am
Bucsfan13 … ‘We need to adopt specific game plans each week to attack certain defenses.’
That right there is the key to a good offensive plan IMO. In combat arms we used to call it ‘Exerting your will on the enemy’. Take advantage of your opponent’s weaknesses; beat on ’em until they compensate for that in the game, then when they do, find the new weakness that just created and beat on that for awhile. Nothing must make an opposing DC feel more helpless than knowing that YOU control the game & that you can do whatever you want, whenever you want, and he can’t stop it.
April 12th, 2022 at 10:18 am
A HC calling plays depends on who is running the other side of the team.
The question is, how effective in Leftwich at totally controlling the O? How much game-day input and control did Arians have?
I am more concerned about who is running the ST’s, because that has sucked for years. If a leap of effectiveness can be had, it’s ST’s.
April 12th, 2022 at 10:43 am
No doubt, Defense Rules. Our defense was also left out to dry because our punter sucked and the D was often left to defend a short field. The kickoffs were also a problem. Pinion should’ve been cut after he kicked the ball out of bounds TWICE. We always want to harp on the ill timed blitz, but our ST was a liability that game and all year. The offense also had to deal with bad field position because Darden looked like he had rolling skates for cleats. It’s hard enough to move the ball against good defenses, but having to go 80 yards each possession isn’t sustainable.
April 12th, 2022 at 11:46 am
Improved tackling would help our defense immensely, regardless of who’s calling the plays.
April 12th, 2022 at 12:06 pm
The secondary often didn’t know what they were doing, not understanding their assignment in the given coverage scheme. And they suck at tackling as a group. I’d like to know what Todd plans to do to fix that.
We have talented young players, but maybe they’re not as smart as Todd thinks, and/or lack the necessary discipline and focus to learn their individual fits on each play.
Simple is best, Todd.
April 12th, 2022 at 12:14 pm
Joe they looked mediocre even when healthy. Only time those healthy starters looked good was against a mediocre crop of quarterbacks like hurts and darnold and the like. Man the Bucs had an awful crop of quarterbacks to play against last year. There will be a shock to the system of that Bucs defense with this year’s lineup of qbs. They better get their sh*t together especially those younger defensive players…
April 12th, 2022 at 12:20 pm
@Bucsfan13
Spot on my friend. That first pick Brady threw against the Packers in the second half in the NFC championship was an unnecessary deep ball call by Arians or Byron. A throw he’d never try in that situation in New England. But hey it’s Brady’s fault for trying to do what his archaic simpleton Head coach wants to run with zero situational awareness.
April 12th, 2022 at 12:37 pm
@JA
Hopefully Joe lets this through since we’re off topic. Wow you are a true student of history or at least WWII. I do not disagree with your take at all.
I would simply say that yes plenty of mistakes were made by virtually everybody involved. Ike had his share. But he did get us through D Day and the drive across Europe. He demonstrated great political skill in “somewhat” controlling his wild cards…Montgomery and Patton…both of whom while talented were too concerned about personal glory.
My prejudice probably comes because of Ike’s Presidency. I would love to be able to vote R once again. Ike was the last great R President the nation had.
The Interstate system…something he learned seeing Germany’s highways…his prescient statement about the Military Industrial Complex and his views on SS and other social programs. He had some “balance” in his views. Before the whataboutism starts yeah even more balanced than any D President since him.
Back to the topic…Bowles…who in ways reminds me of Ike. A measured thoughtful man who is NOT political and will not play to the press or anybody else for that matter. I get the impression…I do not really know him so it’s only an impression, that Bowles is his own man. Another characteristic I consider essential for a good leader and one that BA has as well. One if flashy, one is quiet…but each is effective in his on way.
April 12th, 2022 at 12:41 pm
Why do you guys always bring up random IKE World War II analogies?
It’s starting to get old.
This is football. LOL.
This comment section needs more youth. Feels like I’m getting lectured by my 80-year-old grandpa half the time lol.
I will take a head coach that actually works on the gameplan over one that doesn’t ANY DAY.
BA = Laziest Coach in Bucs History. Good Luck Bowles!
April 12th, 2022 at 1:36 pm
RPK—
I was far from alive during WWII, so you don’t have to be an old geezer to know anything about it. I study history to learn about the failures and successes of past leaders—politicians, dictators, generals etc…
I think if more of our current politicians knew more, almost anything about the past they would appear less idiotic when queried about America. And believe me, there is no shortage of idiots who occupy positions of power these days.
And that’s just a start … There’s a whole world out there as well. Provincialism sucks!
St.Pete—Tend to mostly agree with your Ike take. But Joe McCarthy, Allen Dulles, J. Edgar Hoover and John Foster Dulles kind of ruin things for me. As for the war, you can’t miss with Shirer’s books. Churchill as well.
GO BUCS!
April 12th, 2022 at 1:41 pm
@JA: William Shirer’s book on WW2 should be mandatory reading for those who want to re-write history today.
April 12th, 2022 at 1:50 pm
Cobra,
Couldn’t agree more. THE RISE AND FALL … is the Bible. But his second book in a trilogy, THE NIGHTMARE YEARS, is nearly as good.
So we don’t bore everyone to death, go to my site, johnvocale.com, if interested in exchanging views on history …
Sorry Joe. Next time it’s all football …
April 12th, 2022 at 2:55 pm
Bowles said in his press conference he would be calling the plays, so he’s basically the DC. The other guys are essentially getting on the job training so someone can take over next year as Bowles starts to delegate more.
Seems pretty logical
April 12th, 2022 at 6:37 pm
Todd – don’t let the one the field if they don’t know what they’re supposed to do. And if you have to dumb down your PhD level defense please do it. If your guys were mensas they’d have been with Brate at Harvard. Very very few have Bowles’ cerebral processing.
His last play calls against the Rams might have been better if his guys knew what they were supposed to do.
And the guys aren’t dumb. Bowles just needs to lay off the fractal geometry and maybe just use pre-calculus. Or even algebra.
April 14th, 2022 at 2:42 am
Aaron – Shuut uuup … You have to be the dumbest football person I’ve ever heard ! Go find another place to complain about.. Go Bucs