“I Relinquished Very Little This Time Around”
May 6th, 2022
Bucs head coach Todd Bowles
You’re damn right Todd Bowles is making the call when the Buccaneers offense is in a 3rd-and-short situation.
Bowles made that very clear during his visit yesterday to The Herd on FS1.
The head coach emphasized that he’s diving into the offensive playbook “in my spare time,” but Byron Leftwich is his offensive commander and Tom Brady will work closely with Leftwich.
Still, Bowles will be handling all the big decisions, and the defense very much remains in his hands.
“I’ll make the decisions on 3rd-and-short, obviously, when to go for it and when not go for it, two-minute and those type of deals,” Bowles said.
“I relinquished very little this time around [on defense]. I think the first time with the Jets I relinquished a lot more than I would have wanted to.”
It’s Bowles’ team. And he does not need help with his command.
Joe sees Bowles as a guy who realized he went far too much with a CEO style with the Jets during his four year reign there (2015-2018).
None of this means Bowles will be a good Bucs head coach, but it does speak to his experience and enhanced trust in himself.
May 6th, 2022 at 12:15 am
As the DC his guys often didn’t know their assignments — which was the number one root cause of the busted coverages and blown gaps.
S I M P L I F Y
The athletes are there. Trust their athletic instincts and unleash them.
If they were PhD subatomic particle physicists then yeah, they could comprehend what Todd wants them to do.
May 6th, 2022 at 12:37 am
hopefully Bowels is on a short leash this time… Meaning, If he begins to look similar to his days with Jets, don’t make the fans miserable giving him years to try and turn it around… If he can’t cut it, don’t be skittish to move on from him…
May 6th, 2022 at 3:50 am
Goatfarmer Says:
May 6th, 2022 at 12:15 am
As the DC his guys often didn’t know their assignments — which was the number one root cause of the busted coverages and blown gaps.
S I M P L I F Y
The athletes are there. Trust their athletic instincts and unleash them.
If they were PhD subatomic particle physicists then yeah, they could comprehend what Todd wants them to do.
There is 2 sides to the story, after 3 years, the players should not be crapping the bed like they do sometimes. How many times have they run defenses in mini camps, training camps, then preseason, and the regular season, post season. I do not know the numbers of plays the defense has practiced and played for the last 3 years, but it has to be in the thousands by now.
This is not rocket science.
It takes 2 to tango, blame goes on both sides. Just like when they won the Super Bowl, credit goes to both sides, not just the players, not just the coaches, but both get credit..
Example A, in the Ram game at the end, we had a 10 year veteran LVD not at all locked in on the play. This dude has been a stud for most of his time with the Bucs, except when Lovie was here, his play dipped for 2 tears. But Overall LVD has been a stud, but on the back breaker play against the Rams, he was not locked in, not just him, other veteran players also doing who really knows what. They got the call from the sideline, so what happened? Again after 1000’s of plays in practice and games, and have a play like that in a critical moment with veteran players, not rookie scrubs. If you want to rag on Bowles fine, but make sure you include the players also for taking a dump on the play that basically ended the season.
GO BUCS!!!!!!
May 6th, 2022 at 4:33 am
Goatfarmer … ‘As the DC his guys often didn’t know their assignments — which was the number one root cause of the busted coverages and blown gaps.’
The bottom line for any defense IMO is Points Allowed. Last year’s Bucs’ defense allowed 353 points total … 20.8 PPG … FIFTH LEAST in the NFL. You don’t accomplish that by ‘often not knowing your assignments’.
Bowles’ 3-4 hybrid scheme is sound, but it is complex from what I’ve read, and especially the terminology apparently. But still, you don’t need a PhD in Rocket Science to play football; these players have lived & breathed football all their lives.
What you do need IMO though, and especially on defense, is leadership & chemistry. The latter primarily comes from time together on the field; a lot of it in practice but mostly in games. And that’s what this team lacked last year, mostly because of injuries to key players.
The other biggie … field leadership … fluctuated quite a bit last year IMO. JPP & Suh had provided most of that on the front line I think, yet it wasn’t the same in 2021 as it was in 2020. LVD wasn’t the same either (his injuries probably impacted that?). And the Secondary was a revolving door all season long, with no real field leader stepping up back there. Hopefully that changes this year or the results will look very familiar.
May 6th, 2022 at 4:54 am
Very straight forward excellent analysis DR.
“What you do need IMO though, and especially on defense, is leadership & chemistry. The latter primarily comes from time together on the field; a lot of it in practice but mostly in games. And that’s what this team lacked last year, mostly because of injuries to key players.
The other biggie … field leadership … fluctuated quite a bit last year IMO. JPP & Suh had provided most of that on the front line I think, yet it wasn’t the same in 2021 as it was in 2020. LVD wasn’t the same either (his injuries probably impacted that?). And the Secondary was a revolving door all season long, with no real field leader stepping up back there. Hopefully that changes this year or the results will look very familiar.”
The “Red Badge of Courage” comes to mind to describe how beat up the defense was last year.
They played less than the 1st half against Dallas in the opening game as a starting unit for the entire reg season.
And the Ram playoff game was the only other start by the defense with all their starters on the field for the 2022 season.
That normally is a Recipe for disaster.
But considering what Bowles was able to put on the field, 5th in points, is actually outstanding.
Even though it was not fun watching most of the time defense produced that stat. Constant shuffling of guys to compensate for injuries, was just not fun watch.
But whatever, this team is in good hands with Bowles at the Helm, and J Licht stocking the Shelves.
GO BUCS!!!!!
May 6th, 2022 at 6:00 am
DR and August you folks are talking some real stuff and I 👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾
because after being in this system for more than 2 years
This D should flow with great COMMUNICATION!!
May 6th, 2022 at 6:36 am
I sincerely hope he is aggressive on offense as he is on defense. I hate it when teams punt on 3rd down 100% of the time, or when they never try to close out the half with an aggressive drive, or when they don’t use a hurry up offense. You know, like every other Bucs teams have done.
May 6th, 2022 at 6:43 am
“I’ll make the decisions on 3rd-and-short”. Yikes, make the best of your opportunities on 1st and 2nd down, Byron. I think I know what he meant if that was the actual quote and he misspoke.
As far as the defense, what they were able to do with the players available some games was actually pretty impressive. It wasn’t always pretty, but how could it have been? The last play of the last game aside, the defense was sound. If that play had happened in the middle of the season nobody would remember it, but it was bare butt right at the end, so it’s the last thing anybody remembers.
May 6th, 2022 at 9:06 am
I’m glad August brings up that last play against the Rams. There were numerous players out of position and not ready and a team comprised of veterans. Culpability is a two-way street.
Secondly, I guess some have forgotten that crap-show defense prior to Bowles. It is night and day different and far more aggressive.
Bowles is a more than capable HC.
Lastly, and I can’t believe we have such short-term memories, with all the injuries and issues this team was 13-4. THIRTEEN AND FOUR!!! So exactly how bad was the coaching?!
May 6th, 2022 at 11:00 am
I hope he goes for it on 3rd and short! Lol.
May 6th, 2022 at 11:41 am
I always enjoy your comments DR
You can tell that you spend real quality time studying YOUR team.
It’s refreshing to read this commentary.
I’m betting new leaders step up this year.
In fact when everyone can lead someone will.
Trust me they are as embarrassed as we are for lack of communication on that play.
Also watching tape of Devin Lloyd just now, DW needs to have WAY more patience. His speed is a trap for him. If we can get pick #5 back, this defense will roll. We need the 8-9 sack White back. Gonna need it.
Go Bucs
May 6th, 2022 at 11:43 am
So this season we get to see the “pure” Byrn Leftwich, not the one with Coach No Risk-It/No Biscuit looking over his shoulder…
Will Bowles have a red marker?
May 6th, 2022 at 2:40 pm
Brady gonna will this clown to a double digit win season