Former NFL Scout Thinks Todd Bowles Should Be In Trouble
November 30th, 2022
Called out by former colleague.
Joe has heard and read a lot of advocates and friends in NFL media who are big Todd Bowles fans but still scolded him for how the Bucs lost to the Browns on Sunday.
Last night, Joe ran across a former colleague of Bowles who also says he likes Bowles a lot but suggests the Bucs may want to start their coaching search for 2023.
That’s the first media person Joe had heard or read that says Bowles is on his way out. That’s how horrific that loss was, not even Bowles’ friends can defend that game.
Matt Williamson, a former NFL scout who worked with Bowles in Cleveland (Bowles was the secondary coach for Butch Davis and Bruce Arians was also the Browns’ offensive coordinator) said on the podcast he co-hosts with Brian Peacock, “Peacock and Williamson,” that Bowles served up the Bucs on a silver platter. Williamson is now convinced Bowles is not cut out to be a head coach and that game should place Bowles on a very toasty chair.
“Tampa might be broken, though,” Williamson said. “When the game went to overtime, I was like, ‘I’ll take TB all day long in this one.’ No, that’s not the way it went.
“I thought coming off the bye they were going to finish the season strong. Maybe they are not a contender but they are going to run away with the division, maybe win a playoff game. I don’t feel that way at all any more.
“I’m a Todd Bowles fan, I’ve mentioned many times. He and I were on the Browns staff together. I don’t think he’s a head coach. The way he handled the clock at the end of this game was criminal.
“I think his seat should be hot.”
Whoa. Again, this is the first of anyone Joe had heard in NFL media with an NFL background much less a former colleague of Bowles’ to come right out and say Bowles needs to be replaced. That’s a bold, bordering on hot take.
Right now the way Joe is looking at things, failing offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich may just drag Bowles down with him. Joe doesn’t know why Bowles hasn’t made radical changes to the offense or ordered Leftwich to do so.
But as long as this offense is horrible, that’s almost as much on Bowles as it is Leftwich. The Bucs are about to play their 12th game. A shakeup should have occurred long ago.
The fact Leftwich is still here and the offense still s@cks tells Joe that Bowles is good with that. And that is simply irresponsible given the talent and the high stakes involved in likely Tom Brady’s final Bucs season.
It’s almost like Bowles doesn’t want the Bucs to score. Tell Joe that’s wrong. If you tolerate it, accept it and condone it, you want it. That’s all there is to it.
“I’m done with the excuses,” Williamson said of folks crying about the offensive line or injuries. “They should be better than this. Defense played well but this is a disappointing team.”
“Disappointing” isn’t the word for it, Matt.
November 30th, 2022 at 8:06 am
would Sean Peyton be a viable replacement? i know i’ll be hammered for it but he wanted to coach with the GOAT at QB, might be a good way to coax TB12 back for another year. Compensation to the Aints couldn’t be higher than a 3rd could it? IDK but i do know this staff isn’t working.
November 30th, 2022 at 8:08 am
What a waste of the goats final season and son no nonsense today
November 30th, 2022 at 8:14 am
He’s not wrong. The Saints will most likely embarrass him on Monday, the Glazers better be out coach shopping.
Leftwich and Bowles need to go – Leftwich was garbage in Arizona and Bowles was one of the worst head coaches in Jets history. They are what their track record says they are.
Why more people aren’t publicly putting these two clowns on the hot seats.
November 30th, 2022 at 8:15 am
Brady will play in Foxborough before he plays another season in Tampa.
November 30th, 2022 at 8:16 am
No spit Sherlock. Glazers have already begun their search. The question is whether or not they have the guts to fire him this season. It’s the only way to save this season, which is likely Brady’s last. Maintaining status quo is suicide.
November 30th, 2022 at 8:16 am
TBBF can’t stand much more of this……let’s get to the Saints game……hopefully we’ll have a Falcons loss on Sunday.
November 30th, 2022 at 8:24 am
The Glazers are going to have to fire him Licht will let him slide into next year with Trask or Trash( whatever you prefer) at the helm.
November 30th, 2022 at 8:24 am
By being ultra conservative all year Bowles has shown the team that he doubts them. That’s the death stroke for any team. If you believe in your team you let the dogs loose. Brandon Staley is on the opposite end of the spectrum but I’d much rather see the Bucs go down swinging than whimpering in a corner.
November 30th, 2022 at 8:25 am
Bowles is a defensive coach who coaches scared. He’s more afraid of losing than motivated by winning. Perhaps the Jets gig messed up his head.
Whatever it’s effected the entire team. Exhibit A ME13 dropping a certain TD that could have very easily cost the Bucs a win. Exhibit B Devin White makes a brain dead late hit on the QB that would get called by ANY official that gives the opponent another chance instead of 4th an forever and they convert the mistake into another Buc’s loss. There are more exhibits but you get the idea.
This team is playing TIGHT!!! Do we even dare to drag out the dreaded “C” word? As much as I like him I’m afraid choke is exactly what is happening to Bowles.
November 30th, 2022 at 8:29 am
Everybody Knows…except the Glazers and they do not care.
November 30th, 2022 at 8:31 am
I wonder if the Bucs could hire a ‘game manager and just let Bowles stand on the sideline looking stupid and clueless,, like he always does
November 30th, 2022 at 8:32 am
“he is not a head coach” DUH!!!!!!! We all already knew this we all knew this before he got the job.
November 30th, 2022 at 8:36 am
They don’t respond to getting humiliated by trash teams on national TV. Maybe Brady should pull an AB? Rip off his jersey, flash the peace sign, and trot into the locker room in the middle of a game. Or maybe . . . fire Todd B and BL for running a 13-4 team into the sewer.
November 30th, 2022 at 8:40 am
I hate people yelling “Of course we knew he wasn’t a head coach,
He failed with the Jets!” blah blah blah blah blah BS.
He had the stamp of approval from every player on the team. The defense loves him. BA and many others around the league could not wait for him to have another chance with a real organization and not the debacle that was the Jets. So don’t give me this hindsight BS nonsense.
The defense has played well. It’s all been the offense. Now if he has had a say in how horrendously conservative the O has been, which it seems he has, then BL and Bowles need to go.
If he hasn’t, some of the blame still falls on him because he could override some of it.
He’s been great as DC though. I wish coaches would know what their limitation is. There are many OCs and DCs over the years that should’ve never been a head coach.
November 30th, 2022 at 8:40 am
HC. Every team has time management coaches, analytic guys etc etc. Either these guys suck or Bowles isn’t using them. Bowles said that he didn’t go for it at the end of regulation because of the way the game was going. How was the LA game going before the Bucs won it with a few seconds left ? Bowles is contradicting himself and making excuses. He CHOKED and that’s all there is to it. Was he waiting for Jim Marshall to run the wrong way for a TD ?
November 30th, 2022 at 8:51 am
Bring in Sean Payton!
November 30th, 2022 at 8:54 am
It would be unprecedented for Team Glazer to fire a coach after one year, right? My only questions are, would they allow him to get his people he wanted for another year? I don’t remember, which is why I’m asking this one: Were the Glazers on board with this hire in the first place, or did BA force their hand?
Speaking of BA, thinking about it just now, I’m wondering if behind the scenes he’s dying inside, because he set Bowles up perfectly and he’s royally screwing everything up. I know previously I said he’d possibly be mad if we axed Bowles, but maybe he himself is upset with Bowles and everyone else. I mean I would imagine that the Bucs job would have been very lucrative. Publicly he won’t admit it, but behind closed doors, I do wonder.
November 30th, 2022 at 8:55 am
Excellent article, Joe; and good comments. Also a good article on Brady in The Athletic this morning by Jeff Howe saying Brady should demand an imroved
offensiive scheme, or leave. All are agreed–clock management and punting from the Browns’ 37 were a joke.
November 30th, 2022 at 9:03 am
I’m more pissed at Jason and the Glazers for not firing this incompetent head coach impersonator. You’re still leading this crappy division, this is the ideal time to fire Bowels and put in someone else…you’re wasting The 🐐 and his magic. Even with all the horrible seasons the Bucs have had this is the MOST frustrating time for the Bucs and the fans.
November 30th, 2022 at 9:09 am
This team has given up on Bowles and Leftwich.
And I’ve given up on all of them. Don’t care if they make the playoffs or not. I’m leaning towards not so maybe just maybe they’ll fire them. Until then you’ll have an underachieving flat boring team.
November 30th, 2022 at 9:26 am
You guys need to stop with this Sean Payton business. Why the f would he wanna come here for a 46yr old Brady, and within a yr have to look for a franchise quarterback as well as a roster refresh, because he may not be a Mike Evans guy for example and want to trade for picks. Lavonte getting older etc etc. The Chargers job is much much better. Younger team, franchise quarterback, easier to build in his image. Let go of this Sean Payton thing
November 30th, 2022 at 9:30 am
C’mon Glazers, do the right thing. As owners you need to step up & quit listening to Licht & BA & FIRE Bowles & Leftwitch. You owe it to the fans. Even most of the media thinks they should go. Your the owners act like it. Try and do the right thing without being told. You have coaches on offense & defense for the interim.
November 30th, 2022 at 9:35 am
Give Brady 100% control to call his own plays. Maybe work a game plan out with BA / Brady allowing Brady to call the plays. Remove Bryon from all game planning and play calling. Such a plan has much upside potential with very little to lose. As trashy as this experiment has been there’s not much room for decline.
November 30th, 2022 at 9:36 am
Go Saints!!!! Hopefully another loss and the Glazers may do the right thing & fire the coaching staff.
November 30th, 2022 at 9:50 am
BB or BA would have this offence ready to go. Terrible coaching decisions last game
November 30th, 2022 at 9:53 am
History is littered with stubborn people who refused to adjust to ever changing conditions. Todd Bowles will eventually be fired for his hard headedness and get another DC job and move on. The Bucs, on the other hand, will always have the stain of totally wasting Tom Brady’s last year and sliding back into irrelevance once he’s gone. I thought the franchise had turned it around after all the years of embarrassment. I was wrong.
November 30th, 2022 at 9:59 am
Change, radical change, must occur NOW or this season is lost. That’s all this fan knows for sure.
Starting with the Glazers, then Licht, something must be done now. If nothing changes, then us fans will look back on this season later and lament that leadership was OK with the way this team is being run this season.
Joe, can you imagine a Bowle’s confidence poll right now? My comments are sometimes sarcastic, but in all seriousness, I’m sure the poll would read about 90% No Confidence.
November 30th, 2022 at 10:00 am
I believe the bar is set at least win the division, and get a home playoff game. Anything less than that is grounds for firing. No one would blame the Glazers firing Bowles if he couldn’t win the south. Remember this isn’t his first gig, can’t use that as an excuse. If he can’t win the division this year, he’ll never be able to win it.
November 30th, 2022 at 10:04 am
This is the way I look at. BA retired in March and the glazers had no time to do a
coach search so Bowles was recommended for a replacement. I consider Bowels
as an intern coach to prove himself this year. He is over his head and the Glazers will do a new coach search for next year. Bye Bye Bowles.
November 30th, 2022 at 10:42 am
If the Bucs lose to the AIN’TS on Monday night both Bowels and Leftwitch should be fired. If they are not something smells rotten at One Buc Place. Can’t believe they are still in charge this week after the Cleveland Game. Shame how bad this whole year has been for the players. Way more talent on this roster than what the record shows.
November 30th, 2022 at 10:59 am
Bowles is NOT cut out to be a head coach.
November 30th, 2022 at 11:18 am
I was giving Bowles the benefit of the doubt until he gave the game away against Cleveland. Asinine clock “management”/mismanagement.
November 30th, 2022 at 11:19 am
Todd is CLEARLY not head coach material. He can’t even manage a team with Tom Brady as the QB.
November 30th, 2022 at 11:42 am
Bowels isn’t head coach material PERIOD… But one thing he said in his interview that sticks out to me is when he said that it was decided that if they didn’t get a big play on 1st down of their last drive they were just going to go to OT. Well there wasn’t a big play (total opposite of the drive against the Rams). So they let the time run THEN Brady hit the big play to Julio my question who called the play? It shows what all the fans know there’s a disconnect somewhere. Even though we went to OT we got the ball 1st did nothing with it. Defense got us the ball back and again we did nothing with it. Defense was tired Carlton Davis slips tires to bring Amari down with him but can’t. Huge gain ball game. The Defense isn’t the problem. Offense, ST return and coverage is what’s wrong with this team. I don’t know if you can remove Bowels from head coach but retain him as the DC and bring in someone else next year. I don’t see that working. We’re in rebuild next year with a new staff but we’ve got some young pieces in place so it may not take a long time.
November 30th, 2022 at 12:04 pm
Sean Payton when they fire this bum
November 30th, 2022 at 12:05 pm
Todd Bowles is a fearful liar. Honestly call a spade a spade–recognize the truth. He was too afraid to call a time out or he let the clock get away from him. THEN HE LIED to all of us and his players and said he thought Brady would throw an interception so he did not give the Bucs a chance to win. BUCS ARE BETTER OFF WITH NO HEAD COACH. He might be some good things as a defensive coordinator but now his team is over it with his tired accountability message.
November 30th, 2022 at 12:11 pm
100% exactly, what “GoForTheFace30” said… Plus, I bet it’d take THREE 1ST-Round Picks too, before the ‘Saints’ would even consider it. So, is THAT would YOU would do… Ya think “Payton” would wanna go someplace with absolutely, (almost) ZERO ‘Draft Capital,’ ANNNDD having to do/go thru a ‘Rebuild’… REALLY!? And, the only thing I was going to add (since I also had the “Chargers” on my-list), was… I think if he can’t hold-out long enough for “Jerry & The ‘Boys,” I believe it will be someplace like, the Patriots, Rams (chargers would be my number-1, if I were him), maybe a NYC-Team, or Vegas!!!! Would Arizona be a landing spot for him… I don’t believe he’s all that big of a fan of Kyler Murray, At ALL. Saw him DESTROY HIM on “The Herd” a few weeks ago – definitely, NOT a fan. But, anyway… ENOUGH with the CONSTANT ‘Payton-Stuff’ – STOP hoping/thinking with your-heart, etc. It’s just not realistic, whatsoever. PERIOD. End of Story. WHY TH WOULD HE.
November 30th, 2022 at 12:24 pm
tampabayallday Says:
November 30th, 2022 at 12:04 pm
Sean Payton when they fire this bum
——————————–
What rock did you crawl out from under? Sean Payton? Bite me! And you sure ain’t no Bucs fan. Probably another dimwitted Brady groupie.
November 30th, 2022 at 1:04 pm
Bowleszo & leftworst have lost the locker room ….it will be even darker from here
November 30th, 2022 at 1:30 pm
The thing is, Bowles doesn’t know how to call offensive plays, nor run a game. He depended on Leftwitch to take care of that, it didn’t work, and now he’s like a deer in headlights. He has never done much offensively. The comments he made after the game were worse (to me) than almost anything Gruden said to get him fired so immediately.
November 30th, 2022 at 2:12 pm
Bowles has no ability for clock management and is a fraud–holding players accountable while lying his ass off to the media
November 30th, 2022 at 2:58 pm
This has been a friggin nightmare.
The Glazers and Licht are willing to sacrifice TB12’s last season here and our last chance to chase another ring because THEY ALLOWED daddy (BA) to annoit his incompetent sons (Bowles/BL) to take over the family business.
This is a complete organization wide FAIL on the grandest level. I’m so disgusted with Bowles/Leftwich I hope they lose out the rest of the way.
You think it’s uncomfortable now?
Wait till they get embarrassed at home AGAIN to the Saints Monday night. I almost can’t wait for the press conferences.
November 30th, 2022 at 3:02 pm
If things don’t improve this season (and I am doubtful), Arians will have proven two things: One, Arians deserves much of the credit for the team’s success the past two years. He was more than just a CEO type coach. Two, Arians vocal advocacy for Bowles and Leftwich for head coaching positions is nothing more than empty words. If I were a team owner and Arians recommended someone as head coach, I would politely listen and then carry on. Nothing to see here.
November 30th, 2022 at 3:39 pm
These coaches aren’t even worth making fun of anymore. Apathy has done set in for me. Can you imagine if things stay status quo and we retain this coaching staff? I’m gonna lose my freaking mind.
November 30th, 2022 at 3:48 pm
Brian Flores or Eric Bienemy.
November 30th, 2022 at 4:16 pm
I’m saying heck no to Bienemy there’s been some Ex players saying he’s a fraud and it’s all Andy Reid calling the shots. After this debacle with BL I’d be scared to take the chance and find out that Eric isn’t calling anything over there. I will say we need a Shanahan, Reid type play caller. Someone who designs plays around the talent they have and keeps a defense off balance. We also need a dynamic play maker, fast and shifty. We haven’t had that type since we left Warrick Dunn out the building.
November 30th, 2022 at 5:27 pm
He is in no way a head coach and is doing the same thing here he did at his last HC job – take a decently good team and run it into the ground
How was his O with the JETS? Exactly….
Ham sandwich who can’t call plays without BA auditing every call – thinks he is an alpha male and all of us betas should just eat cake – he will be coaching division 3/ NAIA level soon enough
Glazers- wake up and smell the coffee!!!
November 30th, 2022 at 7:40 pm
PAYTON IS NOT AN OPTION he is property of the saints and any team that wants him has to train for him. They are not trading him in the division. No one is that stupid.
BOWLES isn’t going anywhere. I gotta believe that the Glazers will listen to BA and he will fight the change. I may be wrong, but get ready for a pretty sad 13 months.
December 1st, 2022 at 6:41 am
I should never have been Bowles
December 1st, 2022 at 6:47 am
Sean Payton wants to coach again. Tampa would be perfect for him.